Obituaries

Gerald J. Respecki

Oct 31, 2013

Gerald John Respecki, 56 of Grayling and formerly of Gaylord, died at home on Thursday, October 31, 2013. Born on March 9, 1957 in Gaylord, Jerry was the son of Florian “Floyd” and Shirley (Moorehead) Respecki. He attended Gaylord Community Schools and the Gaylord M-Tec Center. Jerry was a welding engineer, a tool and die maker and a...

Edward P. "Pete" Beckman

Oct 22, 2013

Edward P. “Pete” Beckman, 61 of Gaylord, died at home surrounded by his family on Tuesday, October 22, 2013. Born in Saginaw on September 13, 1952, Pete was the son of Paul and Barbara (Hedrich) Beckman. He was a resident of Chesaning for much of his life and a longtime meat cutter at Peet Packing Company in Chesaning....

Leona M. Cummings

Oct 20, 2013

Leona M. Cummings, 86 of Lewiston, died on Sunday, October 20, 2013 at Aspen Ridge Retirement Center in Gaylord. Arrangements are pending and will be announced by Gaylord Community Funeral Home.

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Lucretia Ann Thomas

Oct 16, 2013

Lucretia Ann Thomas, 47 of Gaylord, died on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at home. Born on September 18, 1966 in Gaylord, Lucretia was the daughter of Johnny and Katherine (Renard) Cryderman. A lifelong area resident, she graduated from Vanderbilt High School. Lucretia returned to school at Kirtland Community College where she received her LPN and later her RN...

Eva J Laney

Oct 16, 2013

Eva Jean Laney, 93 of Bellaire, died on Wednesday, October 16, 2013 at her daughter’s home in Gaylord. Born on April 8, 1920 in Marion, Eva was the daughter of Fred and Pearl (Cooper) Fritz. In 1940 in Gatlinburg, TN, Eva married Willis R. Laney. Residing in Flint, they had two children, Ginger and Gerald. Willis preceded her...

Roselin Elizabeth Hawley

Oct 12, 2013

Roselin Elizabeth Hawley, 77 of Vanderbilt, died on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at Tendercare of Gaylord. Born on November 18, 1935 on the family farm in Sparr, Roselin was the daughter of Ildefons and Rose (Matelski) Dipzinski. A lifelong resident of Sparr and Vanderbilt, she married Charles Hawley on April 16, 1955. Roselin worked at Hidden Valley in...

William L "Roy" Dunbar

Oct 12, 2013

William L. “Roy” Dunbar, 87 of South Branch and formerly of Tower, died on Saturday, October 12, 2013 at home. Born on August 16, 1926 in Tower, Roy was the son of William and Ruth (Kettle) Dunbar. Roy served in the U.S.Navy during World War II. A farmer for most of his life, he had also worked in...

Kay Val Simpson

Oct 10, 2013

Kay Val Simpson, 72 of Gaylord, passed away on October 10, 2013 at home surrounded by her family. Kay was born on February 14, 1941 to Ford and Jane Martin of Mackinaw City. The majority of her life was spent as a resident of Mackinaw City, including graduating from Mackinaw City High School in 1959 and retiring from...

Deloris M "Smokee" Raynor

Oct 9, 2013

Deloris Mary Rayner, fondly known to her friends as Dee or Smokee, died at Woodland Acres, an Assisted Living home in Gaylord on Wednesday, October 9, 2013. Born in Chicago on January 4, 1933, she was the daughter of Loris M. and Hortense E (Williams) Rayner. Smokee was raised in Chicago where she graduated from St. Elizabeth High...

Patricia Ann Grocock

Oct 9, 2013

Patricia Ann Grocock, 86, a longtime Gaylord resident, died on Wednesday, October 9, 2013, at Tendercare of Gaylord. Born on February 20, 1927, in Highland Park, Ann was the daughter of Keith and Beulah (Baldwin) Glassley. On May 5, 1953, she married Ernest Grocock in Royal Oak. They left Ann Arbor in 1964 and moved to Gaylord with...

Marvin K Blackett

Oct 8, 2013

Marvin K. Blackett, loving husband, father and grandfather, passed away on Tuesday, October 8, 2013 at Otsego Memorial Hospital in Gaylord at age 87. Born in Detroit on December 14, 1925, Marvin was the son of Norman and Ruth (Schuchard) Blackett. He attended Romeo High School before enlisting in the U.S. Navy, proudly serving his country in the...

Edward W "Ed" Shear

Oct 3, 2013

Edward W. “Ed” Shear, 49 of Gaylord, died on Thursday, October 3, 2013 at University of Michigan Medical Center in Ann Arbor. Born on September 6, 1964 in Pontiac, Ed was the son of Walter and Joan (Grieve) Shear. A longtime Waterford resident, he moved to Gaylord in 2001. Ed was a technician for AT&T, where he had...

Jomon Jacob Thykattu

Oct 2, 2013

Jomon Jacob Thykattu, 50 of Beaver Creek Township died on Tuesday, October 2, 2013 at Mercy Hospital in Grayling. Complete arrangements will be announced by Gaylord Community Funeral Home.

Judy Ann Franklin

Oct 2, 2013

Judy Ann Franklin, 64 of Cheboygan, died at home on Wednesday, October 2, 2013. Born on June 29, 1949 in Cheboygan, Judy was the daughter of Charles and Minnie (Price) Kitchen. A lifelong resident of Cheboygan, Judy was well known by her many friends, and those she met working as a cashier in the area. She loved her...

Vera P Legleiter

Oct 2, 2013

Vera P. Legleiter, 79 of Hays, KS and formerly of Gaylord, died on Wednesday, October 2, 2013 at home. Born on May 29, 1934 in Hays, KS she was the daughter of Henry and Marcella (Speier) Wilson. She married Paul Legleiter on July 26, 1952. The family lived in Gaylord for many years. She was preceded in death...

Ruth Ann Matelski

Sep 27, 2013

Ruth Ann Matelski, 76 of Boyne Falls, went to Heaven to be with the love of her life on September 27, 2013 surrounded by her loving family. Ruth was born on January 2, 1937 to Walter and Lila Burgess. She married Louis Matelski on November 10, 1956. He preceded her in death on July 7, 1980. They were...

Charles S Moore

Sep 25, 2013

Charles S. Moore, 72 of Levering, died at home surrounded by his family on Wednesday, September 25, 2013. Born in Petoskey on January 16, 1941, he was the son of Charles R. and Rosemary (Vanvulkenburg) Moore. He was a United States military veteran and a retiree of General Motors. On August 6, 1960 he married Joyce F. Shaw....

Barbara E Hendricks

Sep 23, 2013

Barbara E. Hendricks, 58 of Gaylord, died at home surrounded by her family on Monday, September 23, 2013. Born in Detroit on March 19, 1955, Barbara was the daughter of Curtis and Verla (Compton) Crum. She lived for a time in Kentucky before returning to Detroit and later moving to Gaylord in 1990. She enjoyed following area emergency...

Shirley Hall Lapere

Sep 20, 2013

Shirley Hall Lapere, 86 of Gaylord and Boynton Beach, Florida, died at her summer home in Gaylord on Friday, September 20, 2013. She was born on May 16, 1927 in Detroit, the daughter of Russell and Velma (James) Hall. Shirley was preceded in death by sons Robert and Dale Lapere and she is survived by a son, William...

Deborah Jo North

Sep 18, 2013

Deborah Jo North, 55 of Petoskey, died on Wednesday, September 18, 2013 at Bortz Health Care of Petoskey. Born on November 1, 1957 in Detroit, Deborah was the daughter of Richmond and Frances (Mayer) North. She lived in Sault Ste Marie for several years and later settled in Petoskey. Deborah enjoyed collecting angels and doing needlepoint. She always...