Laura Jean Gasaway
July 10, 1954 – August 14, 2024
“Don’t think of us as dying, think of us as flower children who have gone to seed.”
It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the loss of Laura Jean (Benson) Gasaway. She died with family, friends, and birds by her side on August 14, 2024, at her home in Newberry, MI as a result of advanced cancer at the age of 70.
Laura was born on July 10, 1954, in Sweet Home, Oregon to John Fredrick Benson and Eva Mae (Kessell) Benson. She was the youngest of four siblings and the joy of her father, who passed away when Laura was just four years old. She graduated from Sweet Home High School in 1972. She went to Southern Oregon University for 4 terms before transferring to Mount Hood Community College where she graduated with an associate’s degree in Horticulture in 1976.
While at college, she met the love of her life, Steve Gasaway, and they married in May of 1976. They settled in Sandy, OR where Laura worked as the office manager of Northwest Shade Trees and Steven worked at Portland General Electric and they both ran an alpaca farm on their land.
After Steve retired in 2011, they moved to Newberry in the Upper Peninsula of MI to live the rural lifestyle they both cherished. There, she continued to pursue her love of nature, books, photography, and gardening through volunteering at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge, the Newberry Library Board, and as a member of the Newberry Garden Club.
Laura and Steve loved to travel in their travel trailer with their cats, Pingo, Morris, and Aurora. They toured extensively in the US and Canada and especially loved the Northwest Territories where they regularly attended the Great Northern Arts Festival and collected Inuit art. On their many adventures, they visited 147 lighthouses and 284 covered bridges in the lower United States.
Laura was a generous, bright, funny, and loving person and everyone who knew her will miss her greatly. Her friends never needed any identification books on their walks, Laura could identify any tree, flower, plant, and bird they saw.
She was preceded in death by her parents and her husband of 42 years, Steve. She is survived by her siblings, Carol (Kit) Harma, John (Sue) Benson, and Linda Benson, and three nieces, Ginger Wheeler, Kirsten Harma (Eric Erler), and Darci (Jeremy) Peterson; great nephews Xalen and Elias Peterson. She is also remembered by Chuck and Karen Gasaway.
In lieu of flowers and a memorial service, Laura requested donations be sent to:
Friends of Seney National Wildlife Refuge,
P.O. Box 447, Curtis, MI, 49820
(https://friendsofseney.org)
Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com. Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Phyllis Ann Haupt
August 29, 1926 – August 16, 2024
Phyllis Ann Haupt, 97, of Newberry, died Friday evening, August 16, 2024 at Medilodge-Munising.
Born August 29, 1926 in Detroit, daughter of the late Herbert and Florine (Warrick) Reinke, Phyllis grew up in Dearborn, where she married the love of her life, Michael J. Haupt, on June 15, 1946.
Phyllis and Michael raised their family in Lincoln Park, but spent the summers in the Upper Peninsula. Phyllis worked general office jobs, was a phone operator for Michigan Bell before her children came, and was a devoted homemaker raising her family and babysitter for friends and families.
In 1993, Phyllis and Michael retired to Newberry and spent those years fishing, rock hunting, casino playing, researching genealogy and spending time with family. She adored her grandchildren and took great pleasure building emotional bonds with them. She did this through enjoying their school and extra-curricular activities. She particularly weaved connecting threads of love with her grandchildren by participating with them in their collecting of trendy toys or doing certain crafts with them that held their interest.
In addition to her parents, Phyllis is preceded in death by her husband Michael on August 23, 2005, sister Donna, brother Robert, daughters Pamela Enright and Suzanne Haupt, sons David, Philip, Kenneth and Christopher, son-in-law Thomas Enright, and grandson David Chenard.
She leaves behind her children Linda (Thomas) Joseph, Mary Haupt, Stephen (Judith) Haupt, Catherine (Frank) Chenard, Marianne Haupt and Andrew (Daniele) Haupt; grandchildren Eric Haupt, Nicholas Enright, Nathaniel (Kim) Enright, Adam (Grace) Haupt, Gretchen Kramp, Jeffrey (Heather) Haupt, Stephanie (Eric) Herian, Martha Joseph, Kristen (Rodger) Rowley, Joshua (Courtney) Haupt, John (Keely) Holbrook, Ryan (Taylor) Haupt, Ashley (Neil) Haupt, Joshua Meloche, Zachary Haupt, Xavier Haupt, Michelle (Olivier) Chenard, Michelle (Michael) McFadden, Tracy Gordon and Jodi Gordon; great-grandchildren Sabrina Enright, Adaline Weber, Evelyn Enright, Lucy Chenard, Maia McGillis, Phoebe McGillis, Madelyn Herian, Nora Rowley, Eloise Herian, Owen Rowley, Simon Enright, Michael Haupt, Ilya Haupt, Theodore Herian, Logan Haupt. Amanda McCartney, Andrea McCartney, Timothy Lamb, Courtney Lindstrom, Charla (Nick) Grim, Rachelle Wagner and Cara Larson; great-great grandchildren Benjamin Wagner, Ryley Wagner, Lake Wagner, Mason Grim and Garrison Grim; several nieces and nephews.
Per request, cremation services were accorded. A graveside service will be held at Forest Home Cemetery at a later date.
The Family of Phyllis Haupt thanks the staff at Medilodge of Munising for the exceptional care of our mother. Memorials can be directed to Medilodge of Munising Residents Activities Fund in Phyllis’s name at Medilodge of Munising, 300 City Park Drive, Munising, MI 49862.
Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com. Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Death Notice
Linda Jean Erickson
November 3, 1963 – August 6, 2024
Linda Jean Erickson, age 60, was born to Wesley and Bertha Smithson on November 3, 1963, in Milwaukee, WI. She passed away on August 6, 2024, at Aspirus Wausau Hospital surrounded by her loving family.
Linda grew up in Newberry, MI, and received her GED through the Consolidated Community Schools.
A Celebration of Life gathering and luncheon will be held Saturday, August 24 at 2 p.m. in the back room of American Legion Post #74, 7964 State Highway M-123, Newberry.
Per request, cremation services were accorded. Mid Wisconsin Cremation Society is assisting family at this time. Online condolences may be expressed at www.MWCS.WS.
