Obituaries

Jul 15, 2011

Munising

Beverly J. Tackmann, age 78, of H-58, Munising, died on Friday evening, July 15, 2011 at the Jacobetti Home for Veterans in Marquette.  She was born on January 14, 1933 in Munising to the late Arthur and Marie (LaFave) Denny.  Bev graduated from Sacred Heart School and then from Wm. G. Mather High School.  She went...

Jul 12, 2011

Munising Delores "Dee" A. Vanatta, age 71, of Munising, died Tuesday evening, July 12, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital. She was born on April 9, 1940 in McMillan, MI, to the late Glenn and Jean (Chapman) Koontz. Dee lived in Dripping Springs, TX from 1981 to 1998 when she moved to Munising. She enjoyed reading romance novels, watching Judge Judy,...

Jul 6, 2011

Munising Jeffrey Wayne Bond, age 54, of Center Street in Munising, died on Wednesday afternoon, July 6, 2011 at Marquette General Hospital. He was born on September 21, 1956 in Detroit to Keith and Nancy (Wadsworth) Bond. Jeff grew up in Troy, Royal Oak and Ferndale. He graduated from the last all city class in 1975 from Troy High School....

Jun 27, 2011

Munising The Honorable Charles ("Charlie") Howard Stark, former Judge of the 11th Circuit Court of Michigan, passed away peacefully at his daughter's home in Boulder, Colorado, June 27, 2011, at the age of 77, surrounded by his closest loved ones. His memory will be cherished forever by his family: Barbara S. (Baldwin) Stark, wife of 47 years; Laura J. Stark-Ghayur...

Jun 25, 2011

Munising John "Jack" Henry Drumsta, age 54, of Munising, died unexpectedly, on Saturday, June 25, 2011. He was born on March 14, 1957, in Mt. Clemons, MI to Henry "Hank" and Wanda (Hebert) Drumsta. While Jack was an infant his family left the Detroit area and moved to Munising and purchased Hilltop Grocery Store. He made his Holy Communion and...

Jun 20, 2011

Munising Lisa Ann (Grey) Hardwick, age 44, of Munising, died Monday, June 20, 2011. She was born on January 19, 1967 in Munising, to the late Donald and Margaret (Maddox) Grey. Lisa graduated from Munising High School in 1985. Lisa loved her family very much, and the time they spent together, especially the family picnics at Deer Lake and Holidays...

Jun 18, 2011

Munising Ronald M. Smithingell, age 65, of Munising, died Saturday, June 18, 2011 at Munising Memorial Hospital. He was born on March 2, 1946 to Leo and Edna (Grainger) Smithingell, in Flint, MI. Ron graduated from Byron High School in 1965. He worked many years on the family farm in Gaines. Ron went on to work for General Motors in...

Jun 10, 2011

Kiva John "Allen" Ruska, age 73, of E609 King Road Kiva, MI, died unexpectedly June 10, 2011. He was born September 5, 1937 to the late John and Jennie (Bartol) Ruuska of Chatham. He graduated from Eben High School in 1955. He then joined the Air Force in March of 1956, where he spent a year stationed in Turkey. Once...

Jun 8, 2011

Munising Robert "Bob" Laurich, age 83, of 412 W. Superior Street, Munising, died late Wednesday evening, June 8, 2011 at his home under the loving care of his family and North Woods Hospice. He was born on May 4, 1928 in Munising to the late Joseph and Antoinia (Knaus) Laurich. Bob graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in 1946....

Jun 4, 2011

Munising / Livonia Clifford James Kolbus, age 65, of Livonia and formerly of Munising, passed away in his sleep, Saturday, June 4, 2011 at the Beaumont Hospital in Troy, Michigan. Son of Dorothy Kolbus Ayotte and the late John Joseph Kolbus Sr., he was born on June 18, 1945. He graduated from Wm. G. Mather High School in Munising in...

May 28, 2011

Manistique Virgil Cook "Cookie", age 63 of Manistique, and formerly of Flint, MI, died Saturday, May 28, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising after a brief battle with cancer. He was born on July 13, 1947 in Lapeer, MI to the late Lewis and Rosella (Lapratt) Cook. Virgil entered the U.S. Army in 1966. He served in the...

May 26, 2011

Munising Leona L. Kroupa, age 82, of 718 W. Onota Street, died Thursday, May 26, 2011 at her home under the loving care of her family and North Woods Home Hospice. She was born on July 1, 1928 in Manistique, MI to the late Raymond and Mercy (Williams) Graves. Leona married Harry Blair Kroupa on December 13, 1947, and together...

May 9, 2011

Munising Hazel Lee (Parker) Armstead-Shanklin, age 63, of Munising, died Monday, May 9, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. She was born on July 30, 1947, in Detroit, MI, the fourth of seven children to Felix and Geraldine Parker. Hazel was educated in the Detroit public school system, and graduated from Northern High School in 1964. Hazel enjoyed...

May 7, 2011

Grand Marais Ruth Virginia Mead, age 89, of Grand Marais, Michigan, died peacefully Saturday, May 7, 2011 in her home, surrounded by her family. Ruth was born on February 20, 1922, in Grand Marais, the twelfth child of Axel and Helen (Lumppio) Newberg. As 1940 graduate of Grand Marais High School, Ruth later served as a member of the Waves,...

May 7, 2011

Munising Margaret "Marg" Hendricks, age 73 of Wooddale Road, Munising, died unexpectedly at her home on Saturday, May 7, 2011. She was born on May 15, 1937 in Carlton, MI to Fred and Helen Slatton. She married Gerald Hendricks on February 9, 1963. Marg enjoyed gardening, ceramics, and was an avid camper, but the thing she enjoyed the most was...

May 7, 2011

Munising Gregory Henry Shanklin, age 61, of Carmody Road, Munising, died on Saturday afternoon, May 7, 2011 at the V.A. Medical Center in Iron Mountain, Michigan. Greg was born on July 5, 1949 in Detroit, graduated from Central High School in June 1966, and immediately enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps in July 1966. He served two tours in Vietnam...

May 5, 2011

Trenary Dolores M. Matekel, age 72, of Second Avenue, Trenary, joined her best friend on the dance floor of eternity on Thursday afternoon, May 5, 2011 at her home following a year long illness. She was born on March 28, 1939 in Marquette, Michigan to the late Frank and Tyne (Lakanen) Silta. Dolores was raised in the Skandia and Dukes...

May 4, 2011

Marquette Margaret (Truden) Welch, age 88, died on May 4, 2011 in Marquette MI. She was born December 12, 1922 in Munising, MI the daughter of Vincent and Mary (Knaus) Truden. She graduated from William G. Mather High School in 1940 and from Michigan State College in 1944. Margaret married Louis E. Welch December 29, 1944 in Kinston, NC. She...

Apr 16, 2011

Munising Reino O. Kinnunen, age 82, of 518 Prospect Street, Munising died on Saturday morning, April 16, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. He was born in Munising on February 21, 1929 to the late Oscar and Lempi (Paasto) Kinnunen. Reino graduated from William G. Mather in 1947. He entered into the U.S. Army in 1950, Reino was...

Apr 16, 2011

Munising Evelyn Marie Baij, age 86, of 314 E. Onota Street, Munising, died early Saturday evening, April 16, 2011 at the Tendercare Health Center in Munising. She was born in the family farmhouse on May 4, 1924 in Skandia, Michigan to the late Axel and Hilda (Nyman) Anderson as the sixth of seven children and the only girl. Evelyn remembered...