Inez Seppanen

Inez (Aino) Dagmar Seppanen; formerly Keskimaki, age 93, of Slapneck Road, Chatham, died Sunday, March 13, 2011 at 5:15 a.m. at the Norlite Nursing Center in Marquette. She was born on April 6, 1917 in Chatham, Michigan to the late Matt and Linne (Lintula) Kampinen. Inez married Untio John (Tony) Keskimaki and lived in Chatham raising their three daughters until his untimely death in 1941. She was widowed for a number of years before marrying Walter W. Seppanen of Trenary, Michigan. They moved to the family farm in Slapneck where they raised nine children together. Inez enjoyed gardening, quilting, loom carpet weaving, canning and baking. Most Saturdays you could find the Kampinen relatives at the Sappanen's farm enjoying her baked goods and company. She was very kind hearted and often opened her home to the children of family and friends for the summer.

Inez is survived by her daughters - Carolyn I. (Jerry) Kvarda of Red Bluff, CA, Gloria J. Carlson of Skandia, MI and Marcia L. (David) Tulkki of Walled Lake, MI; sons - David W. (Sandra) of Skandia, James (Rhonda) of Chatham, Allen (LeeAnn) of Chatham and Jon (Ann) of Trenary; son-in-law - Peter Gregory of DeWitt, MI; twenty-four grandchildren; thirty-four great-grandchildren; ten great-great grandchildren; sisters - Bertha (Warren) Nix of Chatham, Lois Maki of Chatham and Lorraine (Dick) Horwood of AuTrain; and numerous nieces and nephews. Inez was preceded in death by her husband Tony Keskimaki of five years and husband Walter Seppanen of fifty-seven years; two daughters Elenore Gregory and Marjorie Ann Seppanen, grandson Gregory Carlson, great-grandson Benjamin Carlson, son-in-law Franklin "Swede" Carlson, sisters - Hilda Wanska, Aili Luoma, Anne Hallstrom, Helen Ketcham, Ruth Gohl, Elaine Latvala, and Helmi Wanska.

Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 and also at the church on Saturday morning from 10:00 until 11:00. Funeral services will be conducted by Roger Kangas, cousin of Inez, on Saturday, March 19, 2011 at the Chatham Apostolic Lutheran Church at 11:00 a.m. Interment will be at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham. Inez will be escorted by grandsons Daniel Gregory, Duane Carlson, David C. Seppanen, Kyle Seppanen, Casey Seppanen and Jason Tulkki.

Inez has been an active member of the Apostolic Lutheran Church of Chatham since childhood, her faith being most important to her; and so while we will miss her greatly, we give thanks to God for His grace gift of eternal life through our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and are comforted in the knowledge that after many years of both joys and sorrows, and health challenges she is now at rest.