1921
Martha
2010
Martha Helen Mickelson
May 17, 1921 — March 14, 2010
Munising
Martha Helen Mickelson, age 88, of Connors Road, Munising passed from this earth on Sunday evening, March 14, 2010 at Marquette General Hospital following a brief illness. She was born on May 17, 1921 in Cold Springs, Michigan to Herman and Hilma (Koistinen) Seppi. Martha's mother died when she was twelve years old and she raised her two youngest brothers while she continued her schooling. She graduated from Eben High School and after graduation, she moved to Chicago with her sister and worked as a secretary for Stearns, Noble, and Mark. On September 21, 1942, she married her longtime friend Walfred "Mike" Mickelson. Very soon after their marriage, Mike went to war and Martha continued to work. During a battle in Italy, Mike was seriously wounded and returned to a hospital stateside in the St. Louis area. For eighteen months, Martha took the train from Chicago to the hospital every chance she could to visit her love. When Mike was medically discharged, they returned home to Chatham. Mike became a teacher and coach and Martha became a teacher's and coach's wife. She cooked for many of Mike's students and runners on the team and was the unofficial laundress of the team uniforms. To help earn some extra money, she took in boarders and two of them still continued to keep in contact with Martha writing a couple letters to her each year. In 1952, they moved to Munising where Mike continued to teach and coach. While in Munising they were active members of the Eden Lutheran Church and after they moved to Marquette they were members of Prince of Peace in Harvey. Martha was active in the Women's groups at Eden and at Prince of Peace and was a Lifetime Member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Martha was a woman of a strong and quiet faith. She was a homemaker and loving mother and grandmother who was an excellent cook and baker, enjoyed canning, knitting, crocheting, and weaving carpets on a loom. She and Mike were married sixty years when he preceded her in death on September 22, 2002. In 2006, Martha moved back to Munising and became a member at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Martha was an absolute pillar of strength her last days. Her kids will certainly miss her. God's Speed Mom!!!!
She is survived by three loving children - Don (Cathy) Mickelson of Munising, Darla (Rod) Bezanson of Ft. Myers, FL, and Dwight (Ieva) Mickelson of Mason, MI; six grandchildren - Dan, Shandy, Kyle, Natalee, Dana, and Amanda; six great-grandchildren - Jasmyn, Adia, Allianna, Skylar, Hunter, and Kailyn; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Martha was preceded in death by her parents Herman and Hilma, husband Mike, infant son Dwight, grandson Scott Mickelson, brothers Waino, Norman and Edwin, and sisters Cecilia, Bea, Eileen and Olga.
Services for Martha will be held Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Pastor Paul Kelto will officiate her funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Interment will be at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham.
Mrs. Mickelson's obituary and guestbook may be viewed and signed at www.bowermanfuneralhome.net
Martha Helen Mickelson, age 88, of Connors Road, Munising passed from this earth on Sunday evening, March 14, 2010 at Marquette General Hospital following a brief illness. She was born on May 17, 1921 in Cold Springs, Michigan to Herman and Hilma (Koistinen) Seppi. Martha's mother died when she was twelve years old and she raised her two youngest brothers while she continued her schooling. She graduated from Eben High School and after graduation, she moved to Chicago with her sister and worked as a secretary for Stearns, Noble, and Mark. On September 21, 1942, she married her longtime friend Walfred "Mike" Mickelson. Very soon after their marriage, Mike went to war and Martha continued to work. During a battle in Italy, Mike was seriously wounded and returned to a hospital stateside in the St. Louis area. For eighteen months, Martha took the train from Chicago to the hospital every chance she could to visit her love. When Mike was medically discharged, they returned home to Chatham. Mike became a teacher and coach and Martha became a teacher's and coach's wife. She cooked for many of Mike's students and runners on the team and was the unofficial laundress of the team uniforms. To help earn some extra money, she took in boarders and two of them still continued to keep in contact with Martha writing a couple letters to her each year. In 1952, they moved to Munising where Mike continued to teach and coach. While in Munising they were active members of the Eden Lutheran Church and after they moved to Marquette they were members of Prince of Peace in Harvey. Martha was active in the Women's groups at Eden and at Prince of Peace and was a Lifetime Member of the Order of the Eastern Star. Martha was a woman of a strong and quiet faith. She was a homemaker and loving mother and grandmother who was an excellent cook and baker, enjoyed canning, knitting, crocheting, and weaving carpets on a loom. She and Mike were married sixty years when he preceded her in death on September 22, 2002. In 2006, Martha moved back to Munising and became a member at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Martha was an absolute pillar of strength her last days. Her kids will certainly miss her. God's Speed Mom!!!!
She is survived by three loving children - Don (Cathy) Mickelson of Munising, Darla (Rod) Bezanson of Ft. Myers, FL, and Dwight (Ieva) Mickelson of Mason, MI; six grandchildren - Dan, Shandy, Kyle, Natalee, Dana, and Amanda; six great-grandchildren - Jasmyn, Adia, Allianna, Skylar, Hunter, and Kailyn; and numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. Martha was preceded in death by her parents Herman and Hilma, husband Mike, infant son Dwight, grandson Scott Mickelson, brothers Waino, Norman and Edwin, and sisters Cecilia, Bea, Eileen and Olga.
Services for Martha will be held Saturday, March 20, 2010 at the Sion Lutheran Church in Chatham. Visitation will be from 11:00 a.m. until 1:00 p.m. Pastor Paul Kelto will officiate her funeral service at 1:00 p.m. Interment will be at the Pine Grove Cemetery in Chatham.
Mrs. Mickelson's obituary and guestbook may be viewed and signed at www.bowermanfuneralhome.net
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