Obituaries

Aug 28, 2011

Munising Harry W. "Chap" Smathers, age 86, of Munising, died Sunday, August 28, 2011 at Munising Memorial Hospital. He was born May 20, 1925, in Munising to the late Harry and Myrtle (Florence) Smathers. Chap grew up in McMillan and graduated from McMillan High School in 1943. He entered into the Army Air Corp in July of 1943 and was...

Aug 8, 2011

Shingleton Bertram "Bert" Linne, age 81, of Pontiac, MI and formerly of Shingleton, died at his family home in Shingleton on Monday, August 8, 2011 under the loving care of his family and North Woods Home Hospice. He was born on June 7, 1930 in Munising, MI to the late William and Vera (Erickson) Linne. Bert enlisted into the United...

Aug 1, 2011

Evelyn Goldie (DeGarmo) Balko died Monday, August 1, 2011 at the age of eighty-eight.  She was born on October 16, 1922 to Evon and Rosa (Austin) DeGarmo in Ishpeming, Michigan and later moved to Diffin, Michigan.  She was the oldest and longest living of her three sisters and two brothers.  Evelyn married Norman H. Balko on August 2, 1947.  Together...

Jul 27, 2011

Wetmore George Peter Gravel, age 72, of Wetmore, died unexpectedly early Wednesday morning, July 27, 2011 at Munising Memorial Hospital. He was born on October 28, 1938 in Munising to the late George and Agnes (Andrews) Gravel. George graduated from Sacred Heart School and then Wm. G. Mather High School in 1956. He married Margaret Louella Hill on October 4,...

Jul 27, 2011

Escanaba / Shingleton Janice Ann Nelson, age 69, of 430 S. 14th Street, Escanaba, Michigan was called home on Wednesday, July 27, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital after a long battle with cancer. Janice was born in Munising, Michigan on October 26, 1941 and was preceded in death by her parents Adelore and Evelyn (St.Martin) Perron and brother Joseph. Janice...

Jul 21, 2011

Dorothy J. Henriksen, age 84, of Knox Street, Munising, died unexpectedly on Thursday, July 21, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital.  She was born on December 5, 1926 in Munising to Joseph and Mary Rose (Hammabauer) Dolaski.  Dorothy was raised in Shingleton and attended school in Shingleton and Munising.  She graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School and then worked as...

Jul 18, 2011

Rumely Dr. Alfred "Al" Reich, D.V.M. age 62, of E1999 Gibbs Road, Rumely, died unexpectedly at his home on Monday morning, July 18, 2011. He was born on August 5, 1948 in Dowagiac, Michigan to Alfred and Alice (Koopman) Reich. Al graduated from Marcellus High School in 1966 and on October 13, 1967, he married Carol Lehnus. They worked together...

Jul 17, 2011

Munising George Russell Robb, age 85, of 931 W. Superior Street, Munising, died on Sunday afternoon, July 17, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising following a brief illness. He was born on September 5, 1925 in Madison, Wisconsin to the late George and Sena (Mickelson) Robb. George graduated from East High School in Madison and then joined the...

Jul 17, 2011

AuTrain August "Gus" Marentette, age 66, of Liberty Street, AuTrain died Sunday morning, July 17, 2011 at his home in AuTrain under the loving care of his family and North Woods Home Hospice. He was born on October 24, 1944 in Ferndale, Michigan to the late Raymond and Myrtle (Barteau) Marentette. Gus graduated from Cheboygan High School in 1962. He...

Jul 16, 2011

Munising               Alice H. Stevenson, age 89, of 504 Birch Street, Munising, died early Saturday morning, July 16, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital.   She was born on May 19, 1922 in Hancock, Michigan to the late William and Niama (Waisanen) Niemi.  Alice moved to Munising in 1935 and graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1940.  She then earned a...

Jul 15, 2011

Munising

Beverly J. Tackmann, age 78, of H-58, Munising, died on Friday evening, July 15, 2011 at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.  She was born on January 14, 1933 in Munising to the late Arthur and Marie (LaFave) Denny.  Bev graduated from Sacred Heart School and then from Wm. G. Mather High School.  She went...

Jul 12, 2011

Munising Delores "Dee" A. Vanatta, age 71, of Munising, died Tuesday evening, July 12, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital. She was born on April 9, 1940 in McMillan, MI, to the late Glenn and Jean (Chapman) Koontz. Dee lived in Dripping Springs, TX from 1981 to 1998 when she moved to Munising. She enjoyed reading romance novels, watching Judge Judy,...

Jul 6, 2011

Munising Jeffrey Wayne Bond, age 54, of Center Street in Munising, died on Wednesday afternoon, July 6, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital. He was born on September 21, 1956 in Detroit to Keith and Nancy (Wadsworth) Bond. Jeff grew up in Troy, Royal Oak and Ferndale. He graduated from the last all city class in 1975 from Troy High School....

Jun 27, 2011

Munising The Honorable Charles ("Charlie") Howard Stark, former Judge of the 11th Circuit Court of Michigan, passed away peacefully at his daughter's home in Boulder, Colorado, June 27, 2011, at the age of 77, surrounded by his closest loved ones. His memory will be cherished forever by his family: Barbara S. (Baldwin) Stark, wife of 47 years; Laura J. Stark-Ghayur...

Jun 25, 2011

Munising John "Jack" Henry Drumsta, age 54, of Munising, died unexpectedly, on Saturday, June 25, 2011. He was born on March 14, 1957, in Mt. Clemons, MI to Henry "Hank" and Wanda (Hebert) Drumsta. While Jack was an infant his family left the Detroit area and moved to Munising and purchased Hilltop Grocery Store. He made his Holy Communion and...

Jun 20, 2011

Munising Lisa Ann (Grey) Hardwick, age 44, of Munising, died Monday, June 20, 2011. She was born on January 19, 1967 in Munising, to the late Donald and Margaret (Maddox) Grey. Lisa graduated from Munising High School in 1985. Lisa loved her family very much, and the time they spent together, especially the family picnics at Deer Lake and Holidays...

Jun 18, 2011

Munising Ronald M. Smithingell, age 65, of Munising, died Saturday, June 18, 2011 at Munising Memorial Hospital. He was born on March 2, 1946 to Leo and Edna (Grainger) Smithingell, in Flint, MI. Ron graduated from Byron High School in 1965. He worked many years on the family farm in Gaines. Ron went on to work for General Motors in...

Jun 10, 2011

Kiva John "Allen" Ruska, age 73, of E609 King Road Kiva, MI, died unexpectedly June 10, 2011. He was born September 5, 1937 to the late John and Jennie (Bartol) Ruuska of Chatham. He graduated from Eben High School in 1955. He then joined the Air Force in March of 1956, where he spent a year stationed in Turkey. Once...

Jun 8, 2011

Munising Robert "Bob" Laurich, age 83, of 412 W. Superior Street, Munising, died late Wednesday evening, June 8, 2011 at his home under the loving care of his family and North Woods Hospice. He was born on May 4, 1928 in Munising to the late Joseph and Antoinia (Knaus) Laurich. Bob graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1946....

Jun 4, 2011

Munising / Livonia Clifford James Kolbus, age 65, of Livonia and formerly of Munising, passed away in his sleep, Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan. Son of Dorothy Kolbus Ayotte and the late John Joseph Kolbus Sr., he was born on June 18, 1945. He graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in Munising in...