Today we celebrate the life and transformation of Jeanette Leaman. Jeanette is remembered by her family and friends as being loving, caring, and someone who always enjoyed the fun part of life! She is also remembered for her resiliency while facing life's tragedies and her ability to rejoice in life's blessings.

Jeanette's incredible journey crosses two centuries. She began her life as the daughter of a miner and a farmer. Her family worked hard and she did her share of the farm chores. She often shared her own childhood memories as she worked alongside her children in the early years of tending farm in East Branch. Life's journey took her from outdoor toilets and plowing fields with horses to using computers and driving the freeways.

Jeanette was the daughter of Waino and Lily Perttunen and the sister of Ralph Perttunen. The Perttunen family resided in many parts of the Country and ultimately settled in East Branch where Waino and Lily had a farm. Jeanette is a graduate of Mass High School. From high school, Jeanette traveled to Chicago to earn her cosmetology license. She worked as a cosmetologist for several years and was the co-owner of the Beauty Nook in Mass.

In 1948, Jeanette married her high school sweetheart, Earl Coffey. Together they had two children; Michael and Melody (DeeDee). Once Earl was discharged from the Army, the young family began planning their lives together and moved to Racine, Wisconsin. After Earl's tragic and untimely death in 1950, Jeanette returned to her family home in East Branch where she lived with and near her parents while raising her two very young children.

In 1953, Jeanette married Arthur Leaman and was blessed with three additional children: Sandra, John, and Shirley. Together Art and Jeanette raised their blended family in their East Branch home. They were both active members of the Mass area community and were both business owners in town. Jeanette was involved with Eastern Star, the Ladies Auxiliary, and the Ladies of Kaleva. They were active and founding members of the Adventure Camera Club and belonged to several other local organizations and community groups. Art and Jeanette loved to travel and took many vacations with their children and together. Some of their most memorable trips include the Circle Tour of Lake Superior, driving trips to California that took the family through most of the states and National landmarks west of the Mississippi River, a trip to Hawaii, and a trip to Finland where they found their roots and met several extended family members. The family all remembers packing seven people (and sometimes a couple of dogs) in that old brown station wagon, driving . . ., driving . . ., and driving until they reached their destination. Jeanette and Art visited 49 out of the 50 states and several countries some of which include; Mexico, Canada, Finland, and Sweden. In their later years, Jeanette and Art were very active in the Tin Can Sailors organization where they were able to travel and spend time with many old and new friends. For Jeanette and Art, the adventure was in the journey and they built many fond memories around these expeditions.

During their honeymoon to California, Art promised Jen that one day they would leave the bitter cold winters of Michigan and move to the land of sunshine. In 1965, that promise finally came to fruition. With three children left at home; Jeanette, Art, Shirley, Mike, and DeeDee moved to the Los Angeles area of California. Jeanette and Art bought their first California home in Canoga Park where Jeanette learned to drive the Los Angeles freeways and took a bookkeeping job at Bond's Clothing store. After retirement, they moved to Simi Valley and finally returned to Canoga Park in 2001. After Art's passing in 2001, Jeanette remained in their Canoga Park home for several years. She continued to enjoy spending time with friends and family while enjoying her role on the Resident's Board of their mobile home park, her arts and crafts clubs, card club, and spending time with her friends. Jeanette enjoyed sewing, painting, knitting, crocheting, playing cards, dancing, and her Wednesday morning "coffee clutch."

Jeanette was an accomplished tailor and in the early years made many of the clothes worn by her family and herself. Her artistry was also evident in her other needlework. Her family has been blessed by being the recipients of intricate lace dresses and home decorations as well as handmade quilts, knitted sweaters, several pairs of slippers, and warm winter hats and mittens. Jeanette's artistry was also expressed in her tooled leatherwork, copper relief work, and painting.

In her final years, Jeanette moved from her home in Canoga Park to live in an assisted living facility in Torrance, California. It is there that she passed from complications of her many chronic health conditions.

Jeanette and Art raised their five children together as one family. Sandra Simmons currently resides in the Detroit area of Michigan while John Leaman lives in El Segundo, California. Shirley Merz's residence is in Reseda, California with her husband Larry. Michael Coffey and his wife Sandi presently dwell in Mass (Mud Creek), Michigan. DeeDee (Melody Coffey-Love) and her husband Jack Love, Jr. are located in Torrance, California.

Jeanette and Art have been blessed with nine grandchildren: Pamela Dionne, Julie Wilson, and Heather Simmons (Sandra); Deanna and Jennifer Merz (Shirley); Tammy Sletto and Michelle Coffey-Michaels (Michael); and Erica McNeal and Jay Love (DeeDee). They have also been gifted with 17 great-grandchildren.

Jeanette is preceded in death by her parents, Waino and Lily Perttunen; her brother, Ralph Perttunen; both of her husbands, Earl Coffey and Arthur Leaman; and two of her great-grandchildren, Joseph Dionne and Kylie McNeal.

She is survived by all five of her children, all nine of her grandchildren, 15 of her great-grandchildren, several nieces and nephews, one brother-in-law, and four sister's in-law. Her sister's in-law include: Mildred Coffey, Helen Liimatainen, Margaret Maki , and Helen Perttunen. Lawrence Coffey is her sole surviving brother-in-law.

Jeanette is remembered fondly by many friends, a large extended family, as well as her children and their families. We rejoice that one day we will see her again heaven.

A visitation will be held on Thursday, May 27th at the Cane Funeral Home in Ontonagon from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services will take place Friday May 28th at the Cane Funeral Home at 11:00 a.m. Friends may call at the funeral home Friday morning from 10 a.m. until the start of the service. Burial will be in the Maple Grove Cemetery in Greenland.

Jeanette's obituary may be viewed and condolences left at canefuneralhome.com.