Mayme Josephine (Wiiki) Turpeinen

Mayme Josephine (Wiiki) Turpeinen, age 93 of Alston, MI passed away on Wednesday, December 30th, 2015 at Bayside Village in L'Anse, MI. She was born April 3, 1922 in Watton, MI to Jacob and Ida (Tikkanen) Rantanen Wiiki. She was raised most of her childhood in Watton but traveled with her parents to numerous states and attended many schools. After school she went to work in L’Anse where she met Willard Turpeinen. They married May 5, 1940 and lived in Watton where their first son Robert was born at home. They then moved often; living in Ishpeming where Peter was born, Detroit where David was born and a brief time in Texas before moving home to Alston to live and have 5 more children, Mary, Henry, William, Susan and Tom. Mae was active and interested in making and having a happy life. She would make the most of every day and enjoyed those around her. She suffered tragic losses but came back stronger than before with her faith in God. She devoted herself to her family, children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren and neighborhood children. There isn’t much she wouldn’t do with the including swimming, skating, skiing, jet skiing, fishing, snowmobiling, ATVing (well into her 80s), riding horses, oil painting, knitting, dancing, traveling throughout the US. She loved to cook, bake, decorate cakes and cookies and making the best Justua. Her love of animals surrounding us with pets as we grew up and having poodles as her companions. She was a member of Mission United Lutheran Church, Laird Fire Dept. auxiliary, VFW auxiliary and Alston Snow Fliers. Surviving are daughters, Mary (Clyde) Peterson of Alston, Susan (Robert) Zyza of Lake Port, CA; sons, William (Grace) and Tom (Amy) both of Alston; daughter-in-law’s Evelyn and Shirley of Alston; sister-in-law Thelma Turpeinen; and brother-in-law Robert Barley of Oregon; 15 grandchildren; 29 great grandchildren; 6 great-great grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Preceded in death by her husband Willard in 1965; sons Robert, Peter, David, Henry; daughter-in-law Barbara; grandsons Greg and William; parents; sisters, Aileen, Alvi, Pauline and Lou; brothers, Alfred, Arnie, Ernest, George; and 2 infant brothers. Visitation will be on Sunday, January 3rd from 1-2:00 p.m. at Mission United Lutheran Church in Pelkie. The funeral service will be held at 2:00 p.m. at Mission United Lutheran Church with Rev. John Autio officiating. A luncheon and fellowship will follow in the church hall. Burial will be in the spring in the Alston Cemetery. The Jacobson Funeral Home is assisting the family. Friends may sign Mayme’s guest book or send condolences at www.jacobosnfuneralhome.com.