Edwin Duncan Dutcher

Edwin Duncan Dutcher, age 88, of Cedarville, Michigan, passed away April 7, 2018, while his grandchildren, son Daren Dutcher and daughter Pamela Wilkie comforted him. He was born June 26, 1929, in Cedarville, to George Daniel Dutcher and Pearl Margaret (Shiney) Dutcher. Edwin grew up in Cedarville, where he became an important part of his community of friends and family. As a young man, Edwin worked as a witty row boat operator to ferry vacationers in Cedarville and Hessel to the Les Cheneaux Islands. In those days, to watch a movie, he had to walk from Cedarville to St. Ignace. He later moved to Detroit Michigan, where he met and married his first wife, Edith (Heck) Dutcher and began working at Briggs Manufacturing, who supplied automotive parts to Ford and Chrysler. In 1954, Edwin and his family moved back to Cedarville where he began working, and later retiring, from US Steele (Cedarville Limestone Quarry). While still working for US Steele by night, Edwin co-founded Cedarville Fish Company and fished by day, instilling a legacy of a hard-work ethic into his children and grandchildren’s lives. After retiring, Edwin wholly owned and operated, with second wife Sandra, Dutcher’s Fish Market in Cedarville and in Bay Port, Michigan, where he supplied his local community and outside cities with locally sourced fish. Edwin and his family volunteered many hours to the community doing “fish fry’s” of his famous Great Lakes Whitefish, which many remember to this day. All through his life Edwin was an avid hunter, trapper, fishermen, boater and devoted baseball fan and he spent his time teaching and sharing in these hobbies with his family and friends. Edwin loved to share his knowledge and would often teach his children and grandchildren what he knew about hunting and fishing by taking them himself. He traveled on hunting trips to Mexico, Colorado, Montana, Newfoundland, and Alaska and was on occasion seen in New Orleans. After retiring and selling his businesses, Edwin traveled and spent time with family and friends. Known for working hard, having a dangerously witty sense of humor, and hugely generous heart, Edwin shared much of what he earned, fished, and hunted for with families and friends to get them through our long winters. He was father and grandfather to many and was a colorful part of the life of everyone he met. Keep your stick on the ice. Edwin is survived by children, Pamela Sue (Jay) Wilkie of Dearborn, Michigan, Deborah Jean (Jim) Nye of Hessel, Timothy Dutcher of Savannah, Georgia, Kim Freeman of Kingsport, Tennessee, and Daren Dutcher of Kenai, Alaska; son-in-law, David Monnot of Ludington, Michigan; grandchildren, Shauna (Pete) Reynolds, David (Tammy) Monnot, Stacy (Mark) Kearns, Kyle Dutcher, Tania (Jason) Grove, Anthony (Aimee) Veihdeffer, Trevor (Geneva Dawson) Veihdeffer, Erica Hirshman, Chelsea Dutcher, Samantha Dutcher, and Koen Dutcher; great grandchildren, Cody Galibrath, Brittany (Ben) Ruhling, Cory Veihdeffer, Brandon Dumback, Evan Veihdeffer, Ella Clair Veihdeffer, Karalyn Veihdeffer, Madilyn Veihdeffer, Crystyn Cornwell, Sage Grove, Chris Grove, and Kaiden Grove; and great great grandson, Kenton Veihdeffer. He is also survived by brothers, Roy (Frances) Dutcher of Hessel, Francis Dutcher of Cedarville, Dorothy (Richard) Royer of Goetzville, Michigan, and Jeanne Haynes of Indiana. Edwin was preceded in death by two daughters, Patricia I. Dutcher, and Janet Monnot; brothers, William Dutcher and George Dutcher Jr.; and sisters, Doris Callahan and Helen Leach. Services will be held Tuesday, April 10 at R. Galer Funeral Home, 24549 S. M-129 in Pickford, Michigan. Visitation will be held from 11:00 A.M. until 1:00 P.M. with the funeral service starting at 1:00 P.M. Burial will be in Edgewood Cedar Cemetery in Cedarville later in the spring. Condolences may be sent to the family at www.rgalerfuneralhome.com.

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Edwin Duncan Dutcher

June 26, 1929 - April 7, 2018