Thomas Lee McAlpine
January 28, 1935 – January 14, 2024
Thomas Lee McAlpine, 88, of Gould City, died Sunday evening January 14, 2024 at his residence.
Born January 28, 1935 in Gulliver, son of the late Thomas and Helen (Carey) McAlpine, Tom held several employments during his lifetime until his retirement. Tom enjoyed the outdoors, hunting and drag racing in his earlier years.
Tom is preceded in death by his parents, several children and several siblings.
Survivors include his children Jessica (Richard) Frey of Engadine, Amy (Duane Hughes) McAlpine of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and Scott McAlpine of Amarillo, Texas; several grandchildren and great-grandchildren.
Per request, cremation services were accorded with no public services scheduled.
Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com. Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Larry Hollis Fultz
September 23, 1981 – January 14, 2024
Larry Hollis Fultz, 42, of McMillan, died Sunday morning, January 14, 2024 at Helen Newberry Joy Hospital in Newberry.
Born September 23, 1981 in Newberry, son of Lawrence and Holly (Marsh) Fultz, Larry was a graduate of Newberry High School.
At the age of 14, Larry started his employment career at Tahquamenon Area Schools cleaning desks. He then went to Mac’s Market as a carryout and continued as a sawyer at Kretz, then working at Maple’s Log Homes as a builder, at G-Tech for 10 years as a technician and owned and operated the Bears Den for 2 ½ years. Larry was currently employed as a corrections officer at the Newberry Correctional Facility.
Larry enjoyed camping, riding his dirt bike, snowmobiling and cutting firewood. Larry was a member of the Little River Band of Ottawa Indians of Manistee, Michigan.
Larry is preceded by his grandparents Hollis (Eva) Marsh and Lawrence (Mary) Fultz.
Survivors include his parents Lawrence and Holly Fultz both of Newberry; son Larry Fultz Jr. of Newberry; daughter Leah Fultz and her mother Melanie Cryderman both of Manistique; brother Lawrence T.D. Fultz and his girlfriend Candy both of Raco; Kassidy Cryderman, daughter of Melanie Cryderman, of Sault Ste. Marie.
Per request, cremation services were accorded. A gathering of family and friends celebrating the life of Larry will be held at a later date.
Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com.
Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Gunnar Erick Olson
November 1, 1942 – January 18, 2024
Former longtime Engadine resident, Gunnar Erick Olson, 81, of Newberry, died Thursday morning, January 18, 2024 at his residence.
Born November 1, 1942 in Newberry, son of the late Art “Carl” and Lily (Syversen) Olson, Gunnar was raised on the family farm in Engadine where he was a beef and grain farmer raising brown Swiss cows selling grade “A” milk to Bancroft.
On June 24, 1967, Gunnar married the former Lana Guilmette in Newberry. Gunnar’s employment career started at the former Tahquamenon General Hospital as a LPN and continued as an attendant nurse at the Newberry Regional Mental Health Center for 22 years. He then transferred to the MDOT working out of the Engadine garage until his retirement in 1990.
In 1984, Gunnar was elected as the Garfield Township Treasurer, serving for eight years, and was instrumental in current cemetery maintenance of the grounds at both the Engadine and Naubinway cemeteries. He and his wife, Lana, owned Olson’s Stump Removal servicing the central and eastern Upper Peninsula. Gunnar was also a partner with his mother and wife operating Olson’s Foster Care Home.
On January 27, 1964, Gunnar enlisted into the Michigan Army National Guard serving for six years and, during this time, was deployed to the Detroit Riot in 1967. He continued serving until his honorable discharge on January 26, 1970, attaining the rank of Sergeant.
A longtime farmer with his family, Gunnar enjoyed wheeling and dealing, selling farm equipment. Gunnar was a member of Trinity Lutheran Church, enjoyed tractor pulls at fairs, watching television, playing cards, tinkering in his woodshop and an animal lover of many dogs and cats.
In addition to his parents, Gunnar is preceded in death by two brothers and two sisters.
Survivors include his loving wife of over 56 years, Lana, of Newberry; sisters Linnea (Donald) Ault of Florida and Eleanor Vogl of Green Bay, Wisconsin; several nieces and nephews and his pet companion dog, Pugsley IV.
A gathering of family and friends celebrating the life of Gunnar will be held Tuesday, January 30, 2024 from 10:00 am to 11:00 am at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Newberry. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 am at the church with Pastor Kyle Kuehl officiating. Interment will take place in the spring of 2024 at the Engadine Cemetery.
Memorials may be directed to the donor’s choice in his loving memory.
Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com. Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Douglas Scott Mills
March 6, 1947 – January 12, 2024
So many titles describe Douglas Scott Mills: loving husband, father, teacher, artist, gentleman, outdoorsman, gardener, activist, amateur archaeologist. Douglas died of liver cancer peacefully at his home in the care of his loving wife, Ruthette, his two daughters, Rachel Rickman, and Laurel Stachon Mills, and School Craft Hospice, on January 12, 2024. He was born in Mount Clemons, Michigan to Walter Scott Mills and Roberta Jean Mills on March 6, 1947.
When Doug was born, the Mills family lived in the tiny berg of Washington, Michigan. There, at the tender age of four, he met his neighbor, Jim Belanger and began a friendship that would last many decades. Doug’s mother, Jean, taught both boys in the local elementary school.
Doug’s parents were both teachers and he grew up in a 19th century farmhouse near the sleepy little town of Armada, Michigan. The area had everything an outdoor-loving boy could hope for: acres of fields to roam, a nearby creek and pond to splash and fish in, and a huge 19th century barn to explore. In the woods, creeks, and fields of this idyllic setting, Doug learned the rudiments of outdoor skills and an enthusiasm for nature that would blossom into a lifelong love of the outdoors.
After the family’s move to Armada, Doug graduated from high school and chose to attend a small community college in Port Huron, Michigan. Once again Doug and Jim were united and shared lodging on the third floor of a funeral home! It was at St. Clair County Community College in the fall of 1968, while coming down a set of stairs, he met the love of his life going up the stairs. When he went home, he told his parents that he had met the girl he wanted to marry, Ruthette Cressman, a Presbyterian minister’s daughter. After an on/off courtship during which he attended Wayne State University, they were married at the First Presbyterian Church by Ruthette’s father. After a few years of teaching in various places across Michigan, in 1980 they settled in the Upper Peninsula at the end of the road on Big Manistique Lake. Over the years, and with the help of many friends, Doug renovated a cottage into a comfortable, cozy home using salvaged bricks and lumber from five local mills.
Doug was never inactive and felt daily joy in the lakeside-life he built with Ruthette. In 1984 daughter Rachel was born and in 1987, daughter Laurel was born. Doug was a loving, devoted father. He read to his girls and shared his love and knowledge of the outdoors and gardening with them.
Doug substitute taught for Tahquamenon Area Schools and at the same time worked to receive an elementary teaching degree at Northern Michigan University. Once achieved, he taught in Newberry, and was later hired to teach fourth grade at Curtis Elementary School. His students came to know him for his enthusiasm for the outdoors and the special time he took to read them J. R. R. Tolkien’s, “The Hobbit”. Doug read it at least thirteen times over his tenure at Curtis School. He retired from teaching in 2001 and became “the constant gardener”. Doug was fascinated by history, especially the history of Mexico. He and Ruthette made many trips exploring archeological sites across the Yucatán and other parts of the country.
Doug is survived by his dearest wife, Ruthette, bride of 53 years, and his daughters, Rachel (Mills) Rickman of Rosarito, Mexico, son-in-law, Ryan Rickman and grandson, Callan Rickman. Daughter Laurel Stachon Mills and son-in-law Sam Stachon of Interlochen, MI. He is also survived by his dear 99 (!) year old mother, Roberta Jean Mills of Armada, MI., his sister Janine (Mills) and her husband Bill Wagner, brother Donald Mills and wife Anne, of Armada, MI.
Also surviving are brother and sister-in-law Larry and Margaret Cressman of Ann Arbor, MI and sister and brother-in-law Becky and Gary Pelton of Charlottesville, VA.
A celebration of life will be held at the Erickson Center for the Arts in Curtis on Saturday, June 22nd, 2024 from 1-3 p.m.
Memorial donations can be made to the Erickson Center for the Arts:
https://www.ericksoncenter.org/support/donations.html
