Merle Gordon Hand

  Merle Gordon Hand, 90, of East Jordan, passed away on Wednesday, January 4, 2023, at Hiland Cottage in Petoskey, Michigan.

  He was born on July 2, 1932 in Petoskey, Michigan, the son of Millard “Robert” and Alta (Bailey) Hand. Merle was the middle child of fifteen children.  He served in the United States Army.

  He married Jane Mae Clark on November 7, 1959, in Petoskey.  Merle was a dairy farmer and also had worked at U.S. Plywood in Gaylord and Bellingers Marina in Charlevoix.

  He survived by three children, Kaye (Dale) Miller of East Jordan, Richie (Elizabeth) Hand of Myrtle Beach, South Carolina and Kimberly (Buck) Stover of Murphy, North Carolina; six grandchildren, Julie (Tad Dixon) Miller-Smith of Grand Ledge, Keri (Josh) McCrabb of Dublin, Ohio, Garth Hand of Barbaboo, Wisconsin, Taylor Hand of Gaylord, Donny (Jessica) Miller of Grandville and Ted Peck of East Jordan; five great grandchildren, Shayleigh, Colin, Kody, Lydia and Anthony; three great great grandchildren, Lucianne, Mateo and Levi; three brothers, Robert (Susan) Hand of Mt. Pleasant, Jerome (Margaret) Hand of Mesa, Arizona, and John (Becky) Hand of Moweaqua, Illinois; and one sister, Carmen (Earl) Wait of Morley.  He was preceded in death by his wife Jane Mae Hand, daughter, Jeannie Hand; four brothers; and six sisters.

  Cremation interment will be in Lakeview Cemetery, Bellaire, MI.  The family was served by the Penzien Funeral Homes, Inc. in East Jordan.

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