Thomas Robert Opperman, beloved husband of Lorie Opperman, and uncle to Anthony Rais, Scott Opperman, Teresa (Doug) Black and Ryan (Sara) Steckmeyer, will be remembered as a happy and caring man. He was very involved in the lives of his nieces and nephews, and a source of encouragement to them as he shared his educational interests with them.
Family and friends of Richard (Rick) Alan Montcalm gathered to give thanks and praise to God for his life, love and loyal commitment to serving all those who sought his help and guidance. Rick served in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Nuremburg, Germany following his graduation from Michigan State University.
Friends and Family of Jeanne Marie Poupard gathered to remember and give thanks for the blessing of their sibling, aunt, friend. Jeanne was the fourth oldest of the twelve children born to Eugene and Alice (d.). Her siblings recall that the family united around Jeanne, who was differently abled. Jeanne enjoyed “Saturday Morning Faith Sharing” every week in our parish Heritage Hall. It was there, as well amid her family, that her faith was nurtured, and she fell in love with Jesus as she came to know the many bible stories of His life. Without a doubt her favorite song, which she repeatedly sang, was: “Jesus Loves Me”, which was a prelude at her funeral Mass.
A graduate of St. Mary Grade School and the first graduating class of Monroe Catholic Central, Edward Francis Heil said that “life is a celebration of love”. A veteran of the Marine Corps, Ed was described by his family as “a character” who was a storyteller who also enjoyed singing. Passionate about being on the water, he was an active member of the Monroe Boat Club and enjoyed power boats, skiing, sailing, and fishing.
Frank John Kolakowski enjoyed being busy! Hard work was not foreign to him. Following his father’s death when he was a young boy, Frank and his siblings worked the family farm to secure food for his mother and siblings. As an adult, Frank continued to enjoy gardening and delighted in sharing his produce with neighbors and friends. His family described him as kind and generous.
Arnold “Arnie” Joseph Discher served his family, community, and God in many ways. As the father of Jennifer (Louis); Skip (Laura) and Andrew (Stephanie), Arnie led by example. One of his favorite roles was that of a Boy Scout Leader, serving as a Scoutmaster, member of the Order of the Arrow and most recently working to prepare young men for the Eagle Scout distinction which both of his sons achieved. Arnie, along with Carol, his wife of more than 54 years, were role models for their children and grandchildren (Joseph and Audrey) as they generously and consistently extended a helping hand to others in need of food, transportation, shelter, counsel, humor. Their presence and active participation in school and sports events was a priority and created lasting memories for all.
A wife, a mother, a daughter, a sister, an educator, a friend are some words that describe Maria Catherine (Cathie) Harrington. A life-long resident of Monroe and graduate of St. Mary Academy, Cathie initially shared her God-given talents with others as an educator, teaching at St. Mary Elementary School for seven years. In more recent years she worked as an event planner at her family’s restaurant, the Sand Bar Grillle.
Anita Lou Ellerbrock, a devoted wife, mother, and grandmother had great trust in God’s mercy and love. Her confidence in God can be summed up in a phrase she often quoted: “Things will work out, they always do.” Anita was often seen wearing stylish hats. To honor her at her funeral, several family members wore her hats; a gesture that Anita would have appreciated!! Her love of hats led her to become a member of the Red Hat Society!
Multiple generations of the Kennedy Family gathered on Monday, November 29 to praise and thank God for the gift of their mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, Rose Mary Kennedy. The mother of: Sharon (Daniel) Cousineau; Karen Kennedy (Joe Whinery); Patricia (Kenneth) Cousino, Timothy, Joseph (Wendy) ; Kevin (Kathleen Pitton), Robert (Cindy), Marie Kennedy (Jeff Gutschow) and Michael (d.) and Theresa (d). Rose Mary is also survived by 36 grandchildren and 35 great-grandchildren.
Nina Margaret Kirkadly, served in the United States Army as a Captain; this experience fine-tuned her attention to detail, her self confidence and strong leadership ability. She enjoyed travelling especially to Indian River and throughout the Upper Peninsula, grateful for the outdoors. Throughout her life she valued time spent fly fishing. She was creatively gifted, expressing herself through her painting and drawing. Following completion of studies, she graduated from Marygrove College and eventually taught music at Cantrick Middle School in Monroe.
A motto that Richard Charles Drouillard embraced in life was “Pay it Forward.” Blessed with many gifts, Dick never hesitated to help another person or community in need. His life was in service to others; helping his family, those with whom he worked and the community in which he lived. Dick worked as a nuclear supervisor at Fermi I and II. Additionally, he was a member of the Fire Department, an EMT and a mechanic while serving in the US Army. Active in the lives of his children, Dick was an assistant leader for the Boy Scout troop that of his oldest son, Vincent, was involved with. With his youngest son, Ricky, who valued his father’s opinion, he enjoyed the hobby of collecting knives and guns.
The life and witness of Dr. John Walter Kuras was celebrated when his family and friends gathered recently for the Mass of the Resurrection. John was an optimistic person and had chosen the title “Anything’s Possible” for a book that he had hoped to write and would have described his life. As a result of the injuries he suffered in an accident as a toddler, John walked with a noticeable limp for his entire life. While he could not excel in sports, Dr. Kuras stood out academically and professionally.
The descriptors of wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister and aunt define some of the roles that describe Joyce Ann Eby. In these roles and the many other ways that she was involved in serving others, she sought and found the good in each person. Her children described her as a gentle soul, who had a deep well of patience and extended kindness to others.
With thankful hearts, the family and friends of Joanne Katherine Cooper gathered for a Scripture service in Rupp Funeral Home to give thanks and praise to God for the gift of her life. Joanne had an “ever-ready” smile, and an optimistic and creative nature. She was a faithful helper in many ways in the life of the parish; caring for the hungry through the God Works! Dinners hosted on Friday evening in the Parish Life Center. She also enjoyed working as part of the ProMedica Regional Hospital Guild, clocking more than 20,000 hours of service.
The life and witness of Ronald Edward Bentley was celebrated when his family and friends gathered recently for the Mass of the Resurrection. As a person who found great joy in singing, Ron shared this gift for twenty-one years through his involvement in our parish Resurrection Choir. Devotion to his Catholic faith also led him to be a part of the Knights of Columbus Post 1266. Ron enjoyed time spent on the water sailing his sailboat. The hours of being on the lake were a time of reflection, peace and rest for him. In addition to sailing, Ron enjoyed encountering nature through fishing, hunting or canoeing.
Margaret Ann Straub, was a devoted wife to her husband Carl for almost 65 years, loving mother of eleven children Lynette, Cindy, Marvin, Marie, Melvin, Mark, Joe, Cliff, Debra (d.), Matthew (d.) and Michael (d), grandmother to 22 children and great-grandmother to 21 children. Caring for her large family was a joy and an honor for Margaret! A homemaker, Margaret was very patient in her authority with her children. She loved to dance, especially to classic country music and often engaged her children in dancing in their home.
The family and friends of Robert Rodney Milosch gathered to remember and given thanks to God for the gift of his life on September 24, 2021. Rob was a golfer at heart and worked at the family business: Carleton glen Golf Club throughout his life. It gave him much joy to teach others the game of golf and took pride in coaching the SMCC Golf teams for many years.
The family of Barbara Thomas gathered to remember and given thanks to God for the gift of her life on September 9, 2021. Barbara was a woman dedicated to the care of her family: her husband Gerald (d); and her children: Sheryle, Dianna, Linda, Rita, Nannette, Gerald and Donald; her sixteen grandchildren and one great-grandchild. She took great pleasure in turning an “ordinary” day into a “special” day. Birthdays meant choosing a dinner and cake of preference. In addition to individualized dinner and cake options, decorating “let the whole world know” that that particular day was not an “ordinary” one. Her children shared that Barbara made each of them feel special.
Family and friends of Donald Anthony Toeppe gathered to celebrate the blessings God had bestowed on him during his earthly life: his family, his friends as well as his deep faith. One of Don’s greatest gifts to others was his openness to take people under his wing and help them to rebuild their lives. His personal faith in a loving and merciful God inspired him to care for others and draw people closer to God. Guided by his faith and commitment to helping those who were homeless and marginalized, Don helped organize the Damascus House and the Philadelphia House; entities that continue to assist those most in need in Monroe County. He was also instrumental in starting the Boy Scout Troop 519 at St. Mary Parish.
Gathering with family and friends, the family of Shirley Mae Hauser remembered with gratitude the blessings of God through the joys and challenges of Shirley’s life. Shirley was often called the “Energizer Bunny” had a gift of getting people to laugh. Small in stature, she did everything quickly and was found it important that everything had to be in the right place. Spending time with her friends was important to Shirley and later in life when she relied on public transportation she would use her walker to get her to the bus stop in order to meet with her friends.