OBITUARIES
Gustave Benedict Swanson
May 24, 2017
Gustave Benedict "Gus" Swanson, 97, of Ironwood, Mich., died Wednesday evening, May 24, 2017, at Essentia Health St. Mary's Medical Center in Duluth. Â Â Â Â He was born May 14, 1920, in Ironwood, son of the late Gustave A. and Constance (Bonino) Swanson, attended Ironwood schools and graduated from Ironwood High School in 1938. He then attended Ironwood Junior College from 1939-1940...
Gerald T. Zell
May 24, 2017
Gerald T. "Papa Jerr" Zell, 83, of Hurley, died peacefully Wednesday morning, May 24, 2017, at home, surrounded by his loving family. Â Â Â Â He was born Oct. 18, 1933, in Ironwood, Mich., son of the late Charles and Lucille (Morris) Zell, and graduated from J.E. Murphy High School in Hurley in 1952. He served in the Wisconsin Army National Guard and...
Darlene Kokely
May 23, 2017
Darlene Marie Kokely, 73, of Iron Belt, WI, died Tuesday, May 23, 2017 at Aspirus Wausau Hospital. She was born June 2, 1943 in Ironwood, MI, the daughter of Eino and Dolores (Baross) Mattson. She graduated from the J.E. Murphy High School in Hurley with the Class of 1961. For the past 18 years, she had been employed at Ironwood...
Jean Erspamer
May 20, 2017
Jean Erspamer, 95, of Hurley, died peacefully at Sky View Nursing Center in Hurley on Saturday, May 20, 2017. Â Â Â Â The former Jean Underwood was born May 13, 1922, in Ingham Co., Mich., daughter of the late Thomas and Maud (Haven) Underwood. She went to grade school in a one-room school house in Onondaga, Mich. and graduated from Leslie High School,...
Hilda Liuha
May 19, 2017
Hilda (Peggy) Liuha, age 92, formerly of Wakefield, a resident at Fairview Apartments in Bessemer, passed away peacefully on Friday morning, May 19, 2017, at Gogebic Medical Care Facility. She was the fourth child born to Nick and Alma (Rnn) Hongisto on April21, 1925 in Wakefield. Peggy was a WHS graduate with the Class of 1943. She married William Liuha...
Lorraine C. Trombley
May 12, 2017
Lorraine C. Trombley, 93, a lifelong Ironwood, Mich. resident, died peacefully Friday evening, May 12, 2017, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley. Â Â Â Â The former Lorraine Oie was born Aug. 29, 1923, in Ironwood, daughter of the late Edwin and Ida (Secore) Oie, attended St. Ambrose and Ironwood schools, and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School in...
Creighton Knight
May 10, 2017
Creighton "Craig" Charles Knight, age 55 of Ironwood Township, died unexpectedly on Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at his home. He was born on December 19, 1961 in Kenosha, WI and attended Curtis Strange School and Washington High School, both in Kenosha. Craig played football earning most valuable player. He enjoyed riding motor cycle and snowmobiling, he also liked to fish...
Ken Sholts
May 7, 2017
Ken Sholts, 70, of Pierpont Drive, Mercer, owner/operator of Mercer Rentals and Sales , passed away early Sunday morning, May 7, 2017, at home. Â Â Â Â He is survived by his wife, Pat; daughters, Kendra, Kim and Nicole; 12 grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; stepsons, Tony and Vince; and best friends, his yellow lab, Beau, and his cat, Blu. Â Â Â Â Seven Spanish Angels took another...
Eddie Sandene
May 3, 2017
Eddie John Sandene passed away peacefully on Wednesday, May 3, 2017 after a short illness.Eddie was born August 17, 1932, in Ironwood, MI to Atte and Selina (Simila) Sandene. He attended Ironwood area schools and graduated from Luther L. Wright High School. He married Dolores Facchinello on February 19, 1955. In his younger years he worked as a logger, hauling...
Darcey Mcgowan
May 1, 2017
Darcey Jean McGowan, age 64 of Bessemer died unexpectedly at home on Monday May 1st, 2017. Darcey was born on September 17th, 1952 in Bessemer Mi. Daughter of Arne Salonen and the late Grace Salonen (Olsen). Darcey graduated in 1970 from A.D. Johnston High school in Bessemer. She then went on to Gogebic Community College in Ironwood and then UW...
Alvin C. Hertel
Apr 27, 2017
Alvin C. "Al" Hertel, 89, of Mercer, died peacefully Thursday morning, April 27, 2017, in his home, surrounded by his loving family.    He was born Dec. 13, 1927, in Deerfield, Ill., son of the late William and Anna (Bock) Hertel, and graduated from Highland Park High School in Highland Park, Ill. He served stateside in the U.S. Navy in Pensacola,...
Orville Stain
Apr 27, 2017
Orville G. Stain, age 83, formerly of Hurley, passed away on Thursday, April 27, 2017 in Ashland, WI. He was born January 7, 1934 in Sault Ste Marie, MI, the son of the late Orville G. Sr. and Viola (Ahola) Stain. Orville was a U.S. Veteran serving in the U.S. Army during the Korean War. He resided for many years...
Linda Ryskewecz
Apr 25, 2017
Linda J. Ryskewecz, age 61 of Hurley, died unexpectedly on Tuesday, April 25, 2017 in Hurley. Linda was born on July 26, 1955 in Ironwood, Michigan, the daughter of the late Stanley "Honey" and Ardyce (nee Nelson) Traczyk. She graduated in 1973 from J.E. Murphy High School in Hurley. Linda worked for the Iron County Minor, Villa Home Health, Iron...
Thomas L. Monroe
Apr 25, 2017
Thomas L. Monroe, 57, of Ironwood, Mich., died Tuesday evening, April 25, 2017, at University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison, with his loving family by his side. Â Â Â Â He was born Aug. 6, 1959, in Watertown, Wash., son of Ruth Anderson and the late Charles Monroe. He came to Ironwood from Florida where he was employed as a mechanic at Sass...
Margaret C. Tuominen
Apr 23, 2017
Margaret C. Tuominen, 101, former longtime Montreal resident, died peacefully Sunday afternoon, April 23, 2017, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley, with her loving family by her side. Â Â Â Â The former Margaret Barnaby came into this life on Nov. 24, 1915, in Ironwood, Mich., daughter of the late Alphonse and Agnes (Hansen) Barnaby. She attended St. Ambrose School...
Thomas Maki
Apr 21, 2017
Thomas I. Maki, age 73 of E. Gold St., Bessemer, passed away peacefully at home, Friday, April 21, 2017 with his family by his side. He was born August 28, 1943 in Chicago, IL, the son of the late Viljo and Irene (Koski) Maki. Tom attended the Bedford High School in Bedford, Ohio, graduating with the Class of 1961. He...
John Giovanoni
Apr 18, 2017
The man. The myth. The legend. John "Jack" Giovanoni, 82, croaked (as he would say) on April 18, 2017, at the Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley, surrounded by his loving family. As Jack liked to say, he "never had it so good!" Â Â Â Â Jack was bigger than life, with a dry wit and sense of humor to match....
Lawrence Samardich
Apr 18, 2017
Lawrence Samardich, 83, of Gile, passed away on Tuesday, April 18, 2017, at Villa Maria Health and Rehabilitation Center in Hurley. Â Â Â Â He was born March 11, 1934, in Gile, son of the late Robert and Myrtle (Wheeler) Samardich. He attended schools in Gile and Montreal and graduated from Hurley High School in 1952. Upon graduation, he attended Gogebic Community College...
Donald Mills
Apr 16, 2017
Dr. Donald Holloway Mills, aged 99, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his children on April 16, 2017. He was born in Ann Arbor, Michigan on March 14, 1918, son of the late Alma (Daniel) and Harry Mills, and graduated from Dearborn Heights High School. As a boy he was immensely proud of being a Boy Scout, an experience...
Kim Butkiewicz
Apr 15, 2017
Kim Marie (Hackett) Butkiewicz, 54 of Bessemer, Michigan, died Saturday, April 15, 2017 at the University of Wisconsin Hospital in Madison. She was born September 21, 1962 in Redondo Beach, Calif, the daughter of the late Patricia Jones. Kim attended school in California. She was a hard worker who held a wide variety of jobs throughout her life. She worked...
