Lynn Emerick

Born in Knoxville, Tennessee to Helen Elizabeth Crowe and William Joseph McGlothlin II, she was also the granddaughter of Manistique, Michigan pioneers Bertha Mae Orr and William Scott Crowe. She graduated from Manistique High School and Michigan State University with additional coursework for a master’s degree in Special Education. She worked as a Speech Pathologist in the rural schools of Ingham County Michigan and western Minnesota.

While at MSU, she met Lon Emerick. They were married in Manistique in 1958; his work in Speech Pathology and Audiology later took them to universities and colleges in West Virginia, Western Minnesota, Marquette and later temporarily to Northern Arizona. While in Arizona, she volunteered with the Volunteer in Parks (VIP) program in Sunset Crater-Wupatki and Walnut Canyon National Monuments.

Raising twin daughters meant that traveling to schools as an itinerant speech pathologist was out; it was a special time at home with them. Later, she was an Associate Director of the U.P Health Systems Agency, managed U P wide Emergency Medical System grants for equipment and training programs and obtained funding for the UP-EMS agency, which is still active today. She was the Executive Director of the Marquette County Commission on Aging 1980-1994. She helped to establish the Retired Senior & Volunteer Program in the county, as well as a Home Care Specialist training program, Care Management services and a volunteer respite program. She later set up Emerick Consulting, doing special projects for hospitals, youth agencies, universities and other non-profit agencies.

She and her husband established North County Publishing and released nine books related to the Upper Peninsula, including, with her sister Ann Weller: Lumberjack – Inside an Era in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, a 50th Anniversary expanded edition of William Crowe’s account of the early lumbering days.

She served on boards or committees of United Way, Red Cross, AMCAB, Senior Meals Program, Senior Service Providers and the Marquette County Aging Services Committee. In that role, she and Joan Haara developed a Senior Services Directory which was widely distributed by the county in 2019. She later volunteered with The New Free Store, the Peter White Public Library, Little Brothers Friends of the Elderly and the UP Land Conservancy. With her husband, Lon , she adopted several North Country Trail sections and twice, with Lon as support crew, completed the 100-mile hiking challenge. She served in a volunteer community organization which protected Little Presque Isle from industrial development in the late 1960s and later on a DNR committee which protected the area from a drive-in vehicle campground on fragile soils. It was one of her very favorite places in the peninsula.

She is survived by two daughters, who brought so much joy: Lynn Elizabeth Emerick of Whitefish, Montana, and Mary Ellen Emerick (Jerry Hustafa) of Joseph, Oregon; sister, Ann Weller, who gave books, chocolate and encouragement in difficult times; nephew, Stephen Underwood; niece, Susan Ann Goff; and sister in law, Evelyn Emerick.

She was preceded in death by her husband of 64 years, Lon Emerick, an infant son Andrew Scott Emerick, and brother- in- law Herb Weller.

Honoring Lynn’s wishes, no services will be held.

If donations are desired, some of her favorite places were WNMU- PR 90, The Emerick Book Fund of the NMU Foundation, and the Yellow Dog Watershed Preserve.

The family wishes to thank friends and neighbors for their caring and support.

The obituary is available at fassbenderswansonhansen.com where memories may be shared.