Melvin R. Sulkanen aka "The Rousseau Bear", 72 of Mass City passed away October 9, 2010 at Marquette General Hospital.

He was born in Pequaming, Michigan on May 8, 1938 to the late Martha and Konstu Sulkanen. He graduated from Mass High School in 1957.

On September 10, 1960 Melvin married Elsie Laitala. They celebrated 50 years of marriage this past Labor Day weekend with family and friends. He retired from the Ontonagon Paper Mill in September of 2000 after 41 years of work.

He was a member of the Wainola Lutheran Church in Mass City. He was a sportsman for all seasons; he was a passionate fisherman, hunter, trapper, golfer and bowler. In his younger years he played a lot of baseball and softball. He also threw a mean horseshoe. He spent more than 30 years running the hardwood as a MHSAA registered basketball official. He always found time to follow the Detroit Tigers and Green Bay Packers. He served the community with the Greenland Township Fire Department for more than 40 years. He was also the Bohemia township constable.

Melvin is survived by his wife, Elsie of Mass City; sons Jim (Lori) of Newan, Georgia; Bill (Amy) of Saginaw, Michigan; daughters Jean of Richfield, Minnesota and Judy of Muskegon, Michigan, grandchildren Matthew, Emily and Megan Sulkanen and Kylie Jones and Brother Kenneth (Marge) of Roscommon, Michigan; and numerous brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Glen and nephew Ronald.

Visitation will take place at the Cane Funeral Home in Ontonagon on Wednesday, October 13th from 5 p.m. to 8 p.m. Funeral services will be held Thursday at 1 p.m. from the St. Paul's Lutheran Church in Mass City with visitation from Noon until the time of the service.

Mel's obituary may be read and condolences left at canefuneralhome.com.