Cleaton Junior Cantrell (Red)
March 5, 1937 –
February 5, 2022
Cleaton Junior “Red” Cantrell, died on February 5, 2022 in Traverse City, Michigan, where he lived for the last year and eight months of his life battling heart disease and lung cancer.
Red was born in Overton, Tennessee, on March 5, 1937, the youngest of five children. His family in Tennessee had owned a lumber company during the “Great Depression.” His father, Euln Cleaton Cantrell, and his mother, Willie Bernice (née Ramsey), moved the family to the Battle Creek area to work at Post Cereal. Later, Cleaton Junior Cantrell, “Red” worked at Post Cereal in the Carton and Container division, where he eventually retired.
In 1952, Red married Diana Redman (née Ayers), the surviving mother of his three children. The family moved to Colorado, where Red served as a corporal in the US Army and later in the Army Reserves. After the army he moved between Traverse City, where he worked for Stromberg Carlson, and Battle Creek, working various jobs until landing his job at Post Cereal in Battle Creek.
After retiring from Post Cereal in the 1990s, Red bought property in Fort White, Florida and moved there.
He loved working on his 1932 hit “Blue Angle” among many other cars and trucks and going to car shows. Red also enjoyed motorcycles, especially Harleys. When he was in Michigan, deer hunting, squirrel hunting and bird hunting were his favorite sports. Over the years, several dogs and cats found their way to him on his lap because of the attention he loved to give them. In the last decade of his life he developed macular degeneration, which made working on his vehicles very limited, but he was always out there doing what he could still do.
Red was eager and easy to talk to anyone and make them feel special. He cared for all of his family and friends and loved his visits.
He is survived by his wife, Angie Cantrell (ne’ e Avinger), of Odessa, FL; his daughter, Shannon Cantrell-Walter (Jake), of Traverse City, MI; his son, Cleaton “John” Cantrell (Beverley), of Suttons Bay, MI; his son, Russ Cantrell, of Traverse City, MI.; his stepdaughter, Kim Morgan, (Brian), of Tampa FL; his stepdaughter, Tracy Brannum, (Brian), of Columbia, SC.
Red is also survived by ten grandchildren, Niles Breithaupt, (Angie), Tiahna Lee Hays, (Kevin Douglas), Mathew Hays, Jessica Oswalt, (Sam), Michelle Amor, (Kobi), Maranda Denay, (Greg), Brandy Nickerson , (brandon), Ryan Grant, (Amy), Coy Cantrell, Destiny Hayes; twenty great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Genola “Gerri” Wisner, (Harold), Phyllis Phares, (Victor), Izola Smith, (Harlow); a brother, Harland Cantrell, (Margarie); and a grandson, Cleaton John “Johnny” Cantrell.
A memorial service will be held at Floral Lawn Memorial Gardens, 1490 Michigan Ave., E Battle Creek, Michigan on August 29, 2022 at 1 p.m. Pastor Kevin Douglas will deliver the graveside eulogy. Join the family at 2 pm at Claira’s On The River, 44 McCamly Street, Battle Creek.
For those who wish to donate on behalf of Red, please direct funds to AMDF, the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Red was born in Overton, Tennessee, on March 5, 1937, the youngest of five children. His family in Tennessee had owned a lumber company during the “Great Depression.” His father, Euln Cleaton Cantrell, and his mother, Willie Bernice (née Ramsey), moved the family to the Battle Creek area to work at Post Cereal. Later, Cleaton Junior Cantrell, “Red” worked at Post Cereal in the Carton and Container division, where he eventually retired.
In 1952, Red married Diana Redman (née Ayers), the surviving mother of his three children. The family moved to Colorado, where Red served as a corporal in the US Army and later in the Army Reserves. After the army he moved between Traverse City, where he worked for Stromberg Carlson, and Battle Creek, working various jobs until landing his job at Post Cereal in Battle Creek.
After retiring from Post Cereal in the 1990s, Red bought property in Fort White, Florida and moved there.
He loved working on his 1932 hit “Blue Angle” among many other cars and trucks and going to car shows. Red also enjoyed motorcycles, especially Harleys. When he was in Michigan, deer hunting, squirrel hunting and bird hunting were his favorite sports. Over the years, several dogs and cats found their way to him on his lap because of the attention he loved to give them. In the last decade of his life he developed macular degeneration, which made working on his vehicles very limited, but he was always out there doing what he could still do.
Red was eager and easy to talk to anyone and make them feel special. He cared for all of his family and friends and loved his visits.
He is survived by his wife, Angie Cantrell (ne’ e Avinger), of Odessa, FL; his daughter, Shannon Cantrell-Walter (Jake), of Traverse City, MI; his son, Cleaton “John” Cantrell (Beverley), of Suttons Bay, MI; his son, Russ Cantrell, of Traverse City, MI.; his stepdaughter, Kim Morgan, (Brian), of Tampa FL; his stepdaughter, Tracy Brannum, (Brian), of Columbia, SC.
Red is also survived by ten grandchildren, Niles Breithaupt, (Angie), Tiahna Lee Hays, (Kevin Douglas), Mathew Hays, Jessica Oswalt, (Sam), Michelle Amor, (Kobi), Maranda Denay, (Greg), Brandy Nickerson , (brandon), Ryan Grant, (Amy), Coy Cantrell, Destiny Hayes; twenty great-grandchildren; and four great-great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his parents; sisters, Genola “Gerri” Wisner, (Harold), Phyllis Phares, (Victor), Izola Smith, (Harlow); a brother, Harland Cantrell, (Margarie); and a grandson, Cleaton John “Johnny” Cantrell.
A memorial service will be held at Floral Lawn Memorial Gardens, 1490 Michigan Ave., E Battle Creek, Michigan on August 29, 2022 at 1 p.m. Pastor Kevin Douglas will deliver the graveside eulogy. Join the family at 2 pm at Claira’s On The River, 44 McCamly Street, Battle Creek.
For those who wish to donate on behalf of Red, please direct funds to AMDF, the American Macular Degeneration Foundation.
Published in August 22, 2022