Mabel Pechta Mabel Ball Pechta, 98, of Moran passed away Friday, August 27, 2010, at Mackinac Straits Hospital Long Term Care in St. Ignace, surrounded by her family.

She was born December 25, 1911, to Ephraim Alvin “Allie” and Lula Ellen Shipley Ball in Anderson, Indiana.

She married Harry A. Pechta, October 11, 1935 in Toledo, Ohio.

Mrs. Pechta lived all of her life in the Ozark and Moran area. She was graduated from Sault Saint Marie High School. She attended Ferris Institute and taught school in Moran for one year. She and her husband operated Pechta’s Market and Hardware in Moran for 26 years. She was an active lifetime member of the Ozark Grace Brethren Church serving as treasurer for more than 30 years. Mrs. Pechta was an avid crafter, and her handmade pictures, known to her family as “Mabels,” now reside in homes all over the United States.

She enjoyed her garden and canned thousands of jars of vegetables, jams, and jellies. She was named “Homemaker of the Decade” for 1974 to 1984 at the Mackinac County Fair and her yeast cinnamon rolls were renowned among friends and family.

She is survived by five children and their families, Shirley and Gerald Coleman of Mystic, Connecticut, Gayle and Robert Murphy of Larwill, Indiana, Ross and Jon-Jay Pechta of Hillsdale, Allan Neil Pechta of Everett, Washington, and Vernon and Karis Pechta of Lisle, Illinois; 11 grandchildren and their families, Natalie (nee Coleman) and Jeff Wilkinson, Glenna Coleman, Melissa (nee Coleman) and Curtis Higar, Erin (nee Murphy) and Stuart Freimuth, Elizabeth (nee Pechta) and John Kalusniak, Emily (nee Pechta) and Jeff Wood, Laura Pechta, Jonathan Pechta, Stephen and Amanda Pechta, Meredith Pechta, Joni (nee Pechta), and Joe Pirone, and 16 great-grandchildren. She is also survived by her sisters, Thelma Funderburg of Niles, Gladys Malette of Sault Saint Marie, and a brother and his family, Alvin and Marguerite Ball of Trout Lake.

She was preceded in death by her husband, who died December 24, 1991; her parents; a brother, Clyde Ball; two sisters, Mildred Wells and Edith Sherman-Steffen, and one grandchild, Sean Murphy.

Visitation was Monday, August 30, from 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. at Dodson Funeral Home in St. Ignace, and Tuesday, August 31, at 10 a.m. at the Ozark Grace Brethren Church. Services were Tuesday at 11 a.m. at the church.

Pallbearers were Stuart Freimuth, John Kalusniak, Jonathan Pechta, Stephen Pechta, Christopher Wood, and Jeffrey Wood.

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be given to Ozark Grace Brethren Church, 22994S Church Rd. PO Box 212, Moran, MI 49760, or to the charity of the donor’s choice.