Harold "Cub" McKerchie, Sr.

Harold Joseph "Cub" McKerchie Sr. of Sugar Island, Michigan passed away Friday, May 4, 2012 in Sault Ste. Marie, MI. Cub was born on August 10, 1928, the son of Mary Jane McKerchie of Sugar Island and Pete Belleau of Garden, ONT and was raised on Sugar Island by Tauno and Alice Ruona. He married his wife of 63 years, Mary Joyce McKerchie, nee Niemitalo, on October 22, 1949. Cub was a Sault Tribe Elder and lifetime Amvets member. He enjoyed fishing, hunting, woodworking, gambling, traveling with the Sault Tribe Elders and spending time with his grandchildren and great grandchildren. Cub was enlisted in the United States Navy from 1946 to 1949 as a Corpsman and served overseas in Guantanamo Bay, Cuba. After the Navy, he was a mechanic and started working for the Chippewa County Road Commission in 1960 and retired after 31 years of employment. Cub and Mary were foster parents for many years and Cub had such charisma about him. He made so many friends over the years and was so easy going. Those who knew him will miss his unique sense of humor and his stories of his travels. In his later years he enjoyed bird watching at his home on Sugar Island with his best friend, Papoose, sitting on his lap. He is survived by his wife Mary, his sons Harold "Bud" (Linda) of Mobile, AL, Robert "Bob" (Carolyn), Ronald (Bonnie), his daughters Jane (Robert) TenEyck, Joan (Gary) Hill, Julie (Dooder) Kinney and former daughter in-law, Anita McKerchie all of Sault Ste. Marie, MI and his 36 grandchildren and 33 great-children. Also surviving Cub, are his brothers, Lloyd (Sara) Ruona of Penhook, VA, Keith (Yvonne) Ruona of Brunswick ME, and his sisters, June Belleau of Garden River, Rita McKerchie of Sault Ste. Marie, Karen (James) Bumstead of Sault Ste. Marie, Sharon (John) Mustonen of Sugar Island, sister-in-law, Jackie McKerchie of Atlanta, MI and brother-in-law, Robert Niemitalo of Casleton, NY. He is preceded in death by both sets of his parents; his brothers: Merlin McKerchie of Sugar Island, MI and Jack McKerchie of Atlanta, MI. Services will be held on Tuesday, May 8, 2012 at C.S. Mulder Funeral Home with visitation starting at 10:00 AM for family and 11:00 AM until 12:30 PM for friends of the family, to be followed by a Mass service at St. Isaac Jogues with Brother John Hascall as celebrant. Burial will immediately follow at Maple Ridge Cemetery on Sugar Island. A dinner will be served afterwards at Niigaanagizhik Cultural Building. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Sault Tribe Unit 1 Elders and St. Isaac Jogues church.

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Harold "Cub" McKerchie, Sr.

August 10, 1928 - May 4, 2012