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October 25, 2000

Obituaries

      BERNICE M. ARMITAGE, 96, of Alden, died Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2000, in Bellaire.
      A service will be held at 11 a.m. Friday at Holy Sepulcher Cemetery, 25800 West Ten Mile Road, Southfield. The family was served by the Penzien Funeral Homes, Inc. in Mancelona.
     
      WILLIAM T. BREEN, 75, of Manistee, formerly of Houghton Lake and Chicago, died Monday, Oct. 23, 2000. A retired Chicago police detective and former owner of Sky Top Resort in Houghton Lake, he was born Feb. 12, 1925, in Chicago.
      A memorial Mass will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday at Guardian Angels Catholic Church in Manistee. Arrangements by Johnson Funeral Home of Manistee.
     
      VERNON L. STOOPS, 56, of Kalkaska, died Monday, Oct. 23, 2000, at Kalkaska Memorial Health Center. She was born Jan. 17, 1944, in Kalkaska County.
      Visitation will be from 7 to 9 p.m. today at Wolfe Funeral Home in Kalkaska. Graveside services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday at Evergreen Cemetery.
     
      Samuel T. Comfort 'Uncle Sammy'
      Died October 22, 2000
      ALDEN - Samuel Comfort, 84, of Alden, died Sunday morning in his home on Torch Lake. Sam was a retired mechanical engineer.
      Born Jan. 1, 1916, in Webster Groves, Mo., he was the son of Clarence Ransom and Dorothy (Baxter) Comfort. Sam was the youngest of six children; three brothers, Ransom, Hartley and Sim; and two sisters, Viola and Sarah, who preceded him in death.
      Sam attended Westminster College in Fulton, Mo. and received a bachelor degrees in mathematics and mechanical engineering from the University of Michigan in 1939. He was a member of the Beta Theta Pi fraternity in Ann Arbor. In 1939 he began his career with the Buda Motor Works in Harvey, Ill. Buda became Allis Chalmers, where Sam was chief engineer and manager of development engineering at the lift truck plant. He held nine U.S. patents and three Canadian patents. He retired to Alden in 1972, where his family had vacationed since 1923.
      Sam was active in every community where he lived. He served as an institutional representative for the Boy Scouts of America, while he also served on the Board of Deacons and treasurer of the Community Church in Flossmoor, Ill. He founded an interdenominational church on Long Key, Fla. that has grown and prospered for 17 years. He has been a lifelong member of the Alden Methodist Church and the Alden Tennis Club.
      Neighboring children have always been a major part of his life in Alden. He taught countless numbers of kids water skiing, sailing and games (kick-the-can) and took them on adventures to the "firetower," the "meteor," or the "canon." Kids of all ages called him "Uncle Sammy" and were a big part of keeping him young. Tennis and sailing were his hobbies, but bridge was his passion.
      In 1943 he married Violet "Vi" Fontechia (Mrs. Paul Patchen, who survives), mother of his son, Thomas M. Comfort. In 1975 he married Gayle Kelly Lumry of Minneapolis, Minn., who preceded him in death in 1997. In 1998 he married Jane Leatherman of Caledonia, who survives him.
      Additional survivors include his immediate family, son, Thomas, daughter-in-law, Margaret and grandson, Robert, of Bellaire; and his extended family, Rufus (Pat) Lumry of Seattle, Wash., Ann (Lumry) and Bosa Hedlund of St. Paul, Minn., Steve (Shirley) Lumry of Seattle, Wash., Ken (Jan) Leatherman of Caledonia, Judy (Leatherman) and Ken Ritz of Wayland; as well as their many children and grandchildren.
      He is also survived by his nephews and nieces, David (Diane) Comfort of Grand Rapids, Hartley Comfort II of Bellaire, Ransom Anderson of Alden, Sim (Mary) Comfort of London, England, Herb (Pat) Sawin II of Traverse City, Marcy (Comfort) and Dan Berry of Greeley, Colo., Kay (Comfort) and Richard Stearns of Winnetka, Ill, Sarah (Comfort) Williams of St. Louis, Mo., and Carby Cheney of San Francisco, Calif., who preceded him in death.
      A memorial service will be held at 1:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 28, at the Alden United Methodist Church in Alden with Rev. Donald E. Gordon, of Church in the Hills, officiating. A celebration of Sam's life will be held in Alden during the first weekend in August 2001.
      In lieu of flowers, friends and family may send donations to the Alden Tennis Fund, P.O. Box 117, Alden, MI 49612.
      Arrangements have been made with the Bellaire Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.
     
      Lydia M. Hershberger
      Died October 15, 2000
      WILLIAMSBURG - Lydia M. Hershberger, 65, of Williamsburg, died Sunday at her home.
      Mrs. Hershberger had been a lifelong resident of Kalkaska County. She was a devoted wife, mother, gramma and homemaker. She was a successful business woman, and owned and operated Advent-Age Products of Williamsburg for the past 20 years.
      Lydia was born in Kalkaska County on May 24, 1935, to Cecil and Catherine Dinges Bailey. On Dec. 5, 1953, in Kalkaska County, she married Duane Hershberger, who survives.
      Besides her husband, she is survived by two sons, Michael (Kim) Hershberger and Mitchell (Nanette) Hershberger - both of Kalkaska; four daughters, Gail (Gary) Macomber of Beaverton, Gaye Hershberger of Williamsburg, Wendi Hudson of Kalkaska and Jodi (Gary) Crandall of Clarkston; one brother, Gordon Bailey of Owosso; two sisters, Loretta Burgett of Kansas City, Mo. and Laura Huffman of Hesperia; and 16 grandchildren.
      One grandchild, Crystal Marie; and two brothers, Eugene and Warren Bailey, preceded her in death.
      Funeral services were held at 12 noon Wed., Oct. 18, at the Wolfe Funeral Home in Kalkaska with Pastor Gary Macomber officiating. Burial was in Coldsprings Township Cemetery in Kalkaska County.
     
      Mary Maynarich
      Died October 24, 2000
      TRAVERSE CITY - Our mother, Mary Maynarich, 91, of Traverse City, left us peacefully on Tuesday at Birchwood Nursing Center in Traverse City.
      Born Dec. 19, 1908, in Ahmeek, she was the daughter of Andrew and Josephine (Mihelich) Briskey.
      She is survived by two daughters, Virginia (John) Heebner of Traverse City and Donna McDonald of Fort Myers, Fla.; one granddaughter, Renee (Fred) Cicchitti; and five great-grandchildren, Veronica, Ryan, Terra, Crystal and Michael.
      She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, John Maynarich on Dec. 21, 1986; brothers, Leo and Tom; sisters, Ann, Eva and Rose; and a granddaughter, Karen Rice, on June 20, 1998.
      A funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11 a.m. Friday at St. Francis Catholic Church with Rev. William Lipscomb serving as celebrant. Burial will be held in the spring at Lake View Cemetery in Calumet.
      The family is being served by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City.
      The angels brought you to us 91 years ago. They have come to take you home today. You will always be in our hearts. Have a pleasant journey home.
     
      Mae M. Nelson
      Died October 23, 2000
      HART - Mae M. Nelson, 87, of Hart, passed away Monday in Traverse City.
      She is survived by her children, Carol (Mike) Morris, owners of Breeze Hill Green House of Traverse City, Donald D. (Elaine) Nelson of Grand Haven and Nancy (Dave) Canavera of South Carolina.
      Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Cooper-Harris Funeral Home in Shelby. Visitation will also be from 10 to 11 a.m. Thursday at St. Gregory's Catholic Church in Hart. A funeral Mass will be at 11 a.m. at the church.
      Memorial contributions to the Hospice of Michigan or the American Cancer Society will be appreciated.
      Arrangements are being handled by Cooper-Harris Funeral Home in Shelby (1-888-216-9744).