Lenda May Ward, 79, of Watervliet, passed away Friday, October 3, 2025 at her home following an extended illness.

Funeral services will be held at 1 p.m. Thursday at Duffield & Pastrick Funeral Home in Coloma with visitation beginning at noon.  Pastor Austin Hopper will officiate. Burial will follow at Lakeshore-Hagar Cemetery. Memorials in Lenda's honor may be made to the Humane Society of Southwestern Michigan. Those wishing to share a memory or leave a message for the family may do so at www.duffieldpastrick.com.

Lenda was born on January 27, 1946 in Jonesboro, Arkansas to Ira and Juanita Rutledge and the family moved to southwest Michigan the following year. She and Richard Ward were married on February 8, 1980 and together raised their family of seven children. Prior to her retirement in 2000, Lenda had been employed as a supervisor at Clean America cleaning the Whirlpool Corp. offices. Lenda loved to shop, crochet, knit and watch the birds. During the summer, she and Richard enjoyed going to the flea market every weekend. Her greatest love however, was spending time with her large family.

Lenda is survived by her husband Richard; her daughters, Teresa Rogalski of Watervliet, Tammy (Jim) Baney of Berrien Springs, Melinda (Ron) Galbreath of Dowagiac; her sons, Timothy Watson of Watervliet, Rocky (Teresa) Watson of Coloma, Richie (Robin) Ward and Dearll (Jen) Ward, both of Arizona; two sisters, Julia (Guy) Kiser of Benton Harbor and Vickie (Randy) Anderson or Orlando, Fla.; her brother Alvin (Donna) Rutledge of Watervliet, 26 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Ira and Juanita; her granddaughter Moneca Watson, her grandson Shillo Marcoux and her sister Bonnie Rutledge.