Obituaries

Henry Lee Bartz, 89, of Grawn, died Wednesday, May 6, 2026, at French Manor South, in Traverse City, where he was beloved by the staff who affectionately called him "Grandpa."
Henry was born and raised on the family farm in Monroe Center on August 30, 1936, to Thomas and Wilma (Taylor) Bartz. As a young man, he...

Jody Vaughn Byland, 78, passed away peacefully with family present on April 26, 2026.
Born on April 6, 1948, Jody devoted his life to education and his family. A compassionate elementary principal at Fremont Public Schools for 37 years, he shared his love of learning with countless students. Upon leaving school...

Judy Day passed away on May 3 at the age of 90 (though she did not believe she was "that old"). Judy was born on 4/15/36, in Kalamazoo, MI to the late Gil and Louise Hays.
In addition to her parents, she was predeceased by her brother/hero Bill, her husband (the love of her life), Charles Day, her daughter, Darci,...

David George Knowles, 73, passed away on May 2, 2026, at his home in Traverse City, Michigan, surrounded by family.
David was born on September 9, 1952, in Traverse City to Harry "Porter" Knowles and Margaret Louise Knowles. Though Traverse City was where his story began, it was far from the only place he called...

It is with deep sorrow and much love that we mourn the passing of Robert "Bob" Kuhn
of Interlochen, Michigan, on Friday, April 24, 2026, at the age of 95 years.
Bob was born on November 12, 1930, in Detroit, Michigan, to Frank Kuhn and Mary
Jung. He grew up in Detroit, where he attended St. Vincent High School and...

Mary Regina Lautner, 78, of Traverse City, passed away peacefully at her beloved home, surrounded by her loving husband, Duane and her loving family members, on Monday April 13, 2026, after a long and courageous battle with stage 4 lung cancer.
Mary was born, February 26, 1948, in Traverse City, the daughter of...

Lois Virginia Ludlow (née Aders), 96, passed away peacefully on May 1, 2026, in
Traverse City surrounded by the love of a family she spent a lifetime nurturing. Born on
August 25, 1929, in Montezuma Indiana, Lois lived a life as rich and varied as the many
places she called home — from Bermuda to Virginia,...

Jeffrey William Minervini, age 61, of Traverse City, Michigan, made his final Irish goodbye on May 3, 2026. He was given a 12-month cancer prognosis, and rather than seeking treatment that might extend his life a few months, he spent his last year focused on quality time and checking items off an extensive bucket...

Nancy Ann Parker, 76, of Traverse City and formerly of Grand Rapids passed away peacefully on May 5, 2026.

Nancy was born on January 16, 1950 in Grand Rapids to the late Frank and Dorthy (Elders) Lake. She graduated from Godwin Heights in Wyoming in 1968.

On March 20, 1971 she married Robert Joseph Parker Jr....

Miriam Nancy Taschner Bach, 80, of Traverse City, passed away April 28, 2026. She is now at rest after a long battle with chronic illness.

Miriam was a kind and gentle soul. She loved peace and quiet. She had a deep love for nature in all its forms: going for walks and bike rides, gardening, raising chickens, and...

Melissa West was my given name
But I went by Twisted just the same

I cared for those oppressed
Helping others I tried my best

My life was hard I cannot lie
But I did my best to just get by

Decisions I made were always a test
But my love for others you can attest

My journey here is done, I tried my best
In God's...