Grosse Pointe News - Local History Archives

May 16, 1991
Grosse Pointe News
= G. Thomas Taylor
ServIces were held May 10 at
bt Paul Church In Grosse
pomte Farms for G Thomas
Taylor, 78, recently of Macomb
Township. He died May 6,
1991, at Bon Secours HospItal
10 Grosse Pointe.
Born In DetrOit, Mr. TaYlor
was a longtime resident of
GIOsse Pomte and worked In
the automotIve Industry.
He started hIS career In 1935
at Mack.GratlOt Chevrolet as a
salesman, and later became
used car manager. After servo
109 In the U.S Coast Guard
during World War II, he was
named general manager of
Woody Pontiac In Hamtramck
10 August 1946
In 1949, he purchased a De.
Soto.Plymouth dealership In
Ferndale from Jim Robbins and
named the dealership Tom Tay.
lor DeSoto-Plymouth Inc.
He later purchased a Hudson
Motor Car dealership on East
Jefferson in Detroit, a Pontiac
dealership
in Buffalo, N.Y., and
Aileen Nord Kurtz
A memorial service was held
May 11 at Christ Church in
Grosse POinte Farms for Aileen
Nord Kurtz, 74, of Grosse
POinte Park. She dIed May 9,
1991, after an elght.month hat.
tie With cancer.
another Pontiac dealership on JUleeD Nord Kurtz
Michigan Avenue in Detroit.
The last dealershIp he owned Mrs. Kurtz was born on Sept.
was Tom Taylor Buick located 6, 1916, in St. Paul, Minn. She
on Gratiot near Houston.Whit. was married to Kenneth W.
tier in Detroit. Mr. Taylor reo Kurtz on Sept. 3, 1938, in St.
tired from the automobile busi. Paul. The couple lived in St.
ness In 1970. Paul and C10cinnati before
During hIS automotive career moving to Grosse Pointe Park
he was a member of the Na. in 1955.
tlOnal Automobile Dealers As. Mrs. Kurtz was an aVId sup.
soclation, the MIchigan Auto- porter of the Detroit Institute
mobl1e Dealers Association and of Arts, where she was a gal.
the Detroit Automobile Dealers lery aide, a member of the
Association. Founders Society and served on
During the time he owned several committees.
the Buick dealership, he was She also was affiliated with
elected president of the Greater the Detroit Zoological Society,
Detroit Buick Dealers Associa. the Grosse Pointe Sail Club,
tlon. the Crescent Sail Yacht Club
An 'lvid boater, he was a life and the Fine Arts Society of
member of the Detroit Yacht Detroit.
Club, where he was a past pres. She is survived by her hus.
Ident of the DYC Pelicans and band, Kenneth; sons, Kenneth
• one of its original members. Nord Kurtz of Miami Fla., Jef-
• He is survived by his wife, frey St. Clair Kurtz of Detroit,
: Shirley J.; daughter.in-Iaw, Christopher Karl Kurtz of Ann
• Sandra Peacock Taylor; four Arbor; four grandchildren; sis.
: grandchildren and a great- ter, Lavone Leonard of Hunts.
: granddaughter. He was pre. ville, Texas; brother, Vernon
• ceded in death by his son, Wil. Nord of St. Paul.
Ham G. Taylor. Memorial contributions may
Arrangements were made by be made to the All Saints Fund
the Chas Verheyden funeral at. Christ Church, 61 G~
, home in Grosse Pointe Park. Pomte Blvd., Grosse Po1Ote
Entombment was in .»euet" ~ Mich. 48236"
, Olivet. cemete1! .in Detroit. Terry Weber Turner
Memonal contnbutlons may be
made to the Michigan Humane Services will be held at 10
Society a.m. Friday, May 17, at St.
Richard E. Distel Paul's C!1tholic Church in
ServIces were held May 10 at Grosse Pomte Farms for Terry
St Clare of Montefalco Church Weber Turner, 51, of Dearborn.
In Grosse Pointe Park for RIch. She died May 11, 1991, in Eng.
ard E. Distel. A resident of land.
Grosse POinte Park for 50 Mrs. Turner grew up in
years, he dIed May 7, 1991, at Grosse Pointe, and graduated
Bon Secours Nurs10g Center in from St. Ambrose Cathohc
St. Clair Shores, at the age of High School in Grosse Pointe
87 Park and St. Mary's College in
Mr. Distel was born in Stutt- South Bend, Ind.
gart, Germany, and came to At the ti!'1e of her death, she
the United States as a young had bee? In England for two
man. He founded the Distel years WIth her husband, who
Tool and Machiut: Co. in War. :es there on a thn:c year asren
in 1938 and retired four slgnment for Ford Motor Co.
years ago. ' He is the company's director of
He was one of the founders of design of European operations.
St John Hospital in Detroit, St. Mrs. Turner is. survived by
Joseph's Home for the Aged her husband, DaVId C. Turner
. and St. Clare of Montefal~ Jr.; daughter, Kathryn Turner
Church in Grosse Pointe Park.
He was also a charter member
of the Tooling Manufacturen.
Insurance Group and a member
of the Detroit ToolIng AssocIation.
He loved to travel.
Mr. Distel is survived by hIS
son, RIchard H. DIstel of Grosse
Pointe Farms; six grandchil.
dren; one great-grandchild;
and a sISter, Liesl Eberhardt of
Ruit, Germany. He was preceded
in death by his wife,
Rose.
Arrangements were made by
the Chas Verheyden funeral
home in Grosse Pointe Park
Bunal was In Mount Ohvet
cemetery in Detroit. Memorial
contributions may be made to
the MIchIgan Arthntis
Founda.
tlon, 27308 Southfield Road,
Lathrup Village, Mich. 48076
Gertrude Blumenstock
ServIceS were held May 10 at
the A.H. Peters funeral home
In Grosse POinte Woods for
Gertrude Blumenstock, 86, of
Grosse POinte Shores. She dIed
of pneumoma on May 7, 1991,
at Bon Secours HospItal In
Grosse POinte
Born m Detroit, MISS Blu.
menstock worked at DetroIt
EdIson for 40 years She retired
as an executIve c;ecretary In
1971 She was a member of the
Wmdsor Figure Skatmg Club
She IS SUrviVed by her
nephew, Dr Arthur C Blumen
stock
Bunal was In Gethsemane
cemetery In Detroit
- -,
of Dearborn; sons, ChrIS Turner
and Wilham Turner, both of
Dearborn, David Turner of Cm
cinnatl, Steven Turner of Los
Angeles; and brothers, DICk
Weber of Grosse Pointe, DaVId
Weber of South Bend and
Harry and Mark Weber, both of
Detroit.
Interment will be held Satur.
day, May 18, at the St Paul
ColumbarJUm in Grosse Pomte
Farms Memonal contnbutlOns
may be made to the Marie
Curle FoundatIOn in London,
England
Virginia L. (Lipka)
Brykalski
ServIceS were held May 15 at
Transfiguration ChW'ch in De.
troit for Vlrgima L. (Lipka)
Brykalski, 59, of Warren, formerly
of Grosse Pointe Woods.
She died May 12, 1991.
Born in Detroit, Mrs. Brykalski
attended St. Ladislaus High
School in Hamtramck and the
Catholic University in Washington,
D.C. She worked 88 a
nW'8e at Ford Hospital in Detroit,
St. Joseph Hospital in
San Diego, the Detroit Public
Health Department and the
Chrysler Corp.
She was a member of Orchard
Lake Ladies Auxiliary
Chapter 20, the PolIsh Wom.
en's Alliance 481, the Polish
Activities League, and the Macomb
County Women's Dental
Awuliary.
Mrs. Brykalski was also ac.
tive WIth the Grosse Pointe
Hockey Association and enjoyed
playing softball with her child.
ren.
She is SurvIVed by her husband,
Dr. Julius Brykalski;
daughters, Linda Trese, Valerie
Brykalski; sons, Joseph, Robert,
Michael; sisters, Irene Stach,
Helen McCraven; and brother,
Stanley Lipka.
Arrangements were made by
the Wysocki funeral home in
WOOTen. Burial was in Holy
Cross cemetery in DetroIt.
Memorial contributions
-.
may be
made to the Michigan Cancer
Foundation.
Walter Ragen Frizzell
A memorial service will be
held at 2 p.m. May 18 at
Grosse Pointe United Church
in Grosse Pomte Farms for
Walter Ragen Fnzzell, 84, for.
merly of Grosse Pointe Shores.
He died May 10, 1991, at
Henry Ford Continuing Care
Belmont Center in Harper
Woods, follOWInga long illness
An attorney, Mr. Frizzell
served as counsel to the Inter.
state Commerce Commssion
from 1938 to 1943, the Office of
Defense in 1943, and as corporate
counsel to General Motors
Corp. from 1943 to 1972.
His papers documenting cor.
porate history, as it relates to
the transportation industry, are
indexed for research and study
at General Motors instItute m
their collection of IndustrIal
History.
Mr. Fri1:lell also served as
treasurer of Grosse Po1Ote
Shores
1984.
L£:J:.o
Building Co.
• Family Rooms • Kitchens
• Bedrooms • Dormers
• Decks
882-3222
from May 1970 to May
He IS surVIved by hiS WIfe,
Grace, daughters, Elleanor
Howe and Mary O'Rourke, foW'
grandchildren and a great.
granddaughter
Arrangements were made by
the Chas Verheyden funeral
home m Grosse POinte Park.
Burial will be In Cedar Hill
cemetery In Washmgton, DC
MemOrial contnbutlOns may
be made to Alzheimer's Re
search
Barbara 1. Belanger
Services were held May 7 at
Our Lady Star of the Sea
Church m Grosse POinte Woods
for Barbara J Belanger, 62, of
Gl'Osse POinte Woods She dIed
May 3, 1991, at St John Hospl'
tal In DetrOIt, of respiratory
failure and lung cancer
Born In DetrOIt, Mrs Belanger
was preSIdent of John A
Belanger ASSOCiates Inc, man.
ufacturers' representatives In
the food mdustry, and worked
In the bUSIness until the time
of her death
She enjoyed travelmg and
gardening.
Mrs Belanger is survived by
her daughters, Linda Stephen'l,
Martha Hage; sons, Jeffrey,
DaVid, Peter, Paul; 11 grandchildren;
SIster, Ruth Beach;
and brother, Howard Snyder
She was preceded In death by
her husband, John A. Belanger,
m 1981
Arrangements were made by
the A H. Peters funeral home
in Grosse POinte Woods BurIal
was In Mount Olivet cemetery
In DetrOIt MemOrial contributIOns
may be made to the
American Heart Association or
the Michigan Cancer Foundation
Bertha M. (Juers)
Pettke
Services were held May 9 at
the Chas Verheyden funeral
home In Grosse Pointe Park for
Bertha M. (Juers) Pettke. A resident
of Grosse Pointe Park
since 1952, she died May 6,
1991, at Bon Secours Hospital
in Grosse Pointe, at the age of
86.
Mrs Pettke was }.:Jrn in New
York City on June 6, 1904, and
moved to the Detroit area WIth
her famlly as a girl She began