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As received from the Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes:
HANCOCK: Elizabeth (Betty) Jane (Lindstrom) Kempainen, 81, passed away on Saturday, July 18th at Canal View Medical Care Facility in Hancock, Michigan with her loving husband by her side.
Elizabeth was born on September 21, 1938 to parents Toivo and Elma (Juntunen) Lindstrom in Chassell, MI at their farm on Pike River Rd., the third of six children. In 1944, they moved to Salo Location where she attended the Salo School, a one room schoolhouse for two years. She attended Dollar Bay and Hancock High Schools, graduating from Hancock High School in 1956, but Dollar Bay was important as that is where she met her future husband of 62 years, Alvin C.A. Kempainen.
After high school and until their marriage in 1958, she worked at The Book Concern and then Michigan Tech as a secretary. Upon Al’s graduation, they started their odyssey that would bring them full circle, living and working in Cincinnati, OH, Syracuse, NY, Oak Creek, WI, Ann Arbor and White Pine, MI before returning home to Salo Location, building a home on the family farm.
Betty was preceded in death by her parents and siblings William Lindstrom, Lenore Elaine Wood, Richard Lindstrom, and infant Mary Ann Lindstrom.
She is survived by her husband Alvin Kempainen, her sister, Evelyn Puuri , her children Janet (Daniel) O’Brien, Ann (William) Willmer and Alan (Margaret) Kempainen and grandchildren Wesley (Jaime) Corey, Christopher (Johanna) O’Brien, Jeffrey (Amanda) O’Brien, David (partner Juli Sproules) O’Brien, Timothy (partner Kelly Schiedermayer) Willmer, Tyler Willmer, Jacob Kempainen and Kathleen Kempainen. Betty is also survived by seven great grandchildren: Leah and Ava Corey, Natasha, Edward, Calvin and Easton O’Brien and Brinley Willmer.
Betty was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great-grandmother who was a fantastic cook and liked to travel.
She always helped out others as much as she could. She was a devoted member of Gloria Dei Lutheran Church for over 50 years.
Elizabeth’s favorite parable from the Bible was from the book of Mark, Chapter 12 starting at verse 41. When all of the people of wealth gave a generous donation to the treasury, a poor widow gave everything she had – two small copper coins. Calling his disciples to him, Jesus said “Truly I tell you, this poor widow has put more into the treasury than all the others. They all gave out of their wealth; but she, out of her poverty, put in everything – all she had to live on”. This parable was one of the guiding principles in Elizabeth’s life.
Graveside services will be held at Waasa Cemetery in Hancock Township on Tuesday July 21st at 11:00am for family and friends. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Gloria Dei Lutheran Church in Hancock.
To view Betty’s obituary or to send condolences please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel & Plowe Funeral Homes of Hancock are assisting the family with the arrangements.
