Ralph A. Jewell

Ralph A. Jewell, 87, of Cheboygan, passed away Sunday, June 17, 2018 at home, surrounded by his family. Born on January 20, 1931 in Cheboygan, Ralph was the son of Fay and Ada (Thilhorn) Jewell. He lived on his family’s farm in the Birchwood area and attended the one-room school house there. Later his family moved in to town, on the east side of Cheboygan.

In 1948, Ralph graduated from Cheboygan High School. Upon graduation, he proudly served his county in the United States Navy for four years, training in Illinois and California, then touring the Pacific. He retired from United Parcel Service after 25 years of accident-free driving and delivering packages all around the Petoskey and Mackinaw City areas. After retirement from UPS, he wanted to stay busy so he served as custodian at St. Pauls United Methodist Church, where he attended and was very active for many years. He enjoyed fishing and hunting in beautiful Northern Michigan, and his front porch on Mullett Lake became his favorite place to be in his later days.

He is survived by three daughters, Paula (Gerald) Jarmusch of Cheboygan, Brenda (Darren) Dixon of Mt. Juliet, TN., and Becky (Bill) Doyle of Cheboygan; seven grandchildren, Wesley, Zachary, Noah, Olivia, Miranda, Evan and Jadon; two great-grandchildren, Caleb and Gabrielle; a brother, Louis Jewell of Cheboygan and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife, Janice Ruth, in 2007; a brother, Allen Jewell; sisters, Ruth Proctor, Barbara Edwards, Mary Lou Peck and Sandra Smith.

A memorial service will take place 11:00 AM Saturday, June 30, 2018 at St. Pauls United Methodist Church in Cheboygan, where the family will visit with friends beginning at 10:00 AM until the time of services. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Pauls Memorial Garden. Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service is handling the arrangements. Please share your memories and personal messages with the family at www.gaylordfuneralhome.com