As received from the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home. If you have questions about, or potential corrections to the content, please contact the funeral home directly.
Jeanette E. Oikarinen, 94, of Laurium, passed away on Friday, November 28th, at The Omega House with family members at her side.
She was born in Laurium on November 3, 1931, to the late Arnold and Esther Walters. She graduated from Sacred Heart High School in 1949. Soon after, she met her future husband, Donald Oikarinen, while skating at the Colosseum in Calumet. They married on November 3, 1951.
Jean started her career as a telephone operator for Michigan Bell. After several years, she desired to be her own boss and saw a need for a 24-hour restaurant in her area to serve shift workers and others seeking meals at unconventional hours. Consequently, she opened and managed the Village Café in Laurium, specializing in home- cooked meals and baked goods.
Seeking a change and looking to escape the Northern Michigan climate, Jean and her husband, Don, moved to Southern California in the early 1960s, joining other family members. During this time, Jean concentrated on being a homemaker, running an in-home daycare, and raising their young daughter.
Eventually, Jean’s entrepreneurial spirit resurfaced. With her mother’s assistance, she began making costume jewelry and selling it at shows in Palm Desert and throughout Southern California. As her business grew, she convinced Don to retire early and join her. Together, they expanded their venture, forming Silver Arrow Traders, which specialized in custom and Native American gold and silver jewelry and related items. For the next 20 years, they traveled across the country in their coach and trailer, selling at shows, concerts, and various other venues. Jean thoroughly enjoyed their business and the lifestyle it provided, allowing them to meet many country music icons and make wonderful friends from coast to coast.
After retiring in 2000, Jean and Don returned to Laurium, settling just a few houses away from the Village Café that Jean had opened decades earlier. In retirement, they focused on extensive travel in their motorhome, family activities, and attending their grandson’s sporting events.
In addition to selling jewelry and travel, Jean’s other passions included classic country music, attending weekly mass, slot machine gambling, Michigan Tech hockey, and dining out with friends and family.
In the spring of 2024, Jean, while under hospice care and with limited mobility, rediscovered her creative desire and began crafting beaded costume jewelry to occupy her time. This newfound passion filled her days, and over the past year, she created more than 600 pieces.
Throughout her life, her Catholic faith played a crucial role in shaping her decisions and daily routines. It provided her with guidance and strength during both joyful and challenging times. This support was particularly valuable earlier in her marriage when she experienced the loss of a son at birth.
She is preceded in death by her parents, husband Donald, and brothers, John “Jack”, Delmar “Bud”, and Donald Walters.
Jean is survived by her daughter, Barbara (Eric) Halonen of Hancock; grandchildren, Travis (Nicole) Harris and Dustin (Marina) Harris, and great-grandchildren Ashton, Mila, Jaxson, and Lia, brother Robert Walters; and sisters Patricia (Leo) Fino, Theresa (John) Chapman, and Mary (Mike) Newlan.
A funeral service will be held at Sacred Heart Church in Calumet at 11 a.m. on Friday, December 19, 2025. There will be a visitation from 10-11 a.m. at the church, one hour before the service. Memorials instead of flowers may be directed to the Omega House or the Sacred Heart Church.
The family would like to thank Keweenaw Home Hospice, The Omega House, and Sue Lutz for their compassionate care over the past 18 months.
The Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements. Online condolences may be left for the family at ericksoncrowleypeterson.com.
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