Esther N. St. Martin

Esther N. St. Martin, age 94, of Munising, died at her home on Thursday morning, September 3, 2015. She was born in Dover, Ohio on May 13, 1921 to Julius and Martha (VonDombrowski) Rappert. Esther was raised in Ohio and when she was sixteen, her family moved to the Munising area. She attended school at Wm. G. Mather High School and then went to work for different families in the area. Esther married Merl "Pat" St. Martin on August 26, 1939 and together they raised their children. When Pat was called to service during WWII, Esther went to work at the Munising Woodenware and then at Atlas Plywood. In the early 1950's, she took some correspondence courses and earned her L.P.N. licensure. Esther worked at the "Old" and "New" Munising Memorial Hospitals. She then went to work at the Munising Medical Center with Dr. Walter Olson. Esther loved her job there and worked until she was seventy-five. She enjoyed the people she worked with and the patients who she cared for while at the office. Esther and Pat enjoyed traveling across the U.S. and Europe. They enjoyed a few winters in Florida, but spent most of them in Mesa, Arizona. They also enjoyed snowmobiling together and drives in the woods during partridge season. They were married over sixty-five years when Pat preceded her in death on February 13, 2005.

Esther was a faithful member of Sacred Heart Church, the National Catholic Society of Foresters, and the American Legion Auxiliary. She loved to read and passed on that trait to most of her family members. Esther was a diehard Detroit Tigers fan and had a 90th birthday celebration at Comerica Park. She did some crocheting and knitting, and she loved to play cards. Esther was a also a little bit of a chocoholic. She was a loving mother and grandmother.

She is survived by her four children - Sandra Mulligan of Munising, Joseph (Connie) St. Martin of Munising, Michael (Julie) St. Martin of Tempe, AZ, and John (Nina Rajala) St. Martin of Lynden, WA; nine grandchildren - Dana, Susan, Michelle, Robert, Scott, Christine, Paula, Lauren, and Jon; eighteen great-grandchildren; sister - Myrtle St. Martin of Munising; numerous nieces and nephews. Esther was preceded in death by her parents; husband Pat; grandchildren - Michael Jr., Daniel, and Julie; brothers - Joe and Eugene Rappert; and sisters - Rose Montcalm and Margaret Rappert.

Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Monday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m. A Rosary will be recited at 7:00 p.m. A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated by Father Chris Gardiner on Tuesday, September 8, 2015 at 9:00 a.m. Sacred Heart Church in Munising. Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Munising. The American Legion Auxiliary will conduct services at the gravesite.