Richard “Ricky” Roy Bailey
Richard “Ricky” Roy Bailey, 67, of Newberry, passed peacefully Friday morning October 2, 2020 under the loving care of the staff at Maple Ridge AFC Home in Lakefield Township. Born August 26, 1953 in Newberry, Ricky was the youngest of nine children born to the late Allen and Marie (Sharp) Bailey. Ricky is preceded in death by his parents Allen and Marie Bailey, sisters Norma Jane Bailey, Eunice (James) McDonald, and Beverly (William) Johnson; and brother, Brady Bailey. He is survived by his brother Thomas (Marilyn) Bailey, sisters Marvel (William) Magnuson, Shirlee (Robert) Fedorko, Kathy (Robert Augustyniak) Mahar and sister-in-law Francine (Brady) Bailey. Ricky also leaves behind a large extended family of loving nieces and nephews.
Ricky’s involvement in a number of local organizations such as the Special Olympics, Head Start and Pathways made him known and loved by many throughout the community. He enjoyed attending high school sporting events where fellow Indians fans would find him in the front row always smiling and cheering on the team. It was also common to see Ricky at the courthouse with his fellow Pathways volunteers performing tasks for the staff. As an honorary Luce County Sheriff, Ricky was very seldom seen without his Sheriff’s badge. “Sheriff Rick” as he was known to many of his friends and family, never met a stranger and brought joy to everyone he met. Ricky loved playing his guitar, listening to country music and watching westerns, especially John Wayne movies. Ricky was the most kind, genuine, caring individual you will ever meet; he touched the lives of so many and will be greatly missed. The family of Ricky Bailey would like to extend their gratitude to Maple Ridge AFC Home and North Woods Hospice for providing exemplary loving care. Memorials in Ricky’s honor may be directed to Shriner’s Hospital for Children or to Newberry Head Start. 207 Newberry Ave., Newberry, Michigan 49868. Due to current circumstances, the family will host a celebration of Ricky’s life in the spring of 2021. Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com.
Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
Merida Irene Sevarns
Longtime Newberry resident, Merida Irene Sevarns, 100, died Friday morning October 2, 2020 at Golden Leaves Living Center in Newberry. Born January 4, 1920 in Boyne Falls, daughter of the late Francis and Hattie (Montgomery) Case, Merida was a devoted homemaker raising her family. Merida was a longtime member of the First Baptist Church in Newberry and enjoyed camping, fishing, canning, picking blueberries and spending time with her immediate and extended family. In addition to her parents, Merida is preceded in death by her husband George Sevarns; children Clarabell Bruce, Punk Sevarns, Gary Sevarns and Vivian Skeans; siblings Cecil Case, Fred Case, Jessie Chilson and Thelma Mitchell. Survivors include her children Sherry (Clarence) Dumas of Newberry, Steve (Patricia) Sevarns of Newago, Henry (Jean) Sevarns of Prescott and Cecil (Linda) Sevarns of Newberry; numerous grandchildren, great-grandchildren, great-great-grandchildren and great-great-great-grandchildren. A graveside service will be held Tuesday October 6, 2020 at 2:00 pm at Forest Home Cemetery with Pastor Jon Michael, of the First Baptist Church, officiating. Memorials may be directed to the First Baptist Church in Newberry in her memory. Condolences may be expressed at www.beaulieufuneralhome.com. Beaulieu Funeral Home in Newberry is assisting the family.
John Edward Lee, Jr.
John Edward Lee, Jr. (AKA Jack, Skipper and occasionally Sam) passed away on Sunday, September 27th, 2020 at Trillium House in Marquette, Michigan at the age of 85. The middle child and only son of John & Leah (Miller) Lee, Jack was born in Jackson, Michigan on April 18, 1935. Jack grew up in New York, Ohio and Michigan. He joined the Army near the end of the Korean War and was stationed in Alaska where he trained dogs. Shortly after his time in the military he met the love of his life, Judith Elaine Artman, on a blind date. It didn’t take long for him to fall for the lovely redhead. One month later he proposed and one month after that, on April 22, 1957, they were married and remained together for their entire lives, until Judy’s passing in 2018. Jack was a colorful and interesting man who had a great many artistic gifts. At various times in his life, he pursued photography, drawing, and sculpture in both clay and glass mediums. An avid outdoorsman who loved hunting and fishing, as well as competition archery and marksmanship, he used his creative talents to craft custom grips for his bows and guns so they would better fit his large hands. Jack was a collector with a deep love of guns, knives, watches, and antique hit & miss engines. He had a passion for motorcycles his entire life and some of his happiest times were on motorcycle trips with his wife or with friends. He was an exceptional communicator and spent much of his life working to help others. His foray into Social Work began with a boy’s home in Baltimore and took him back to Michigan to work at the Children’s Home of Detroit, in Grosse Pointe Woods. Later, he was known as Skipper by all when he was the director of Camp Oakland, a summer camp program for underprivileged children. Jack used his gift for speaking as a fundraiser for these organizations and many others. He helped, encouraged and guided innumerable young people during his career, eventually ending up as a Social Worker in Luce County, where he remained for the last half of his life. Jack is survived by his daughters, Cindi (Marc) St. Germain, Sherie (Tom) Courchaine, and his son, Matthew Lee; grandchildren, Christopher (Missy) St. Germain, Michael (Julia) Courchaine, Amanda Courchaine, and Matthew Courchaine; great grandchildren, Adelaide and Anders Courchaine; sister, Judy (Mike) Nold. A memorial service will be held at a later date. A special thank you to the people at Trillium House in Marquette for their loving care and support during his final days. Memorial donations may be made to them at: Trillium House, 1144 Northland Drive, Marquette, MI 49855; Phone (906) 264-5026; email info@trilliumhospicehouse.org Canale & Pennock Funeral Service in Ishpeming is assisting the family where memories may be shared at canalepennock.com
Nancy Lorraine Nolen
Nancy Lorraine Nolen, 84, a resident of Florida Street in Laurium, passed away at her home early Thursday morning, October 1st, 2020. She was born on January 26th, 1936 in Newberry, Michigan to the late Edward and Minnie (Erickson) Mattson. She graduated from Newberry High School with the class of 1954 and then went on to graduate from Midwest Bible College in 1959 with a degree in Christian Education. On July 31st , 1959 she was united in Marriage to the love of her life, Bruce Nolen, in St. Louis, Missouri. The couple lived in Warsaw, Indiana while Bruce completed seminary. She moved with her husband, Bruce, to the Upper Peninsula in 1974, in order to minister at the First Baptist Church of Calumet. She was a life-long member of the church, leading the AWANA program. She also volunteered at Gitche Gumee Bible Camp. Nancy owned and operated Keweenaw Keepsakes in Laurium until it’s closing in 2010. She is preceded in death by her brother-in-law Ray Clawson
She is survived by:
Her husband: Pastor Bruce Nolen of Laurium
Her son: Ben (Ginny) Nolen of Wheaton, IL
Her daughters: Bonnie Johnson of Milwaukee, WI
Pennie (Jon) Mathewson of Canton, OH
11 grandchildren and 3 great-grandchildren
Her brother: Dale (Mary Ellen) Mattson of Florida
Her sisters: Eileen (Warren) Demond of Michigan and Florida
Jane Clawson of Michigan
And several nieces and nephews.
A graveside service was held on Monday, October 5th, 2020 at 12:00 noon in the Lakeview Cemetery, section 74. Visitation at the First Baptist Church followed the graveside services from 1:00-2:00 PM, with a memorial service at 2:00 PM. Refreshments followed the service. Online condolences for the family may be left at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com The Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet is assisting the family with the arrangements.
