1925
Leslie
2011
Leslie & Ileen Salminen
June 20, 1925 — March 19, 2011
Leslie (Les) and Ileen (Midge) Salminen
Chatham, MI - Leslie (Les) Salminen, age 85, of Chatham, passed away late Friday evening, March 18, 2011 at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette, Michigan. Twelve hours and twelve minutes later, he was joined in eternity by his wife of almost sixty-five years, Ileen (Midge) Salminen. Ileen, age 84, passed away late Saturday morning, March 19, 2011 at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Leslie and Ileen's love story culminated in sixty-five years of marriage and is a testimony of their deep love for one another. Leslie Ernest was born June 20, 1925 in Chatham, Michigan. He was one of eleven children born to the late Jacob and Hilma (Lehtomaki) Salminen. While growing up, he worked on the family farm, enjoyed life and played basketball while attending school in Eben. At eighteen years of age, he entered the U.S. Navy during WWII. He served in the U.S. Navy from August 19, 1943 - January 7, 1946 as an Electrician's Mate on the U.S.S. West Virginia. Leslie earned the American Area Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal with four campaign stars and the Philippine Liberation Medal with two campaign stars. At the end of WWII, he returned home to Chatham. On a mid-February winter's day in 1946, he suffered an eye injury and was brought to St. Luke's Hospital (Marquette General Hospital) in Marquette.
On January 19, 1927, Ileen Lois was born to the late Hobart and Hilja (Nousianen) Piatt in Alston, Michigan. She was nicknamed Midge, and all was well in the Piatt family home. However, at a very young age, both of Ileen's parents passed away. Young Ileen and her three siblings moved in with their Aunt Marie Nousianen and extended family. Marie was educated as a teacher and she found a teaching job in Trout Creek. Ileen's family joined her and the family moved to Trout Creek. Ileen then graduated from Trout Creek High School and she attended St. Luke's Hospital's School of Nursing in Marquette, Michigan. In 1946, while working at St. Luke's Hospital she met a handsome young patient whose eye had been injured. That very day, Ileen sent a letter to her boyfriend back in Trout Creek that she had met and fallen in love with the man she was going to marry. That young man was Leslie.
Six weeks later on March 30, 1946, Leslie and Ileen were married. The newlyweds moved briefly to Detroit, and then to Springfield near Battle Creek. Leslie found employment with Doyle Freight Lines in Logistics and Ileen worked as a nurse at various hospitals. Together they raised four children, Helen Marie, Susan Ileen, Lesley Ann and Mary Lou. Leslie would later find employment with both Chysler and General Motors. The family moved to Pleasant Lake, Michigan where they purchased a country store. Ileen left the nursing profession to care for their young family and manage the store while Leslie continued to work for General Motors. The family attended St. Matthews Church in Walled Lake. In 1965, they moved to Milford. Ileen returned to nursing and worked at Pontiac General Hospital. The family were members of Christ Lutheran Church in Milford. In 1976 their daughter, Susan Ileen, passed on leaving her two daughters Jennifer, age 10 and Amy, age 7. Leslie and Ileen opened their home to their granddaughters and raised them in Milford. Ileen worked at West Hickory Haven Nursing Home and retired from nursing after working for years with Dr. Krieger, an internist with a private practice, in Milford. In 1980, Leslie retired from General Motors as a Logistics Expert. They both enjoyed bowling together in a church league and Leslie also bowled in a GM league. Ileen was active with her family, the church and she enjoyed cooking. Leslie enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and they both treasured their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2001 they returned home to Chatham and became members of Sion Lutheran Church. In Chatham, Leslie joined the Ikkala Brothers V.F.W. Post. They thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their family and dear friends and taking Sunday drives together.
They are survived by three daughters and their husbands - Helen and Randy Rockhill of Chatham; Lesley and John Baczuk of Puyallup, WA; and Mary and Trent Moore of Milford, MI; grandchildren - Jennifer, Amy, Richard, Michael, Kiel, Alexandra, Alexander and Isabel; great-grandchildren - Christopher, Lily, Hailey, Carly, Whitley, Hunter, Hayden and Hudson. Leslie is survived by his brothers - Elmer Salminen of Munising and Nestor (Bernice) Salminen of Sterling Heights; sisters - Aili (Lou) Praznik of Trenary and Dorothy Smith of Livonia; along with numerous nieces and nephews. Ileen is survived by her sisters Lucy Lane and Helen Mowery of Pennsylvania. They are preceded in death by their parents, daughter Susan Ileen, Hobart Piatt (Ileen's brother) and Leslie's siblings John, Eimert, Walo "Wally", William, Len Salminen, and Helen Cody.
The passing of Leslie and Ileen and their sixty-five year love story is heartbreaking, especially for their girls. Yet their family and close friends take comfort with the thought that these dear ones are forever united. They are two loving people who lived their lives as one and now neither has to know the pain of losing the other. Instead, they are together and eternally present with Our Lord and Savior.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Visitation will be from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Pastor Paul Kelto will conduct their funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Leslie and Ileen's grandchildren will be the pallbearers. Interment will be held in the spring at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham. Members of the Ikkala Brothers and Alger County Veterans Council and American Legion Honor Guard will conduct military honors for Leslie.
In place of flowers, the family requests that memorials may be presented to Sion Lutheran Church, Jacobetti Home for Veterans, and/or Lake Superior Hospice.
Chatham, MI - Leslie (Les) Salminen, age 85, of Chatham, passed away late Friday evening, March 18, 2011 at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette, Michigan. Twelve hours and twelve minutes later, he was joined in eternity by his wife of almost sixty-five years, Ileen (Midge) Salminen. Ileen, age 84, passed away late Saturday morning, March 19, 2011 at the University of Michigan Hospital in Ann Arbor. Leslie and Ileen's love story culminated in sixty-five years of marriage and is a testimony of their deep love for one another. Leslie Ernest was born June 20, 1925 in Chatham, Michigan. He was one of eleven children born to the late Jacob and Hilma (Lehtomaki) Salminen. While growing up, he worked on the family farm, enjoyed life and played basketball while attending school in Eben. At eighteen years of age, he entered the U.S. Navy during WWII. He served in the U.S. Navy from August 19, 1943 - January 7, 1946 as an Electrician's Mate on the U.S.S. West Virginia. Leslie earned the American Area Medal, WWII Victory Medal, Asiatic Pacific Medal with four campaign stars and the Philippine Liberation Medal with two campaign stars. At the end of WWII, he returned home to Chatham. On a mid-February winter's day in 1946, he suffered an eye injury and was brought to St. Luke's Hospital (Marquette General Hospital) in Marquette.
On January 19, 1927, Ileen Lois was born to the late Hobart and Hilja (Nousianen) Piatt in Alston, Michigan. She was nicknamed Midge, and all was well in the Piatt family home. However, at a very young age, both of Ileen's parents passed away. Young Ileen and her three siblings moved in with their Aunt Marie Nousianen and extended family. Marie was educated as a teacher and she found a teaching job in Trout Creek. Ileen's family joined her and the family moved to Trout Creek. Ileen then graduated from Trout Creek High School and she attended St. Luke's Hospital's School of Nursing in Marquette, Michigan. In 1946, while working at St. Luke's Hospital she met a handsome young patient whose eye had been injured. That very day, Ileen sent a letter to her boyfriend back in Trout Creek that she had met and fallen in love with the man she was going to marry. That young man was Leslie.
Six weeks later on March 30, 1946, Leslie and Ileen were married. The newlyweds moved briefly to Detroit, and then to Springfield near Battle Creek. Leslie found employment with Doyle Freight Lines in Logistics and Ileen worked as a nurse at various hospitals. Together they raised four children, Helen Marie, Susan Ileen, Lesley Ann and Mary Lou. Leslie would later find employment with both Chysler and General Motors. The family moved to Pleasant Lake, Michigan where they purchased a country store. Ileen left the nursing profession to care for their young family and manage the store while Leslie continued to work for General Motors. The family attended St. Matthews Church in Walled Lake. In 1965, they moved to Milford. Ileen returned to nursing and worked at Pontiac General Hospital. The family were members of Christ Lutheran Church in Milford. In 1976 their daughter, Susan Ileen, passed on leaving her two daughters Jennifer, age 10 and Amy, age 7. Leslie and Ileen opened their home to their granddaughters and raised them in Milford. Ileen worked at West Hickory Haven Nursing Home and retired from nursing after working for years with Dr. Krieger, an internist with a private practice, in Milford. In 1980, Leslie retired from General Motors as a Logistics Expert. They both enjoyed bowling together in a church league and Leslie also bowled in a GM league. Ileen was active with her family, the church and she enjoyed cooking. Leslie enjoyed hunting, fishing, gardening and they both treasured their children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren. In 2001 they returned home to Chatham and became members of Sion Lutheran Church. In Chatham, Leslie joined the Ikkala Brothers V.F.W. Post. They thoroughly enjoyed spending time with their family and dear friends and taking Sunday drives together.
They are survived by three daughters and their husbands - Helen and Randy Rockhill of Chatham; Lesley and John Baczuk of Puyallup, WA; and Mary and Trent Moore of Milford, MI; grandchildren - Jennifer, Amy, Richard, Michael, Kiel, Alexandra, Alexander and Isabel; great-grandchildren - Christopher, Lily, Hailey, Carly, Whitley, Hunter, Hayden and Hudson. Leslie is survived by his brothers - Elmer Salminen of Munising and Nestor (Bernice) Salminen of Sterling Heights; sisters - Aili (Lou) Praznik of Trenary and Dorothy Smith of Livonia; along with numerous nieces and nephews. Ileen is survived by her sisters Lucy Lane and Helen Mowery of Pennsylvania. They are preceded in death by their parents, daughter Susan Ileen, Hobart Piatt (Ileen's brother) and Leslie's siblings John, Eimert, Walo "Wally", William, Len Salminen, and Helen Cody.
The passing of Leslie and Ileen and their sixty-five year love story is heartbreaking, especially for their girls. Yet their family and close friends take comfort with the thought that these dear ones are forever united. They are two loving people who lived their lives as one and now neither has to know the pain of losing the other. Instead, they are together and eternally present with Our Lord and Savior.
Services will be held on Saturday, March 26, 2011 at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Visitation will be from 11:30 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Pastor Paul Kelto will conduct their funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Leslie and Ileen's grandchildren will be the pallbearers. Interment will be held in the spring at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham. Members of the Ikkala Brothers and Alger County Veterans Council and American Legion Honor Guard will conduct military honors for Leslie.
In place of flowers, the family requests that memorials may be presented to Sion Lutheran Church, Jacobetti Home for Veterans, and/or Lake Superior Hospice.
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