Clarita (Shamberger) Luoma

Marquette / Chatham

Clarita Luoma, age 91, of Marquette and formerly of Chatham, died on Saturday morning, December 23, 2017 at the Brookridge Heights Assisted Living in Marquette under the loving care of her family, the Brookridge staff, and U.P. Home Health and Hospice.  She was born in Munising on December 18, 1926 to Louis and Clara (Seymour) Shamberger.   While growing up in Munising, Clarita worked at the Williams Hotel on Grand Island, Chevy’s News, and Taylor’s Cleaners.  She graduated from Sacred Heart School and then Wm. G. Mather High School in 1944.  After high school, she worked at the Munising Paper Company.   On October 26, 1946, she married Toivo Edward Luoma and together raised their four sons.  They moved to Muskegon for three years and then returned to Chatham and worked their family dairy farm.  Clarita worked for her family at Maki’s Service store in Chatham and then she and Toivo purchased the store in 1964.   They owned and operated Luoma’s Service until 1977.   They were snowbirds in Lake Worth, Florida for many years and in 1999, they made their year round home in Inverness, FL.  While her sons were young, Clarita was the president of the PTA and was instrumental in raising funds for the “new” Munising Memorial Hospital.   She and her friends had a lot of fun while bowling in the Chatham leagues.  Clarita enjoyed playing the organ and guitar, she was gifted crocheting doilies, and she had a special appreciation for pretty shiny “bling.”  Clarita and Toivo returned back to the U.P. four years ago when they moved to Marquette.

She is survived by her husband of over seventy-one years – Toivo Luoma of Marquette; their four sons – Thomas (Vicki) Luoma of Sault Ste. Marie, Michael (Glenda) Luoma of Skandia, Mark (Jean) Luoma of Munising, and Timothy (Brenda) Luoma of Marquette; grandchildren – Karolyn Hyde, Steven Luoma, Eric (Alysia) Luoma, Paul Luoma, Natalie (David) Campbell, Andrew Luoma, Kevin (Miranda) Luoma, Bryan Luoma, and Carrie Luoma; great-grandchildren – Eli Luoma, Callie Luoma, Kai Campbell, and Wyatt Luoma; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Clarita was preceded in death by her parents and siblings Raymond, Donald, and Louis Shamberger, Roma Stewart, Lillian Kresovich, Alice Hautamaki, Mildred “Betty” Byzcynski, Audrey Campbell, and Theresa Shamberger.

Services will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday, January 5, 2018.  Visiting time with family and friends will be from 2:00 until 3:30 p.m.  Deacon Tom Moseley will conduct Clarita’s memorial service in the funeral home’s chapel at 3:30 p.m.   Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Munising on Friday, May 18, 2018 at 11:00 a.m.

Memorial in Clarita’s name may be made to the Alger Regional Community Foundation, P.O. Box 39, Munising, MI  49862.