Pauline M. Murray

Pauline M. Murray, 95, of Helps, MI, passed away peacefully surrounded by her family on Tuesday, January 17, 2023. Pauline was born May 19, 1927 in Felch, MI, daughter of the late Jonas and Emma (Dixon) Sundholm. She graduated from Felch High School in 1945 and was a lifelong resident of the area. Pauline married John Murray on November 27, 1946, in Hardwood, Michigan. John preceded her in death in 2000. Pauline was a lifelong member of the Zion Lutheran Church in Felch and also helped with functions at St. Joseph’s Catholic Church and the Mission Covenant Church both of Foster City. John and Pauline were inseparable. They built their quaint home in Helps, MI, where they happily raised their four children. They worked together logging and building a sawmill business where she was the tail sawyer. They hunted, fished and trapped together. They enjoyed many summers at Six Mile Lake where they built a cabin with Bally and Helen Mattson and Phil and Jane Monterosso. Pauline enjoyed gardening, canning, sewing, quilting, and berry picking. She was a gifted cook and her pies, sweet rolls and homemade ravioli were only topped by her fried chicken. She was famous for her Swedish rye bread, making it for area weddings and funerals and meals at all area churches. She built floats for the Fourth of July parades and threw upwards of four hundred and fifty loaves of her bread to onlookers. She was dubbed, “The Bread Lady” by the Daily News, appearing on the front page. She loved crossword puzzles, playing cards, and a good game of Scrabble. She was a talented seamstress able to make things without patterns. She was the family barber and beautician. She is pictured on the outdoor mural on the Daily News building, strumming her guitar as she used to do with Johnny as they harmonized to their favorite tunes. She enjoyed everyone, often having extended conversations with complete strangers. She loved going to sporting events. She always went to watch her sons, Bruce and Gus, play baseball with the Felch Rangers and later watched as her grand and great grandsons and granddaughters played. She coached Scott as he trained for the X-games and loved watching basketball and volleyball at North Dickinson. She loved the U.P. and always said there was nowhere else in the world she would rather be. She cherished time spent with her family especially her grand, great grand, and great great grandchildren calling them all her babies. She taught us all that we had a choice and that choice was to do good. Jesus said to, “Love your neighbor" and that is how Pauline lived her life. Pauline is survived by her children, Paula Reynolds, Bruce Murray, August “Gus” (Kris) Murray and Tina (Mark) Anderson; grandchildren, Heidi (Steve) Johnson, Mick (Heidi) Reynolds, Scott (Connie) Murray, Emily (Ben Aho), Manley Murray, AJ (Emily) Murray, Ellen (Josiah) Penniman, Amy Hord, Steve (Fawn) Anderson, David (Nikki) Anderson, and Jim (Tracy) Anderson; 37 great-grandchildren; 5 great-great-grandchildren; and many nieces and nephews. In addition to her parents and husband, she was preceded in death by an infant son, Russell; a great-grandson, Abram Johnson, a great-great-grandson, Wade Johnson; a son-in-law, Michael Reynolds; her brothers, Sigfred Sundholm and Arlington “Sunny” Sundholm; and her sisters, LaVerne Balzarini, Esther Moroni Paquette, Jennie Budek Nelson, Jane Monterosso, Helen Mattson and Beverly Ovist. Visitation will be held on Friday, Jan. 20th from 4:00 pm to 7:00 pm CST at the Erickson-Rochon and Nash Funeral Home in Iron Mountain and on Saturday, Jan. 21st from 10:00 am to 11:00 am CST at Zion Lutheran Church in Metropolitan. Funeral services will follow at 11:00 am CST on Saturday at the church. Pastor Joe Basso will officiate. Burial will be in the Foster City Cemetery in the spring. Pallbearers will be Mick Reynolds, Scott Murray, Steve, David and Jim Anderson, Manley and AJ Murray, and Steve Johnson. A special thanks to Scott, Connie, Eli and Charlie Murray and Steve, Heidi, Lydia, Daniel, Maggie, Caleb, Phoebe, Timmy, Mary Emma and Ezra Johnson for the wonderful loving care they gave to Grammy Pauline, also to the home health service, Nordic ambulance crew, and the medical staff at Michigan-Wisconsin Family Practice and the Marshfield Dickinson Hospital. Condolences to the family of Pauline Murray may be expressed online at www.ernashfuneralhomes.com The family has entrusted the Erickson-Rochon & Nash Funeral Home of Iron Mountain with the funeral arrangements.

Pauline M. Murray

May 19, 1927 - January 17, 2023