Mrs. Letitia M. Kaiser, age 84, of St. Clair Shores, passed away September 7, 2010, in Shelby Township. She was born May 24, 1926, in Canton, Ohio. Family members said she loved people, enjoyed dancing and bowling. She is survived by her children, Denise (Romeo) Bazinet, Joanne, Letitia and John (Debbie); grandchildren, Lauren, Aaron (Anna), Brandon, John, Romeo III (Christina) and Dion; great-grandchildren, Chloe, Chasely and Charlie Lou; sibling, Nick (Marna) Sandru. She was predeceased by her husband, John Dale Kaiser. Visitation at Resurrection Funeral Home, 40800 Hayes Road, Clinton Township, Thursday, 3-8 p.m. and Friday, 10-11 a.m. A funeral service will be held Friday, 11 a.m. at the funeral home. In lieu of flowers, donations to the Alzheimer’s Association 20300 Civic Center Drive, Suite 100, Southfield, MI. 48076 or the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation 2265 Livernois, Suite 410, Troy, MI. 48083 would be appreciated.
Letitia Kaiser was born on May 24, 1926. Her parents were John and Natalia (Borzea) Sandru, Romanian immigrants. Letitia was raised in Canton, Ohio. She grew up with seven siblings; she had six older siblings Nora, John, Mary, Helen, Timmy, George and one younger brother, Nick. As a child Letitia enjoyed school, singing and playing outside with family and friends.
Letitia graduated in 1944 from Timken Vocational High School. Shortly after graduation, she moved to Detroit to work in her sister and brother-in-law’s restaurant as a waitress. This is where she met her new roommate and lifelong friend, Tillie Lukcas (Aunt Tillie).
Letitia would commute to work by riding the city bus. On her trips back and forth she encountered a handsome young bus driver by the name of John Dale Kaiser who flirted with her often. One day on her way to work John informed her that the city bus drivers were going on strike tomorrow. He asked Letitia, “How will you get to work then? I could pick you up?” She answered, “Yes.” The romance began…
On February 7, 1953 Letitia and John were married at Holy Redeemer Church in Detroit by Rev. Thomas P. O’Connor. A year later, 1954, they started their family with the birth of their first daughter, Denise. Two more daughters followed Joanne (1958) and Letitia (1960) and finally in 1961 their son, John Dale Jr. was born.
Letitia stopped working to raise their children. The families’ first home at 14017 Manning in Detroit was a two bedroom flat. Due to limited space, all four children shared one bedroom and slept in bunk beds toe to toe. To accommodate their growing family they moved to a colonial home at 18600 Hickory in Detroit in 1965.
Mom and Dad worked very hard to instill good morals and values in their children. Dad worked full time for the DSR and would accept extra hours working at special events to support the family. They led by example; they worked hard, respected others, were considerate, and shared themselves and their good fortune.
Mom went back to work as a waitress when the children were in school full time. Being a devoted mom, she was always home when the children returned from school to greet them with a loving welcome and a little snack. When the children were much older, mom worked evenings and dad stayed with the children.
Mom loved her job due t the social interaction and financial freedom it offered. Her income provided the family with the extra little things that every young growing family needs.
Mom and dad enjoyed spending time with other young families. These relationships turned into lifelong friendships with the Houses, Marucks, and the Turkases. Some of the things the families enjoyed together were summer trips to Kensington Park where they prepared breakfast, lunch and dinner. Letitia and John did not have any immediate family in the area; therefore, these friends became our family sharing many holidays and special occasions.
Yearly trips to Pontiac, Illinois to the Kaiser family farm were exciting for the children who grew up in a large city. Other family trips included Canton, Ohio (Mom’s home town), Niagara Falls, Sea World, Florida and up north to the Nichanan’s cottage in Gaylord, Michigan-where our neat freak mom cleaned constantly.
Mom and dad started their retirement life early and enjoyed traveling. They made two trips to Alaska, driving one time, and joining other family members on a second trip. Other trips included Hawaii, California, Las Vegas and Florida where they spent a few winters.
Mom and her handsome flirty bus driver shared 46 years of marriage before his passing in 1999. Mom never forgave him for leaving her.
Over the years, mom’s family grew to include 4 grandchildren (Lauren, Aaron, Brandon, and John James) and 2 great grandchildren (Chloe and Chasely). Recently with the marriage of her oldest daughter, to Romeo she was blessed with 3 additional grandchildren (Romi, Christina and Dion) and 1 great grandchild (Charlie Lou).
Over her lifetime, Mom had 3 knee replacements and a hip replacement due to her severe arthritis. After her hip replacement surgery the family noticed a decline in her mental status. A few years later she was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s. The family was able to keep her in her home, under Letitia’s care until our vacation up north in August 2010. After we came home she became ill and was hospitalized and then sent to the Shelby Nursing Center in Shelby Township for rehab. On September 7, 2010, our beloved mother passed away at the nursing center. She was laid to rest on Friday, September 10, 2010 at Resurrection Cemetery in Clinton Township next to her beloved husband.
Other interesting facts about mom include:
She loved to Bowl and Dance
She loved the news and was well informed
25-minute meals (includes serving, eating, and clean-up)
She liked cigarettes and chocolate cream soda in the evening to help her unwind
She lubed up her face and hands with Vaseline every night (which attributed to her beautiful skin)
She was a clean Freak
She could occasionally swear like a truck driver
She belonged to Weight Watchers for many years along with her good friend Mrs. D’Onofrio
She would stay up every night until all of the family was safely home
She was a great cook
She was a paddleball expert
She loved sitting on the porch sharing time with family, friends and neighbors
Qualities we and everyone who knew mom loved about her include:
Encourager (always told her children how proud she was of them)
Generous
Good conversationalist (everyone loved to talk and be around her)
Hard Working
Humble
Intelligent Person
Loving
Nurturing
Self-sacrificing
Strong independent woman
Witty
We will miss her terribly, but find comfort in knowing that she is with dad and they are watching over us still. She will live in our hearts forever.
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