Muriel C. (Draze) Pawielski

Muriel C. Pawielski, age 92, of Munising, died on Wednesday morning, November 2, 2016 at the Tendercare Health Center in Sault Ste. Marie, Michigan. She was born in Ontonagon, Michigan on December 20, 1923 to Julian and Louise (LaCasse) Draze.  Her father died when she was eight and Muriel and her family moved to Munising when she was twelve.  She worked with the Forest Service during high school and graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1941.  Muriel married Stanley “Tom” Pawielski on September 20, 1941.  She was raising her daughter and working at the Dime Store while Tom was serving in the U.S. Navy during WWII.  A boss from Munising Paper Company admired her work ethic and asked Muriel if she would be willing to come to work at the mill.  She worked as a sealer, custodian, and in the laboratory before she retired from Kimberly Clark in 1982.  Muriel was a faithful and active member of Sacred Heart Church, St. Christopher Circle, and the National Catholic Society of Foresters.  She volunteered in the rectory, on the funeral luncheon committee, St. Vincent De Paul Society, and at the nursing homes.  Muriel was always very active and enjoyed taking long walks.  She and Tom enjoyed traveling on Debbie Tour busses and Muriel made a trip to the Vatican in 2000.  She loved playing cards and enjoyed the company of her partners and opponents.   In August, Tom would grow the raspberries and much to her chagrin, Muriel and family would make over one hundred jars of jam.   As a family tradition, they always walked the Mackinac Bridge on Labor Day.  When Tom’s health began to fail, Muriel took great care of him.  They were married nearly seventy-four years when Tom preceded her in death on August 23, 2015.

Muriel is survived by her daughters – Jan (Ray) LaTour of Kincheloe, MI and Jill Zofia of Traverse City, MI; grandchildren – Dan LaTour, Julie (Bradley) McHugh, Dean LaTour, Anna Yardley, and Tessa (Tyson) Chaplin; great grandchildren – Angela, Autumn, and Braeden LaTour, John Dee II, Derrick McHugh, and Lennox and Tatum Chaplin; great-great grandson – Hunter Dee; brother-in-law –John Pawielski of Niles, MI; and numerous nieces and nephews.  She was preceded in death by her parents, husband Tom, and siblings – Lucille Chartrand, Cecile “Sis” Hawkins, Luella Draze, David Draze, Alice Martin, Frances “Frankie” Gray, Jim Draze, and Bill Draze.

Visitation will be at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Sunday evening from 5:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. with the Divine Mercy Chaplet prayer service at 7:00 p.m.  Her Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at Sacred Heart Church by Father Chris Gardiner on Monday, November 7, 2016 at 11:00 a.m.  Interment will be at the Maple Grove Cemetery in Munising.