Obituary: Michael F. Wilmers

As received from Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Service:

UPDATE: A celebration of life will be held from 2 until 5 pm, Sunday, July 23, 2023, at 20050 2nd Street Hancock which is located on Quincy Hill next to the water tower. The family asks that friends wear orange in honor of Mike.

Michael F. “Pickles” Wilmers, 72, a resident of Houghton, passed away peacefully on Thursday, August 4, 2022, at UP Health System – Portage with his family by his side.

Mike was born on August 30, 1949, in Hancock, the son of the late Paul and Elizabeth (Anderson) Wilmers. He was raised in Hancock and graduated from Hancock High School with the class of 1967. Following high school, Mike enrolled at Michigan Technological University to pursue a career in Civil Engineering. While attending MTU, Mike met his wife, Barbara Klein and the couple were united in marriage on February 20, 1971. To help support his family while attending classes, Mike started Prestige Landscaping in Houghton and operated that business well into his career and MTU where he started in 1977. In 1991, Mike was hired by the State of Michigan, which required him to reside in Port Huron, Ann Arbor and Sault Ste. Marie, MI. In 1996, he returned home to the Copper Country and continued his career at Michigan Tech where he retired in 2011 from the Department of Management and Budget.

Mike started each day by trusting his faith in God and reading the words of the Lord. He had a passion for riding his motorcycle with his friends. He enjoyed model trains and animals, having had numerous cats and dogs over the years. Most of all, he loved his family, especially his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Mike was a great friend to everyone who had known him and will be greatly missed.

Besides his parents, Mike was preceded in death by his brothers David and Daniel, infant brothers Robert and James, his mother and father-in-law George and Mary Klein and sisters-in-law Carol Egerer, Pat Poggione and Jenise Klein and a brother-in-law Marv Egerer.

He is survived by his wife Barb of Houghton
His daughters: Jessica (Chuck Broderick) Wilmers of Stevensville, MI
Sara (Damon) Beiring of Calumet
Grandchildren: Maybelline, Ed (Abby), Lincoln and Helen Beiring, and Savannah, Cooper, Spencer, Rhys, Dexter and Delaney Gostlin.
Great grandchildren: Zaleigh, Theodore, and Emersyn
Siblings: Kathy (James) Kunert
Jean (Paul) Bianucci
Tony (Amy) Wilmers
Brothers and Sisters in law:
Marge (Pete) Nutini
Betty (Pete) Wickley
Kathy (Dave) Wanhala
Nick (Gerri) Klein
Kris (Randy) Oertel
John (Cindy) Klein
Jim Klein
Phil (Marie) Klein
MaryBeth (Steve) Laiti
Peter Poggione
Dorothy Wilmers
Numerous nieces, nephews, and friends including his biker buddies.

A celebration of Mike’s life will take place at a later date.

The family would like to thank the loving and caring staff at UP Health System – Portage for the compassionate care given to Mike.

In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, the family asks that donations be made to the Copper Country Humane Society in memory of Mike Wilmers.

To view this obituary or to send online condolences to the family, please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service – Hancock is assisting the family with the arrangements.