Trending
LAKE LINDEN - Henry Clouthier Jr., 99, a lifelong resident of Lake Linden, passed away peacefully in his home on October 4, 2026. He was born September 16, 1927, in Gay, Michigan to the late Henry Clouthier Sr. and Leona (DeRoche) Clouthier.
On October 28, 1950, he married Verna Mae Hill from Mohawk, Michigan and together raised five children. On November 20, 1950, Henry enlisted in the U.S. Army and moved to Ft. Knox, KY with his new bride, where he served two years during the Korean War. They were married for 54 years until the passing of Verna, on April 5, 2005. He was also preceded in death by his only son, Henry "Buster" Clouthier; his oldest daughter, Susan Silkey; two granddaughters, Tammy Lyn Cherubini and Melissa Clouthier Mack; and one grandson, Jay Hermann. He is survived by three daughters, and their spouses: Judy (David) Counts of Ripley, MI; Sandy (John) Huuki, Jr. of Hubbell, MI; and Dawn (Jeff) Johnson of Gwinn, MI, along with one son-in-law, Sheldon Silkey of Phoenix, AZ and a daughter-in-law, Elizabeth Clouthier of Henderson, NV. Also surviving are eight grandchildren, twenty-three great-grandchildren, and seven great-great-grandchildren.
After he completed his service in the Army he returned to Lake Linden and bought his first home and began raising his family. He continued to live in that same house until the day he passed away. He also built several saunas over the years: at his home, at the sawmill, and at his summer camp in Eagle River, MI. He was an avid collector of Husky snowmobiles and other vintage snowmobiles over the years. He passed on those machines and his love for them onto his two grandsons, John and Steve Huuki, who continue to collect and restore the snowmachines.
Henry also loved playing card games with his family. Many hours were spent around the kitchen table playing Uno, Skip-Bo, (which he always called "Skee-boo"), and Cribbage. He even taught his great-great grandchildren how to play Cribbage. He always hated to lose, but it was always in good fun. He was kind and loving and didn't have a bad bone in his body. He seemed to have an endless amount of patience and a keen sense of humor. He loved to spend time conversing with his life-long friends, Vic Chartier and Ronnie Crouch. The three of them are now together sharing stories in heaven. He also enjoyed the hours he spent with Bob Dion reminiscing over their logging days and how together they won the crosscut saw competition. Triumphant over the strong, young Michigan Tech students.
Henry, also known as Pucko or Hank, was a jack-of-all trades. He learned logging and tree planting from his father. He owned Clouthier Sawmill in Traprock Valley, and each year sold Christmas trees to many families in Houghton and Keweenaw counties. For several years he worked as a copper miner for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company and later the Homestake Mining Company. He also was a construction worker, erecting Butler buildings from one end of the Upper Peninsula to the other.
He was the oldest Clouthier to have ever lived. Going back several generations, he outlived all his ancestors and all his siblings: Gerard "Art" and his wife, Barbara; George "Red" and his wife, Florence; Gloria and her husband, Bill Mikko; and recently, his youngest brother, Ken. The last remaining spouse is Ken's wife, Marcia. Also surviving are his two brothers-in-law, James Hill of Mt. Vernon, WA and Ray "Butch" (Bonnie) Hill of Aura, MI. He leaves behind many cousins, nieces and nephews and a special friend of many years, Joan Schmid.
He was a lifelong member of St. Joseph's Catholic Church in Lake Linden and also a member of the American Legion Post 90 in Lake Linden. On his ninety-ninth birthday, he was presented with a Korean Veteran hat with a "Lifetime Membership" pin from Post members.
The family would like to express their appreciation to Aspirus Home Hospice and their wonderful staff for the care they administered to Henry during the last weeks of his life. A private graveside service will be arranged for a later date with the assistance of the Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden. To view Henry's obituary or send condolences please visit pearcefuneralhome.com.