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As received from Memorial Chapel Funeral and Cremation Service:
Leo D. Tervo, 94, a resident of the Snake River Hill in Chassell, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, July 11, 2023, with family by his side following a short stay at the Omega House in Houghton.
Leo was born on Chassell, in his life-long home on Snake River Hill, a son of the late Thomas and Kathryn (Kaarlela) Tervo. He was a graduate of Chassell High School with the class of 1946. He attended Suomi College from 1947-1948. He considered getting a job in Detroit but stayed for one week before returning home to dress herring in Portage Entry in the fall of 1948. Leo followed in the footsteps of his four brothers and fulfilled the contract to provide a bus and driver for the Chassell Schools. He began driving in 1950 and continued for 50 years. Along with his brother Wesley, they ran a strawberry, potato, and dairy farm on Snake River Hill and sold the cows in 1997. Leo had served on the boards of the Copper Country Strawberry Growers Association, Copper Country Dairy, Northern Cooperative, and the Soil Conservation District.
Leo was a member of the South Range Apostolic Lutheran Church.
Besides his parents, Leo was preceded in death by his sisters, Lillian Tervo, Jennie (Wesley) Wiinamaki, and infant sister Mayme; brothers, Julius (Jenny), Wilbert (Senia), Carl (Verna), Thomas (Ada), Wesley, and Kenneth (Esther); his nieces, Kathleen Kalliainen and Marian Truitt.
He is survived by his nieces and nephews:
Douglas (Mary) Tervo of L’Anse
Donna (Mel) Karlsen of Battleground, WA
Tom (Cheryl) Tervo of Arnheim
Ron (Jan) Tervo of Gwinn
Julie (Dale) Hauswirth of Kincheloe
James (Christine) Tervo of Chassell
Carol (Gary) Saari of Chassell
Judy (Steve) Szyszkoski of Chassell
Richard (Naomi) Tervo of Chassell
Robert (Rebecca) Tervo of Negaunee
Leo is further survived by four generations of nieces and nephews and other relatives in the United States and Finland.
A funeral service for Leo will be held at 12 noon, Friday, July 14, 2023, at the Memorial Chapel Funeral Home in Hancock with Pastor Chuck Bylkas to officiate. Burial will take place in the Forest Hill Cemetery in Houghton.
Friends may call on Friday, July 14 from 10 am until the time of services at the funeral home.
The family would like to extend a special thank you to Dr. Terry Kinzel, Portage Home Health and Hospice, the Omega House staff, and the helpers that allowed Leo to fulfill his wish to live at home as long as possible.
In lieu of other expressions of sympathy, memorials may be directed to the Omega House or the South Range Apostolic Lutheran Church.
To view Leo’s obituary or to send condolences to the family, please visit www.memorialchapel.net.
The Memorial Chapel Funeral & Cremation Service – Hancock Chapel is assisting the family with the arrangements.
