The Stratton Family - Finding Purpose in Everything

Written on 04/02/2024
Jacob H.

The Stratton family is a big and busy one, with eight members - Sarah Stratton (41), Daniel Stratton (49), Beau (29), Lauren (26), Jade (23), Jaclyn (22), Keegan (17), and Gemerie (9). They are a tight-knit group, always looking for opportunities to spend time together and explore new things. Dan and Sarah have been married for almost 11 years with Sarah's best memory is of Dan proposing to her at Epcot while on vacation. They have been together for a total of 16.5 years, and they were each other's second chance at happiness. They were married in the Month of July at Sarah's grandparents' house, with a beautiful pond as the setting and the backdrop for these family photos.

Dan and Sarah have naturally gravitated toward becoming business owners, following in the steps of the ones before them. Dan's grandfather owned his own roofing company, so now Dan is one-third owner of Stratton Home Improvement & Repair in Lapeer with his dad Val and brother Joe. Sarah's grandfather owned RE Owens Dredging and now her Step Father, Marc has taken over with Sarah's brother working beside him. Sarah has her real estate license and works with the brokerage, B & B Realty Solutions in North Branch. It gives her the flexibility to support their family's busy schedule as well as helping out Dan and his business.

Dan and Sarah have six children. Beau, Lauren, and Jaclyn are from Dan's previous marriage and Jade and Keegan are from Sarah's. Gemerie is the baby of the family and belong to Dan and Sarah. Beau married Brittany McDonnell last year, and they now have blessed Dan and Sarah with their first grandchild named Huntley Rose who is 7 months old. Beau owns his own business as well, and they live on Brittany's family farm. Lauren purchased her own home at just 22 years old, where she lives with her longtime boyfriend, Duncan Lewis. She is a surgical assistant at Greater Michigan Oral Surgeons. Jade will be getting married this October to Spencer Sillman, who is a teacher in Mayville. Jade coaches 12U volleyball in North branch and works at the North Branch Bar & Grill. Jaclyn works at Lapeer Regional Medical Center and enjoys traveling and spending time with family and her dog Anunbis. Keegan is currently a junior at North Branch High School. She also attends Ed Tech for Medical Careers and is currently enrolled in the EMT class in Lapeer County. Gemerie is in 4th grade and loves to play basketball, volleyball, and soccer. We cannot forget about Nala Stratton either. Nala is a 2.5 year old Goldendoodle and she has been expecting. She will have delivered her first litter of puppies February 27th. They also have a black cat named Boo, who is 14 years old and lots of chickens. The Strattons just recently lost their St. Bernard Gemini last year, which has been very hard on their family.

When the Strattons are not building their businesses or chasing family schedules, they have a lot of hobbies including traveling, boating on the Holloway Reservoir, going on side-by-side trips and adventures, gardening, hunting, golfing, and spending time with family. The Strattons also love to travel and have been to many places, including Lewiston, Fort Myers Beach, Playa Del Carmen, and Orlando. Their family memories include sitting around the campfire at their property in Lewiston the family visits every year. They ride the trails and take tubing trips down the river, but Sarah's fondest memory is sitting around that campfire with her family over the years. Dan and Sarah are also members of North Branch Area Business Association, Lapeer Chamber of Commerce, GRO Networking Lapeer, and the Lions Club. Through these associations they are able to give back to local charities that includes LACADA, Stone Soup, Wheelin' Team 457, and more!

They have built their lives in the community of Otter Lake and have done so for 14 years. It is a quiet country setting that fits their ever-growing family. The Strattons have become so close with their neighbors that they can't imagine living anywhere else. Sarah says, "I can call any one of them with a favor, and they will come right over, and they know that they can do the same. Some of them are like family." And some of them are family. Their daughter Jade recently became a neighbor, which they find so exciting. Dan has been a long time member of Rhythm Rodders Car Club in Otter Lake for 10+ years, raising money to support many local charities and events through car shows and more. They also enjoy the beautiful beach and bike trails in Otter Lake.

The Strattons say, "We would like to say that it's nice to see local businesses supporting each other. Lapeer County is such a wonderful community and a great place to raise a family. 

Photography by: Kayla Spencer Photography