Ada Cecelia Veale

Ada Cecelia Veale, 98, of Negaunee, passed away peacefully Friday morning, August 9, 2024, at Teal Lake Senior Living Community, under the loving care of her family, Teal Lake staff, and UP Home Health and Hospice.
Ada was born January 29, 1926, in Negaunee to Presto and Evangeline (Richards) Trembath, graduated from Negaunee High School, Class of 1943, and was a lifelong area resident. She grew up in "Cornish Town," and as a child worked with her siblings on the family dairy farm, Trembath Dairy. It was here that she developed the grit and work ethic that was necessary to survive the Depression years. When her parents passed at a young age, she and her siblings continued to care for their younger brother and sister. This would be the start of her life of caregiving. Following high school, she attended Northern Michigan College of Education for two years and worked at the Gossard as one of the "Gossard Girls". On June 7, 1947, she married the love of her life, Robert 'Bob' Veale. Together they raised five kids and allowed each the freedom to develop their talents and seek their own path. Ada played French horn in high school and sang with the Negaunee woman's choral club as an adult. Her love of music was something she passed on to each of her children. In 1968 she continued her education at Northern Michigan University where she received a bachelor's degree in Elementary Education in 1969. Ada began her career with the Marquette Public schools before accepting a teaching position in the Negaunee Public Schools where she was a longtime 1st grade teacher. In retirement, Ada revisited her caregiving when Bob was diagnosed with Parkinson's disease. She cared for him for over 25 years at home with a commitment set out in their wedding vows. As Ada's health deteriorated, the family followed this caretaking example to make Ada's life journey the best it could be.
Mrs. Veale was an active member of Mitchell United Methodist Church, Negaunee, and was also a member of Order of Eastern Star. Ada could often be found in the kitchen as well as organizing meals for both groups. She shared her pasty skills with both her church family and kids with a special eye for chipping the potatoes, making the suet crust, and knowing just the "right" way to crimp the pasty. Ada's hobbies also included tending to her beautiful flower gardens, creating quilts and pajamas, and baking pies from the berries she gathered each summer. Family time at Mehl Lake always brought a smile to both Ada and Bob's faces, and the more people there, the bigger the smiles. Their door was always open, and the tea kettle whistled continuously because the children and grandchildren were more important than making the tea.
Ada was a Christian. Each night she would kneel and pray for each member of her family. The kneeling stopped only when she had her knees replaced in her mid-70's. The praying and caring continued until the day she passed.
Surviving are her four sons: Robert (Alice Crookham) Veale of Negaunee, Russell (Mary) Veale of Norway, Brian (Brenda) Veale of Gwinn, and Randy (Diane) Veale of Gwinn; her daughter, Linda (Kurt) Prond of Wintergreen Lake; 13 grandchildren: Heather (Greg) Toutant, Nathan (Nichole) Veale, Jared Veale, John (Sheri) Veale, Kelly Prond, Dan (Megan) Veale, Angela (Rod) Zullo, Brandon Veale, Kurt (Teresa) Prond, Ben (Angie) Veale, Breanna (Martin) Kovarik, Lauren (Matt) Hill, and Bradley Veale; 15 great-grandchildren and 3 great-great-grandchildren; her sister, Kathleen VanderVeer; sister-in-law, Bess Veale; and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
She was preceded in death by her parents; her beloved husband, Robert T. Veale; her grandson, Robert A. Veale, daughter-in-law, Susan Veale; two brothers, Glenn and Jim Trembath; and three sisters: Laura Dunstan, Janet Hoffman, and Marilyn Wicklund.
Memorial services will be held at 11:00 AM on Saturday, August 17th at Marquette Hope UMC, Mitchell Campus, Negaunee, with Rev. Hintz officiating. Interment will take place at the Negaunee Cemetery at a later date. The family will greet relatives and friends for one hour prior to services at the church on Saturday, and at a luncheon immediately following services in the church fellowship hall.
Mrs. Veale's memorial page may be viewed at koskeyfuneralhome.com