Thurman Price Stevenson

Munising

Thurman Price Stevenson, age 94, lifelong resident of Munising, died early Sunday morning, October 8, 2017 at UPHS Marquette.  He had been under the care of North Woods Home Health.  Thurman was born at the Pumping Station in Munising on May 14, 1923 to Guy and Lewella (Chartrew) Stevenson.  He grew up in Munising and graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1941.  During high school, he received an award in pole vaulting and was an avid skier, loving all sports.  Thurman went sailing in 1941 on Lake Superior on the Admiral Byrd government surveying ship and sailed all five Great Lakes.  He briefly served in the U.S. Navy and was medically discharged.  Soon after his discharge from the Navy, Thurman was drafted by the U.S. Army.  In January of 1943, he joined the Army and was a member of the Tenth Mountain Ski Troop.  He served as a skiing instructor at Camp Hale in Colorado.  Thurman served and fought in WWII as a Staff Sergeant in the mountains in Italy with the Tenth Mountain Division.  He received a Bronze Star and a Purple Heart along with many other distinguished awards including Marksmanship and Good Conduct in the service of his country.  Thurman was involved at battles and campaigns at Riva Ridge in the Northern Apennines and at Po Valley.  On July 30, 1943, he married Julia Kolbus and they were married over seventy-four years.  When the War was over, Thurman and Julia returned to Munising in December of 1945.  They have one son, Paul, who was born in March of 1952.

Thurman was a member of the Presbyterian Church and sang in the choir.  He worked at Kimberly Clark, retiring in 1988.  He was a member of the Alger County Historical Society and the American Legion.  Thurman’s favorite hobbies included fishing, ice fishing, cutting wood, snow blowing, and spending time outdoors, and he always appreciated a good joke.

Thurman is survived by his wife – Julia Stevenson; their son – Paul Stevenson of Munising; a special niece and nephew Beth (Stevenson) and Bill Riordan; good friends Leonard, Marilyn and Lenny Beverly; many nieces and nephews and grandnieces and grandnephews; and sisters-in-law Stella Graves and Cee Cee Walkiewiecz.  He was preceded in death by his parents Guy and Lewella Stevenson, one sister Iola, and three brothers George, Murray, and Gary.

Services will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home in Munising on Thursday, October 12, 2017.   Visiting time with family and friends will be from 1:00 p.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Rev. Ann Gonyea will conduct Thurman’s funeral service at 3:00 p.m. in the funeral home’s chapel.

Interment will be at the Veteran’s section of Maple Grove Cemetery where the American Legion and Vietnam Veterans Honor Guard will conduct military honors on Tuesday, October 31, 2017 at 11:00 a.m.   A luncheon at the Munising Moose Lodge will take place following the graveside services.