Irene L. Korpela

Munising Irene L. Korpela, age 98, of Munising, entered her eternal home on Friday, July 25, 2014 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. She was born on August 15, 1915 of French and Irish decent to the late Joseph and Amelia Revord in their family home in Munising. She was a lifelong resident of Munising and lived a long, healthy, and prosperous life. Irene attended Sacred Heart School for eight years and then graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1934. On August 10, 1936, she married her high school sweetheart and the love of her life, John A. R. "Rudy" Korpela. They purchased and operated the Superior Grocery Market on Superior Street until 1943 when Rudy enlisted into the U.S. Navy Seabees for WWII. In the meantime, Irene worked for the Denman Brothers Department Store and in Lee's Style Shop. In 1946, she began her employment in the Alger County Court House in the County Clerk's Office with John P. Carr which led to her job as Register of Probate in 1957. On March 3, 1949, Rudy and Irene adopted their son John J. Korpela and on August 8, 1957, they adopted their daughter Mary J. Korpela. After working in the probate court for several years under Judges Frank L. Dufore and John M. Pater, she was promoted to Juvenile Officer. Irene went on to obtain her social worker's certificate from Northern Michigan University. She held the position until her retirement in 1977. She was given a testimonial on her retirement from the State of Michigan and Rep. Dominic "D.J." Jacobetti presented it to her for the outstanding work she had accomplished. Irene was very active in her community and in many organizations where she held of the office of president for each: American Legion Auxiliary, Business and Professional Women's Organization, Senior Citizen's Club, and the P.T.A. of Sacred Heart Church. She was a faithful member of Sacred Heart Church and of St. Anthony's Guild. As her children were growing up, she was involved in scouting with them: Brownie's, Girl Scout Leader, Den Mother, Boy Scouts, and Sea Scouts. Irene loved her vegetable and flower gardens and every Saturday she gave her flowers to her church. In her older years, she loved to bake and around Easter time she would bake Easter bread bunnies and give them away. On cold winter nights, she took out her knitting baskets and yarn and while watching television, she would knit on sweaters or mittens for the family and the little neighborhood kids. In 1983 and 1984, while Rudy was the D.J. Jacobetti Veterans Facility in Marquette, she not only visited her husband but volunteered. She gave 500 hours of time and service to the disabled veterans. Irene leaves her surviving family, son - John J. Korpela of Florida; daughter - Mary J. Korpela of Munising; granddaughter - Kathleen I. (Bryan) Hill of Munising; great-granddaughters - Amy (Beau) Peterson of Seabrook, NH and Ashley N. Hill of Mt. Pleasant, MI; and her great-great granddaughter - Ellie Kathleen Peterson. She was preceded in death by her husband - Rudy; parents - Amelia and Joseph Revord; brothers - George, Wilfred "Flinn", Eugene "Man", and infant Francis Revord; sisters - Eva Guidebeck, Doris Markoski, and Marie Galli; grandson - Ronald Joseph DesArmo; and several nieces and nephews. Services will be held on Thursday, July 31, 2014. Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home from 10:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. Father Chris Gardiner will celebrate Irene's Mass of Christian Burial at Sacred Heart at 2:00 p.m. on Thursday. Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery on Friday, August 15, 2014 at 2:00 p.m.  The American Legion Auxiliary and Father Chris Gardiner will conduct the services at the gravesite.