Yvonne Kralovec Obituary

Yvonne Kralovec, 68, of Caspian, Michigan, died peacefully on Saturday January 31, 2009 at the Iron River Care Center in Iron River, MI. It was an end to a long battle with diabetes. She was surrounded by her loving husband and sons, who flew from around the world to be at her side.

She was born on October 16, 1940 at the Stambaugh Hospital, the daughter of Arthur Alexander Heikkila and Silvia Wirtaanen. Arthur was a first generation Finnish-American immigrant and worked in the iron mines in the local area. After the mines closed, Arthur became a private contractor and built many homes and structures in Iron County. She used to tell us stories of growing up in the small town of Caspian with her six siblings and grandmother. They did not have indoor plumbing and used to take a sauna in leiu of baths. She used to get the cow from the pasture located on the slopes of Caspian hill. She had nine brothers and sisters, three died at birth. Silvia died from diabetes at age 51. Arthur remarried after the death of his wife, and eventually passed away from spinal cancer.

Yvonne was a 1958 graduate of Stambaugh High School. She worked at the Henry Ford Hospital in Detroit, Michigan in the medical records department for six months. She then got a job in Iron River as a receptionist for two doctors. She married Charles Kralovec on December 29, 1962 at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church and the couple made their home at 508 Baltic Avenue in Caspian. Yvonne converted to Catholicism being raised a Finnish Lutheran. Charlie was her brother Daniel’s basketball coach at the Caspian School and that is how they met.

They tried for many years to have children, as both wanted a large family. This was before fertility treatments. They adopted two sons through Catholic Social Services, receiving Bill in 1967 and Jim in 1968. In 1972 they were blessed with a pregnancy and the birth of a third son, Andy.

Yvonne loved sports! She was an avid fan of all the Michigan and Detroit sport teams. She listened or watched every Tiger baseball team for decades. She was a fine athlete, although ahead of her time as women in the 1950’s and 60’s were not encouraged to do sports. Yvonne won many bowling tournaments in the Upper Peninsula and Wisconsin. Her greatest series was 614 (224 high game) in a mixed doubles tourney in 1969. She won three honor counts (600 total pins for three games) in her career and finished with an average of 70 and a highest ever game of 238. She was an outstanding infielder in fast-pitch and slow-pitch softball. Twice her teams (Gil’s Mileage & Dina Mia Kitchens) won Upper Peninsula titles and were runners-up in the State of Michigan.

Her biggest sporting legacy however is coaching basketball. She coached girls’ basketball for 42 years. She coached at the elementary, middle school, and high school levels. She helped found the West Iron County High School girls’ basketball team in 1974. Later, her son Jim coached the girls team for years. She influenced the lives of thousands of young women through coaching. She had a gentle heart with the kids and really knew the game of basketball. Her teams regularly won tourneys and games.

She is survived by her husband Charles, three sons, William (Nadia) Kralovec of Belgrade, Serbia, James (Michelle) Kralovec of Iron Mountain, Michigan, and Andrew Kralovec of Quito, Ecuador. Also surviving are a brother Daniel Heikkila of Green Bay, Wisconsin; two sisters Ione (James) Condon of Crystal Falls, MI, and Darlene (Bernie) Williams of Oneida, Wisconsin. There are also six grandchildren, Scott Youngren, Tony, Beau, Owen, Oliver, and Ocean Kralovec and numerous nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by brothers Carl Maki, Wallace Heikkila, and a sister, Viola Nowicki.

Visitation will be today from 9 – 11:00 AM at the Saint Cecilia Church in Caspian. Funeral service will be also today at 11:00 AM at the St. Cecilia Church with Rev. Daniel Moll to offer the Mass of Christian Burial. Interment will be in the Stambaugh Cemetary in Iron River.

The family is asking memorial contributions made to the American Diabetes Association. Condolences can be expressed to the family on line at the Jacobs Funeral Home web site or here on my blog.

We will miss my mother! Although she had a stubborn, feisty personaility, underneath she had a warm heart. She was a dedicated wife and mother to us. She would attend every game or activity we had and her life revolved around her children and grand children. I developed my love of sports and an active lifestyle from her as well as the value of hard work. The last few years she really suffered from the long term effects of diabetes. I am happy that she is now free of the pain and that we were all there as she passed. Thanks for everything Mom, we love you.