Mayme E. Kaare

Mayme Eleanor Nuutinen Kaare was born November 27, 1926, in Trout Creek, Michigan. Her parents were Seeda Nuutinen and Emelia Plukka Nuutinen, who immigrated to the U. S. in the early 1900’s from Finland. They married in Ishpeming, Michigan and her two brothers, Toivo and George, were born there. In 1944, Mae went to Ohio to make money for her senior year in high school. She worked with her cousin Laila in a factory in Cleveland, where she made shell casings for 105 mm shells. She graduated as Valedictorian from Trout Creek High School in 1945. After graduation, her first job was at Settlers Coop in Bruce Crossing, Michigan. Later she moved out West to Washington state, as her brother Toivo and his family lived there. She obtained employment at a candy factory, where she developed her love of chocolates. Mae married Arvo Kaare of Trout Creek, Michigan on June 18 ,1949. She and Arvo moved to Detroit to obtain employment. She worked at J. L. Hudson store, and he worked as a carpenter. After getting married, they bought a house in Dearborn Heights, one of Detroit’s suburbs, and lived there for 30 years. Arvo and Mae had three children: Barbara Kaare-Lopez, married to Bernie Lopez, who lives in Denver, Colorado, and Diane Kaare Morrison who lives in Livonia, Michigan. Her son Gerald “Jerry” Kaare, died December 31, 1990, from complications of Diabetes. The family attended Christus Victor Lutheran Church in Dearborn Heights. When Arvo retired, they returned to live in her mother’s home in Trout Creek in 1980. Together they enjoyed life in Trout Creek until Arvo passed in 1999. Mae’s first language was Finnish, which she tried to no avail, to teach to her children. She loved to bake bread, pies, cakes and cookies. She liked to cross country ski, go on walks, read, knit and pick berries in the summer. She helped make pasties at Trinity Lutheran Church in Trout Creek. She taught her daughters the importance of maintaining your female friendships even if a new boyfriend, or husband, comes on the scene. When Mae was 80 years old, she confided in her daughter Barbara, that “I always wanted to be a nurse!” But she had no money to go to nursing school. Mae died on June 16, 2021. She is survived by her two daughters, and two nieces, who are the daughters of Toivo. They are Patty (Nuutinen) Lunsford of Dalton, Georgia, and Cindy Nuutinen of Rossville, Georgia. Her ashes will be buried in the Agate Cemetery, next to her husband Arvo and son Jerry, later this summer. Instead of flowers, please send any donations to Trinity Lutheran Church, 136 Division Street, Trout Creek, Michigan 49967. The memorial service will be held at Trinity at 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, July 18, 2021. A luncheon will follow in the American Legion Hall in Trout Creek. Please share a memory of Mayme on her tribute wall.