1941
Michael
2015
Michael "Mike" Raymond Feldhusen
April 8, 1941 — January 16, 2015
WETMORE
Michael "Mike" R. Feldhusen, of Wetmore, died unexpectedly Friday, January 16, 2015, at Munising Memorial Hospital in Munising. He was 73.
The longtime Munising Public Schools teacher was born in Escanaba April 8, 1941, the second son of Henry and Dorothy (Kuder) Feldhusen. He attended Sacred Heart Grade School and William G. Mather High School, both in Munising, graduating from Mather in 1959. He was proud to call himself a '59er.
While in high school, Mike was active in sports and recognized with membership in the National Honor Society. In what was to become a family tradition, he went on to graduate from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, as did all five of his siblings.
Mike attended NMU as a student athlete, playing football for the university's Wildcats. His academic career spanned 1959-1962 and 1963-1965, with a gap year spent in California. During his senior year at NMU, he was scouted by teams in all three North American professional football leagues, the NFL, AFL and CFL, but was forced out of play by a knee injury. He graduated in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in education.
Mike taught school and coached football for two years each in Harbor Springs and Byron, Michigan, before returning to the Munising area to take a job at Sacred Heart School. There he taught fourth grade for a year before the school closed. He said it was his most enjoyable year of teaching, but often joked that he may have had something to do with the closing.
From 1973 until his retirement in 1997, Mike worked in the Munising Public Schools coaching football and teaching. He and Wayne Dausey were instrumental in the success of the schools' football program, teaching the fundamentals and sharing their love of the game with the freshman Mustangs. Mike continued meeting the other coaches regularly for breakfast and to reminisce, right up until his death. He loved teaching and hearing from his former students.
As a retiree, Mike returned to the family home in Wetmore, where he cared for both his parents until their deaths. He stayed on as chief cook and bottle washer, also taking good care of his sister Barb.
Mike was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Munising, a Fourth Degree Knight in Knights of Columbus (KC) Council 2804, serving as grand knight during the council's 50th anniversary year, a member of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) and past president of the local chapter, and a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed writing poems and letters to the editor of The Munising News, promoting his "Yoopers for Local Warming" line of clothing, and spending time at the Kewadin Casino in Christmas, in family gatherings at the Feldhusens' "Stolen Hours" camp on Baldy Lake in the Hiawatha National Forest, at the Munising Senior Center and at KC Hall, where he played cribbage, and traveling with friends.
"Big Guy" will be missed by all who were blessed to know him.
Mike is survived by: three brothers, Thomas (Patricia) of Republic, Henry "Hank" (Janet) of Caspian, and Dave of Green Bay; two sisters, Barb of Wetmore, and Mary of Gladstone; nine nieces and nephews, Michael (Allison) Feldhusen, Tommie Oakley, Jamie Feldhusen, Joie Graves, Rhonda Sitnikau, Kim (Bill) Myers, Eric (Kendra) Feldhusen, Erin (Brian) Marier, and Heather Feldhusen; seven great-nieces and nephews, Amanda (Mike) Shutt, Kirstyn Rosip, Hailey Graves, Kyle Graves, Petra Sitnikau, Brock Feldhusen, and Lydia Feldhusen; one great-great-niece, Meredith Shutt; an aunt, Gloria Kuder; and numerous cousins. Besides his parents, Mike was preceded in death by his sister-in-law Jackie Feldhusen, and his unlikely buddy Jaspurr the cat.
A memorial mass for Mike will be celebrated by Fr. Chris Gardiner at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at Sacred Heart Church in Munising. A time of fellowship will follow, during the luncheon after mass. Interment will be in Munising Township Cemetery (off of Highway 13) in Wetmore on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Mike may be directed to the St. Vincent de Paul Society food bank in Munising or the Alger County Animal Shelter.
Michael "Mike" R. Feldhusen, of Wetmore, died unexpectedly Friday, January 16, 2015, at Munising Memorial Hospital in Munising. He was 73.
The longtime Munising Public Schools teacher was born in Escanaba April 8, 1941, the second son of Henry and Dorothy (Kuder) Feldhusen. He attended Sacred Heart Grade School and William G. Mather High School, both in Munising, graduating from Mather in 1959. He was proud to call himself a '59er.
While in high school, Mike was active in sports and recognized with membership in the National Honor Society. In what was to become a family tradition, he went on to graduate from Northern Michigan University in Marquette, as did all five of his siblings.
Mike attended NMU as a student athlete, playing football for the university's Wildcats. His academic career spanned 1959-1962 and 1963-1965, with a gap year spent in California. During his senior year at NMU, he was scouted by teams in all three North American professional football leagues, the NFL, AFL and CFL, but was forced out of play by a knee injury. He graduated in 1965 with a bachelor's degree in education.
Mike taught school and coached football for two years each in Harbor Springs and Byron, Michigan, before returning to the Munising area to take a job at Sacred Heart School. There he taught fourth grade for a year before the school closed. He said it was his most enjoyable year of teaching, but often joked that he may have had something to do with the closing.
From 1973 until his retirement in 1997, Mike worked in the Munising Public Schools coaching football and teaching. He and Wayne Dausey were instrumental in the success of the schools' football program, teaching the fundamentals and sharing their love of the game with the freshman Mustangs. Mike continued meeting the other coaches regularly for breakfast and to reminisce, right up until his death. He loved teaching and hearing from his former students.
As a retiree, Mike returned to the family home in Wetmore, where he cared for both his parents until their deaths. He stayed on as chief cook and bottle washer, also taking good care of his sister Barb.
Mike was a member of Sacred Heart Church in Munising, a Fourth Degree Knight in Knights of Columbus (KC) Council 2804, serving as grand knight during the council's 50th anniversary year, a member of the Michigan Association of Retired School Personnel (MARSP) and past president of the local chapter, and a lifelong Democrat. He enjoyed writing poems and letters to the editor of The Munising News, promoting his "Yoopers for Local Warming" line of clothing, and spending time at the Kewadin Casino in Christmas, in family gatherings at the Feldhusens' "Stolen Hours" camp on Baldy Lake in the Hiawatha National Forest, at the Munising Senior Center and at KC Hall, where he played cribbage, and traveling with friends.
"Big Guy" will be missed by all who were blessed to know him.
Mike is survived by: three brothers, Thomas (Patricia) of Republic, Henry "Hank" (Janet) of Caspian, and Dave of Green Bay; two sisters, Barb of Wetmore, and Mary of Gladstone; nine nieces and nephews, Michael (Allison) Feldhusen, Tommie Oakley, Jamie Feldhusen, Joie Graves, Rhonda Sitnikau, Kim (Bill) Myers, Eric (Kendra) Feldhusen, Erin (Brian) Marier, and Heather Feldhusen; seven great-nieces and nephews, Amanda (Mike) Shutt, Kirstyn Rosip, Hailey Graves, Kyle Graves, Petra Sitnikau, Brock Feldhusen, and Lydia Feldhusen; one great-great-niece, Meredith Shutt; an aunt, Gloria Kuder; and numerous cousins. Besides his parents, Mike was preceded in death by his sister-in-law Jackie Feldhusen, and his unlikely buddy Jaspurr the cat.
A memorial mass for Mike will be celebrated by Fr. Chris Gardiner at 11:00 a.m. Wednesday, January 21, 2015 at Sacred Heart Church in Munising. A time of fellowship will follow, during the luncheon after mass. Interment will be in Munising Township Cemetery (off of Highway 13) in Wetmore on Saturday, August 15, 2015 at 11:00 a.m.
In lieu of flowers, memorials to Mike may be directed to the St. Vincent de Paul Society food bank in Munising or the Alger County Animal Shelter.
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