Mary Ann (Matekel) Tuuri

Kiva

Mary Ann Tuuri, age 92, of Kiva, died Saturday, October 26, 2019 at Lakeview Assisted Living and Memory Care in Gladstone.  She was born at her home in Trenary on August 3, 1927, to the late Frank and Mary (Praznik) Matekel.  Mary attended Trenary High School and graduated as Valedictorian of the Class of 1945.  After graduation, Mary moved to Chicago to attend Mount Sinai Hospital School of Nursing for three years and earned her nursing degree.  She worked at St. Luke’s Hospital in Marquette from 1949 – 1951.  On March 14, 1951, Mary enlisted into the United States Army and completed basic training at Fort Sam Houston in Texas.  She was stationed at Fort Sam Houston and Fort Benning in Georgia.  While in the Army, on her weekends off she took road trips with friends around the Florida Coast and to Mexico City.  Mary was honorably discharged in 1953 as a First Lieutenant.  She worked at Munising Memorial Hospital from 1954 until 1984.  Mary married Walter Tuuri on July 9, 1955.  They lived on their farm in Kiva, and love to entertain their nieces and nephews.  Mary loved gardening and photography.  She would take many pictures of the nature that surrounded their home and beautiful flowers in her gardens.  Mary also enjoyed visiting with family and friends, socializing at the Wheels in Kiva, and traveling to Slovenia to trace her family roots.  In 1984, Mary began working for Dr. Olson at the Munising Medical Center.  She retired from nursing on December 31, 2003, after over fifty-four years of caring and compassionate service to our country and community.

Mary is survived by many nieces and nephews who loving knew her as Aunt “Mitts”.  She was preceded in death by her parents Frank and Mary, loving husband Walter, siblings; Tony, Frank, John, and Helen, and many other family members.

Visitation will be at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday, November 1, 2019 from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m.  Mary’s graveside service will be on Saturday, November 2, 2019 at the Limestone Township Cemetery in Limestone at 11:00 a.m.  Military honors will be performed by the American Legion and Vietnam Veteran’s Honor Guard.

Mary’s family would like to give a special thank you to the staffs who gave such great care to Mary over these past years at both Brookridge Heights in Marquette and Lakeview Assisted Living and Memory Care in Gladstone.