Randy L. Robison
12/2/2002
Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. today at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home for Empire resident Randy L. Robison, who died Dec. 2 at Munson Medical Center. He was 48.
He was born Feb. 16, 1954 in Pontiac, the son of Charles LeRoy and Annabelle (McMahan) Robison.
Mr. Robison enjoyed computers, music, art and time with friends.
Survivors include his father; and sisters Cathy Bliss, Sherrie (Jan Dunn) Robison, Becky (Michael) Marchese, Georgia (David) Rocheleau, Anna (David) Wendels and Laura (Michael) Wendels.
He was preceded in death by his mother; and brothers-in-law James Bliss and Danny Plunkett.
Burial will be in Maple Grove Cemetery in Empire.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the family in care of Anna Wendels, 1032 W. Kasson Center Rd., Maple City 49664.
Richard T. Baker
12/7/2002
Services will be on a date to be announced this spring in Lake Leelanau for seasonal resident Richard T. Baker who died Dec. 7 in Florida. He was 85.
Mr. Baker was born Sept. 4, 1917, in Anderson, Ind., the son of Leslie and Rachel Baker. His wife of 63 years, Martha Brown Baker, survives.
He was an avid basketball player who played on the Indiana state championship team in 1935 and was later elected to the Indiana Basketball Hall of Fame. He graduated from Ohio State University in 1939 and was voted a basketball All-American by the Associated Press. He was also a fly fisherman and a passionate golfer, with eight holes-in-one to his credit.
In 1939, he joined the accounting firm of Ernst & Ernst in Cleveland, rose to become a managing partner, and retired in 1977. Following his retirement, he served on the boards of several firms. He earned honorary doctorates in accounting from Angola University in Indiana and Ohio State University, and was elected to the OSU Accounting Hall of Fame, and the Business Hall of Fame in Cleveland.
Also surviving are his daughters, Jane Baker of San Francisco and Laura Baker (Lewis Lubin) of Berkeley, Calif.; son Richard T. Baker Jr., (Cheryl Madsen) of San Francisco; and six grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his daughter Anni Baker Wolman in 1999.
Memorial contributions may be made to ShareCare, P.O. Box 217, Northport 49670, or Hospice House in Traverse City.
Mary C. Adelson
12/9/2002
Memorial services were held yesterday in East Lansing for former Leelanau County resident Mary Cecil Putnam Adelson who died Dec. 9. She was 59.
She was born Sept. 12, 1943, in Omena to John Edward and Florence Tarry Putnam. She was preceded in death by her husband, Leo P. Adelson.
She was a graduate of Northport High School and Michigan State University. In 1998, she retired from the Lansing School District after 33 years of service.
Surviving are her son Michael of Novi, her daughter Wendy of East Lansing, her sister Elizabeth (Stan) Markham of Traverse City, and three grandchildren.
Also preceding her in death were her sisters Edna, Doris, Margaret, Beulah, Rhea and Mary Ruth.
Memorials may be directed to the Sparrow Hospital Hospice House in Lansing.
Bertha Kolarik
1/3/2003
A funeral Mass was celebrated Monday at St. Michael’s Catholic Church in Suttons Bay for Bertha Kolarik who died Jan. 3 at Munson Medical Center. She was 85.
She was born March 10, 1917, in Suttons Bay, to John and Barbara (Hahnenberg) Priest. On Nov. 10, 1936, at St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Gills Pier, she married Lawrence Kolarik, who survives.
Mrs. Kolarik was a member of St. Wenceslaus Catholic Church in Gills Pier for over 30 years until 1969 when she and her husband moved to Suttons Bay. She then became a member of St. Michael’s Catholic Church.
Also surviving are her sons Gordon (Shiegko) Kolarik, Vernon (Connie) Kolarik and Ray (Anita) Kolarik; her daughters Margaret Tarsa, Ruth Weinert and Regina (Bob) Livingston; her sister, Rita Kiessel; her brothers Leonard and Gerald Priest; 29 grandchildren and 36 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death my an infant daughter, JoAnn; brothers Ernest, Gordon, Willard and Emil; sisters Louise Herman, Ella Herman, Marie Steimel; and an infant granddaughter, Lisa Tarsa.
Memorial contributions may be directed to Mass Intentions or the American Diabetes Association.
Raymond Fleese
11/17/2002
A funeral Mass was celebrated yesterday at Holy Rosary Catholic Church in Cedar for Raymond Fleese who died Nov. 17 at Bortz Health Care in Traverse City. He was 76.
He was born Feb. 4, 1926, in Centerville Township, the son of Joseph H. and Catherine L. (Witkowski) Fleese.
A lifelong resident and farmer in Leelanau County, Mr. Fleese enjoyed farming and tending to his cattle.
He is survived by his sister, Virginia (Leon) Rosinski of Sterling Heights, Alice Gatzke of Cedar; and brother Edward Fleese of Grant.
He was preceded in death by his brother John Fleese and sister Genevieve Garvin.
Burial will be in Mt. Calvary Cemetery. Memorials may be directed to Holy Rosary Catholic Cemetery or to the charity of one’s choice.
D'Etta Gauthier Streb
12/25/2002
A Memorial Mass was celebrated Tuesday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. at St. Mary's Church in Lake Leelanau for former resident D'Etta "Dolly" Gauthier Streb who died Dec. 25, 2002, at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City. She was 85.
She was born Jan. 17, 1916 in Joplin, Mo. In 1994, in Leelanau County, she married Gregory F. Streb of New Port Richey, Fla., who survives.
Formerly a longtime resident of Lake Leelanau, she was very active, along with her late husband Robert Gauthier, in building the Veterans of Foreign Wars facility there. She was also very involved with the St. Mary's parish chicken dinners. As a cancer survivor, she also worked for the American Cancer Society of Leelanau County.
After retiring from the U.S. Postal Service, she made her home in Florida.
Also surviving are her daughter-in-law, Margaret (John) Bufka of Traverse City; sister, Wanda (Hank) Beaudoin of Florida; brother, Pal Sears; seven grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren
Also preceding her in death were a brother, a sister, a grandson, a granddaughter and her only child, son Robert M. Sophiea of Lake Leelanau.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the St. Mary's Church building fund, or to St. Vincent De Paul of Traverse City.
Meri Kay DuFord
11/12/2002
Funeral services were held Friday in the Upper Peninsula for Meri Kay DuFord who died Nov. 12 in Iron Mountain. She was 55.
She was born April 29, 1947, in Traverse City, the daughter of Helen (Curry) Dean, formerly of Bingham Township, who survives, and the late Garth Dean. On Oct. 10, 1970, in Kingsford, she married Larry DuFord who also survives.
She moved to Iron Mountain with her family in 1963, graduated from Iron Mountain High School in 1965 and went on to receive a bachelor’s degree in social work from Northern Michigan University. She worked for Family Chiropractic in Kingsford for many years. She attended Maranatha Assembly of God.
She is also survived by a daughter, Kit Duford (Jeff DeMuri) of Kingsford, two brothers and two sisters.
Julia L. Hammond
11/5/2002
Visitation will be held today from 2-4 p.m. and 6-8 p.m. at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City for former Little Traverse Lake resident Julia L. Hammond who died Nov. 5 at Munson Medical Center. She was 72.
Born March 9, 1930, in Muskegon, she was the daughter of Ira W. and Mildred (Randall) Dingman. On Nov. 2, 1946, in Traverse City, she married Elmer R. Hammond, who survives.
She had lived in the Traverse City area as a child, returning in 1990 after living in Ft. Pierce, Fla. She had been employed as a cook in a nursing home. She was a member of the Pinegrove Church of God.
Also surviving are her daughter, Charyl White of Traverse City; son, David (Evelyn) Hammond of Traverse City; brother, Robert Dingman; sister, Doris Fritz; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by her brother, Richard Dingman.
Funeral services will be held tomorrow at 1 p.m. at the Pinegrove Church of God. Burial will be in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be directed to the Pinegrove Church of God.
