John A Michaelis

John A. Michaelis

Lifelong Chicago Cubs fan John Albert Michaelis passed away on October 6, 2018 at the age of 88. John was born on September 1, 1930 in Oak Park, Illinois. He lived in Elmwood Park, Illinois with his father Ernwill R. Michaelis, his mother Judy Michaelis and his older brother Ernwill (Bud) Michaelis Jr. John graduated from Proviso East High School in 1948. That year, his parents bought undeveloped land in Manitowish Waters, Wisconsin and built one of the area’s last traditional resorts. Due to the abundance of birch trees on the property, the family chose Birch Bay Cabins as the name of the resort, positioned on the Manitowish River between Rest Lake and Stone Lake on the Manitowish Chain of Lakes. John met his one true love, Mary Ann Stuprich, in 1951, the second year that the resort was operational. Mary Ann and her family were guests at Birch Bay where John fell in love when he first sighted his sixteen-year old blonde princess and Mary Ann fell for the charming twenty one year old. They had a long distance relationship, as John was called to serve in the Korean War, where he was in active duty from 1951 to 1953. John was honorably discharged and received a Purple Heart along with various other medals while serving his country. In November of 1955, John and Mary Ann were married in Arlington Heights, Illinois. The calendar had not made a complete turn before Patrice Ann was born in October of the following year, followed by Michael Donald 1958, and Robert John in 1959. Then, sports fans, there was a break in the action prior to Thomas Richard’s arrival in the bottom of the 16th in March of 1969. John was employed by the United States Postal Service for over 30 years; first as a clerk, then as Acting Postmaster, and finally as Postmaster. Some say John never really ‘acted’ as a full-fledged Postmaster, as rubber spiders, snakes, and a large rubber rat sometimes made it into unsuspecting customer's postal boxes. John was also noted for writing comments such as ”clear the roads” on first-time recipients of their driver’s license. John’s greatest joy of being the Postmaster of Zip Code 54545 was his interaction with the fine people of Manitowish Waters. John loved living in the paradise of northern Wisconsin where he and Mary Ann were able to see deer, bear, fox, raccoons, squirrels, and hummingbirds from their picture windows. John loved feeding large groups of mallards and other birds, feeding peanuts to the chipmunks right from his hand, and watching the antics of the lowly crow. His other passions were crossword and word puzzles, jigsaw puzzles, Sudoku, and eating Mary Ann’s homemade pies, of which lemon meringue was his favorite (followed closely by banana cream, pecan, blueberry...) John and Mary Ann traveled extensively, visiting many European countries over the years. They were snowbirds in the winter and they enjoyed the warmth of Orange Beach Alabama for sixteen years. John also enjoyed collecting agates and other other interesting stones at Lake Superior’s beaches. He instilled his love of nature in all his children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren.

His Honor Flight to Washington D.C.in April 2014 was one of his most cherished memories. His favorite holiday was the Fourth of July. After a little cajoling from Mary Ann, he especially enjoyed riding on the Veteran’s float during the annual parade in Manitowish Waters. He was a true patriot and loved all things American, and he said the USA was “the greatest country in the world”. John is survived by his wife of almost sixty-three years, Mary Ann; his daughter Pat (George) Line, grandson Henry (Megann) Line, and granddaughter Emily Line; son Mike (Jackie), granddaughter Monica; son Bob (Beth), grandson Andrew; son Tom (Kim), and granddaughter Danielle (Troy) Carter along with 5 great-grandchildren. In all, five generations of the Michaelis family have enjoyed the beauty and wonder of Birch Bay over the past seventy years. We thank him for this legacy.


Memorial Service for John will be held on Saturday, October 13th at 6:00 PM at Nimsgern Funeral Home Chapel in Woodruff, WI with a Memorial Gathering from 4:00 PM till time of service. Reception at Nimsgern Funeral Home Reception Hall will follow the services.


In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a contribution to Frank B. Koller Memorial Library in Manitowish Waters or the Manitowish Waters Fire Company.


Online condolences may be shared at www.nimsgernfuenral.com


NIMSGERN FUNERAL & CREMATION SERVICES IS SERVING THE FAMILY.