"I am late in posting, but the wishes are heartfelt for her family and friends. She was a special friend and neighbor. I am very glad to have gotten to know her the last ten years. You would frequently run into her shopping at St Vinny?s or a local estate sale. She was usually up for a neighborhood gathering. She will be missed. I think about her every time I walk or drive by her house. "
In loving memory of
DOROTHY L. VAHER
June 20, 1935 - February 6, 2021
Dorothy L. Vaher, 85, of Gwinn, passed away on Saturday, February 6, 2021 at U.P. Health System- Marquette.
Dorothy was born on June 20, 1935 in Harvard, IL to the late Charles and Marie (O'Brien) Bourdage. She was a graduate of Harvard High School.
Dorothy was a frequent visitor to the Forsyth Township Senior Center in the Gwinn Clubhouse. She was a bridge player extraordinaire and trivia expert. Dorothy was also an avid Green Bay Packers fan.
She is survived by her children, Mark (Stacie) Vaher, Laura (Jay) Ware and Tami Vaher; grandchildren, Shannon, Janet, Kasie, Kelli, Andrea, Brian, Tia, Ian, Eden and Evan; great grandchildren, Fred Jr., Su-Jin, Ellis, Avet, Kieren and Athena; sibings, Katherine Lindell, Irene Aspeslet and Edward Bourdage: special nephew and niece, Irv & Barb, and their families; as well as her lake friends, Caroline & Allen, Gina & Jim, Fran & Joe, Sue & Bill, Lois, Kathy and many other special friends. Besides her parents, Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, Arnold Vaher, son, Carl Vaher and her siblings, Charles, Frances, Mary, Robert, Lorretta and Leo.
A celebration of Dorothy's life will take place at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, memorials may be directed to the Gwinn Clubhouse/Forsyth Township Senior Center, P.O. Box 668, Gwinn, MI 49841.
A special thank you to the doctors and nurses, especially Dr. Gibbon, at U.P. Health System- Marquette for the wonderful care Dorothy and her family received. Also extra thanks to Caroline and Gina for all of the extra care, support and love.
Canale Gwinn Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting Dorothy's family where memories may be shared at canalefuneral.com
Tributes
"My sincere condolences to the whole Vaher family. Dorothy was a sweet, fun lady - and a lovely next door neighbor. Mark, Laura and Tami, I am especially keeping you in my prayers. Also Carl. I am sorry to say I had not known of his passing. Our days as kids on Country Club Beach were privileged and care free...mostly made possible by our wonderful moms. Rest in peace, Dorothy. "
"My grandma was funny, wise, honest, and not afraid to speak her mind. She taught me so much about not letting anyone step on me, she was always straight forward with me, she encouraged me to pursue art and she always told me how proud she was that I made a career out of it. I hope I can be as tough as she was. I wish I could have seen her more than once a year, but im happy that I spoke to her at least once a month, sometimes more, over the past year. She always had stories to tell, and always had a song to sing. One phrase she used to sing a lot was, \"poor ol grandma, poisoned all the neighbors chickens\" to this day I dont know what song that came from but it would always make me laugh. I will miss her always, and I will find a way to do something really good for someone, to pass on an act of kindness like she requested. "
"I\'ll miss gossiping and trash talking the contestants on Big Brother with you!"
"Our neighborhood lost a special friend, Dorothy was a staple at all the neighborhood gatherings, she was always a fun loving person and great dog watcher. Dorothy will be missed by many, Rest in Peace Dorfus, we will miss you."
"When we used to go to the Up North Lodge for Trivia, we needed to have Dorothy on our team. It was amazing how much trivia she had in her head...old songs, old tv shows, names of actors, events, history, etc.! She was an avid reader and remembered it all! I wish I had pictures to share, but they?re in Michigan and I?m in Florida!"
"\"Aunt\" Dorothy always had a kind word for me. She was my link to the past, but always wanted to try new things. I remember getting her hooked on wasabi peas, and giardiniera. In college (mid 90s) I always knew that if I needed to get away, I could grab a friend and drive up to the UP for a weekend away. I am so glad that my wife and kids were able to meet her."
"What I will always remember about Grandma is how kind she was about the advice she gave. No matter your problem, she would be understanding and gentle. I used to call her every Saturday and Sunday on my lunch break at work and tell her about my day and what was going on in life. She would always start by asking me, ?what are you having for supper my Darling?? I learned all I could from Grandma. Now with everything that I have acquired from our talks and time together I will carry the knowledge with me wherever I go. She will always be in my heart. I will do my best to keep all my promises to her in return. So yes Grandma I will do my best to stay nice and sweet and love my family with everything that I have! I love and miss you everyday GG!
~Kellers "
"I will miss Aunt Dorothy. There is a saying: \"She knew no strangers\". She would always welcome anyone into her home and I often brought friends with me to spend time there. One of my earliest memories of her was visiting her , coming down the stairs, and watching her make pancakes for breakfast. She was adding beer to the batter--said she was making \"beer pancakes\". "
"Trying to have a conversation and you?d get three words in before she?d think of a song from a word you say. Then we?d start to challenge her with random words and every time she would think of a song ??"