Obituaries

Martha K. Brown

Died February 7, 2015

GARFIELD TOWNSHIP – Martha Kovarik Brown, 97, of Garfield Township passed away Saturday, Feb. 7, 2015 at Bortz Health Care of Traverse City.

  Martha was born Oct. 1, 1917 in Suttons Bay the daughter of Charles and Martha (Tatch) Kiessel.  In 1936 at St. Wenceslaus Church of Gills Pier she married Charles Kovarik who preceded her in death in 1983.  In 1996 at St. Wenceslaus Church she married Col. Jack Brown who preceded her in death in 2003.  While raising her family she worked in Northport Point and at the former Leelanau Memorial Hospital in Northport.

  Martha’s faith was very important to her.  She was a great cook especially her kolaches’ with prune and fresh ground poppy seed.  She always had homemade bread for her family.  Martha enjoyed a good game of euchre with her neighbors while raising the family.  Her main enjoyment was bingo, for which she had a knack for winning; this she played whenever she could at the Glen Eagle and Traverse Manor retirement homes. 

  Martha is survived by her four sons, Claude (Barbara) Kovarik, Gerald (Nancy) Kovarik, Richard (Mary Ann) Kovarik, Ronald (Jackie) Kovarik; a daughter, Ruby Blankenship; eight grandchildren and seventeen great-grandchildren.

  She was preceded in death by a son, Leroy Kovarik; son in law, Fred Blankenship; her siblings, Carl, Edward, Raymond, Andrew, Rufus, Frank, Lloyd, Clifford and Albert.

  A memorial mass will be held at 12 noon on Saturday, Feb. 14 at St. Wenceslaus Church of Gills Pier.  Burial will be held in the spring in St. Wenceslaus Cemetery.

  Memorials may be directed to St. Wenceslaus Church, 8500 E. Kolarik Road, Suttons Bay, MI 49682 and/or to GT Area Right to Life, P.O. Box 5416, Traverse City, MI 49696-5416.

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