As received from the Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Service. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Mary Eade Erva, 85, passed away Sunday May 18, 2025, at Canal View — Houghton County in Hancock where she had been a resident patient.
Mary was born in Hancock, the daughter of E. Raymond and Catherine (Brinkman) Eade on August 17, 1939.
Mary attended the St. Joseph St. Patrick School in Hancock, the Chassell Grade School and was an honor graduate of Hancock High School with the class of 1957.
She began her adult employment in the business office of the Daily Mining Gazette following graduation and worked her way up to the position of Women’s editor in the Editorial Office; she then was employed by the General Adjustment Bureau in its Houghton Office until her transfer to the regional office in Green Bay as its regional secretary; she returned to Houghton after two years and was then employed by the James T. Healy Insurance Agency. Following her marriage to Gerald Erva, on May 20, 1967, at St. Joseph St. Patrick Church and the eventual birth of her two children, Raymond and Judy, she was a stay-at-home mom for 12 years. She was involved in her children’s activities, Junior Hockey Auxiliary, 4-H, Boy and Girl Scouts and volunteering at their school. She was a member of the Portage Township School Board for 14 years. She returned to full employment at the Michigan Tech Fund and then at the Goodwill Farm from where she retired in 2001. She also managed the St. Vincent DePaul Store in Houghton until it closed.
She went on a tour to Italy with a group from St. Ignatius Church where the group had an audience with the Pope. They also traveled to various other places including Germany, to see the Passion Play which was put on by the residents of that town every 10 years.
Mary was an active member of St. Ignatius Church, where she was editor of the Church’s weekly bulletin and organized funeral luncheons for many years. She volunteered at various sites through the RSVP organization, at the Omega House (Where she was named volunteer of the year in 2006), and Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly. Mary had served as president of her parish’s Council of Catholic Women and was also president of the Marquette Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. She was also part of a group who met in the front of the Planned Parenthood office weekly to say the Rosary until the organization left the area.
Mary enjoyed knitting and crocheting for pass the time activities along with reading. She taught Judy to Knit when she was a toddler and Judy kept this activity unto adulthood.
Preceding her in death were her Husband Gerald Erva; Her two children: Raymond and Judith; her parents, E. Raymond and Catherine Eade; her half-brother and half-sister, Russell and Helen Eade, her brother Robert Eade; her maternal grandparents: Frank and Molly Hermann Brinkman; her paternal grandparents: John and Amelia Uren Eade, her step-father: George Lakkua and step-brother and step-sister, Kenneth Laukka and Helen Laukka-Linstrom.
Surviving are two nephews: Raymond and William Eade; Dr. Maria Kwesiga(a MTU Student from Uganda in Africa who lived with Mary for five years while pursuing her PHD degree), several nieces, nephews and cousins.
A Mass of Christian Burial for Mary will be held 12:00 noon Wednesday May 21, 2025, at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church of Houghton with Fr. Corey Litzner to officiate. Burial will be in the Forest Hill Cemetery of Houghton.
Friends may call on Wednesday May 21, 2025, from 11:00 am until time of services at St. Ignatius Loyola Catholic Church of Houghton.
Thank you to 906 Home Health Care, The Bluff’s Senior Living Community and Canal View — Houghton County for all of the compassionate and excellent care and assistance given to Mary.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy memorial donations in Mary’s memory are suggested to be directed to the Life Out Reach Center, 300 B Quincy St.,Hancock, MI 49930, or to the charity of ones choice.
To view Mary’s obituary or to send condolences, please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service – Hancock Chapel is assisting with the arrangements.
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