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Mae Caroline "Maila" Weir, 96, formally of Williamsburg, passed away quietly at the Farmington Hills Inn on January 18, 2019. Maila was born in Pequaming, Michigan on February 4, 1922, to the late Max and Alma Jenny (Koppana) Finley. Shortly after her family moved to Gwinn, Michigan where she attended school. She always had many interesting stories about growing up in Gwinn, especially when they had a huge snow storm and the kids had to go through the upstairs window to get out of the house. Upon graduation she moved to Detroit to find work and found a position as a nanny and later worked as a telephone operator. On October 14, 1945, Maila married Ralph Weir and they began their life together in Detroit. They had two sons there and eventually moved to Redford where their third son was born. During this time she worked as a beautician and had fun singing with a local group. The family enjoyed traveling, especially to visit with family members spread across the country, even going to the World’s Fair in New York one year, but every vacation always ended in Gwinn to visit her family. In 1977, Maila and Ralph moved to Williamsburg and continuing in her entrepreneur spirit, she had a commercial kitchen on the back of the house and a beauty shop on the front. Many will remember the wonderful cherry pies she sold from her pie stand “Maila’s Kitchen” on M-72 during the 1980’s. Her many grandchildren loved the delicious pies, cookies and other pastries she always had for them to enjoy when they came to visit. After retiring from pie making, Maila still kept busy. She was an avid reader and could quickly read stacks of books she borrowed from the local library. She also became a skilled woodworker and crafted many beautiful pieces of furniture and toys for her family. Another favorite hobby was gardening and her yard brought much delight to her. She took great pleasure in mowing her yard all the way into her 90’s. Maila most of all loved her family. She had a wonderful big laugh and loved to linger over tea and coffee and tell stories from her past. You were never allowed to leave hungry and she would make sure to fill up your stomach before you left. We will all miss hearing her hearty laugh and sharing a cup of tea with her. Maila is survived by three sons, Richard (Deborah) Weir, Dale (Diane) Weir, Brian (Kristine) Weir; twelve grandchildren, Jennifer (Scott Roessner) Weir, Jessica (Yensen) Schwab, Juli (Brad Christianson) Weir, Joni (Danny) Scott, Max (Julia) Weir, Michael (Lucy) Weir, Morgan (Nicole) Weir, Eric (Shannon) Weir, Carmen (Nick) Niemiec, Justin Weir, Roxane Weir and Janine Weir; twenty-one great-grandchildren; a brother Leo (Phyllis) Finley and a sister Ann Mantel and many nieces and nephews. Mae was preceded in death by her father Max Finley, her mother Alma Jenny Finley, three sisters, two brothers, many brothers and sisters-in-law and her spouse of 56 years, Ralph Weir. The visitation will be at Wolfe O’Neill Funeral Home, 106 S. Cherry St. Kalkaska, MI. 49646 on January 26th, 2019 from noon to 2, with a service to follow at 2:00.

Tributes

Mae "Maila" Caroline Weir

February 4, 1922 - January 18, 2019