As received from the Jacobson Funeral Home. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Richard Ernest Velmer, age 85, of L’Anse, Michigan, passed away on Thursday, November 20, 2025, at Marshfield Medical Center in Iron Mountain, MI.
He was born on October 7, 1940, in Spalding, MI, the son of Lawrence and Irene (Poupore) Velmer. Richard moved to L’Anse at the age of three and made it his lifelong home. Throughout the years, he worked in the woods and in road construction for Snowdon, worked for Celotex, later spent eight and a half years with Ruona Trucking, and ultimately dedicated 30 years as a truck driver for Erickson Lumber, retiring in 2007. On December 14, 1985, he married Donna Marie Blood in Baraga.
Richard lived a full and active life. He enjoyed riding motorcycles, camping, spending time outdoors, side-by-side riding, pedal biking, cross-country skiing, kayaking with his beloved dog Zoey, hunting, and fishing. He also rode horses for 20 years—often riding them to the local bar for fun.
A devout Catholic, Richard was a member of Sacred Heart of Jesus Church and was involved with the Knights of Columbus for several years.
He is survived by his children, Joe Schultz of Jackson Hole, WY; Julie Schultz of L’Anse; and Angie (Le) Crandall of Quinnesec; his sisters, Patsy Velmer of Baraga and Rosemary (Bill) Heikkinen of Tapiola; grandchildren, Anthony Crandall, Bryce, Makenna, and Madelyn Crawford; great-granddaughter, Amelia Velmer; and many nieces and nephews.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Lawrence and Irene; his wife, Donna; and his siblings, Melvin, Kenneth, Carol LaFernier, Barbara Kline, Joseph, James, and Robert “Bob.”
Visitation will take place on Monday, November 24, from 10–11 a.m. at Sacred Heart of Jesus Church in L’Anse, followed by his funeral Mass at 11 a.m. with Fr. Ben Rivard officiating. Burial will be in the L’Anse Evergreen Cemetery, with a luncheon to follow in the church hall. Jacobson Funeral Home is assisting the family.
Friends may sign Richard’s guestbook or send condolences at www.jacobsonfuneralhome.com
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