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April 17, 2001

Obituaries

BRUCE EDWARD DARROW, 69, of Bear Lake, died Sunday, April 15, 2001 at West Shore Medical Center in Manistee. He was born on Nov. 28, 1931 in Bay City, the son of Glen and Lillian (Smythe) Darrow.
      Visitation will be on Wednesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Terwilliger Funeral Home in Kaleva. Funeral services will be conducted at 1 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home. Interment will be in Brethren Cemetery.
     
      THOMAS STEVE GRACHEK, 76, of Beaver Creek, formerly of Midland, died Saturday, April 14, 2001 at his home. He was born on March 24, 1925 in Lincoln Park.
      Private family services and private interment will take place at Beaver Creek Cemetery in Beaver Creek. Arrangements are being handled by Sorenson Funeral Home of Grayling.
     
      EUGENE OTTO SNYDER, 89, of Manistee, formerly of Wellston, died Monday, April 16, 2001 at the Manistee County Medical Care Facility in Manistee. He was born on July 26, 1911, in Wellston, the son of Franklin and Artemisia (Schnopp) Snyder.
      Funeral services will be conducted at 11 a.m. Wednesday at the Terwilliger Funeral Home in Kaleva, with Rev. Floyd Soper officiating. The family will receive friends from 10 a.m. until time of the services at the funeral home. Interment will be in Wellston Cemetery.
      LELAND - Oswald Julius Cordes, 84, of Leland, died Sunday at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
      He was born in Leland on June 14, 1916, the son of Oswald Julius "OJ" and Katherine Matilda (Scwarz) Cordes. On Dec. 26, 1940 at St. Isadore Catholic Church in Grand Rapids, he married the former Harriet Therese Podhajski, who preceded him in death Jan. 17, 1991.
      Oswald was a lifetime member of St. Marys Catholic Church. He served as past assistant chief of the Leland Fire Department and was a volunteer fireman for 15 years. He was also past president of the Leland Foundation and a former member of St. Marys School Board. He graduated from Leland High School in 1933, and graduated from both Aquinas College and the University of Detroit, earning a Bachelor of Philosophy degree. He taught English at Honor and coached basketball. He worked as a meat cutter at Leland Mercantile and as a custodian for the Leelanau County Court House. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II.
      Oswald is survived by five children, Harriet Kay (Maurice) Cooney of Roseville, Christine (Nicholas) Stamatakos of Grays Lake, Ill., Rosemary (Michael) Deering of Traverse City, Oswald J. (Mary Anne) Cordes of St. Louis, Mo., and Thomas (Therese) Cordes of Eldridge, Iowa; two sisters, Jane Smith of Ferndale and Katherine Mitchell of Ft. Myers, Fla.; two brothers, Walter (Nathalie) Cordes of Wilmington, Del., and Dr. Jerome Cordes of East Lansing; 12 grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.
      In addition to his wife, he was preceded in death by two sisters, Rosemary and Mildred, and two brothers, Ralph and Victor.
      Friends may call on Wednesday from 2 to 8 p.m. at the Martinson Funeral Home in Suttons Bay, where a rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m.
      Mass of Christian Burial will be conducted Thursday at noon from St. Marys Catholic Church in Lake Leelanau, with Rev. Jerry Hunko and Rev. John Tupper officiating. Burial will be in St. Marys Cemetery.
      Memorial contributions may be directed to Mass Intentions, Leland Volunteer Fire Department, or to the Leelanau County Commission on Aging.
      ALDEN - Richard Potrafke, 68, of Alden, went to be with the Lord on Easter Sunday.
      He was born on March 15, 1933, the son of Edward E. and Rilla M. (Martindale) Potrafke, in Kalkaska County. On Dec. 14, 1951, in Alden, he married Blanch Miller.
      Richard worked for 33 years for Super Tool as a tip twister; was an international representative for the UAW Region 1D and also served as president of the UAW Local 982 at Super Tool. He was a member of the Alden Community United Methodist Church. Richard truly loved his family and home, and enjoyed gardening, hunting and brazing.
      Richard is survived by his wife, Blanch of Alden; his five children, Ed (Dottie) Potrafke of Eastport, Catherine (Ernie) Rice of Alden, Carolyn (Gar) Lane of Alden, Julie (Dave) Tuck of Niagra, Wis., and Tina (John) Puroll of Bellaire; 12 grandchildren; nine great-grandchildren; his brother and sisters, Donald Potrafka of Augusta, Ga., Hazel Butler of South Boardman, Alyce Keaton of Big Pine Key, Fla., and Dale Sandeen of Detroit.
      He was preceded in death by his parents, three brothers, and one sister.
      The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 2 to 4 p.m. and 7 to 9 p.m. at the Penzien Funeral Homes, Inc. in Mancelona.
      Funeral services will be held on Wednesday at 11 a.m. at the Alden Community United Methodist Church in Alden, with Rev. Richard Matson officiating. Interment will be in the Helena Township Cemetery in Alden.
      Memorials may be given to the Alden Community United Methodist Men.
      TRAVERSE CITY - Erma Ellen "Trude" Wigman, 78, a longtime resident of Traverse City, died Monday.
      She was born Feb. 1, 1923 in Mancelona, the daughter of John and Ethel (Bays) Bradley. In Sept. 1943, she married Norbert Wigman.
      Erma worked as a hairdresser. She was an avid card player, and also enjoyed hunting, fishing, mushroom hunting, tubing down the Boardman River and gardening.
      She is survived by three children, Yvette (Dr. Leland) Childers of Honolulu, Linda (Roger) Dunigan of Traverse City and Bradley (Shirley) Wigman of Pinckney; four grandsons, Eric and Shane Dick of Traverse City, and Zackary and Wesley Wigman of Pinckney; one great-granddaughter, Bianca Dick of Traverse City; siblings, Elma Oosdyke of Traverse City, Luke Bradley of Mancelona, Free (Neva) Bradley of Elk Rapids, Evelyn O'Hearn of Bellaire, Joyce Frenchi of Manistee and Mike (Rose) Bradley of Frankfort; and many nieces and nephews.
      She was preceded in death by her parents; husband, Norbert, in 1985; and two sisters, Elsa Balstead and Eula Lee McKean.
      Private family services have taken place. The family expresses their gratitude to Meadow Hill Care Center of Kingsley and to Helen Goodrich of Traverse City for taking such good care of her for the past few years. Interment will be in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens in Traverse City.
      Memorial contributions may be directed to Munson Hospice.
      Arrangements have been entrusted to the Traverse City Chapel of Covell Funeral Homes.
      TRAVERSE CITY - E. Gwendolyn "Gwen" Ginther, 87, of Traverse City, died Sunday at home.
      Born March 7, 1914 in Mandan, N.D., she was the daughter of Frank and Edith (Brown) Gruenenfelder. On Dec. 26, 1941 at St. Francis Catholic Church, she married William A. Ginther, who survives.
      Gwen was a 1931 graduate of St. Francis Catholic High School; attended Aquinas College; a lifelong member of St. Francis Catholic Church, and had been a member of the Traverse City Golf and Country Club since 1945, where she was also a member of the Women's Golf Association. She was an avid reader and enjoyed working crossword puzzles.
      Along with her husband, Gwen is survived by her two children, Robert W. (Ruth) Ginther of Ada and Anne M. (Robert) Jorgensen of Akron, Ohio; granddaughter, Laura Jorgensen of Akron, Ohio; two nieces; and one nephew.
      She was preceded in death by her parents and grandparents.
      The family will receive friends on Tuesday from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, where a rosary will be prayed at 7 p.m.
      A Mass of Christian burial will take place on Wednesday at 4 p.m. at St. Francis Catholic Church with the Rev. Fr. James Gardiner serving as celebrant. Burial will be in Oakwood Catholic Diocesan Cemetery.
      In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to the charity of one's choice.
      After college, George spent five years in the U.S. Army as a counter-intelligence agent, a glideman and a paratrooper in the 101 Airborne Division. He saw combat in the invasions of Normandy and Holland, the Battle of Bastogne and the Saar and Rhineland campaigns. George enjoyed a 40-year career in marketing research and planning. He initially worked with retail and wholesale clients while teaching at the University of Illinois, Urbana, and later with Roper Stove, Kawneer Company, and American Standard, manufacturers of appliances and construction materials. In retirement, George taught at Pace College, New York, was building inspector for Green Lake Township, and worked for Home Depot. He was active in professional and trade associations, and was a member of Rotary Club in New York City.
      George is survived by his loving wife, Beth Stephens Martin; sons, Stephen and James; and daughter, MaryBeth.
      A private memorial service was held Easter Sunday, April 15, 2001.