Lillian Geraldine Knitz 1/2/2002
Lillian Geraldine Knitz of Traverse City and Elmwood Township died Jan. 2 at Birchwood Nursing Center. She was 86.
Mrs. Knitz was born on May 7, 1915, in Toledo, Ohio, the daughter of Joseph and Ciara Aurilla (Guseman) Styer.
She is survived by a son, John M. (Ruth) Knitz of Elmwood Township. She was preceded in death by her husband, Melvin Earl Knitz on Jan. 3, 1999; and five brothers and sisters.
No services are planned at this time.
LeRoy D. Couturier 1/16/2002
A funeral Mass was celebrated Saturday for LeRoy D. (Lee R.) Couturier, who died Jan. 16 at his Monroe, Mich. home. He was 73.
Mr. Couturier was born in Lake Leelanau on Dec. 7, 1928, the son of Roy D. and Mazil (McNeeley) Couturier. On Sept. 2, 1950, in Gills Pier, he married Emma L. Kolarik, who survives.
Mr. Couturier graduated from St. Mary’s High School in 1945, attended Michigan State University for two years, and served in the Air Force. He was personnel manager for Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Michigan in Detroit for 35 years while living in Westland. He moved to Cadillac in 1987 after retirement, and to Monroe three years ago.
Mr. Couturier enjoyed genealogy and stamp collection. He belonged to the Knights of Columbus in Monroe.
Also surviving are three sons, Guy Douglas Couturier of Beaver Creek, Ohio, Dr. Jeffrey W. (Lori S.) Couturier of Newport, Mich., and Neil T. Couturier of Chicago; two daughters, Margaret Peggy Couturier of Azusa, Calif. and Debra L. (Richard) Lake of Canton; two brothers, Richard J. (Jean) Couturier of Plymouth and Frederick J. (Lucy) Couturier of Traverse City; two sisters, Helen (Harold) O’Brien of Empire and Betty (Edwin) Mucha of Cedar; and 11 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a sister, Rosalind O’Brien.
Interment was in St. Charles Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the American Heart Association.
Dr. Frances Cogan 1/18/2002
Private family services will be held for former Leland summer resident Dr. Frances Capps Cogan, who died Jan. 18 at Columbia Lutheran Home in Seattle. She was 94.
Dr. Cogan was the daughter of Dr. Joseph A. Capps and Christy Brooks Capps. A graduate of Vassar College and John Hopkins Medical School, she was an eye researcher at Tufts University. Her life was marked by intellectual curiosity, emotional wisdom and a delight in nature and music.
Dr. Cogan was preceded in death by her husband of 60 years, Dr. David G. Cogan; two daughters, Christy Cogan in 1961 and Ann Lok in 1988. She is survived by two daughters, Polly Parson of Seattle, Wash., and Dr. Priscilla Cogan of Upton, Mass.; and four granddaughters.
Memorials may be made to the Christy Cogan Endowment Fund/Fdn. MEEI Inc. at the Development Office, MEEI, 243 Charles St., Boston, MA 022114.
Robert O. Russell 1/9/2002
Funeral services were held Saturday for Robert O. Russell, who died Jan. 9 at his Elmwood Township home. He was 72.
Mr. Russell was born on April 14, 1929, in Ann Arbor, the son of Henry and Helen Russell. On June 5, 1948, he married Dorotha Jane Cole, who survives.
Mr. Russell was an auto mechanic and volunteer fireman in Saline for many years before becoming a policeman for the city of Saline, where he formed a canine unit. In 1971, he and his family moved to Leland, where he joined the Leelanau County Sheriff’s Department. He retired as a detective sergeant in 1986, after which he and Dorotha ran Sunset Square in Leland and the Frugal Farmer vegetable stand on their farm on M-22.
Mr. Russell enjoyed fishing on inland lakes. He was famous for his homemade sauerkraut and pretzels.
Also surviving are four children, Steven (Jan) Russell of Saline, Bob (Sally Van Vleck) Russell of Traverse City, Linda Russell of Tecumsch and Mary (Jeff) Bush of Grawn; a brother, Don Russell of St. Petersburg, Fla.; and three grandchildren.
Cremation has taken place. Memorials may be made to Munson Hospice, 1105 Sixth St., Traverse City 49684.
Anton de Kok 12/31/2001
Funeral services were held Saturday in Grand Rapids for Truth or Consequences, N.M., resident Anton de Kok who died Dec. 31. He was 71.
Mr. de Kok was born Feb. 20, 1930, in Rotterdam, The Netherlands, the son of Johannes M. and Anthonia (Witkamp) de Kok. He immigrated to the United States with his wife, Johanna, in 1954.
For 35 years he worked as a civil engineer for the Michigan Department of Transportation in Lansing and Detroit. He retired to Leland, and later moved to New Mexico.
Mr. de Kok was a member of the Society of Civil Engineers, Suttons Bay Congregational Church and the Rio Grande Sailing Club, and a founding member of the Lansing Sailing Club. He also belonged to the Grand Traverse Ice Yacht Club.
He is survived by his wife of 47 years, Johanna (de Puy) de Kok; three daughters, Jessica (Dan) Turner of Mesa, Ariz., Julie (Rodger) LaGrone of Ivor, Va. and Janet (Bill) Love of Empire; two granddaughters; and one step grandson. He was preceded in death by his daughter, Susan Anthonia de Kok.
Interment was in Woodlawn Cemetery in Grand Rapids. Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society.
Lucy A. Coulston 1/12/2002
Funeral services will be held Friday at 1 p.m. in Ramsey Funeral Home in Harbor Beach for Lucy A. Coulston, who died Jan. 12 in Leelanau Memorial Health Center. She was 87.
Mrs. Coulston was born on Oct. 21, 1914, in Port Hope, daughter of George and Ruby (Tinsey) Hubbard. On Oct. 21, 1937, in Port Hope, she married Melvin Coulston, who preceded her in death on March 13, 2001.
Surviving are her daughter, Janice (Jerry) Gorrell of Glen Arbor; two sons, Dale (Patti) Coulston of Suttons Bay and Wayne (Marilyn) Coulston of Perrysburg, Ohio; sisters Doris Christick and Bea Burns; seven grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by a brother, Everett Hubbard.
Burial will be in Rock Falls Cemetery, Harbor Beach. Visitation will be held today from 1-5 p.m. and 7-9 p.m., and Friday from noon until the time of service. Memorials may be given to Leelanau Memorial Health Center, First Presbyterian Church in Harbor Beach, or donor’s choice.
Robert Wenstrup 1/1/2002
A Mass of Christian burial was held Saturday in Ft. Thomas, Ky., for long-time Leland summer resident Robert Wenstrup, who died on Jan. 1. He was 76.
Mr. Wenstrup was born on Aug. 1, 1925, in Cincinnati. He met and married Mary Harmeyer, his wife of 51 years, while visiting Leland in the late 1940’s. She survives.
Mr. Wenstrup was a retired vice-president of the Perry and Derrick Paint Co. in Cincinnati. He graduated from St. Vincent College in Latrobe, Pa, and served in the Navy in World War II.
Mr. Wenstrup was an avid bird watcher with friend Ben Hitz and son James traveling around Leelanau County during the summer months, and near his Sarasota, Fla. home during the winter. He was a member of the Leland Country Club, Leland Yacht Club and Leelanau Conservancy.
Also surviving are four sons, Mark (Kathy), Larry (Linda), Michael (Stacy) and James, all of northern Kentucky; and nine grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to St. Mary School Guardian Angel Society, P.O. Box 340, Lake Leelanau 49653.
Viola ‘Vi’ Plamondon 1/1/2002
A Mass of Christian burial was celebrated Saturday for Traverse City resident Viola “Vi” Marie Bunek Plamondon, who died Jan. 1 at Munson Medical Center. She was 81.
Mrs. Plamondon was born in Bingham Township on Feb. 14, 1920, the daughter of John and Mary (Grohowski) Bunek. On July 7, 1942, she married high school sweetheart Dr. Thomas Plamondon, who survives.
Mrs. Plamondon walked seven miles each day to graduate from St. Mary’s School, and was a former Miss Lake Leelanau and runner-up for National Cherry Queen. She helped the Allied cause by working in an airplane factory in Detroit during World War II.
Mrs. Plamondon was deeply religious, and loved attending mass at St. Francis Catholic Church. She was a member of the St. Francis Altar Society, and a past member of the Third Order of Carmel.
Also surviving are a daughter, Carolyn Plamondon (Ron) Gloss of Traverse City; a son, Dr. Tom (Annmarie) Plamondon Jr. of Clearwater, Fla.; daughter-in-law, Maggie Plamondon; a sister, Rose Bunek Dechow of Lake Leelanau; and four grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her children, infant twins Joseph and Joseph and Joan, and Dr. David Plamondon; and brothers Clarence, Leo, Albert, Julian and Edward Popp, Emil and Joseph Bunek, and William Bonek.
Memorials may be directed to St. Francis Catholic Church or St. Mary’s.
Richard M. Stimson 1/6/2002
A memorial service was held yesterday in Severna Park, Md., for former county resident Richard M. Stimson, who died Jan. 6 at Anne Arundel Medical Center. He was 68.
Mr. Stimson was born in Chicago in 1933. He graduated from Culver Military Academy in 1951 and Purdue University in 1955 before serving two years stationed in the Far East in the Marine Corps. He returned to earn a MBA from Harvard University.
Mr. Stimson learned to sail on Lake Leelanau, and went on to an illustrious nautical career. He was active in ocean racing from 1954 through 2000 as watch captain and navigator on such boats as “Proton II,” “Cayenne,” “Running Tide,” “Congere” and “Morning Star.”
Surviving are his wife of 41 years, Maryln; daughters Heather Van Brackel of Salisbury, Md. and Kathy Steffey of Stevensville, Md.; a son, Gregory of Pasadena, Md.; nephew and niece John Stimson and Melissa Stimson of Leelanau County; sister-in-law Helen Stimson of Leland; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to the Culver Military Academy Alumni fund, Culver Academies, 1300 Academy Rd., Culver, Ind. 46511.
