Leola Wertanen

Leola Lenore (Gustafson) Wertanen was born July 21, 1927, in Cedarville, Michigan.  Lenore died at age 96 on February 6, 2024.  She passed in her apartment in Plymouth under Hospice Care.

She is preceded in death by her parents:  John and Esther Gustafson 

Siblings:          Elmer Everet (Gus) Gustafson of Detroit, MI,

                        Theodore William (Ted) Gustafson of Detroit, MI                            

                        Edna Hildure (Gustafson) Smith of Detroit, MI

                        Una Adelia (Gustafson) Konola of Tampa, FL

                        Esther Evelyn (Ruth) (Gustafson) Cossey of Chandler, AZ

                        Carl Victor Gustafson of DeTour, MI

                        Arthur (Lennard) Gustafson of St. Louis, MO

                        Marilyn (Elaine) (Gustafson) Bailey of DeTour, MI 

Son:                 Steven Jesse Wertanen died September 1, 1999

Husband:         Jesse Leo Wertanen died January10, 2009

When Lenore came to Detroit for employment she was a shy young lady.  Her brother Ted and his wife Tyne helped her to get a job at Michigan Bell as a telephone operator.  She worked there many years and lived in a boarding house in Detroit.  She made friends with many other young ladies living there.    

Lenore met her husband through her neighbor.  Lenore and Jesse were married on December 11, 1965, in Detroit, Michigan.  They had a   beautiful son, Steven, on March 12, 1970.  Steven was diagnosed with autism and Aunt Lenore devoted her life to his care and well being.  Jesse, Lenore, and Steven enjoyed traveling though-out the country.  Steven died of a brain tumor on September 1, 1999.  Lenore and Jesse lived in Plymouth, Michigan.   They also had vacation homes in Hudson, Florida and Mass City, Michigan.  They spent many happy vacations with Jesse’s families.

Lenore also was a very talented watercolor artist and dressed fashionably.  Many of her nieces saw her every month when they met for a Cousins and Aunt Luncheon.   She was also excellent scrabble player and competed in the Fox Run Scrabble Club.  Lenore was also very spiritual and took Steven to many churches.

Lenore had macular degeneration, but was able to read almost to the very end.  She loved reading, especially biographies.  She has many nieces and nephews who will miss her dearly.   She knew all her nieces’ and nephews’ birth dates.  She followed many relatives on Facebook. 

Lenore's ashes will be buried in Glen Eden Cemetery next to Steven and Jesse in Livonia, Michigan.  There will be a Celebration of her Life in April.

If you would like to contribute, please consider Lenore’s favorite charities:  https://www.macular.org/want-to-help/opening-letter/donate    or   https://autism-mi.org/donate/