Jerome E. Lautner
12/19/2001
A Mass of Christian burial was held Friday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church for Jerome E. Lautner, who died at his Elmwood Township home Dec. 19. He was 81.
Mr. Lautner was born on Feb. 7, 1920 in Long Lake Township, the son of Joseph and Florence (Courtade) Lautner. On Oct. 11, 1947 at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, he married Arlene A. Rokos, who survives.
Mr. Lautner graduated from St. Francis High School in 1938, and joined the Army in Oct., 1941. He was sent overseas in January, 1942, and served with the 133rd Infantry. He was squad leader in the Red Bull Division serving in North Africa and Italy, and was wounded in October, 1944, during the Rome-Arbo Campaign. He was discharged in May, 1945, with the rank of staff sergeant.
He was employed by the Postal Service, delivering mail to the Greilickville area for 35 years until retiring in 1979. He and Arlene built their home on West Bay Shore Dr. in 1949, and have lived there ever since.
Mr. Lautner was always ready to lend a helping hand to family, neighbors and friends, and took pride in his lawn and flower beds. He enjoyed making maple syrup. He was a lifelong member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, a life member of the Veterans of Foreign Wars, the Disabled American Veterans, Branch 618 of the National Association of Letter carriers, and the National Association of Retired Employees.
Also surviving are daughters Kathy (Jack) DiPisa and Karen Fehrman; three brothers, Ralph (Mary) Lautner, LaVern (Maxine) Lautner and Cletus (Marie) Lautner; a sister, Cleo (Joe) Cavitch; three grandchildren; and one great-grandson-all of Traverse City.
Burial was in Oakwood Catholic Cemetery. Memorials may be made to Immaculate Conception Catholic Church, Elmwood Township Fire and Rescue Dept., Munson Hospice or Mass intentions.
David D. Merriman
12/1/2001
A memorial service will be held on Memorial weekend 2002 for longtime summer resident David D. Merriman, who died Dec. 1 in Scottsdale, Ariz. He was 89.
Mr. Merriman was born July 1, 1912 in West Allis, Wis. the eldest son of Merle and Mabel (Maddux). On May 30, 1939, he married Mary Elizabeth Lee, who preceded him in death in 1999.
Mr. Merriman earned his master's in business administration from the University of Michigan. After serving in World War II, he had successful careers in corporate finance, banking and real estate development.
Among his wide range of activities, he founded the first National Museum of Grenada, West Indies, and served with the Leelanau Historical Museum. He was a past president of the Lime Lake Association and a member of the Cedar/Maple Cedar and Scottsdale Lions Clubs.
Cremation has taken place. Burial will be at the Cleveland Township Cemetery.
William W. Gotshall
12/14/2001
A service of remembrance will be held at 2 p.m. Saturday at Suttons Bay Congregational Church for Lake Leelanau resident William W. Gotshall, who died Dec. 14 at Grand Traverse Pavilions. He was 81.
Mr. Gotshall was born on May 1, 1920, in Cleveland, Ohio, the son of Glenn and Blanche (Hayward) Gotshall. On Aug. 12, 1944 in Detroit, he married Jeanne Moffett, who preceded him in death in 1994.
A graduate of Michigan State University, Mr. Gotshall was employed by Marathon Oil and Carbon Development Corporation as a chemical engineer. Formerly of Orchard Lake, he moved to Lake Leelanau upon his retirement in 1982.
Mr. Gotshall was a member of the American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the International Coffee Club of America and the Lamplighters Club of Leland; and past officer of the East Leland Property Owners Association. Happy to the end, he loved spending time with his family, music, sailing and the water. He was a staunch Republican.
Surviving are three children, Lynn Green of Lake Leelanau, Susan Quinlan of Milford and Glenn (Bonnie) Gotshall of Traverse City; and eight grandchildren. He was also preceded in death by a son, William Gotshall; and a brother, George Gotshall.
Interment will be in Pine Lake Cemetery in Orchard Lake. Memorials may be directed to Lower Elm (Assisted Living) of Grand Traverse Pavilions.
Leon Leroy Leach
12/15/2001
Funeral services were held Tuesday for Rapid City resident Leon Leroy Leach, who died Dec. 15 at Munson Medical Center. He was 62.
Mr. Leach was born on July 29, 1939, in Traverse City, the son of Ralph and Louise L. (Weber) Leach. A retired carpenter, he enjoyed bowling, softball, hunting and fishing.
Surviving are his wife, Joyce P. Leach of Rapid City; his children, Margaret (Clarence) Bodkin, Lance (Patricia) Leach, Lonnie (Connie) Leach, Sherry (Steve) Porter, Larry (Lisa) Leach and Kimberly (Mark) Langstron; stepchildren Sharon (Dean) Veliquette, James (Debbie) Manley and Lois (Randy) LaRosa; a sister, Elaine Brown of Traverse City; and 26 grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his parents and his first wife, Karen A. Leach.
Interment was in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens. Memorials may be directed to American Heart Association.
Eli G. Alcorn
12/12/2001
A graveside service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday at the Leelanau Township Cemetery for Eli G. "Joe" Alcorn III of Omena and Dallas, who passed away Dec. 12.
Mr. Alcorn was the son of Robert Sabe and Edith Maish Alcorn. He was valedictorian of his high school class and graduated from the University of Cincinnati, and then University of Cincinnati Law School. Mr. Alcorn practiced law in Ohio for a short time before moving to Menard, Texas and continuing to practice there after passing the Texas bar exam.
Mr. Alcorn owned and operated Alcorn Aviation and in that capacity was a flight instructor for fighter pilots in World War II.
He was a member of the American Bar Association and the Ohio and Texas Bar Associations, Delta Tau Delta Fraternity, several academic and honorary societies, the Dallas Athletic club and the Columbia Club of Indianapolis. Mr. Alcorn was also a yachtsman and served as commodore of the Omena/Traverse Yacht Club.
He is survived by his brother, Dr. Robert Alcorn Jr. of Colorado; his niece, Holly Bjornson of Colorado.; nephew, Dr. Joe Alcorn of California and a niece, Gretchen Wagner of Colorado. He was preceded in death by his wife, Millie, and a sister, Jan Peck.
Julia J. Cloud
12/17/2001
Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Indian Mission Church in Northport for former county resident Julia J. Cloud, who died Monday at the University of Wisconsin Medical School. She was 60.
Mrs. Cloud was born July 1, 1941, the daughter of Earl Engles and Evelyn John. On July 7, 1967 in Wisconsin, she married Lionel Cloud, who survives.
A member of the Grand Traverse Band and a Northport graduate, Mrs. Cloud enjoyed spending time with her children and grandchildren and gardening.
She is survived by her parents, Clarence and Evelyn Manitowash; seven children, Keith, Melissa (Jim), Rebecca (Mike), Alice (Mike) Benjamin, Buckley and Sterling; one brother, Allen (Joyce) John of Kewadin; one sister, Joyce (Doug) Smith of Lansing; six grandchildren; two great-grandchildren and several nieces and nephews.
Visitation will be held today from 6 - 9 p.m. and Friday from 2 - 4 and 6 - 9 p.m. at the Indian Mission Church.
Burial will be in Leelanau Township Cemetery.
John R. Des Jardins
12/14/2001
A private memorial service will be held at a later date in Northport for summer resident John R. "Jack" Des Jardins, who died Dec. 14 in East Lansing. He was 69.
Mr. Des Jardins was born in Owosso on March 9, 1932. He graduated from the University of Michigan and served in the Air Force in Germany and France. He was an investment advisor at First of Michigan Corporation for many years.
Mr. Des Jardins served for 16 years on the board of directors of Cooley Law School, and was a longtime member of the Bentley Foundation. He enjoyed golf, reading political history and watching stars from the deck of his cottage.
Surviving are his wife, Marilyn; daughters Cathy Des Jardins of Boulder, Colo., Betsy Garcia of East Lansing and Debbie (Igor) Des Jardins-DePadova of Ann Arbor; a son, Bruce Thomas Des Jardins of Muskegon; a twin brother, Jerry (Karen) of Santa Rosa Beach, Fla.; a brother, Bill (Barbara) of Bloomfield Hills; a sister-in-law, Virginia (Edward) Herhold of Sandusky, Ohio; and four grandchildren.
Memorials may be made to Ele's Place, 600 W. St. Joseph, Suite 1-G, Lansing 48933; or to a charity of one's choice.
Margaret E. Brandt
12/15/2001
A memorial service will be held at 1 p.m. Friday at Porter Hills Meeting House for Grand Rapids resident Margaret E. Brandt, who died Dec. 15. She was 88.
Mrs. Brandt and her husband formerly had a cabin on Lake Leelanau.
She is survived by her husband, Irving; children Kathleen (Andrew) Morrow of Leland, Carl P. (Jeanann) Brandt, Sarah M. (Daniel) Tracy and Martha (Jeffery) Pollack; a sister, Kathleen Amstutz; 14 grandchildren; and 11 great-grandchildren.
She was preceded in death by brothers George R. Patterson and Charles N. Patterson.
Burial will be in Beechwood Cemetery. Memorials may be made to the Benevolence Fund of Porter Hills Presbyterian Village or First United Methodist Church of Grand Rapids.
Zay Boucher
10/14/1999
A memorial service will be held at 4 p.m. Friday at St. Philomena Church, 4281 Marseilles at Mack Ave., Detroit, for Leland resident Zay (Bowman) Boucher, who died Oct. 14 at Leelanau Memorial Health Center. She was 88.
She was born on Jan. 12, 1911, at Port Huron, Mich., the daughter of Henry Louis and Alma (Smith) Bowman. On Sept. 28, 1935, in Detroit she married Joseph Louis Boucher, who died in 1978.
Mrs. Boucher, a homemaker, is survived by three daughters, Margaret (Cal) Little of Leland, Norma (Dick) Smith of Santa Susana, Calif., and Carolyn (Jim) Curran of East Lansing; a son, Rev. John (Laura) Boucher of St. Michaels, Md.; 10 grandchildren; and two great grandchildren. She was also preceded in death by a sister, Ann Stocks.
Burial will be at Mt. Olivet Cemetery in Detroit. Memorials may be directed to Leelanau Memorial Health Center.
Pauline May Dremann
12/2/2001
A memorial service is being planned at Immanuel Lutheran Church for Pauline May Dremann, who died Dec. 2 at Leelanau Memorial Health Care Center. She was 91.
Mrs. Dremann was born in Cleveland on May 18, 1910. In 1934, she married Julius Dremann, who preceded her in death in 1985. She moved shortly after marriage to the Detroit area to raise her family. A wonderful mother and homemaker, she was a talented artist who inspired many to pursue art.
Surviving are three children, Paul Dremann, Robert Dremann and June Summers; seven grandchildren; and nine great grandchildren. The date of service has not been set.
Floyd Donald Skinner
11/28/2001
Floyd Donald Skinner of Glen Arbor died Nov. 28 in Gulf Shores, Ala. He was 83.
Mr. Skinner was born in Detroit on July 15, 1918, the son of Ada (Bellamy) and Earl Skinner. He received a MBA from the University of Michigan, and had a career in accounting in business and government. He was a Naval officer aboard the Enterprise during World War II.
Mr. Skinner was active in Elks and Lions clubs in past years, and volunteered at Pensacola Naval Museum where he spoke about the history of the Enterprise and World War II. He was an avid reader of current events and the economy, loved beautifying his yard, was proud of his family, and a member of St. Philip Neri Parish in Empire.
Surviving are his wife of 58 years, Hope; three daughters, Nadine Byrne (Terry), Karen Szukalski (Gene) and Denise Doherty; a son James Skinner; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by a brother.
Burial will be at a later date at St. Philip's cemetery.
