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As received from the Pearce Funeral Home:
Lake Linden: Jean M. (Gagnon) Parker, of Lake Linden, passed away on November 10, 2020, at Portage Pointe, Franklin House, with family by her side, where she had been a resident for the past year.
Jean was born, the second daughter of Alex and Valida (Perreault) Gagnon on May 15, 1925, in Lake Linden. She lived all her life in Lake Linden and graduated from Lake Linden-Hubbell High School with the class of 1943.
Jean met the love of her life, Norman Parker, while working in a card shop in Calumet. They were married September 21, 1946. Norman passed away on January 30, 2012.
Jean was a lifelong member of Saint Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Linden, St. Joseph’s Church Altar Society, and the American Legion Post 90 Women’s Auxiliary.
To help her daughter, Jean went to work at D&D’s Market in Atlantic Mine, where she had a friendly greeting and a smile to all who entered.
Jean was a great baker of saffron bread and many types of bars. She would always ask “What can I bring” when invited to someone’s home and would always have a fresh pan of bars ready.
She loved playing pinochle, watching football, no matter who was playing and her feet where always tapping while listening to the oldies show or Polka Time America on the radio. She loved to dance, especially to a Polka.
Jean was preceded in death by her parents, husband Norman, and daughter Doris Kantola, 3 sisters-Marie Rheault, Dorothy Troolines, and Arlene Bjorklund, and a nephew Larry Rheault.
Jean is survived by: two sons- Kenneth (Debra) and Ronald (Elizabeth) Parker; son-in-law- David (Linda) Kantola; grandchildren- Karen (Ed) Semmens, Richard (Rhonda) Kantola, Bradley (Melanie) Parker, Alicia (Jay) Reed, Andrew (Carolyn Williams) Parker, Nathan (Mary) Parker, and Amanda (Dan Laabs) Parker; 14 great-grandchildren; and nieces, nephews, and cousins.
When anything went wrong, she would always say in French “c’est toujours quelque chose” which meant “Always something.”
Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 11:00 A.M. on Saturday, November 14, at St. Joseph Catholic Church in Lake Linden, with Fr. Joseph Boakye Yiadom to celebrate. Burial will be at the Mt. Calvary Cemetery in Lake Linden.
The Pearce Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, donations may be made to St. Joseph Catholic Church or the Post 90 American Legion Auxiliary.
Online condolences may be left at www.pearcefuneralhome.com
