Ishpeming – Edna Mae Oja, age 79, longtime Cooper Lake Loc. resident, went home to her savior Jesus Christ on Tuesday March 15, 2011. She had been a resident at the Marquette Co. Medical Care Facility in Ishpeming for the past few days.


Edna Mae was born April 22, 1931 in Ishpeming the youngest child of Alfred and Elizabeth (Honkala) Koski. She was a lifelong Ishpeming area resident and a graduate of the Ishpeming High School, Class of 1949. Edna Mae was a member of the Apostolic Lutheran Church since childhood, and had a strong Christian faith. Edna Mae was a kindhearted compassionate individual, always looking out for others. Her loving nature was always evident in her relationships with her family and friends.


Survivors include her children – Paul Oja of Gwinn, Susan Oja (Jeff Key) of Middleton, WI, Daniel Oja (June Jamrich Parsons) of Savannah, GA, and Sandra (Peter) Engstrom of Ishpeming; a brother Reuben (Helen) Koski of Ishpeming; grandchildren – Tensi Parsons (Keefe Crowley), Jeremy Gaboury & Jeremy Gorges, Jesondra Pennala, Joshua, Jeremy, Jennifer Aho, Nicole and Michael Key; great grandchildren – Cody, Cassidy, Xander, Dominicque, Bailey, Nolan, Calienna, Mariah, Jacob, Matthew and Aaron, along with several nieces and nephews. She was preceded in death by her husband Edward Oja in May of 2006, 5 brothers and 5 sisters – Alfred, Lillian, Eleanor, Anna, Martha, Carl Arthur, George, Oscar, John and Evelyn.


Funeral Services will be held at 12:00 noon on Saturday March 19, 2011 at the Apostolic Lutheran Church, US 41 West, Ishpeming Twp. with James Heikkinen officiating. The family will greet relatives and friends from 5 until 8pm on Friday at the Bjork & Zhulkie Funeral Home and again on Saturday from 11:00am until 12:00 noon at the Apostolic Lutheran Church. Interment will take place at the Ishpeming Cemetery.