Obituaries

Mar 28, 2017

Rita A. Parker, 80 of Gaylord, fell asleep in death on Tuesday, March 28, 2017 at McLaren Northern Michigan Hospital in Petoskey.

Born on May 27, 1936 in Detroit, Rita was the daughter of Anthony and Antoinette (Pecora) Belmonte.

On April 21, 1956, Rita married Gene W. Parker in East Detroit, where they raised three...

Mar 25, 2017

Nora L. Menominee, 67 of Wolverine, passed away at home on Saturday, March 25, 2017.  Arrangements and obituary information are pending and will follow soon.

Mar 25, 2017

“The star from Sparr now shines from afar…”  Harry Patrick Kauffman, 83 of Grayling passed away at home on Saturday, March 25, 2017 after an intense battle with Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Harry was born on St. Patrick’s Day, March 17, 1934 in Warren, MI, the son of Joseph and Margaret (VanDanabelle) Kauffman.  At about age three the family...

Mar 22, 2017

Valerie Ann Mellon, 45 of Gaylord, passed away at home on Wednesday, March 22, 2017 after a brief illness.

Born in Grayling, Michigan on August 25, 1971, Valerie was the daughter of Dr. Dennis and Judith (Ensinger) Mellon.

A lifelong Gaylord resident, Valerie was a 1989 graduate of St. Mary High School.  A longtime local...

Mar 8, 2017

Gregory W. Pappas, 75 of Houghton Lake, passed away on Wednesday, March 8, 2017 at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.  His family will remember him privately and arrangements are by Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Mar 7, 2017

Sharon A. Diesenroth, 60 of Hale and formerly of Vanderbilt, passed away on Tuesday, March 7, 2017 at St. Mary’s of Michigan in Saginaw.

Born on August 2, 1956 in Holly, Sharon was the daughter of Richard and Lorraine (Charlick) Cottrell.  She grew up in Fenton and was a graduate of Fenton High School.

Sharon...

Mar 3, 2017

Frank F. Lasik, 93 of Wolverine, passed away Friday, March 3, 2017 at home surrounded by his family. Born in Blackfield, Pennsylvania on August 17, 1923, he was the son of Joseph and Stella Lasik.

Frank proudly served his country in the United States Army. He loved to fish and was well known for it. His pride...

Mar 2, 2017

Rita Marie Freeman, 58 of Florence, Kentuckey, passed away Thursday, March 2, 2017 in Gaylord.  Family services will be held in Kentuckey.

Feb 28, 2017

The following is placed as a convenience and at the request of Mrs. Carr’s family and Northside Chapel of Roswell, Georgia:

Dolores “Dee” M. Carr, age 84, of Lawrenceville, GA and formerly of Gaylord, MI, passed away Tuesday, February 28, 2017 after extended illnesses including Multiple Myeloma Cancer and Dementia.

Dee was born...

Feb 26, 2017

Chad Edward Doster, 45 of Vanderbilt, passed away at home on Sunday, February 26, 2017.  His family will remember him privately.  Arrangements are by Gaylord Community Funeral Home & Cremation Service.

Feb 26, 2017

Kathryn “Kathy” P. Smith, 69 of Vanderbilt, passed away Sunday, February 26, 2017 at Tendercare Gaylord.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio on October 7, 1947, Kathy was the daughter of Clarence and Kathryn (Jordan) McNaughton.

On August 23, 1975 Kathy married the love of her life, Louis Abner Smith in the Pigeon River in Wolverine. Kathy...

Feb 22, 2017

Bonnie Heins, 67 of Indian River, passed away at home on Wednesday, February 22, 2017.

Born on March 28, 1949 in Morris, MN, Bonnie was the daughter of Erwin and Esther (Hauglund) Heins.  After graduating from Morris High School in 1967, Bonnie attended X-Ray Tech School in Minneapolis.

Throughout her career as an X-Ray Tech,...

Feb 22, 2017

Gary Wynn Wakenhut of Vanderbilt, MI, (formerly of Lakeview) passed away at Hiland Cottage Hospice House in Petoskey on February 22, 2017.  He was born in 1940 in Jackson, Michigan to Wynn and Arlene Wakenhut.

When Gary was 10 years old, his mother gave him the clarinet she had played in high school.  She also quoted Albert...

Feb 22, 2017

Patricia Ann Daniel, 84 of Gaylord, passed away on Wednesay, February 22, 2017 at Otsego Memorial Hospital.  Arrangements are pending and will be announced soon.

Feb 20, 2017

Marian K. Glassley, 86 of Gaylord, passed away on Monday, February 20, 2017 at Tendercare Gaylord.

Born in Highland Park, MI on October 27, 1930, Marian was the daughter of Keith and Beulah (Baldwin) Glassley.

Marian lived in San Francisco for many years where she was a flight attendant for United Airlines.  She worked for...

Feb 18, 2017

James Peter Godlewski, 79 of Gaylord, passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at McReynolds Hall.

Born on September 11, 1937 in Toledo, OH, Jim was the son of Walter F. and Julia M. (Nowak) Godlewski.  He moved to Erie, MI with his family when he was two years old.  Jim grew up in Erie and was...

Feb 18, 2017

Ira I. Holborn, 80 of Vanderbilt, passed away on Saturday, February 18, 2017 at Tendercare Gaylord.

Born on October 2, 1936 in Vanderbilt, he was the son of Melton and Etta Holborn.  Ira was a 1954 graduate of Vanderbilt High School.   For several years he worked as a merchant marine on the great lakes, otherwise he was...

Feb 17, 2017

God has called one of His messengers home.  The Rev. Charles L. “Chuck” Manker, 91, a longtime Petoskey resident and former Pastor of the Petoskey United Methodist Church, passed peacefully at Hiland Cottage on Friday evening, February 17, 2017, surrounded by family.

Chuck was born on August 9, 1925 in Ellsworth, Michigan to the late Bernard and...

Feb 15, 2017

Chief Warrant Officer D.O. Van Every, U.S. Army Retired, 81 of Gaylord, passed away on Wednesday, February 15, 2017 at McReynolds Hall.

Born in Manistee, MI on January 14, 1936, Van was the son of Waldo and Warren (Harris) Van Every.

From 1953-1957 Van served in the U.S. Navy.  His ship was in port in...

Feb 14, 2017

Antone Richard Craig, 61 of Gaylord, passed away at home on Tuesday, February 14, 2017.  Arrangements are pending and will be announced later.