HURON DAILY TRIBUNE, Bad Axe, Huron County, Michigan Local obituaries for the week beginning September 5, 2004 Contributed 2004 by Carol Morrison for use in the USGenWeb Archives. USGENWEB ARCHIVES NOTICE: These electronic pages may NOT be reproduced in any format for profit or presentation by any other organization or persons. Persons or organizations desiring to use this material, must obtain the written consent of the contributor, or the legal represent- ative of the submitter, and contact the listed USGenWeb archivist with proof of this consent. The submitter has given permission to the USGenWeb Archives to store the file permanently for free access. Sunday, September 4, 2004 Marcella Cieslinski Marcella "Marcy" P. Cieslinski, 84, of Ubly, passed away Saturday, September 4, 2004, at the home of her daughter, Mary Vandemark, in Marquette. Marcella was born to the late Martin H. and Anna (Grzybowski) Sofka on January 25, 1920 in Ubly. She married her beloved husband, Anthony "Tony" Joseph Cieslinski, on October 25,1941 at St. Columbkille Catholic Church. He preceded her in death on November 22, 2003. Marcy and Tony moved to their farm in Peck in 1942, before returning to Ubly in 1956, where they farmed and had a dairy operation. Marcy was Tony's lifetime helper on the farm and was active with Tony in the Michigan Animal Breeders Cooperative. As well as working on the farm and the dairy operation, Marcy was a busy homemaker, yearly planting a large garden and preserving the harvest while raising their children. She was a gifted seamstress making clothing and items for the home. Marcy was a member of the Daughters of Isabella Fidelis Regina Circle No. 608 and the St. John Christian Mothers Circle No. 4 Queen of Angels. Marcy and Tony enjoyed traveling very much, although being at their Florida residence was her favorite. She always looked forward to the children, relatives, and friends visiting them there. She was the queen to her family and friends when it came to baking desserts and candies, with English toffee being a specialty. Marcy always enjoyed playing cards, even until shortly before her death, though she said it wasn't as much fun without her Tony. Marcy is survived by her children, Michael A. Cieslinski and his wife, Melinda, of L'Anse, John Cieslinski and his wife, Glennda, of Ubly, and Mary E. Vandemark and her husband, Terry, of Marquette; seven grandchildren, Michael Cieslinski III and his wife, Lori, Gary (Marie Hasselman) Cieslinski , Amy L. (Tim Lightfoot) Cieslinski, Joseph A. (Jennifer Roberts) Cieslinski, Kit (Steve) Lipe, Ty (Jason) Witting, and Zackery Vandemark; nine great-grandchildren, Chantel, Matthew and Cheyanne Cieslinski, Nikki and Errin Ewald, Codi Lipe, Alexys and Aydan Witting, and Nathan Vandemark. Marcella was preceded in death by her beloved husband, Anthony "Tony" Cieslinski; an infant son, Joseph; one brother, Henry Sofka; one sister, Adrianna Wasierski. Funeral mass will be at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, September 8, 2004, at St. John Catholic Church of Ubly. The Rev. T.J. Fleming, pastor of Our Lady of Lake Huron Catholic Church, will officiate. Burial will be at the St. John Cemetery. Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. on Monday, 1 to 9 p.m. on Tuesday, and from 9 to 10 a.m. on Wednesday at the Zinger-Smigielski Funeral Home in Ubly. There will be a joint rosary at 8:30 p.m. Tuesday at the funeral home by St. John Christian Mothers and the Daughters of Isabella. RB Hunter RB Hunter, 90, of Port Hope, passed away Friday, September 3, 2004, in the Harbor Beach Community Hospital. Born in Kinde on October 11, 1913, he was the son of the late James and May (Temple) Hunter. He was a graduate of the Kinde High School and attended Huron County Normal School in Bad Axe. RB began working for the Brinker Lumber Company in Kinde in 1933, and was sent to manage the Brinker Lumberyard in Port Hope in 1935. He purchased the Reidel Lumber Company in Harbor Beach in 1960 and operated it as the Hunter Lumber Company until he sold the business in 2003. RB served a long and distinguished civil servant career as being mayor of the village of Port Hope for 52 years and was its fire chief. In appreciation of his unselfish service to the community, the Village of Port Hope dedicated its new village offices and fire hall to RB in 2000. He was a charter member and long time active member of the board of the Eastern Huron Ambulance Service based in Harbor Beach. He also was a member of the United Methodist Church in Port Hope, the Port Hope Chamber of Commerce, and the Thumb Area Antique Automobile Club of which he enjoyed his antique Ford cars and trucks. He married Gladys Classen of Canton, Ohio in 1942. Gladys preceded him in death in 1984. In 1986, RB married Agnes Wooster. RB is survived by his wife, Agnes, of Port Hope; his three children, James Hunter and his wife, Carol, of Port Hope, David Hunter and his wife, Darlene, of Harbor Beach, and Donna Berger and her husband, Jerry, of Bad Axe; eight grandchildren, Amy, Paul, Brian, Heather, Crystal, Charity, Jerry Lee and Angela; four great-grandchildren, Jacob, Caleb, Tara, and Madison; step- daughter, Judy Gray and her husband, Harold, of Kalamazoo; step-grandchildren, Curtis, Jay, Timothy, Randall, Tina, Denise, and Troy; and five step-great-grandchildren. Funeral services for RB will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 6, 2004, in the Ramsey Funeral Home, Harbor Beach, with the Rev. Paula M. Timm, pastor of the United Methodist Church, officiating. Burial will be in the New River Cemetery, Huron City. A firemen's memorial service will be at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the funeral home. Visitation will be from 1 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today and from 10 a.m. until the time of service Monday at the funeral home. Memorials may go to East Huron Ambulance Service, United Methodist Church in Port Hope, or the Port Hope Fire Fund. Elwood McDonald Elwood Mark "Bud" McDonald, 72, of Owendale, passed away Friday morning, September 3, 2004, at Scheurer Hospital in Pigeon after a year-long battle with lung cancer. He was born on a farm in rural Gagetown on December 31, 1931, the youngest son of Richard R. and Anita (Dore) McDonald. He attended Grant No. 1 School, Owendale Community Schools, and graduated in 1951 from Owendale High School. In the summer of 1951, he joined the United States Air Force and was trained as an airplane mechanic at Sheppard Air Force Base. On December 26, 1953, he was united in marriage to his high school sweetheart, Jeannette Marie Faust, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Linkville. He then served in Korea as a flight engineer on the C-47 cargo plane until his discharge in 1955. He was a salesman for Ordus Ford in Bad Axe for over 20 years until his retirement in 1995. He previously was service manager at Ouvry Chevy-Olds, paint and body tech at Bulen Motors, and salesman at Shoreline Ford. He was a member of the American Legion, Sebewaing Post 293, where he had served as post commander, and most recently, as post chaplain, but resigned due to ill health. For more than 25 years, he was in charge of the cannon salute at Grant Township Cemetery on Memorial Day weekend. Bud loved his county and served it well. Bud was also known for his humor, quick wit, kindness, and love. Upon death, his corneas were donated to the Michigan Eye Bank. He was an active member of St. Paul Lutheran Church, where he was a voting member and served as usher and greeter. He is survived by his wife of over 50 years, Jeannette; a daughter, Dena L. McDonald, of Ferndale; two sons, Darren M. McDonald and his wife, Martina, of Marshall, and Mark A. McDonald and his wife, Carol, of Grand Rapids; three granddaughters, Katie, Becky, and Deltina; a step-grandson, Brandon; a sister, Eleanor Ethier and her husband, Robert, of Milledgeville, Georgia; three brothers, Jack McDonald and Roy McDonald, both of Orlando, Florida, and Allen McDonald and his wife, Marilyn, of Cass City; and many nieces, nephews, in-laws, and friends. He was preceded in death by three infant children, Richard, Kevin, and Angie; two brothers, infant Douglas and L.J. McDonald, D.D.S. The funeral service will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, September 7, 2004, at St. Paul Lutheran Church in Linkville with the Rev. Lee Wenskay, pastor, officiating. Cremation will follow. A scripture service will be at 7:30 p.m. on Monday at the Meyersieck-Bussema Funeral Home, Pigeon. Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. today and 1 to 9 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home, and from 10 a.m. until the time of service at 11 a.m. on Tuesday at the church. Robert Speirs Robert Speirs, 72, of Cass City, died Friday, September 3, 2004, in his home with his family at his side. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 6, 2004, in the Novesta Church of Christ with Chuck Emmert and Brad Speirs officiating. Interment will take place in Novesta Township Cemetery. Military honors under the direction of Cass City VFW Post No. 3644. Visitation will be from 2 to 5 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. today at the Kranz Funeral Home in Cass City and from 10 to 11 a.m. on Monday at the church. Memorials may be made to Novesta Church of Christ or Cass City VFW Post No. 3644. Monday, September 6, 2004 – No obituaries reported Tuesday, September 7, 2004 John Joseph Jezek John Joseph Jezek, 49, of Tulsa, Oklahoma, came to his untimely death on August 19, 2004. John was born on June 25, 1955 at Port Austin. His family moved to Oklahoma while he was in kindergarten. He married Sherry Hart in 1989. John was a very interesting and lovable person. He was an avid fisherman. He made many trips to Canada. He was passing on his love and skill as a fisherman to his sons by sharing several outings with them. John was a great baseballer. He loved to play as well as watch. He was a whiz at baseball trivia. John loved the yearly trips to Michigan to visit his parents. These were times of great family fun. They played putt putt golf, hiked down the shores of Lake Huron throwing rocks out into the water, and took long drives into the woods in search of deer and other beauties of nature. He is survived by his lovely wife, Sherry, of Tulsa, who has shared his life for 15 years; his two sons, Johnathan and Jake, at home; his parents, Johnnie and Genevieve Jezek, of Port Austin; his sister, Karen Gensicke, of Tulsa; his father-in-law and mother-in-law, Carrell and Sue Hart; also a number of nieces, nephews, and other relatives; and a host of loving friends. He will be sorely missed by all who knew and loved him. Wednesday, September 8, 2004 Francis Stephen Coaster Mr. Francis Stephen Coaster, also known as: Dear, Sweetie, Dad, Pop, Grandpa, Unc, Clem, Mr. Francis, 88, of Ubly, passed away Monday, September 6, 2004, at his residence under hospice care. Though he spent most of his life in "The Thumb," Francis was born on Russell Street on Flag Day, June 14, 1916, in Detroit. His parents were Benjamin (later known as "The Barn Builder of the Thumb") and Agnes (Karchnia) Coaster. Francis was forced to leave school early to help support his family. He began working with his father in constructing barns in the Thumb Area. After a few years, at the age of 19, he began what was to become a 42-year career with the C.A. Hull Company, a highway bridge construction firm. In 1942, Francis joined the Army Air Corp. Though trained as an aircraft mechanic, after demonstrating his skill in carpentry to his company commander, he served as a carpenter with the 355th Fighter Group throughout England, France, and Germany. Upon his return from the war, Francis again began working with C.A. Hull Company. Soon after, his sister-in-law, Gladys, recommended he meet a sweet "Rosie the Riveter," also known as Evelyn Williams, who was working at the Briggs Connor Plant, on ailerons for the B-17 bomber. Francis lost his heart at first sight of this transplanted farm girl, the daughter of Guy and Lettie Williams of Farmer, Ohio, and determined that she would be the love of his life, and she truly was. A scant and romantic three months later the two were married on February 16, 1946 at Our Lady of La Salette Catholic Church in Berkley. During the first six years of marriage, they would travel and live throughout the state at the various Hull worksites. This characteristic love of work and family, together with an innate talent and an endless curiosity, helped Francis move into various supervisory and management positions with Hull. Probably the most recognizable of his many road projects is the Zilwaukee Bridge on I-75, which the Hull team "Rescued" and completed after a troubled beginning by another firm. This project was also one of the few that was close enough to Francis and Evelyn's new base of operations, Ubly, for him to commute on a daily basis. For when their first born, William, was old enough to begin school, the family had located permanently in Ubly; moving into the house that he and his father had built together some years earlier. He never moved and even after his children moved away, he followed the fortunes of Ubly athletics and enjoyed all the children in the neighborhood stopping by to say hi to Mr. Francis. Family was everything to Francis and he and Evelyn worked diligently to provide a loving home, a college education, and a never-ending environment of support to his family. Nothing gave him greater pleasure than to be at a family gathering, be it a Sunday morning breakfast, a graduation party, or even watching his "luckless" Lions with the boys. Everyone who knew Francis could describe him as a truly "Christian Man," bringing love and honor to his marriage, his family, his work, his town, and his church. He loved St. John's Catholic Church in Ubly and was an ever-faithful attendee throughout his life. Francis was a familiar sight in his retirement years taking his daily walk to the post office and then later in the day around the town. He liked to walk "at least a section" a day and did so until August 4, 2004, when his more than 15-year battle with cancer forced him to the sidelines. He is survived by his wife of 58 years, Evelyn, of Ubly; two sons, William Coaster and his wife, Ella, of Central Lake, Richard Coaster and his wife, Sherrie, of Armada; one daughter, Christine Lehman and her husband, Terry, of Bloomfield Hills; grandchildren, Andrea and Bill McDonald, Brent and Janine Coaster, Julie and Scott Papineau, Jennifer McDowell, Guy Coaster, Chelsie Coaster, Jay Coaster, Adam Coaster Novack, Robert Lehman, Jeffers Lehman and his wife, Laurel Humphreys; great-grandchildren, Trevor and Grant Papineau, Zachary Mueller, Ava and Briton Coaster; sister-in-law, Rita Coaster; brothers-in-law, Oliver Goetze and Orville Gecowets; and many nieces and nephews. Preceding Francis to Heaven were two sisters, Theresa Kavanaugh and Mary Goetze; five brothers, Ben, John, Martin, and two infant brothers who died at birth. The funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 10, 2004, at St. John Catholic Church in Ubly. The Rev. Patrick O'Connor, pastor of St. Stephen Catholic Church in Saginaw, will officiate. Burial will be in the church cemetery with military honors. Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. on Thursday and from 9 to 10 a.m. on Friday at the Zinger-Smigielski Funeral Home in Ubly. There will be a parish vigil service at 7:30 p.m. on Thursday at the funeral home. Quiet, humble, kind, honest, helpful, beloved, are not always the words used to describe great men, but they are, without question, the right words to describe this great man, Francis Stephen Coaster. Aaron J. Krug Aaron J. Krug, 19, resident of Elkton for the past seven months and former resident of Colfax Township near Bad Axe, passed away Sunday, September 5, 2004, at University of Michigan Hospital, Ann Arbor. Aaron was born October 11, 1984 in Bad Axe. He was the son of Kevin James Krug and Rhonda Lee (Carson) Krug. He was employed at World Waste Management. He was a member of Our Savior Lutheran Church; a Bad Axe High School graduate, Class of 2003; member of the High School 4-H Club; and participated in the weight room. Aaron enjoyed visiting with his family and friends, dancing, hunting, 4 wheel and dirt biking and model car assembly. Aaron is survived by his mother, Rhonda L. Krug and her special friend, Pat Talaski, of Bad Axe; his father, Kevin Krug, of Bad Axe; one brother, Shane V. Krug, of Bad Axe; paternal grandparents, Martha Krug, of Tennessee and the late Vern Krug; maternal grandparents, Durrell and Marie Carson, of Bad Axe; and a number of aunts and uncles and a host of friends. Funeral services for Aaron will be conducted at 11 a.m. on Friday, September 10, 2004, at Our Savior Lutheran Church, Bad Axe. The Rev. Kenneth Lueke, pastor, will officiate. Burial will take place at Colfax Township Cemetery. Visitation will be from 1 to 9 p.m. on Thursday at the MacAlpine Funeral Home and from 10 a.m. until the time of the service at 11 a.m. on Friday at the church. Memorials may be offered to the Family Discretionary Fund. John William McCann John William McCann, 80, resident of Bloomfield Township and formerly of Warren, passed away Saturday, September 4, 2004, at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Pontiac. Mr. McCann was born November 19, 1923 in Grindstone City to the late John and Della (Perdue) McCann. He was united in marriage to Billie Gill for 49 years. She preceded him in death July 3, 2003. Mr. McCann was a graduate and earned his bachelor of arts degree from Michigan State College. He was owner of the David Corporation and was employed at the Graber Company and worked as a salesman for Draperly Hardware. He enjoyed gardening, fishing and visiting with his family and friends. He is survived by two sons, John David McCann and his wife, Elena, of West Bloomfield, David Monte McCann and Lisa Parker, of Waterford; two daughters, Kimberly Walsh and her husband, Martin, of Poquoson, Virginia, and Kelli McCormick and her husband, Keith, of White Lake; one brother, Thomas McCann and his wife, Patricia, of Seattle, Washington; two sisters, Jean Windt, of Connecticut, and Helen Bull and her husband, Jim, of Grand Rapids; three grandchildren, John Joseph McCann, Michael McCann and Brandon McCann; eight great-grandchildren, Kristen McCann, Benjamin McCann, Martin, Sarah, Keely, Katherine, Emma and Jake Walsh, and Kyle and Erin McCormick; and several nieces and nephews. Funeral services will be conducted at 2 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2004, at the MacAlpine Funeral Home. Officiating will be the Rev. William Wright, pastor of the First United Methodist Church of Bad Axe. Burial will be in the New River Cemetery, Huron City. Visitation will be from noon until the time of service on Saturday at the funeral home. Memorials may be offered to the Family Discretionary Fund. Thursday, September 9, 2004 Gene D. Rathmann Gene D. Rathmann, 74, of Kingston, formerly of Granite City, Illinois, died after a brief illness Saturday, September 4, 2004, in St. Mary's Medical Center, Saginaw. Funeral services to be conducted at 1 p.m. on Saturday, September 11, 2004, in Kranz Funeral Home, Kingston, with the Rev. Terry Butters, of Kingston United Methodist Church, officiating. Interment will take place Monday, September 13, 2004, in Sunset Hills Memorial Garden Cemetery in Edwardsville, Illinois. Military honors will take place at his graveside under the direction of the United States Air Force. Visitation will be from noon to 1 p.m. on Saturday before the funeral service. Memorials may be made to the American Lung Association. Violet M. Zimmerman Violet M. Zimmerman, 72, of Sebewaing, passed away Tuesday, August 10, 2004, at Bay Regional Medical Center in Bay City following a lengthy illness. Memorial service will be at 11 a.m. on Monday, September 13, 2004, at Trinity United Methodist Church in Sebewaing. Pastors Ray McGee and Art Stone will officiate. Friday, September 10, 2004 Sue Ann Hubel Sue Ann Hubel, 71, of Hournerville, Misouri, died August 26, 2004. She was born on September 14, 1932. Sue married Bill Hubel on October 19, 1951. She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Bill Hubel; four children, Sue Marshal, Rhonda Schwob, Linda Manning and Leanne Contreras; 12 grandchildren, Carletta Sovey, Katrina Sovey and her husband, Dave, Holly Sovey, Matthew Hodge, Shawn Weller and her husband, Larry, Kammy Abbott and her husband, Bill, Donna Schwab, Raymond Manning, Billy Manning, Rolanda Manning, Carrie Adams and her husband, Larry, Danielle Contreras; and 21 great-grandchildren. Memorial services will be conducted for Sue Hubel at 3 p.m. on September 18, 2004, at Lighthouse Assembly of God, 628 Lytell Avenue, Harbor Beach. Dorothy H. Youngs Dorothy H. Youngs, 88, of Sebewaing, died Thursday morning, September 9, 2004, at Tendercare of Cass City following a 2½-year illness. She was born November 21, 1915 in Detroit, daughter of the late John A. and Rose (Bockmiller) Dressler. She was united in marriage to Garriett A.Youngs in December 1938 in Detroit. He was killed in combat during World War II on October 2, 1944 in Holland. Dorothy had farmed in the Sebewaing area for many years and also had been employed at the Michigan Sugar Company in Sebewaing for many campaigns. She was a life member of St. John Lutheran Church in Kilmanagh. She also was a member of the American Legion Auxiliary, Bay Port Post No. 533. Surviving are one sister-in-law, Jean Dressler, of Sebewaing; and several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by two sisters, Violet Webb, Florence Hornbacher; and one brother, Ernst Dressler. The funeral service will take place at 3 p.m. on Sunday, September 12, 2004, at the Dinkel-Juengel Funeral Home in Sebewaing. The Rev. Jonathan D. Meyer will officiate with burial in St. John Lutheran Cemetery in Sebewaing. Visitation will be from 3 to 9 p.m. on Saturday and from 9 a.m.until the time of service at 3 p.m. on Sunday at the funeral home. Bertha Lange Bertha Lange, 88, of Port Hope, passed away at her home on Friday, September 10, 2004. Arrangements are incomplete at press time and being handled by the Ramsey Funeral Home, Harbor Beach. A complete obituary will appear in Sunday's Huron Daily Tribune or by viewing RamseyFH.com. 1