Archive - Feb 2011

Allen "Allie" Luckhardt, 89, of Wamplers Lake, passed away Jan. 29, 2011, at home.    Allie was born Nov. 8, 1921, in Bridgewater Twp.,  the son of Walter and Flora (Breitenwisher) Luckhardt,  On June 4, 1944, he married Helen Taylor in Britton and she survives.  

Allie was a graduate of Manchester High School and former mayor of Manchester.  He owned and operated Allie's Resort at Wamplers Lake from 1945 to 1965.  He then managed Tecumseh Country Club for many years and ended his career as manager of the Devils Lake Yacht Club.

Besides his wife Helen,  Allie is survived by his daughters, Suzette (Jack) Schwab and Sohnie Luckhardt; and granddaughter, Cassidy Schwab.

He was preceded in death by his parents;  brother, Orville; and an infant daughter, Lynette.

Memorial services for Allie will be held at a later date due to Helen falling and not being able to greet guests at this time.

Memorial contributions may be made to the Manchester Emmanuel United Church of Christ or the Lenawee County Humane Society.  Condolences to the family may be made online at www.pursefuneralhome.com.

James L. Roberts passed away peacefully at his home Jan. 30, 2011, in Tecumseh, Mich., after a long struggle with Parkinson's disease.   A gentle and fun-loving spirit in life, Jim spent his declining years modeling an uncomplaining and good-humored end of life. 

Known affectionately throughout the community as Jim or Big Jim, he was the consummate hometown booster.  As a young adult in Milan, Mich., he was installing lights for night-time skating down at the river or retrofitting cars with seatbelts with his fellow Jaycees.  In his later adopted town of Clinton, he could be seen at the annual Rotary Club barbecue, showing up in the early morning to plot the grilling of thousands of half-chickens at the Clinton Fall Festival.  When he wasn't wearing his griller's apron, he was teaching hunter safety, cheering on Clinton sports in all seasons for his kids and grandkids, orchestrating development of Wegner football field, and sometimes acting as the voice of the Redskins in the press box.

Born in Antrim County on Sept. 4, 1932, Jim was the youngest of seven children of Hazel Mae (Winters) and Jesse Roberts.  Growing up in Ypsilanti, he competed in high school golf, football, and swimming.  As a young adult he excelled as a pitcher in community fast-pitch softball where he pitched for the Moose Club.  Whenever he wasn't playing sports, he was finding time to indulge his true passion of hunting.  His rec room, built out of barn wood and self-timbered logs, was festooned with creatures from every sort of hunt: fox, turkey, bear, deer, and wild boar.  With a gleam in his eye, he delighted in recounting past golf matches, ball games, or bear and whitetail hunts. While acknowledging his tendency toward embellishment, this grand spinner of yarns unsheepishly proclaimed, “My stories are always based on the truth.”

Ronald John Szymanski, 72, of Tecumweh, passed away Jan. 27, 2011.  Ronald was born Aug. 29, 1938, in Wyandotte, Mich., the son of John and Lucille (Haggerty) Szymanski.

On July 27, 1980, he married Dianne Ivan in Tecumseh. He was a 1957 graduate of Clinton High School.   Ronald  retired from Boysville as their facilities director after 42 years of service,  He was always there for his family and friends any time his help was needed and will be greatly missed by all.

He was an avid golfer and  past member of the Tecumseh County Club.   Ronald was a member of the  Tecumseh Jaycees and served as their president.

Besides his wife Dianne, he is survived by his children, Renata (Eric) Halberstadt, Selena (Jeffrey) Southwell, Ryan (Vicki) Szymanski, Kelly (Michael) Tighe and  Kari (Andrew) Cislo; 14 grandchildren; five great-grandchildren; brother, Ralph Szymanski; and many cousins, nieces, and nephews.

He was preceded in death by a son, Roderick Sean.  

A memorial service was held Sunday, Jan. 30, 2011, at the J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, Tecumseh with the Rev. Richard Burstall officiating.  Condolences to the family may be made online at www.pursefuneralhome.com.

Goldie Zarnoch, 88, of Tecumseh, passed away, Jan. 30, 2011.  A Mass of the Christian Burial will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, Feb. 5, 2011, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, Tecumseh.  Visitation will be on Thursday from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the  J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, Tecumseh and one hour prior to the service at the church on Saturday.

Daniel Leo Wiemer, 67, of Tecumseh, passed away passed away at home peacefully Jan. 29, 2011. Daniel was born June 10, 1943, in Adrian, Mich., the son of Walter and Margaret (Wright) Wiemer. On July 27, 1962, he married Barbara Wallace  in Tecumseh.  She preceded him in death June 9, 2007.  He served his country in the United States Army during the Vietnam War.   He worked for Ford Motor Company in Saline and retired as a Fleet Driver from Tecumseh Products after many years of service.

Daniel had many interests and hobbies; drinking coffee with his friends, horse pulling and mowing grass.

Daniel is survived by his three sons, Mark (Beth), Danny (Diane), and Derek (Kristin); seven  grandchildren, Josh, Devin, Brianna, Dalton, Lilah, Bryan, and Hannah; great-grandson;  several nieces and nephews; and dear friends, Gary and Judy Hanna.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Funeral Services were held Wednesday, Feb. 2, 2011, at the J. Gilbert Purse Funeral Home, Tecumseh with the Rev. Lloyd Jewett officiating.  Burial followed in Lenawee Hills Memorial Gardens, Tecumseh with military honors performed by the U. S. Army Reserve Honor Guard.  

Memorial contributions can be made to the family to be used according to their wishes.  Condolences to the family may be made online at www.pursefuneralhome.com.

By CRISTINA TRAPANI-SCOTT

Blowing and drifting snow and frigid temperatures arrived Tuesday evening as warnings were issued for all of Michigan as well as surrounding states and the state was bracing for its worst storm since 2005.  Seven inches of snowfall was reported overnight with reports of some freezing rain. The Tecumseh Herald went to press late Tuesday in anticipation of the storm. Printing is normally late Wednesday.

By now, most Michiganders are used to driving on snowy roads. Still, the news of the blizzard is a reminder that there is plenty of winter left and it never hurts to be prepared and take precautions while traveling on snowy and especially icy roads.

The Michigan Secretary of State’s office advises motorists to be prepared before such blizzards or severe storms hit by doing routine maintenance checks on vehicles and by having an emergency kit in the car that includes food, water and a blanket.

Even in SUV-type vehicles, drivers should not be overly confident while driving in winter weather.
The Michigan Department of Transportation (MDOT) offers tips to help keep drivers safe. First and foremost, drivers and passengers are advised to wear seatbelts. MDOT also says drivers should slow down in snowy conditions and take extra precautions on ramps and bridges.

Clinton Police Chief Mike Randolph too often sees what can happen when drivers are not taking into consideration the weather conditions.

“People need to give themselves plenty of time and plenty of spacing between cars so they have plenty of time to stop,” he said.

He said another tricky spot is at intersections. “When you pull out of side streets, make sure there is plenty of time because tires slip,” he said.