Margaret “Maggie” M. Dunbar
Margaret “Maggie” M. Dunbar, 94, of Onaway, died at Aspen Ridge Retirement Village in Gaylord Wednesday, March 1, 2023. Visitation will be held at Chagnon Funeral Home today (Thursday, March 9) from 10 a.m. until the time of the funeral service beginning at noon. Elder Thelma Curtis will officiate. Maggie’s final resting place will be at Waverly Township Cemetery in Onaway. Those planning an expression of sympathy please consider a donation in memory of Maggie to the Onaway Ambulance Equipment Fund.
The daughter of Ernest and Bertha (Dumas) Dennis, Maggie was born in St. Ignace December 1, 1928, and was raised in Onaway. She graduated from Onaway High School in 1946 and not long after, married the love of her life, John E. Dunbar January 24, 1947, in Toledo, Ohio. Their first home was in Texas at Fort Hood where John was stationed with the Army. With John’s career in the military, the Dunbars moved frequently. Over the next 20 years they would live in Kansas, Georgia, Missouri, California, France and Germany. Being an Army wife, Maggie was without John while he served in Korea and again when he volunteered for Vietnam. In 1967, Maggie returned home to Onaway while her husband finished the last of his Army career in Vietnam before he retired and joined her back at home. Upon her return to northern Michigan Maggie took a job working at Lou Maxon’s Lodge on Black Lake which would eventually become the United Auto Workers Education Center. One of the originals, Maggie would work at the front desk of The Center until her retirement December 31, 1989. Her job suited her well as she was welcoming, friendly and enjoyed chatting with everyone. During her career at Black Lake, friendships were forged that would last a lifetime. Every Friday she had lunch with her besties, a tradition that would continue long into retirement. For 49 years, the gal pals kept their lunch date. They exchanged the latest books they had read, rehashed The Alpena News crossword puzzle and had a good visit each week.
Quite crafty, Maggie enjoyed embroidery, cross-stitch, macrame and rug hooking. She made her home and yard beautiful with her lovely flower gardens full of colorful blooms. She was an avid reader and a writer as well, regularly journaling her thoughts. She and John loved to travel; they toured the United States in their motor home visiting the West Coast, Washington state and Texas. They visited family and friends, made the Lake Michigan and the Lake Huron Circle Tour, and spent winters in Gulf Shores, Alabama. Maggie loved walking the beaches at Gulf Shores, collecting seashells and watching the dolphins.
An elder in the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa, Maggie was very proud of her Native American heritage. With her love of family and great respect of past generations, she visited family graves in St. Ignace each spring to plant flowers. She was a devoted wife and a wonderful mother who raised her sons to be gentlemen. She was loving yet stern with her boys. They didn’t get away with much under her watchful eye.
Maggie had a delightful twinkle in her eye, a smile that would light up a room, and a laugh that was contagious. With her outgoing personality, she had many friends and loved meeting new people. She was a lovely lady, both gentle and feisty, sweet and sassy. Fiercely independent and a tad stubborn, Maggie never wanted to be a bother to anyone, including her sons. But much like their mother, her sons kept a watchful eye on her, mak
Maggie will be missed by her sons, Anthony “Tony” (Sandra) Dunbar of South Carolina and Rick (Angela) Dunbar of Cheboygan; a daughter-in-law, Ellen Dunbar of Alpena; grandchildren, Traci (Mike), Mark (Carol) Walker, Shawn (Lisa) Walker, Vivien Ross, Spencer Ross and Mitchell Ross; as well as many great-grandchildren and several great-great-grandchildren. Maggie also leaves nephews and nieces, including Penny Treadway and Kelly Darga whom she was very close with and her wonderful friend, Carol Smrchek of Rogers City.
Preceding Maggie in death was her husband, John; a son and daughter-in-law, John and Paula Dunbar; grandsons, Anthony Dunbar and Steve Walker; a brother and sister-in-law, John and Libby Dennis; a niece, Cheryl Dean; and sisters, Thora Bannon and Kathleen Kowalski.