Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....DeMond, Celia (Mead) October 2021
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Patricia Currigan currigan1932@comcast.net October 3, 2022, 11:35 am

Hasting's Reminder - Saturday October 2, 2021

Celia DeMond

Heaven has regained its pianist.

The Lord has declared that Celia DeMond has gotten in enough practice on earth 
and it is time to come home.Can you hear the hallelujah Chorus? If we listen 
carefully, her music is even more beautiful today.

Celia Christine Mead was born to Henry and June Mead on October 2, 1945. She was 
their first child, but eventually she was willing to share her parents with two 
more siblings David Mead (Linda) and Elaine Whitney (Patrick).

Elvis had his first hit in the 50s, but the big event of the decade was when 
Celia started piano lessons.

She attended Stony Point Church. There she met wonderful, life-long friends and 
a charming, young man named David DeMond.

Celia went off to Spring Arbor College in 1964 for more music education. She 
couldn't forget that handsome farmer, however, and they were married on June 11, 
1966. This young wife who was already the church pianist, worked on the farm 
while teaching piano.

It didn't take long for the piano teacher to  become music teacher and solo 
ensemble accompanist. She had a studio in Hastings and then in Lake Odessa. In 
1978, she went to work for Lakewood Schools Music Department and the Lakewood 
Area Choral Society was in her future. In 1987, she started her last church 
pianist job with the gracious people of Woodgrove Parish.

For 53 years Celia and her handsome farmer touched countless lives offering 
jobs, music lessons, love and a home.They cherished and raised; two children, 
Mathew DeMond and Michelle Kempinski, and six grandchildren.

It would be hard to find a life Celia didn't touch whether thru lessons, at 
school in a wedding or the comforting music of a funeral. She taught our 
parents, she taught us, she taught our children and our children's children.

It's easy to see that the King of Rock 'N' Roll and the Queen of Soul have 
nothing on the Sweet Sounds from our Sis. She has performed in Cathedrals and 
venues around the world, but her heart was here with us.

She once said "Music is truly an inspiration". We will correct her humble words 
saying, she was the inspiration. She has left us her legacy of music. It's up to 
us to keep her inspiration alive and share it without reservation for glory.

Heaven is a little busy as the moment. Before the Hallelujah Chorus started, 
there was a joyful reunion when David greeted Celia at the gates of Heaven. 
Howard and Margaret DeMond had a table set; June Mead was hustling in from the 
kitchen as Henry waived his arm pointing out the seat they saved just for 
her.They are all singing, happy and healed and the only scars present belong to 
Jesus.

One last note; The word is out that she's home and angels are already lining up 
for their piano lessons.

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