Obituary for Eleanor Mary Hornak (Rasmer)
Eleanor Mary (Rasmer) Hornak celebrated her 100th birthday on Feb. 4, 2022, and passed away the following day at My Michigan Medical Center in Alma.
A Funeral Mass for Eleanor will be held at Saint Hyacinth Church in Bay City on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. with her family’s close friend, Fr. Richard Jozwiak, officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Rite of burial will take place at a later date in St. Catherine Cemetery in Ossineke, MI, next to her husband Edward.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the Special Olympics of Michigan. Envelopes will be available at Clark Family Funeral Chapel in Mt. Pleasant and Saint Hyacinth Church.
Eleanor was born in Bay City, Michigan, the daughter of Stanley and Josephine (Tomaszewski) Rasmer. She grew up in a small home on Franklin Street and graduated from Bay City Central High School before being employed as a telephone operator.
She married Edward Hornak on June 20, 1942, in San Francisco, California, during World War II when Edward was a soldier in the U.S. Army protecting the Golden Gate Bridge. When he was shipped out to fight in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge, Eleanor returned to Bay City with their first child, James. After the war, Edward returned to Eleanor and Jim and they bought a house on Princeton Street in Bay City, where they added to their family: Carol, Paul and Mark. In 1954 the family moved to Ossineke located outside Alpena, Michigan. Edward’s refrigeration business blossomed and in 1961 he and Eleanor bought P & B Supply in Alpena. They sold the business in 1980 and retired to a home at Lost Lake Woods and a condo in Sarasota, Florida. Edward passed in 1991.
Eleanor was active as a Cub Scout leader, Bishop Sewing instructor, Little League scorekeeper, golf league member, TOPS, and St. Catherine’s women’s group member.
She leaves four children:
-- Jim and wife Joan of Mt. Pleasant, their son David and wife Anne of Holt and children Olivia and Max, and daughter Kristin and husband Fields Halsey of Spring Lake and children Fisher and Winn.
-- Carol (Jodi) of Traverse City and Gilbert, Arizona, her daughter Kelly and her children Emma, Kayla and Mikey of Queen Creek, AZ; and daughter Keri Jo and her husband Lt. Colonel JP Felmet and daughter Hope of Japan.
--Paul and wife Patrice of Ithaca and their three daughters Andrea and husband Nick Cheyne of Charlotte and children Aiden, Ethan and Amelia; Suzanne and husband Luke Allen of Waterford and their children Reagen and Nolen; and AnnMarie Hornak and twins JP and Levi of South Lyon.
--Mark of Wyoming, MI, and his sons Ryan and son Axl of Alpena, and Andrew and fiancé Jessica Stump of Ossineke.
Also surviving are her sister Harriet Jankowiak of Bay City and as well as numerous nieces and nephews and friends
A Funeral Mass for Eleanor will be held at Saint Hyacinth Church in Bay City on Thursday, Feb. 10, at 11 a.m. with her family’s close friend, Fr. Richard Jozwiak, officiating. The family will receive friends at the church from 10 a.m. until the time of Mass. Rite of burial will take place at a later date in St. Catherine Cemetery in Ossineke, MI, next to her husband Edward.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to St. Jude’s Children’s Hospital or the Special Olympics of Michigan. Envelopes will be available at Clark Family Funeral Chapel in Mt. Pleasant and Saint Hyacinth Church.
Eleanor was born in Bay City, Michigan, the daughter of Stanley and Josephine (Tomaszewski) Rasmer. She grew up in a small home on Franklin Street and graduated from Bay City Central High School before being employed as a telephone operator.
She married Edward Hornak on June 20, 1942, in San Francisco, California, during World War II when Edward was a soldier in the U.S. Army protecting the Golden Gate Bridge. When he was shipped out to fight in Europe, including the Battle of the Bulge, Eleanor returned to Bay City with their first child, James. After the war, Edward returned to Eleanor and Jim and they bought a house on Princeton Street in Bay City, where they added to their family: Carol, Paul and Mark. In 1954 the family moved to Ossineke located outside Alpena, Michigan. Edward’s refrigeration business blossomed and in 1961 he and Eleanor bought P & B Supply in Alpena. They sold the business in 1980 and retired to a home at Lost Lake Woods and a condo in Sarasota, Florida. Edward passed in 1991.
Eleanor was active as a Cub Scout leader, Bishop Sewing instructor, Little League scorekeeper, golf league member, TOPS, and St. Catherine’s women’s group member.
She leaves four children:
-- Jim and wife Joan of Mt. Pleasant, their son David and wife Anne of Holt and children Olivia and Max, and daughter Kristin and husband Fields Halsey of Spring Lake and children Fisher and Winn.
-- Carol (Jodi) of Traverse City and Gilbert, Arizona, her daughter Kelly and her children Emma, Kayla and Mikey of Queen Creek, AZ; and daughter Keri Jo and her husband Lt. Colonel JP Felmet and daughter Hope of Japan.
--Paul and wife Patrice of Ithaca and their three daughters Andrea and husband Nick Cheyne of Charlotte and children Aiden, Ethan and Amelia; Suzanne and husband Luke Allen of Waterford and their children Reagen and Nolen; and AnnMarie Hornak and twins JP and Levi of South Lyon.
--Mark of Wyoming, MI, and his sons Ryan and son Axl of Alpena, and Andrew and fiancé Jessica Stump of Ossineke.
Also surviving are her sister Harriet Jankowiak of Bay City and as well as numerous nieces and nephews and friends