1917
Arvo
2013
Arvo August Juntunen
May 3, 1917 — September 23, 2013
Munising
Mr. Arvo A. Juntunen, age 96, of 314 Birch Street, Munising, passed on peacefully at the Munising Memorial Hospital on Sunday morning, September 22, 2013.
This story was told by Arvo to his "Finn friend" Karen Gamelin:
"My siblings and I were children of our parents Lauri and Julia (Norlund) Juntunen who resided in Republic, Michigan. I was born on May 3, 1917 and I lived in Republic until 1943 when I went into the service, serving in WWII in Germany for seventeen months. I was very proud to serve my country.
When I was honorably discharged from the Army, I came home to try to find work, but jobs were scarce and I ended up going to Detroit and worked there for several years on the assembly line making cars! The U.P. was beckoning me to come home and I found work at a mink ranch and later at the railroad and also and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base. I then retired to enjoy "the good life."
I used to love to dance and at a dance I met the "love of my life" Aune Paasio and after dating for six months we were married. We did everything together - danced, went to Arizona for winters, picked berries, and enjoyed coffee klatches with our friends and neighbors. Aune and I were married for ten years when while in Arizona, Aune passed on and I returned home to Munising.
The second "love of my life" was my music and I loved to play my fiddle. Everywhere I went, I took my fiddle to play for everyone and I played until I was ninety-six. I enjoyed playing and going to the Commission on Aging for recreation every day and having fellowship with others. My niece, Lois Pittman and my nephew, Richard Johnson also play the violin so music is in my family!
I thank God for my family, for my country, for my music, for my friends, and also for my good health to live to be ninety-six."
Arvo is survived by his niece Lois Pittman and husband Steve Pittman and their two sons of Chicago, Illinois, Arvo's nephew Richard Johnson of St. Louis, Missouri, Arvo's cousin Gertrude and Allan Lepp of Fitchburg, Maine, several step-nieces and good "Finn" friends Karen and Jerry Gamelin and friend Pam Peters plus tons of friends who have been so good to him throughout his life.
A time of celebration of Arvo's life will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church on Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan with Pastor Jim Ramelis officiating. Military honors will be held at the Maple Grove Cemetery following the memorial service at the church. Those honors will be conducted by the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Honor Guards. Relatives and friends are invited to a luncheon at the church following the ceremony.
Mr. Arvo A. Juntunen, age 96, of 314 Birch Street, Munising, passed on peacefully at the Munising Memorial Hospital on Sunday morning, September 22, 2013.
This story was told by Arvo to his "Finn friend" Karen Gamelin:
"My siblings and I were children of our parents Lauri and Julia (Norlund) Juntunen who resided in Republic, Michigan. I was born on May 3, 1917 and I lived in Republic until 1943 when I went into the service, serving in WWII in Germany for seventeen months. I was very proud to serve my country.
When I was honorably discharged from the Army, I came home to try to find work, but jobs were scarce and I ended up going to Detroit and worked there for several years on the assembly line making cars! The U.P. was beckoning me to come home and I found work at a mink ranch and later at the railroad and also and K.I. Sawyer Air Force Base. I then retired to enjoy "the good life."
I used to love to dance and at a dance I met the "love of my life" Aune Paasio and after dating for six months we were married. We did everything together - danced, went to Arizona for winters, picked berries, and enjoyed coffee klatches with our friends and neighbors. Aune and I were married for ten years when while in Arizona, Aune passed on and I returned home to Munising.
The second "love of my life" was my music and I loved to play my fiddle. Everywhere I went, I took my fiddle to play for everyone and I played until I was ninety-six. I enjoyed playing and going to the Commission on Aging for recreation every day and having fellowship with others. My niece, Lois Pittman and my nephew, Richard Johnson also play the violin so music is in my family!
I thank God for my family, for my country, for my music, for my friends, and also for my good health to live to be ninety-six."
Arvo is survived by his niece Lois Pittman and husband Steve Pittman and their two sons of Chicago, Illinois, Arvo's nephew Richard Johnson of St. Louis, Missouri, Arvo's cousin Gertrude and Allan Lepp of Fitchburg, Maine, several step-nieces and good "Finn" friends Karen and Jerry Gamelin and friend Pam Peters plus tons of friends who have been so good to him throughout his life.
A time of celebration of Arvo's life will be held on Saturday, October 19, 2013 at 11:00 a.m. at the Presbyterian Church on Elm Avenue in Munising, Michigan with Pastor Jim Ramelis officiating. Military honors will be held at the Maple Grove Cemetery following the memorial service at the church. Those honors will be conducted by the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Honor Guards. Relatives and friends are invited to a luncheon at the church following the ceremony.
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