May 30, 2005

Obituaries

      BARBARA R. JOHNSON, 82, of Grayling, died Saturday, May 28, 2005.
      Visitation will take place Monday, May 30, and Tuesday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at Sorenson-Lockwood Funeral Home in Grayling.
      Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at Michelson Memorial United Methodist Church. Burial will be in Elmwood Cemetery in Grayling.
      Sorenson-Lockwood Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.

      BENJAMIN W. JOHNSON, 74, of Alden, formerly of Mancelona, died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
      Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Tuesday, May 31, at the Mancelona Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes. Visitation will take place from noon until time of services.

      CARL FREDERICK MALLISON, 62, of Bear Lake, died Friday, May 27, at West Shore Medical Center in Manistee.
      Visitation will be held on Tuesday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m., at the Edwards-Oak Grove Funeral Home in Bear Lake.
      Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the First Baptist Church of Bear Lake, where Carl will lie in state from 9 a.m. until the time of services.
      The Edwards-Oak Grove Funeral Home of Bear Lake is serving the family.

      HELEN ROSE ALLERS NICOLEN, 84, of Traverse City, died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at her home after a short battle with cancer.
      There will be an Eastern Star Memorial at 7 p.m. Thursday, June 2, at the Traverse City Chapel of Covell Funeral Homes, under the auspices of the Traverse Bay Area Order of the Eastern Star Chapter 147.
      A complete obituary will appear in the Tuesday edition of the Traverse City Record-Eagle.
      Arrangements have been entrusted to the Traverse City Chapel of Covell Funeral Homes.

Louise Dobson
Died May 27, 2005
      SUTTONS BAY - Louise Dobson, of Suttons Bay, died at Munson Hospice House on Friday, May 27, 2005, two weeks after celebrating her 92nd birthday.
      She was born on May 12, 1913, on a farm near Suttons Bay, and lived her entire life within a few miles of her birthplace. She was the youngest child of Peter and Marit (Bele) Setterbo, both immigrants from Norway. She attended the Donnybrook School, often delivered to school during the winter in her father's horse-drawn sleigh, nestled under an animal-skin blanket with a heated brick for her feet.
      As a young woman, she worked for several different families, caring for their children or helping with housework. Later she enjoyed working as the "Hello Girl" for the telephone company office in Suttons Bay. In preparation for starting that job, she studied to learn the numbers for everyone in the community that had a phone. She had to know them because the callers would simply ring the "Operator" and state the name, rather than the number, of the person they wished to speak with. Her role as an early telephone operator lead her to being invited to participate in the Sesquicentennial Celebration in Suttons Bay last summer. She was thrilled to ride in a white Corvette convertible in the parade; and she shared that excitement with every visitor for months afterwards.
      In June of 1943, she married Leslie Dobson, a widower with an 11-year-old son. They shared life together for 45 years until his death in 1988, residing first on a farm where they raised cattle and cherries, and then moving to their retirement home on Lee Point. There, they developed long-lasting friendships with their new neighbors and welcomed generations of family and friends to the sand, swings and bonfires at "Dobson's Beach," where the evening almost always ended with watching the night sky for shooting stars and satellites going overhead, and challenges to see who could count the most broadcast tower lights - interrupted by requests from the children for just one more "under-dog" on the swings.
      Louise was a "walking, talking history book." She had an amazing memory, helped along by years and years of keeping diaries and records of family events, as well as beautifully organized albums of photos.
      She was very proud of her Norwegian heritage. Certainly, one of the highlights of her life was a trip to Norway to meet relatives and to see the country with her own eyes. She pleased those relatives with her ability to speak their language, something she learned while growing up with a mother who often listened to questions asked in English, but then proceeded to answer them in Norwegian. Louise was a charter member of the Christian Radich Lodge of the Sons of Norway.
      Her Christian faith was a very important part of her life. She was a lifelong member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Suttons Bay, and presently held the title of "Church Grandmother," as the oldest woman in the congregation.
      Her final weeks of life were a special gift, both to her and to her family. Within the sanctuary of Hospice House, she enjoyed tender care by compassionate nurses and volunteers, bubble baths in their wonderful whirlpool tub, sitting in the sunshine on the deck outside her room (while chickadees showered her with sunflower seeds from the bird feeder), and visits with friends and relatives from near and far (including an infant great-granddaughter who's father brought her all the way from Colorado so they could meet for the very first time). She requested a book to record all her visitors. She was so very pleased when she learned that a relative who had been out of touch for years had phoned his family. In a quiet moment later she said, "I've been praying that he would contact them."
      She was honored with special gifts from her church family: a handmade "prayer shawl," lovingly presented as a constant reminder of the love of God and the congregation, and a recording the choir made especially for her of the hymn her confirmation class sang as they marched into church on Nov. 3, 1929. She had expressed a desire to hear that song, "My God, Accept My Heart This Day, and Make it Always Thine," one more time. She received a tape that was played each night before she went to sleep. She had the pleasure of lying down and being lulled to sleep by the sound of harps being played right beside her bed.
      On another day, a family friend started with "Amazing Grace" and proceeded to play and sing one favorite hymn after another, filling the room with awesome music and powerful emotion. Louise's "private concert" took place in another resident's room to include a lovely lady who was too near death to be moved. When her grateful family tried to express their thanks, Louise responded with, "Things are better when they're shared."
      She had been told it was doubtful that she would see her 92nd birthday. So when that day arrived, her room at Hospice House was filled with flowers, balloons, banners, cards, cake and visitors. She wore a bright blue dress with a pink corsage and enjoyed every minute of it. A granddaughter delivered dinner-- tenderloin steaks from Windows restaurant -- and one of the volunteers played a rousing rendition of "Happy Birthday" on the keyboard as Louise was wheeled into a private dining room.
      Louise is survived by two daughters, Nancy (Tom) Brown and Joan (Frank) Hughes, both of Traverse City; daughter-in-law, Colette Dobson of Knoxville, Tenn.; grandchildren, Deborah (Dan) Aldridge, Sue Hughes, Judy (Steve) Wiles, Shawn (Lisa) Hughes, Richard (Stephanie) Hughes, Cynthia Vozza, Gary (Kim) Dobson Jr., Greg Dobson, Peggy (Joe) Hoffman, Lisa Grimes, Coreen (John) Reed and Deborah Langley. There are 23 great-grandchildren and two great-great-grandchildren. She was also special "Aunt Louise" to many members of the Anderson, Davis, Groesser and Dobson families.
      She was preceded in death by her husband, Leslie; son, Gary; sisters, Mali Davis, Rachel Anderson, Gina Dalzell and Mali Setterbo; brothers, Martin and Paulus Setterbo; and son-in-law, Norman Gilland.
      Visitation will be held today, May 30, 2005, from 5 to 8 p.m., at the Martinson Funeral Home in Suttons Bay. A funeral service will be held Tuesday, May 31, at 11 a.m., at the Immanuel Lutheran Church in Suttons Bay. Burial will be in the Lutheran Cemetery.
      Memorials may be directed to either Munson Hospice House or Immanuel Lutheran Church.

Margaret Dunham
Died May 28, 2005
      CADILLAC - Margaret Dunham of Cadillac, formerly of Buckley, died Saturday, May 28, 2005, at her home. She was 81.
      Born Feb. 23, 1924, in Nashville, Tenn., she was the daughter of Major Gordon and M. Ada (Decker) Brown. She married Bert William Dunham on Sept. 30, 1940, in Nashville. He preceded her in death on Oct. 30, 1982.
      Mrs. Dunham had been employed at Interlochen Academy of Fine Arts for 23 years, retiring in 1976. She was affiliated with Grant United Methodist Church and enjoyed traveling, gardening, crafts and spending winters in Florida.
      Survivors include her children, Rodney (Ethel) Dunham of Fountain, Judy (Bob) Heffner of Cadillac and Sandra (Roger) Farnsworth of Bear Lake; eight grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren.
      In addition to her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents and two brothers.
      Visitation will take place Wednesday, June 1, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at the Peterson Funeral Home in Cadillac.
      Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Thursday, June 2, at Grant United Methodist Church, with Rev. James Breithaupt officiating. Burial will be in Grant Township Cemetery in Grand Traverse County.
      Memorial contributions may be made to Mercy Amicare Hospice.

Karl H. Steeg
Died May 28, 2005
      RAPID CITY - Karl H. Steeg, 72, of Rapid City, died Saturday, May 28, 2005, while at home surrounded by his family. On Sept. 5, 1932, in Heidelberg, Germany, he was born to Friedrich and Meta Steeg.
      Karl married Magdalena Anne Dama on Nov. 18, 1961, in Windsor, Ontario, Canada.
      Karl retired from Sara Lee Bakeries, where he worked as senior Vice President of Technical Service. He was a member of Sacred Heart Catholic Church of Elk Rapids, the Knights of Columbus, the American Bakers Engineers Society and the Chef 200 Club.
      Karl enjoyed residing on Torch Lake and liked power boating. He loved spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren.
      Surviving is his beloved wife, Anne; daughters, Christina (David) Walczak and Cynthia (Todd) Adent; grandchildren, Madison and Maxwell Walczak and Alexandra, Olivia and Julia Adent.
      Karl was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Leni Mattukat.
      Visitation will take place Tuesday, May 31, from 2 to 4 p.m. and 6 to 8 p.m. at Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Elk Rapids, with an Evening Prayer at 7 p.m.
      Mass from the Order of Christian Funerals will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Wednesday, June 1, at the church, with Rev. Robert J. Zuchowski as celebrant. Burial will follow in Sacred Heart Cemetery.
      The family asks those wishing to give memorials to remember Munson Hospice or the Parkinson's Association. Envelopes will be available at the church.
      Arrangements have been entrusted to the Elk Rapids Chapel of Covell Funeral Homes.