1940
William
2010
William Oliver Braamse
March 8, 1940 — March 23, 2010
Rock River
William Oliver Braamse, age 70, of Rock River, passed away on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 with his family by his side. Bill was born March 8, 1940 in Cadillac, Michigan to Edna (nee Brown) and Byron Braamse and was a graduate of the Eben High School, Class of 1958. Bill was a former Lions Club member, syrup maker, Deerton School Board member, and Alger County Road Commissioner. He was a talented mechanic and worked on and re-created many vehicles and machinery in his Chatham garage. One of his greatest pieces of work was restoring the waterwheel and creating the turbine at Rock River where he helped run the family resort. On June 9, 1962, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Gloria Ritola. They were married for thirty years, living for a short time in Chatham and the remaining years at Rock River.
Bill was Dad to Susan Obradovich of Wakefield and Jack Braamse of Rock River; father-in-law to Dan Obradovich of Wakefield; "Papa" to Shane Graves of Marquette and Nick and Rachel Obradovich of Wakefield; kid brother to Peter (Peggy) Braamse of Marquette Mary Edgar of East Lansing; Uncle Bill to Kate and Ann Edgar of East Lansing, Leonard Braamse of Marquette, and John (Donna) Braamse and their children Chance and Jadzia of Sophia, Bulgaria; and son-in-law to Lily Ritola of Wakefield. In addition to his parents Edna and Byron Braamse, Bill was preceded in death by his wife Gloria, father-in-law Frank Ritola and brother-in-law James Edgar.
Bill was known in Chatham and Rock River as the "man with the polka dotted hat." He was truly gifted as a mechanical engineer and will be greatly missed by his family and extra special friends Katherine (nee Kariher) Heimburger and Donald Maki, who along with his sister, Mary, took such wonderful care of him. Also a special thank you to Pam Nebel, Julie Deisenroth and the other North Woods Hospice caregivers and to Rhonda Aho from U.P. Oncology in Marquette.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m and also at the funeral home on Saturday morning from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. Rev. Paul Weber of the Redeemer Lutheran Church will officiate Bill's funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. Interment will be at the Serenity Pines Cemetery in AuTrain. Bill will be escorted by Jack Braamse, Donald Maki, Dan Obradovich, Shane Graves, Nicholas Obradovich, and Leonard Braamse.
Memorials in memory of Bill may be directed to North Woods Hospice of Alger County.
William Oliver Braamse, age 70, of Rock River, passed away on Tuesday, March 23, 2010 with his family by his side. Bill was born March 8, 1940 in Cadillac, Michigan to Edna (nee Brown) and Byron Braamse and was a graduate of the Eben High School, Class of 1958. Bill was a former Lions Club member, syrup maker, Deerton School Board member, and Alger County Road Commissioner. He was a talented mechanic and worked on and re-created many vehicles and machinery in his Chatham garage. One of his greatest pieces of work was restoring the waterwheel and creating the turbine at Rock River where he helped run the family resort. On June 9, 1962, Bill married his high school sweetheart, Gloria Ritola. They were married for thirty years, living for a short time in Chatham and the remaining years at Rock River.
Bill was Dad to Susan Obradovich of Wakefield and Jack Braamse of Rock River; father-in-law to Dan Obradovich of Wakefield; "Papa" to Shane Graves of Marquette and Nick and Rachel Obradovich of Wakefield; kid brother to Peter (Peggy) Braamse of Marquette Mary Edgar of East Lansing; Uncle Bill to Kate and Ann Edgar of East Lansing, Leonard Braamse of Marquette, and John (Donna) Braamse and their children Chance and Jadzia of Sophia, Bulgaria; and son-in-law to Lily Ritola of Wakefield. In addition to his parents Edna and Byron Braamse, Bill was preceded in death by his wife Gloria, father-in-law Frank Ritola and brother-in-law James Edgar.
Bill was known in Chatham and Rock River as the "man with the polka dotted hat." He was truly gifted as a mechanical engineer and will be greatly missed by his family and extra special friends Katherine (nee Kariher) Heimburger and Donald Maki, who along with his sister, Mary, took such wonderful care of him. Also a special thank you to Pam Nebel, Julie Deisenroth and the other North Woods Hospice caregivers and to Rhonda Aho from U.P. Oncology in Marquette.
Visitation will be held at the Bowerman Funeral Home on Friday evening from 5:00 until 8:00 p.m and also at the funeral home on Saturday morning from 9:00 until 10:00 a.m. Rev. Paul Weber of the Redeemer Lutheran Church will officiate Bill's funeral service in the funeral home's chapel. Interment will be at the Serenity Pines Cemetery in AuTrain. Bill will be escorted by Jack Braamse, Donald Maki, Dan Obradovich, Shane Graves, Nicholas Obradovich, and Leonard Braamse.
Memorials in memory of Bill may be directed to North Woods Hospice of Alger County.
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