TROUT CREEK, Mich. - Katherine "Catarina" Tacella Moilanen, 93, of Trout Creek, passed away on Saturday, April 30, 2022, at her home.
Katherine was born on Jan. 10, 1929, in Ishpeming, the eldest of 12 children to Thomas and Jennie (Pelkola) Metos. She attended school in Trout Creek.
On June 14, 1947, Katherine was united in marriage to William Henry Moilanen. They raised their family in Paynesville, Agate and finally in Trout Creek.
She was a faithful member of the Trinity Lutheran Church in Trout Creek.
Katherine was a very loving and caring mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend. She will be dearly missed.
Her greatest joy was her family. She loved to knit. For many years, she knitted hats, mittens and socks and donated them to the children's St. Nicholas project, as well as for her family and others. She also loved to cook and bake - hands often in bread dough. Her specialties were pasties, cookies and cinnamon rolls; often inviting others to "come over and have coffee."
Other than caring for her family, she worked at the Toomey Nursery in Watersmeet, as a cook at several hunting camps and at the Trout Creek elementary school for more than 10 years, as a housekeeper at a local ski resort and with the SCS program at the Kenton Ranger Station until 2005.
Katherine was preceded in death by her parents; her husband, William, in 1985; a son, William Curtis, in 1974; four brothers, James, George, John and Robert; and three sisters, Mary DeZur, Jennie Koski and Dorothy Metas.
She is survived by five sons, Robert, James (Pamela Harmann), Daniel and Michael, all of Trout Creek, and David (Caroline), Pleasant Prairie, Wisconsin; a daughter, Arlene, Trout Creek; three grandchildren, Jeremy (Regan) Moilanen, Ewen, and Tyler and Carly Moilanen, both of Pleasant Prairie; a great-grandson, Cooper, Ewen; two brothers, Alex (Brenda) Metas, Bruce Crossing, and Thomas (Cis) Metas, Milwaukee; two sisters, Effie Thomas, Bruce Crossing, and Sylvia (Sam) Sain, Marquette; and many nieces, nephews and cousins.
A funeral service will be held on Monday, May 9, at 3 p.m., EDT, preceded by visitation at 1:30 p.m., EDT, at the Trinity Lutheran Church in Trout Creek, with the Rev. Micheal Laakko officiating.
Interment will take place at the Trout Creek Cemetery.
Jerald Rocco, owner and manager of Lakeside Memorial Chapel Inc., in Wakefield, is assisting the family with their arrangements.