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James ‘Jim’ Laplander

DOLLAR BAY — James H.E. “Jim” Laplander, 88, a resident of Woodside Lane in Dollar Bay, went peacefully home to his Savior with his family by his side, on Tuesday, December 22, 2020, at his son’s home in lower Michigan, following a lifelong battle with polio.

Jim was born on April 11, 1932, in Dollar Bay to the late Emil and Mary (Olson) Laplander, the youngest of 10 children. He was raised in Woodside and graduated from Dollar Bay High School with the class of 1951. He had worked for the Copper Country Dairy before moving to Detroit for factory work.

Jim returned to the Copper Country, where he owned Standard Oil Gas Station in Hubbell and worked at Quincy Reclamation for three years.

On June 2, 1956, he was united in marriage to the former Loretta Eakin.

Jim later attended college at Suomi and graduated from Northern Michigan University with a teaching degree. Mr. Laplander began a career teaching a Chassell schools, retiring after 20 years of dedication. He lived most of his life in Woodside, at the place of his birth, building a home and raising his four children with his loving wife of 64 years.

Jim was a member of Bethany Baptist Church in Dollar Bay. He and Loretta had a music ministry praising God through song and he enjoyed snowmobiling and woodworking.

Besides his parents, he was preceded in death by his brothers, Richard, William, Robert and Paul; and his sisters, Julia Benny, Alli Jokie, Ruth Smith and Margaret Hosking.

He is survived by his wife, Loretta of Dollar Bay; his children, James H. (Karen) of Savannah, Georgia, Richard (Kathy) of Dollar Bay, Connie (Dino) Mandoli of Ishpeming and Steven (Cheryl) of Perrinton. Jim is further survived by six grandchildren, Jason (Adria), Kailee, Heather (Luke), Jesse (Marissa), Adam (Natasha) and Erin; numerous great-grandchildren; his sister, Martha (Howard) Maddox of Durango, Colorado; as well as numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.

Private Funeral Services for Jim will be held on a later date at Bethany Baptist Church in Dollar Bay with Pastor Brian Knight to officiate.