Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Maurer, James "Pat" Patrick April 18, 2026
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Patricia Currigan currigan1932@concast.net June 25, 2026, 12:44 pm

Hastings Reminder - Saturday April 25, 2026

JAMES PATRICK MAURER of Lake Odessa, MI entered into Eternal Life on April 18, 
2026, after 88 years on this earth.

Born on March 17, 1938 in Nashville, MI, he was the youngest in the family of 
Lawrence and Gertrude (Lennon) Maurer. Given the family's fondness of nicknames 
and his birthday, it seemed the obvious choice to call him Pat. He moved to Lake 
Odessa in high school, where he met Mae Jewel Jackson and gave her a nickname, 
too. Pat and Julie were married on April 4, 1959 and welcomed six children into 
their family. Pat and Julie were well-matched on the dance floor, where his look 
of intense concentration could sometimes be mistaken for a scowl.

His children cherish memories of many horses and ponies that Pat taught them to 
train and care for including barrel racing, rides in the Amish buggy, and saucer 
rides in snowy fields that nly ended when the kid got dumped out.

The children also learned that laughter and hard work were a rewarding 
combination, although perhaps so in retrospect then at the time they were 
working on the farm. It wasn't until a family work bee in 2010 that his sons 
looked at each other and said "I can finally work harder and longer than Dad."

We fondly recall his closeness with his sister Ruth O'Mara and his dedication to 
his Catholic faith as a parishioner at St.Edwards. His dry sense of humor made 
him a storyteller beloved by young and old; Grandpa, tell about the time that 
....became a common refrain.

Pat was an enthusiastic supporter of athletics, evidenced by many years of 
coaching Little League baseball and junior high basketball, as a board member of 
Lakewood Athletic Association, and vocal Michigan Wolverine fan. He traveled to 
Pasadena in 1983 with three of his children and slept on the sidewalk of 
Colorado Boulevard to secure a front row seat for the Rose Parade, followed by 
cheering for the Wolverines at the Rose Bowl.

In mid-life Pat decided that there was more to another sport than "chasing a 
little white ball around the pasture" and quickly became an avid golfer. Having 
mellowed with age, he taught his grandson to golf with patient encouragement; 
Just let the club do the work You don't have tow hack the ball; the club will do 
the work for you.

Pat was also a lifelong and determined hunter, specializing in bagging his 
pheasant limit when he was a  young father (except for the year that his broken 
right arm forced him to shoot left handed). In his later years, he trained many 
bird dogs, both his own and for other hunters. Who knew that dogs would be so 
much easier to train than children? He was also active in the local chapters of 
Pheasants Forever and the Conservation District.

After Mae's untimely death from cancer in 1992, Pat once again found love and 
married Margaret Poffs on February 25, 1995. Together they explored the country 
in their travel trailer, including several peasant winters in Myrtle Beach, 
South Carolina. Country folk at heart, they enjoyed peace and tranquility on the 
farm. They also enjoyed the frequent visits from family and friends after moving 
to town in 2024.

Pat is survived by his devoted wife, Margaret; Margaret's children Kelly 
Schuiteman and Jack (Amy) Fuller; children Julie Maurer, Joanna (Steve) Collins, 
Jeff Maurer, Jeanne (John) Filko, John (Carol) Maurer, and Jamie (Pamela) 
Maurer, 
His grandchildren Ashley (Darrin) Jordan, Kelsey Maurer, Kyley (Tomer) Gelbhart, 
Graysen Filko, Carson (Heidi) Filko, Alden Filko, Derek Collins, Nick Collins, 
Jewel Collins, Joellen Maurer, Jackson Maurer and Joshua Maurer, 
Great-Grandchildren Ellie, Allie and Bentley Jordan, Ashton, Lonnie, and Viola 
Maurer, Lettie FIlko; his brother Joe Maurer, and by his beloved sister Ruth 
O'Mara.

As a way to humor Pat, who wasn't a suit and tie kind of guy, please feel free 
to dress in clothes he would enjoy; U of M, Hunting, Pheasants Forever, Lakewood 
Athletic Association or golfing.

Visitation was held on Thursday, April 23, 2926 with a Rosary at Koops. Funeral 
Mass will be held Friday, April 24, 2026 at 11am at St.Edwards Catholic Church 
in Lake Odessa.

Donations are suggested to the Lakewood Athetic Association in Pat's name.



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