Barbara May Gamelin

Barbara May Gamelin, age 89, of Munising, passed away on Saturday, April 30, 2016 at the Harbour View Assisted Living Facility under the care of North Woods Hospice and surrounded by her loving family and many wonderful friends.  “Barb” as everyone called her was the seventh child to be born to her parents Mr. and Mrs. Alphonse and Delima (LaRoche) Gamelin on May 19, 1926.  Barb was born at her family home at 114 W. Onota in Munising and lived in the same house all of her life and she was very proud of that.  As Barb grew up, she attended and graduated from Sacred Heart School and then from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1944.    She had a wonderful circle of childhood friends who she kept until she passed on.  She was especially close with Marie and Elaine O’Brien, Barb Carberry, and Lola Gollinger.  Barb loved her church lady friends and established lifelong friendships with them and the people she worked with.  She worked in several stores in Munising but worked over thirty years for the Denman Brothers Clothing Store and that was something she was quite proud of.  She was a clerk, bookkeeper, returns person and you name it, she did it!  Barb was a wonderful clerk and everyone in town loved her.

Even though Barb never married, she was a mother to many portraying the mother image to so many children not only in her own family but to her close friends’ children.  She showered love onto them and in return, they showered her with love and plenty of gifts throughout the year.  Throughout the years as Barb worked, she took care of her parents who were getting elderly.  Gamelin’s never owned a car, so on Sundays, Barb would take them for rides in her car around town and stop somewhere for dinner for a treat.

Barb was a fun-loving person and enjoyed so many things about life.  She loved to play cards and played Bingo.  When Bingo ceased in Munising she was devastated, but when the casino came to Christmas, she was delighted to go and try her luck.  The Legion was one of her favorite places to socialize with her friends Toni and Justine and others who would stop by her table.  She loved taking photos and always had a disposable camera in hand.  Barb also loved all of the holidays and enjoyed decorating for all of them.

Barb was a very faithful member of Sacred Heart Church and she had a deep faith in God.  She also belonged to the National Society of Foresters her whole life as did her mother.  If you missed church for any reason, she’d remind you to attend.

“Bubba  or Bubs” as her friends called her will be sorely missed as she had that good sense of humor and fun attitude.  Barb was the last of her generation, but is lovingly survived by her nephews and nieces -  “Jerry” (Karen) Gamelin, Denny (Deanna) Gamelin, Mike (Karen) Mikulich, Jim (Patti) Gamelin, Bob (Barb) Gamelin, Tom (Sally) Gamelin, Vicki Hardley, Mary Jo Washam, Patti (Bill) Whittaker, and Bonnie Mannisto; also surviving are a host of grand nieces and nephews who she loved dearly and never missed their birthdays; one cousin Alice (Jacque) Charron who lives in Montreal, Ontario; and Jack and Lola’s kids  - Scott, Jackie, Paul, Patty, David, and Lisa and all of their children.  Barb was preceded in death by her parents, her siblings and their spouses -  Art “Crow” (Burnette) Gamelin, Leo (Marion) Gamelin, Edgar (Ann) Gamelin, Beatrice (Charles) Mikulich, Louis “Crow” (Agnes) Gamelin, and Donald Gamelin, and nieces and nephews – Leon Gamelin, Betty Ann Fink, Richard “Red” Gamelin, and Judy Monhead.

Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Wednesday evening from 5:00 until 8:00.  A Parish Vigil Service and time for sharing of memories will be held at 7:00 p.m.  Father Chris Gardiner will celebrate Barb's Mass of Christian Burial on Thursday, May 5, 2016 at 10:00 a.m. at Sacred Heart Church in Munising.

Father Chris will conduct Barb’s committal service on Tuesday, July 5, 2016 at the Maple Grove Cemetery at 10:00 a.m.