IRON MOUNTAIN - Mary E. Borga, 82, of Iron Mountain, passed away Friday, November 13, 2009, at Hyland Nursing Home in Iron Mountain.
She was born December 4, 1926 in Trimountain, daughter of the late Gaspard and Eda (Hart) Michaud.
She graduated from Painesdale High School in Painesdale and went on to attend St. Scholastica College in Duluth, Minn. She later received her Masters degree in Education from Northern Michigan University in Marquette. Mary taught Home Economics and English for 25 years at Iron Mountain High School. She was also a stern ruler of study hall.
Mary married Victor Borga on June 17, 1950 at Sacred Heart Church, Painesdale. He preceded her in death on August 28, 1998.
They resided in Garden, Mich for a length of time before moving to Alpha, Mich. and finally, to Iron Mountain in 1997.
She was a member of Immaculate Conception Catholic Church in Iron Mountain. Mary took pride in being Msgr. James Kaczmarek's private cook for many years.
She assisted her husband, Victor, with the AARP Senior Driving Program, volunteered at St. Vincent de Paul and also drove patients to their appointments for the Dickinson County Cancer Unit.
Mary was named First Lady of Dickinson County in 1997.
She was a Dickinson and Iron County fair judge for many years, judging baked goods and canned goods.
She spent hours quilting at the First Lutheran Church with the Holy Comforters.
Mary and Victor collected clothing, bedding and food from area residents and delivered everything to those in need in the Appalachian Mountains.
She also spent many hours making and selling pies to earn money for St. John the Baptist Catholic Church in Garden. She was very protective of those pies and wouldn't share any with her family.
Mary enjoyed cooking and often cooked for the priest retreats held at Marygrove. Whenever you would visit Mary at her home, you would find her either in her kitchen cooking or baking or sitting in her chair crocheting rag rugs.
Mary is survived by one son, William (Sally) Borga of Norway; six daughters, Rosalie (Bob) Mayfield of Chelsea, Mich., Celeste (Steve) Hilgart of Marshfield, Wis., Bernadette (Carl) Nelson of Urbana, Ill., Cyndi (Steve) Bens of Ann Arbor, Marcie (Jim) Arnette of Lafayette, Ind., and Angela (David) Gendron of Iron Mountain; 17 grandchildren; one sister, Rita (Paul) Arsenault of Niles, Mich.; three sisters-in-law, Ruth Weber of Iron Mountain, Betty McDonald of Maryland and Maxine Harden of Lakeland, Fla.; life-long friend, Gen Dario of Iron Mountain; many nieces and nephews; other relatives and friends.
Visitation will be Monday, November 16, 2009 from 9 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. at Jacobs Funeral Home in Iron Mountain. Prayers will be offered 10:30 a.m. Monday at the funeral home.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be at 11 a.m. Monday at Immaculate Conception Catholic Church. Msgr. James Kaczmarek will officiate. Burial will be in the Channing Cemetery.
Mary's grandsons will serve as pallbearers.
Memorials may be made in Mary's memory to St. Vincent DePaul Society in Iron Mountain.
You may light a candle in remembrance of Mary or leave a condolence for her family online at JacobsFuneralHomes.com.
Jacobs Funeral Home, Iron Mountain, is serving the family.