Erma Burkman

Obituary of Erma Marie Burkman Chassell Erma Marie Burkman, 76, a resident of Half Moon Beach in Chassell, passed away Friday, August 11, 2006 at the Omega House. She was born on March 30, 1930 in Chassell, daughter of the late John & Kate (Jaaskari) Makela. Erma attended school in Chassell, graduating in 1948. She worked in Detroit following graduation, and then returned home to marry Francis (Butch) Burkman on August 20, 1949 in Chassell. She spent her entire married life living in Chassell. Erma & her husband owned & operated Chassell Standard Gas Station for 35 years, where she managed the bookkeeping. A lifelong member of Holy Trinity Lutheran in Chassell, Erma volunteered in many areas of the church. In recent years she spent time on the monthly newsletter and organizing & serving at funeral lunches. A faithful member of the Chassell VFW Post #6507 Ladies Auxiliary, Erma held many officer positions on the local, district, & state level. She especially enjoyed the year she spent on the hospitality committee, attending numerous VFW meetings on the state & national level. Erma was also a member of the Trillium Chapter of Eastern Star, Daughters of the Nile, the local Cancer Society where she helped to organize the Chassell V.F.W. Relay for Life team, and the Red Hat Society. Helping with Little Brothers Friends of the elderly. Volunteering at Portage Hospital was a highlight of her week. She enjoyed interacting with people, whether she was chatting with them or helping them. She relished serving her community, always willingly contributing her time to worthy causes. She will be remembered as a caring person who enjoyed helping others. Surviving her are husband, Francis "Butch" Burkman; daughter, Susan Wiles of Houghton; son, Kenneth Burkman, of Long Beach, CA; sister, Lina Hogback of Houghton; brother, Paul (Diane) Makela of Chassell & Oakland, CA; step-granddaughter, Mechelle (Mark) Normand of Hubbell; step-grandson James Wiles of Grand Rapids; great grandchildren, Alex, Ashley & Zachary Normand of Hubbell; nieces, nephews, and numerous cousins in the U.S. and Finland. Preceding her in death were her parents; a brother Elmer Makela; a sister, Miriam Makela; and son-in-law, Jay Wiles. A funeral service will be at Holy Trinity Lutheran Church in Chassell at 3 pm on Monday August 14, with Pastor Ted Koehl officiating. Interment will be in the Chassell Cemetery. Visitation will be held 4:00 pm - 8:00 pm Sunday August 13, at the Memorial Chapel in Chassell and one hour prior to the service at the church. Were the V.F.W. Post #6507 Ladies Auxiliary of Chassell will hold a memorial service at 7 p.m. In lieu of flowers, memorials can be made to the Omega House, Holy Trinity Lutheran, the Beacon House in Marquette, or the charity of your choice. To view Erma's obituary or to send a condolence to the family please visit www.memorialchapel.net. To send flowers to the family of Erma Burkman, please visit Tribute Store