Phyllis Josephine Kettunen, 76, passed away on January 22, 2014 at the North Shore Care Center, after a difficult battle against breast cancer.
Phyllis was born March 19, 1937 in Fancher, Wisconsin to Florian and Regina (Stankowski) Groshek. She attended St. Michael’s Grade School and graduated from Newman High School in Wausau, Wisconsin in 1955.
She lived in Grand Rapids in the late 1970s and worked at the Grand Rapids Public Library.
Phyllis and her then-husband Ken Kettunen owned and operated the locally owned Cook County News- Herald for over a decade, working with their sons, Hal and Jon. Phyllis served as receptionist and more.
After the Kettunens sold the paper, Phyllis retired to Grand Rapids until moving back to Grand Marais to be near family in November 2008. She was delighted to be able to see her son Hal and his wife Deidre continue the family tradition and take ownership of the Cook County News-Herald.
Phyllis was a wonderful cook and enjoyed cooking for friends and family when her health allowed. She especially enjoyed eating the fish caught by her family.
Her favorite activities were watching her soap operas and playing Yahtzee and the dice game 5000.
Phyllis was preceded in death by her parents and son, Jon Kettunen.
She is survived by son Hal Kettunen (Deidre); grandchildren Carrie (Pete) Czerwony of West Chester, Pennsylvania, Andrew Kettunen of West Chester, Pennsylvania and Nathan (Bre) Kettunen of Grand Marais; great-children Gaige, Hunter, Payton and Kaydum; and brothers Robert (Marilyn) Groshek, Frisco, Texas, Kenneth (Joyce) Groshek, Weston, Wisconsin, Anthony (Barbara) Groshek, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Lawrence (Emily) Groshek, Kronenwetter, Wisconsin and Alan (Jane) Eland, Wisconsin.
The family would like to thank the North Shore Care Center activities department for making her days there enjoyable. She loved polka night and bingo. Thanks also to the doctors and staff at the North Shore Hospital and Care Center for making Phyllis’s last days as comfortable as possible.
A family memorial will be held at a later date.
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