Sarah Jane (Diehl) Minkler died Friday, May 22, 2020 in Swartz Creek, MI.

She was born Oct. 11, 1926 in Hunters Creek, Michigan, the only daughter of the late Harold and Nellie (Grenier) Diehl. Her beloved Aunt Sylvia nicknamed her Sally as a child and so she was called the rest of her life. The Diehl family moved often and Sally made friends everywhere she lived. Eventually they moved to Davison where she graduated from Davison High School in 1944. She married Walton John Minkler on April 14, 1951 and began married life in a house John built on Belsay Rd. In 1960, with their 5 children, they moved to the farm in Goodrich and began hosting decades of family dinners and camp-outs at the farm ponds. Sally was an excellent cook and baker and enjoyed feeding her family and friends. She often said, “If I had a nickel for every cookie I’ve ever baked, we could….”. Even after her hosting days had ended she loved family parties- showing up with 2 pies, a loaf of sweet bread and 3 kinds of cookies. Her favorite child was the one sitting on her lap. And she held children until her last days. Sally is survived by four daughters; Cynthia and Michael Cheshier, Jennifer Conklin, Loretta and Christopher Crawford, Sarah and Craig Leavitt, and daughter-in-law Amy Minkler. Grandchildren; Brooke Butler, Sarah Fondren, Elaina Conklin, Joe, Jon and Andrew Leavitt, Walton Jay and Samantha Minkler and Evan Crawford. Great Grandchildren; Emma, William and Jeffrey Butler, Paige, Daniel and Taylor Fondren, Claire Mahan, Cara and Sarah Minkler, Theodore Leavitt, Avery Crawford and Sophia, Emmaline, Lily and Eliza Leavitt. Brother; Thomas and Ann Diehl. Brother-in-law; Donald and Barbara Minkler. Sister-in-law and closest friend Margaret Diehl, many nieces and nephews who all thought they were Aunt Sally’s favorite. She was preceeded in death by her husband Walton John Minkler, son Walton Jeffery Minkler, brothers Howard and John Diehl, son-in-law Thomas Conklin, sister-in-laws Helen Diehl and Julia Cushman. We ask all the recipients of Sally’s cards and letters, cookies and strawberry jam, mittens and afghans, wonderful dinners and picnics at the pond, to make it your life’s practice to pay forward that same love and generosity to your family and friends and to those folks you meet along the way. Per her wishes there will be no service. Interment will be at Great Lakes National Cemetery. Arrangements were entrusted to Village Funeral Home, Ortonville.  To leave a condolence for the family go to www.villagefh.com