OBITUARIES

Wayne County Michigan

- A -

CAROLINE FRANCES ABBOTT , eldest daughter of James ABBOTT, of Detroit, died Sept. 4, in Sandwich, U.C., in the 19th year of her age. (Sept. 21 1831)
Source: National Intelligencer, as pub. in the NGSQ, vol 55, No. 1, March 1967, submitted by K. Torp

SIDNEY GERALD ABEL , the Hockey Hall of Famer who starred with the Detroit Red Wings and was later a coach, general manager and broadcaster in the National Hockey League, died Tuesday at a hospital in Farmington Hills, Mich. He was 81. Abel won the Hart Trophy as the league's most valuable player in 1949 and for several seasons he centered Detroit's Production Line, with Gordie Howe on right wing and Ted Lindsay on left wing. Inducted as a player into the Hockey Hall of Fame in 1969, Abel knew the hockey business from many perspectives. As a player, he married the secretary to the Red Wings' general manager and later he was considered a ''players' coach'' who was sensitive to their moods and needs. Although Abel's career lasted long into the modern era of expansion, his roots were in the old six-team league, when players traveled by train, salaries were low and grudges were well nursed. ''We played hockey for money, but we would play the Toronto Maple Leafs for nothing,'' he once said. The Red Wings won the Stanley Cup three times when Abel played for them, with their most memorable championship coming in 1950, when they beat the Rangers. In the first series of the two-round tournament, Detroit lost Howe when a collision with a Toronto player left him in the hospital with a life-threatening brain injury. In the final game of the finals, Abel, the captain, scored a goal in a game at Olympia Stadium that went into overtime tied at 3-3. The Red Wings won on a goal by Pete Babando. Many hockey books include pictures of a weary, sweat-soaked Abel kissing the silver trophy that night.

Abel's Production Line got its name because it produced goals and because his team played in the Motor City, where the economy was based on cars produced on assembly lines. Howe was known as Mr. Hockey, Lindsay was Terrible Ted and Abel was called Boot Nose because of an altercation with Montreal's Maurice (the Rocket) Richard. After Howe flattened Richard in a fight, Abel skated by and asked him, ''How do you like that?'' and added a reference to Richard's French-Canadian ethnicity. Richard responded by re-arranging Abel's nose with a punch. Howe, reflecting on the fight, said: ''Today, if you called someone what Sid called Rocket, you'd get called up before a judge.'' ''There was never any question about his leadership,'' Howe said. ''Sid was very much respected.'' In a playing career that spanned 12 seasons with the Red Wings and 2 with the Blackhawks, Abel scored 189 goals and had 283 assists during the regular season. Sidney Gerald Abel was born on Feb. 22, 1918, in Melville, Saskatchewan, played as a junior for the Saskatoon Wesleys and the Flin Flon Bombers before turning professional with Detroit in the 1938-39 season. His career was interrupted for almost three seasons during World War II, when he served in the Royal Canadian Air Force. He left Detroit in 1952 to play and coach for the Chicago Blackhawks. He returned to the Red Wings in 1957 as a coach, and added general manager's duties in 1962, but left the organization in 1971 and worked with teams in St. Louis and Kansas City. Abel returned to Detroit as a broadcaster in 1976 and became popular for his insights and speech patterns. Speaking in a Western Canadian accent and verb forms, Abel would tell his Motor City listeners ''Montreal are a skating club'' or ''Detroit are pressing on the power play.'' Abel was blunt on the air and sometimes angered management with his tart observations. But fans admired his honesty even while mimicking his voice. For several seasons, when the Red Wings struggled in the early 1980's, Abel the broadcaster was more popular than any player. His No. 12 was retired in 1995, hung between Howe's 9 and Lindsay's 7. Before Tuesday night's Red Wings game at Joe Louis Arena, hours after his death, the fans stood for a moment of silence in memory of Abel, and the banner that bears his number was briefly lowered. Abel is survived by his wife, Gloria; a son, Gerald; a daughter, Linda Johnson; a brother, Don; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.
Obituary by Joe Lapointe Published: Thursday, February 10, 2000 New York Times

SHIRLEY ROSE ADAMS , age 75 February 13, 2008 Beloved mother of Cynthia Marie. Dear sister of the late Dale D. and Gary A. Rogers. Beloved daughter of the late Pearl and Paul Rogers. Funeral Service Monday 10 AM at the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 15451 Farmington Rd., Livonia. Visitation Sunday 2-9 PM

YU SOON AHN , has resided in Michigan for nearly 74 years. Wife of the late Chai-Chang. Gramma is survived by her sister Mildred, her children; Alberta (Carl) Schultz, Kenneth (Toshiko) Ahn and Grace Ahn. 5 Grandchildren; Philip (Gloria), Michael (Cindee), Susan (Brian) Ozimek, Robert (Mary), and Jaime Schultz. 8 great grandchildren. Gramma was born in Seoul, Korea and immigrated to Hawaii where she attended school, married, then moved with her husband to the United states and settled in Detroit, Michigan. A long time employee of Hudson's ( Now Marshall Fields) she retired in 1974. A devoted and loving matriarch, she enjoyed spending time with her elderly church friends, her family, cooking and gardening.
Source: J. Witkowski at Find-A-Grave

BETTY RUTH (BLAKELY) ALDREDGE , 77 of Wyandotte, MI passed away on August 25 at Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, MI. She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Jess and Flora Blakley; companion, Jim; nephew, David; niece, Janice; sister-in-law, Alieen; son-in-law, Gene. She is survived by her daughters Linda and Larry Smith of Flat Rock, MI, Brenda and Bill Eager of Brownstown, MI, Carla and Richard Gregoire of Southgate, MI, Paula Vaughn of Ecorse, MI, Jeanette and Joe Gallagher of Taylor, MI; two sisters Faye Bradshaw of Helenwood, Sarah (Sug) and Jerry Sexton of Oneida; four brothers, Enoch and Irene Blakley of Morristown, J.C. and Gleneva of Coco, FL, Albert and Grace Blakley of Southgate, MI, William (Dub) Blakley of Helenwood: 10 grandchildren; 8 great-grandchildren; nieces, nephews, family and friends. Funeral services were held August 28 with James West officaiting at the John Molnar Funeral home in Southgate. Entombment was at Michigan Memorial.

EMMA P. ALEMAN , age 93, July 2, 2006 Beloved wife of the late Gary Aleman. Dear mother of Shirley Carson and Ronald (Carol) Aleman. Sister of Alice Nagy, Marion Poggi and the late Vera Bachelor, Betty Meyers and Evelyn Meyers. Grandmother of Daniel, Alaina, Diana, Andrea and the late Amy. Great Grandmother of Oliver. Also survived by many nieces and nephews. Visitation will be at the R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 31551 Ford Rd., Garden City, Tuesday from 11 AM until Funeral Service at 2 PM. Memorials may be directed to the American Lung Association

MARY ALLAIN , age 96, October 31, 2006 of Lincoln Park. Beloved wife of the late Raymond Allain and the late Herman Wolff. Loving mother of Lewis (Linda) Wolff and Louise (Charles) Cevora. Step-mother of Jeannine Tyrna, Julie DeMattia, Claudette Rowden and Raymond Allain. Also survived by 4 grand daughters June Farrah, Jill Tortonesi, Janay Bongiorno and Sharon Brown, 6 great grandchildren, 2 grea great grandchildren and her sister Helen Birmingham.

ARTHUR W. ALLEN , 46, of Detroit, Mich., a former Springfield resident, died at 1 a.m. Sunday in Detroit. Mr. Allen was born in the Springfield area. He is survived by his wife, Mrs. Mildred Allen; a daughter, Mrs. Walter Butler, Detroit, two granddaughters and two sisters, Mrs. Oscar Mansfield, Springfield, and Mrs. Herman Perkins, Springfield, Route 1. Funeral services will be conducted Wednesday afternoon in the Heleck funeral home, Auburn, NY.
Springfield Daily News (Clark Co Ohio)

ORRIN T. ANDERSON - Word was received here late Wednesday afternoon, Nov. 14 (1973) of the death of Orrin T. "Andy" Anderson at a hospital in Detroit, Mich., where he had been a patient for the past three weeks. He was the son of Robert E. and Susan Burgard Anderson. Besides his wife, Zenita (Brown) Anderson, he is survived by a daughter, Mary Alice Enoch of Detroit, Mich., 4 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren. Funeral services were held at Redford, Mich. on Friday afternoon. He was a member of the Christian Church and Masonic Lodge of Astoria.
Contributed by Sara Hemp from the Astoria Argus 1973

ROSEMARIE E. ARCHIBALD - age 77 Went to be with the Lord June 13, 2005. Beloved wife of the late Stanley. Loving mother of Kathleen Coveyou, Stanley, Jr., Elaine Carter, Daniel, Timothy and Raymond. Also survived by 15 grandchildren and 19 great-grandchildren. Visitation at R.G. & G.R. Harris Funeral Home, 15451 Farmington Rd., Livonia, Thursday from 1-4 & 6-9 PM and Friday from 10 until Funeral Service at 11 AM.
Source:"May you be blessed.." at Find-A-Grave






HAROLD J. ASENMACHER - "St. Clair, March 28 - Rev. Harold J. Assenmacher, 43, assistant pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church St. Clair, from 1935-40, died Thursday in Providence Hospital, Detroit, after an illness of a year. Father Assenmacher served as assistant priest at the Shrine of the Little Flower, Royal Oak; St. Bernard's and St. Edward's parishes, Detroit; St. Augustine's, Richmond; and at the time he was taken ill, was chaplain at St. Mary's Residence for Girls, Detroit. Surviving are his mother, Mrs. Lena Assenmacher, and a brother Peter Assenmacher, both of Dearborn, and two sisters, Mrs. Francis Lynch, Detroit, and sister M. Harold, O. P., Visitation convent, Detroit. Remains will be at the Querfeld funeral home, Dearborn, until 1 p.m. Sunday after which they will be taken to Sacred Heart church, Dearborn, to lie in state until funeral services at 10:30 a.m. Monday. burial will be in Sacred heart cemetery, Dearborn."

DOROTHY R. (MUMPER) ASHLEY -

THOMAS J. ATKINSON , 79, of Sarasota, FL, and long time resident of Bloomfield Hills, MI, and husband of the late Thelma (nee Lynn) passed away on Tuesday, June 10, 2008. Thomas was born in Detroit, MI on February 7, 1929 to the late James and Edwina Atkinson (nee Murphy). He was a graduate of Cass Tech High School, and furthered his education with a degree in accounting from University of Detroit. He truly enjoyed being a CPA and worked many years for a variety of companies in different financial positions, with the last 10 years being with Gulf & Western. He had worked previously also with ITT, Massey Ferguson, and also Federal Mogul. Thomas was always involved with business on the side. He was also part owner of a trucking company, a lumber company, and an asphalt company. Although he worked many hours, he still found time to put his family first. Whether it was when his kids were younger, attending all the kids' basketball games, or later in life finding time for the grandkids soccer games, he found time to be there. He was a very good provider for his wife, Thelma, who he loved dearly, and all of the family. He was also close with his two sisters. He was very proud of all three of his children, and was a very giving man, having put them all through Michigan State University. Thomas had a great sense of humor, got along with everyone, and was well loved by all who knew him. In his free time, he enjoyed being a member at Plum Hollow Country Club, and golfing with his family. He and Thelma had been wintering in Sarasota, FL for the past 30 years. He continued after his retirement in 1996. Thomas is survived by his three children; Gerald Atkinson (Sally), Terry Atkinson, and Christopher Atkinson (Grace). He is also the proud grandfather, "Bepa" of Sarah, Paige, Emily, Antonio, Alex, and Gabriela Atkinson. He is the loving brother of Muriel Kort and Aileen Graswick. He was preceded in death by his loving wife, Thelma in 1996.
Source: Leslie Holland at Find-A-Grave

Surnames
A

Surnames
B

Surnames
C

Surnames
D

Surnames
E

Surnames
F

Surnames
G

Surnames
H

Surnames
I

Surnames
J

Surnames
K

Surnames
L

Surnames
M

Surnames
N

Surnames
O

Surnames
P

Surnames
Q

Surnames
R

Surnames
S

Surnames
T

Surnames
U

 

Surnames
V

Surnames
W

Surnames
X

Surnames
Y

Surnames
Z