Arletta Yeske Obituary

Arletta "Lee" Yeske, 93, was lifted to her eternal heavenly home on Sept. 26, 2024.

A memorial service will be on Saturday, Oct. 5, with visitation from 11 a.m. to noon and service at noon at her church, Christ Lutheran, 4333 Cleveland Ave., Stevensville. Memorials can be made to Christ Lutheran Church or to C.S. Mott Children's Hospital, Ann Arbor at the University of Michigan for childhood cancer at www.michiganmedicine.org/fund/block-out-cancer.

On Jan. 2, 1931, Lee was born at home in St. Joseph to Gerhard and Catherine (Luhning) Reimann. She attended St. Matthews Lutheran School, keeping lifelong friendships with classmates. She graduated from St. Joseph High School in 1948. Lee earned a secretarial degree from Western Michigan University. She met Donald "Mick" Yeske in high school on a double date. Even though she was with another guy, within days Mick called on her. Most weekends, Mick found a buddy to drive him to Western to see her.

Lee worked at Whirlpool in secretarial duties for executives. Mick and Lee were married at St. Matthews on Aug. 18, 1951. They had three children: Keith, Beth and Jan. When their children were older, Lee joined Mick in his family's business, Yeske's Appliances, running the office. She and Mick worked there until their retirement in 1997. Lee thoroughly enjoyed playing bridge and poker with groups. She read hundreds of books at lighting speed. She enjoyed being in a bowling league throwing a 14-pound ball and holding a 180 average. Lee journaled every day. Her countless notebooks written in cursive are left for us to enjoy.

Surviving are her husband of 73 years, Donald "Mick" of St. Joe; son, Keith and his wife, Debbie (Head) Yeske and daughter, Jan Yeske Kalinas, all of St. Joseph, a daughter, Beth and her husband Randy Stump of Lupton, Mich., and Florida. Lee and Mick enjoyed visiting Florida near Beth and Randy. Also surviving are her grandchildren: Shannon (Yeske) and husband Jack Bauer of Bridgman, Bryan Yeske of St. Joe, Tracy Hickmott of Rockford Mich., Kelly (Hickmott) and her husband Landon Barnard of Fort Thomas, Ky., Jenna (Kalinas) and her husband Brandon Wyant of Benton Harbor and Chloe Kalinas of Grand Rapids, Mich. Lee also was proud of having 10 great-grandchildren. Also surviving is Lee's brother, Jerry and his wife, Janet (Ott) Reimann.

Preceeding Lee in passing are her brother, Kenneth and wife Connie (Armstrong) Reimann, and their son Chad, her parents: Gerhard and Catherine (Luhning) Reimann, her uncle Henry Luhning, her aunt Anna (Luhning) Beck and her grandparents Deitrich and Sophie Luhning.

Lee and Mick's ritual every day at 5 o'clock was enjoying a martini and toasting "to another day."