May 17, 2005

Obituaries

      Memorial services for EVELYN PAXSON, 97, of Portage and formerly of Dowagiac and Kalkaska, will be conducted at 3 p.m. Saturday, May 21, in the Activity Room of the Wyndham Apartments at 2300 Portage St. in Kalamazoo.
      Memorials may be directed to the Heritage Community of Kalamazoo, 620 Phillips St., Kalamazoo, MI 49007; the Kalamazoo Audubon Society, P.O. Box 19333, Kalamazoo, MI 49019; or to the People's Church, 1758 N. 10th, Kalamazoo, MI 49009.
      Her family is being served by the Groner Funeral Home and Cremation Service in Dowagiac. Her obituary may be found at www.gronerfuneralhome.com, where condolence messages may be left for the family. Directions to the service may be found at the Web site as well.

      VAUGHN E. SPENCER, 78, of Ellsworth, died Saturday, May 14, 2005, at the V.A. Medical Center in Saginaw.
      Friends may call at Hastings Funeral Home this evening, May 17, from 2 to 4 and 7 to 9 p.m.
      Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, at Hastings Funeral Home in Ellsworth.

      LESTER E. SOLBERG, 87, of Manistee, died Sunday, May 15, 2005, at the Manistee County Medical Care Facility.
      Visitation will take place Thursday, May 19, and Friday, May 20, from 7 to 9 p.m. at Johnson Funeral Home in Manistee.
      Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21, at the Faith Covenant Church in Manistee.
     
Margaret Hillis Comins
Died May 15, 2005
      TRAVERSE CITY - Margaret Hillis Comins of Traverse City and Birmingham, originally of Flint, died peacefully on Sunday, May 15, 2005, at Munson Hospice House following a stroke which she suffered on Easter Sunday. She was surrounded by her two daughters and sons-in-law and the Hospice House angels, to the sounds of Irish music and readings of Irish Blessings.
      She was born Jan. 31, 1914, in Schenectady, N.Y., to the late Joseph B. and Ruby (McLintock) Hillis. On Feb. 3, 1940, at the First Presbyterian Church in Flint, she married Philip N. Comins, who preceded her in death on Sept. 23, 2002. Margaret was the love of Phil's life and everyone knew it.
      Margaret was known by all she met as a sweet little lady with a big heart. She loved everyone and welcomed hugs and conversation.
      She was very proud of her Scotch-Irish heritage. A talented artist, she created many beautiful things in a variety of media. Margaret's family and her pets were her life; her dog, Buffy, spent the last seven and a half years constantly at her side. She was an avid collector of antiques, dolls and teddy bears, and she delighted in her many contacts with dealers and craftsmen.
      Margaret is survived by her daughters, Patricia (Herb) Sawin and Amy (Eric) Mueller, both of Traverse City; grandchildren, Scott (Silvia) Byrnes, Kim McKenna, Tammy Byrnes, Karen Mueller and Jill (Sean) Roberts; and great-grandchildren, Corey Byrnes and Chris Pedone.
      She was also preceded in death by her sister, Ruby (Mike) McCarren.
      A memorial service honoring Margaret's life will be held at Woodside Village Senior Apartments, 3016 LaFranier Road, Traverse City, on Friday, May 20, at 11 a.m. All are invited to this celebration and the luncheon following.
      In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be directed to Munson Hospice House, 1105 Sixth Street, Traverse City, MI 49684.
      The family was assisted by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City.
     
Richard B. Engstrom
Died May 14, 2005
      TRAVERSE CITY - Richard Bracken Engstrom, 81, a lifelong resident of Traverse City, died Saturday, May 14, 2005, at the Grand Traverse Pavilions.
      Richard was born on Dec. 2, 1923, in Traverse City, the son of Arnell and Mareda (Heiges) Engstrom.
      Richard attended Traverse City schools, and was a member of one of the classes that met in the Hannah House following the fire at Central School.
      He loved the times that he was able to go fishing with his Dad over the years. Richard was a member of the Salvation Army Corp., and enjoyed being involved with and receiving training at the Community Living Center.
      He was a volunteer and enjoyed the activities at the Senior Center. He worked at the recycling center and for the Grand Traverse Project.
      Richard loved to walk at the Physical Fitness Center (formerly Flex) and enjoyed trips, traveling and outdoor yard work.
      He is survived by his cousins, Patty Marshall of Traverse City, Betty and Glenn VanRiper of Traverse City, Shirley and Gale Gleason of Sault Ste. Marie, Dorothy Dass of Ann Arbor, and David Hoard of Traverse City; his good friends, Lorraine Hamilton and Howard Lake, both of Traverse City, and Dorothy Noyce of Lansing.
      Richard was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Louis.
      Visitation will take place from 6 until 8 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.
      Services will be held at 10:30 a.m. Thursday, May 19, at the funeral home, with Major Thomas Riggs officiating. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.
      Memorial contributions may be directed to the Salvation Army or to the Traverse City Senior Center.
     
Kenneth A. Lindsay
Died May 15, 2005
      NORTHPORT - Kenneth A. Lindsay, 87, died Sunday, May 15, 2005, at his home in Northport.
      Born Nov. 14, 1917, in Southington, Conn., he was the son of Alexander T. and Alfareta (Stadel) Lindsay.
      After graduating from high school, Ken attended the Syracuse University School of Architecture and graduated with highest honors. On Nov. 2, 1940, he married Alice Carson in Geneva, N.Y.
      As president of the former Koenig Construction Company, his many projects included the Central High School, the Park Place Hotel, the Holiday Inn, the Post Office, the original structure of the Immaculate Conception Church and several renovations to Munson Medical Center.
      Ken was also the past Director of the Michigan Association of General Contractors and a past Chairman of the Grand Traverse Board of Building Appeals.
      Ken was a former Mayor and City Commissioner of Traverse City, a past member of the Board of Trustees for Munson Medical Center and past president and honorary member of the Traverse City Rotary Club. He was also very active in Rotary Charities as well as the Rotary Show.
      As a lifelong member of Grace Episcopal Church, Ken enjoyed singing in the church choir. He also played the trumpet and loved to listen and dance to Dixieland Jazz.
      Ken's interests were many. A special love for the past 25 years was his greenhouse and his hundreds of rare and exotic orchids. He was past president of the Northwestern Michigan Orchid Society and the recipient of numerous American Orchid Society awards and certificates, one of which, the "Dorothy Rose," was featured in "Orchid Quarterly" magazine.
      Ken was also quite a photographer and had his own darkroom, so he was able to permanently capture the beauty of his orchid collection.
      Ken also owned and maintained a cherry orchard in Northport and maintained his own vegetable garden. He loved to sail and for many years he raced sailboats on the Grand Traverse Bay. He was past commodore of the Grand Traverse Yacht Club.
      A true nature lover and outdoorsman, he loved tennis, skiing, cross country skiing, bird watching and walking his dog.
      Ken was always busy. He never was one to sit still for any length of time, except to watch a NASCAR race or tennis match, or read one of his several orchid bulletins.
      He will be sorely missed by his family and many friends.
      Besides his loving wife Alice, Ken is survived by a daughter, Dorothy (Norman) Washburn of Baldwinsville, N.Y.; two sons, Kenneth (Judy) Lindsay Jr. of Brockport, N.Y., and Thomas (Janet) Lindsay of Brier Wash.; a sister, Margaret (Charles) Carson of Geneva, N.Y., and Lakeland, Fla.; four grandchildren; two great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
      He was preceded in death by his parents and a brother, Alexander S. Lindsay.
      Visitation will take place this evening, May 17, from 4 to 6 p.m. at Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.
      Funeral Services will be held at the funeral home Wednesday, May 18, at 3:30 p.m. with Rev. D. Edward Emenheiser officiating. Burial will be in Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens.
      Memorials may be directed to Grace Episcopal Church, the Multiple Sclerosis Foundation, Cherryland Humane Society, The Rotary Foundation or Munson Hospice.

H. Edmund Peters
Died May 13, 2005
      LELAND - H. Edmund Peters, 95, of Leland, died Friday, May 13, 2005, at Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
      He was born in Leland on May 29, 1909, the son of John and Anna (Fitchen) Peters. He married Bernice Garthe in Chicago in 1934. She preceded him in death on April 3, 2002.
      Edmund was a graduate of Leland High School in 1927. He graduated from County Normal and Northern Michigan University. He taught school for 40 years at North Manitou Island, Suttons Bay, Glen Arbor, Traverse City, Detroit and Bloomfield Hills schools.
      Edmund had a wonderful mind, a good sense of humor, and loved reading. A history buff, Edmund helped record Leelanau County history. He had a special love of Leland. He was a member of Immanuel Lutheran Church in Leland.
      He is survived by his children, Elizabeth Doerr of Traverse City, John E. (Charlene) Peters of Camano Island, Wash., Richard E. (Patricia) Peters of Gurnee, Ill., Dorothy J. (Terry) Carpenter of Traverse City, Bud (Ann) Peters of Woodburn, Ore., Peter A. (Joan) Peters of Port Orchard, Wash., Mary K. (Jim) Proctor of Vail, Ariz.; 31 grandchildren; 62 great-grandchildren; five great-great-grandchildren.
      In addition to his wife, Bernice, he was preceded in death by his siblings, Stella Fritz, Arnold Peters, Earhart Peters, Wilford Peters, Ewald Peters.
      Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Friday, May 20, at Immanuel Lutheran Church in Leland, with Rev. Lawrence K. Matro officiating. Burial will be in Beechwood Cemetery.
      Memorial contributions may be directed to Immanuel Lutheran Church.
      Martinson Funeral Home of Suttons Bay is in charge of arrangements.
     
Paul T. Rutila
Died May 14, 2005
      TRAVERSE CITY - Paul T. Rutila, 79, of Traverse City, formerly of Saginaw, died Saturday, May 14, 2005, at Munson Medical Center.
      Paul was born in Calumet on Nov. 15, 1925, the son of Emil and Clara (Maierle) Rutila. On Sept. 9, 1950, he married Elizabeth E. "Betty" Niemi in Ontonagon.
      Paul was a retired printer, builder and building inspector for Grand Traverse County. He served on the National Ski Patrol at Schuss Mountain. He was a member of Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Traverse City.
      Paul was a veteran of the U.S. Army, serving in the 11th Airborne during World War II. He was a member of the American Legion Bowen-Holiday Post.
      He is survived by his wife, Elizabeth E. "Betty" Rutila of Traverse City; his mother, Clara Rutila of Traverse City; son, David N. (Kim) Rutila of Cleveland; daughter, Clare Beth (Les Shankland) Rutila of Grand Lake, Colo.; son, Jon P. Rutila of Leland; son, Dean A. (Joan) Rutila of Lexington, Mass.; daughter, Gail E. (Brad) Powers of West Bend, Wis.; 10 grandchildren, Paul, April, Dawn and Kari, Tara and Joshua, Beth and Kate, Adam and Mark; a sister-in-law, Chris Rutila of Traverse City; and a brother-in-law, Jack Pastor of Lake Linden.
      He was preceded in death by his father, Emil Rutila; son, Tod E. Rutila; two sisters, Barbara Pastor and Marsha Rutila; and a brother, David Rutila.
      Memorial services will be held at 1 p.m. Wednesday, May 18, at Bethlehem Lutheran Church in Traverse City, where visitation will take place one hour prior to the services. The Rev. Robert Carter will officiate. Cremation has taken place.
      Memorial contributions may be directed to Bethlehem Lutheran Church, or to Special Olympics Michigan, c/o Central Michigan University, Mount Pleasant, MI 48859.
      Arrangements are being handled by Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home, Traverse City.
     
L. Keith Warren
Died May 15, 2005
      TRAVERSE CITY - Keith Warren, 77, died unexpectedly at his home Sunday, May 15, 2005.
      Keith was born Feb. 16, 1928, to Frank and Esther (Gray) Warren in Traverse City. He married Jean Lamie on Sept. 24, 1947. In their 57 years together, they raised four children on the Warren family fruit farm on the Old Mission Peninsula.
      Throughout his life, Keith was an active member of many of Michigan's fruit industry organizations. He was a founding member of the Northwest Michigan Research Station and served on the Research Station Board of Directors for 25 years. He also was a member of the Michigan Association of Cherry Producers, National Red Cherry Institute and the Grand Traverse Fruit Council. He was on the Board of Directors for Farmers Mutual Insurance and was a lifelong member of the Farm Bureau.
      Keith received numerous awards throughout his life, including an award for outstanding service to the fruit industry of Michigan. He worked 30 years as an agricultural chemical representative, retiring in 2000 from Wilbur Ellis. He will be fondly remembered for his strong work ethics and love of the land, as well as his pride in growing quality fruit.
      Keith was an avid hunter and enjoyed many special times at his deer hunting camp in the Upper Peninsula.
      His sense of humor will be missed by all those who knew him. Keith was most proud of his children and grandchildren.
      He is survived by his wife, Jean; sons, Michael (Linda) Warren and Gary (Wendy) Warren and daughter, Lorrie Warren, all of Traverse City; and daughter, Gloria Becker of Grand Rapids. He is also survived by his 12 grandchildren, Todd (Deborah) Warren, Jason (Melissa) Warren, Jed Warren, Ariel Warren, Toni (Randy) Seeley, Clint Warren, Charity (Mark) Sawyer, Jeremiah (Stephanie) Warren, Kimberly Warren, J.J. Warren, Sara Becker and Meg Becker. Also surviving are his 10 great-grandchildren.
      He was preceded in death by his parents and his two brothers, Ebb and Elmer Warren.
      Friends and family may visit Wednesday, May 18, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home.
      Services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Thursday, May 19, at the funeral home.
      Those who wish to make an expression of their sympathy may direct their memorials to the Northwest Michigan Horticultural Research Station, 6686 S. Center Highway, Traverse City, MI 49684, to the Peninsula Township Fire and Rescue, or to the charity of one's choice.
     
Joseph L. Whelan
Died May 15, 2005
      DETROIT - When Joseph L. Whelan began his practice in Detroit in 1949, he was the first private practice physician to limit his practice to neurology. He was considered a pioneer in his field and was a founding member of the Michigan Society of Neurology and the American Society of Clinical Neurologists.
      Dr. Whelan was an Assistant Clinical Professor of Neurology at Wayne State University, a consulting neurologist for the Detroit Board of Education and the U.S. Public Health Service, and was Chief of Neurology Service at Grace Hospital, St. Hospital and Bon Secour Hospital.
      In 1973, Dr. Whelan moved to northern Michigan, practicing neurology in Petoskey and Gaylord until his retirement in 1987.
      He was born in Chisholm, Minn., in 1917, and told wonderful stories of growing up during the wild days of the Iron Range. He graduated from the University of Minnesota and interned at Detroit Receiving Hospital. During World War II, he served in the Army Air Force.
      Dr. Whelan was a Fellow in Neurology at the University of Pennsylvania Hospital and a Special Fellow in Electroencephalography at the Mayo Clinic.
      During his years in northern Michigan, he and his wife, Gloria, relished their wilderness home on Oxbow Lake near Baldwin. Watching the fox and coyotes trotting around the lake, the beavers building their lodges, and the eagles and osprey fishing the lake, Dr. Whelan decided he wanted to preserve the lake and surrounding woods forever. He and his wife donated the property's development rights to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy. It was fledgling conservancy's first easement. Both Dr. Whelan and his wife went on to serve on the conservancy board.
      In addition to his wife, Gloria, Dr. Whelan is survived by a son, Joseph (Linda) Whelan; a daughter, Jennifer (E. Michael) Nolan; a granddaughter, Jacqueline; and a grandson, Patrick.
      There will be a memorial gathering at 9 a.m. Wednesday, May 18, until the time of the Mass at 10 a.m. at Star of the Sea Catholic Church, 467 Fairford Rd., in Grosse Pointe Woods.
      Memorial contributions may be made to the Grand Traverse Regional Land Conservancy, 3860 N. Long Lake Rd., Suite D, Traverse City, MI 49684.
      Arrangements have been made by the Chas. Verheyden Funeral Homes, Inc., in Grosse Pointe.

Evelyn A. Zolton
May 14, 2005
      TRAVERSE CITY - Evelyn A. Zolton, 80, of Traverse City, died on May 14, 2005, at Bortz Health Care in Traverse City.
      Born on July 27, 1924, in Saginaw, she was the daughter of John and Lillian (Heidenblut) Juskialas.
      In Traverse City, Evelyn was a member of St. Patrick Catholic Church. She was also a member of the St. Josaphat Altar Society in Carrollton.
      Evelyn enjoyed gardening and needlework, and living on Lake Ogemaw in West Branch from 1980 until 2001.
      On Nov. 23, 1946, at Sacred Heart Church in Saginaw, she married Lawrence A. Zolton, who preceded her in death on July 5, 2004.
      She is survived by one daughter, Terilyn Zolton of Traverse City; four grandchildren, Katherine Zolton and Thomas Kingdon, both of Traverse City, Bethany Vairo of Lake Mary, Fla., and Scott Vairo of Couer d'Alene, Idaho; three sisters, Marjorie (Harvey) Haubenstricker of Saginaw, Kathleen (Rodney) Volk of Traverse City and Emma Jean (John) Weadock of Allen, Texas; and several cousins, nieces and nephews.
      In addition to her husband and parents, she was preceded in death by her beloved daughter, Jacqueline Vairo, and two brothers, Ernest and William.
      Funeral services will be held at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home in Traverse City, at 10 a.m. on Wednesday, May 18, with Deacon Rene Hoenscheid serving as celebrant. Burial will be in Oakwood Cemetery.
      Memorials may be directed to the American Cancer Society or St. Patrick Catholic Church.