Frances (Reiber) Kukulis

Frances (Reiber) Kukulis

Formerly of Chesaning

 

Passed away Wednesday, July 27, 2016, at the Union Court Assisted Living in St. Charles, MI at the age of 98.  Her Funeral Mass will be celebrated at 11:00 am Wednesday, August 3, 2016 at the St. Peter Parish Catholic Church, 404 S. Wood Street, Chesaning.  Fr. William Gruden will officiate.  Burial will follow at the Resurrection Cemetery.  Visitation for Mrs. Kukulis will be from 2:00-8:00 pm Tuesday at the Misiuk Funeral Home of Chesaning.  Her family will be present at the church to welcome friends from 10:00 am Wednesday until time of the Mass.

 

Frances was born at home in Chesaning to Joseph and Lillian (Grinnewald) Reiber on July 31, 1917.  She was the third child of thirteen children.  At an early age, her duties included milking cows, care for the family’s horses and other animals on the farm, and assisting her mother in caring for her younger siblings.  She became adept at cutting hair through much practice on her brothers, a skill that came in handy later in her life with her own family.

 

Frances was married on April 14, 1944, in Teaneck, New Jersey to her fiancé, Tony Kukulis, while he was serving in the Army before he shipped off to Germany.  Frances worked at the Saginaw Gun Plant during WWII until Tony returned.  They took up residence in New Lothrop, Michigan and began raising their family, one daughter, Cecilia, and five sons, Richard, Terrence, Anthony, Gordon and Kent.

 

In 1955, the Kukulis family moved to a 40-acre farm on M-57 near Chesaning.   During the years the family was growing, Frances worked at A. G. Redmond Company and the Mitchell-Bentley Corporation of Owosso and at Roycraft Coach Company in Chesaning.

 

Frances and her husband, Tony, were avid bowlers, each carrying respectable averages, which eventually lead to Frances becoming a youth bowling instructor,  Many of her former students still share fond memories of her teaching them to bowl.

 

Frances additionally enjoyed baking, sewing clothing for her herself and her family, and quilting, a favorite hobby with numerous handmade quilts being gifted to family and friends.

 

Frances and Tony enjoyed summers at their cottage on Lake 13 near Farwell, Michigan until they moved to St. Cloud, Florida in 1982.  They were married for 57 years before Tony’s passing in 2001. 

 

Those left to cherish her memory included her children, Cecilia (Gerald, deceased) Verbrugge of St. Cloud, FL, Richard (Carol) Kukulis, Terry (Frances) Kukulis, Kent (Sharon) Kukulis, all of Chesaning, Anthony (Mary) Kukulis of Escanaba, and Gordon (Diane) Kukulis of Bay City; 14 grandchildren; 33 great-grandchildren; 4 great-great-grandchildren; her brothers and sisters, Agnes Klein, and Frank (Sally) Reiber of Chesaning, George Reiber of Bay City, Howard (Myra) Reiber of Oakley, Joseph Reiber of Merrill; sister-in-law, Patricia Reiber of Chesaning; brother-in-law, Fred (Ruth Ann) Toma of Chesaning; and numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews.

 

Those who have passed before her include her brothers, Fred, Edward, and Jack; and her sisters, Blanche, Edith, Esther, and Carole.

 

Frances’ family wishes to give a special thank you to Union Court Assisted Living and their devoted and loving staff, A & D Hospice, and also C.M.U. Health Nurse Practitioner, Chris Chesny.

 

They also fondly remember Mary Keane, who was Frances’ first Nurse Practitioner from C.M.U. Health.  May she rest in peace.

 

In lieu of flowers, charitable donations given in memory of Frances may be made for Alzheimer's and Dementia research.  Envelopes are available at the funeral home.

 

Please share your online condolences at misiukfuneralhome.com.