Gail Marie Kocher | News, sports, jobs

Known and loved by many in the area for her years of service as a hospital radiologist and president of the Ontonagon County Fair, her loss will be deeply felt by all. After decades of valiantly overcoming the effects of rheumatoid arthritis, her family finds solace in knowing that she will join Pa (her father) in heaven.

Married to her sweetheart for 39 years, Gail was a loving and devoted wife to her husband Michael, a wonderful mother, Nana, friend, artist and a proud Finn.

She grew up on a farm in Bilke, where she learned hard work and a love of animals. Animals of all kinds sensed Gail’s loving nature, and they gathered around her like Snow White—birds eating from her hand, dogs following without command, and alpacas and llamas adoring her and never daring to spit in her surroundings. Her service to the community echoed that of her late father, as Gail devoted many years to the Ontonagon County Fair as president and later remained actively involved by proudly showing her family’s alpacas, llamas and chickens as well as hosting art classes for youngsters.

After graduating from Baraga High School, Gail attended Michigan Tech University to study Biology and later completed her education at Good Samaritan School of Radiologic Technology. After finishing school, she met the love of her life, her husband Michael. Together they raised their family on a small farm in the Mass area. In the summer months, as Michael was often deployed for weeks at a time to work on wildfires as part of his job with the U.S. Forest Service, Gail took on the additional family responsibilities and kept things going with a real SISU show. While her children were still young, she focused on raising children and trapping animals. Later, when the children were a little older, she returned to work part-time as a radiology technician, eventually becoming a mammographer and leading the radiology department. She spent her career at Ontonagon Hospital caring for others.

Her artwork and photography, done under the name Fox Road Farm, captured Gail’s eye for beauty in nature. Painting, sculpting, felting, and even playing music on traditional Finnish kantele that she handcrafted at Suomi College were just a few of her favorite ways to share the beauty she saw in everything. She was proud to live in the Cooper area and cherished all that Lake Superior had to offer. She especially enjoyed the birds, the old barns, and expressing her Finnish heritage, which a few years ago meant taking a trip to visit Finland with her mother and sister. She also enjoyed attending local craft fairs with her sister Sandy to sell her artwork and alpaca products.

Gail was strong in her faith and shared that faith and strength with her family. She married her husband, Michael, at Winola Lutheran Church nearly four decades ago, and the years since have seen children and grandchildren married and baptized there.

In the tradition of multiple generations contributing to the growth and stability of a family, Gail and Michael shared the joy of being intimately involved in the lives of those they loved. Over the years in the East Branch neighborhood, there have been skinned knees, tears, laughter, saunas, campfires, music, trampolines, farm chores, mosquito bites, and a deer season full of challenges and triumphs, but above all, there has always been love .

We will truly miss her.

Gail was preceded in death by her father, Ronald Moilanen. She is survived by her mother, Eileen (Tom) Moilanen, her husband, Michael, her sister, Sandy (Jerome) Johnson, her children, Christopher Moilanen, Stephanie (Richard) Lake, Matthew (Nicole) Kocher, and Eric (Kelsey) Kocher, and her grandchildren, Henry, August, and Anneliese. Brielle, Emma, ​​Cassin, Lynn, and Eliana.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to the Ontonagon County Fair Association or Winola Lutheran Church.

Burial will be in Rousseau Cemetery in Bohemia. At a date to be determined in the spring of 2025, followed by a celebration of life.

Cane Funeral Home is assisting the family with arrangements.