Jane Marie Sommer

Over 100 years ago - on October 27, 1925, to be exact - Clarence and Elsie (Opfermann) Arting welcomed a daughter whom they named Jane Marie. She was born at home on their farm in London Township, Michigan and there she would spend her childhood years helping her mother with household chores and tending to their chickens. She walked to the nearby Ostrander Country School until she graduated from the eighth grade. Jane attended Milan High School, but later transferred to Dundee High School where she graduated in 1943. The next fall she attended the Davis Business College at Toledo, Ohio to learn secretarial skills and bookkeeping. She moved back to Michigan and worked in different office positions in the Monroe area.

Jane married the love of her life, Peter C. Sommer, Jr., on June 28, 1947, in Napoleon, Ohio. She continued to work until retiring from Tecumseh Products in April of 1988. Retirement did not mean slowing down for Jane. She and Pete loved camping with their Hi-Lo trailer and traveled to many places in Michigan and eastern America. On Labor Day, they often camped with their camping club friends near Mackinaw City, and she participated in the annual Mackinac Bridge Walk thirteen times. When at home, she loved to knit, crochet, and sew. She put her office skills to good use by taking on the tremendous project of collecting and consolidating all the various records for the Woodland Cemetery in Monroe and making a workable reference of all the burials since it was established. With the help of others, she walked the cemetery and created maps of every lot and grave. This work made it possible for many to find lost loved ones with no grave marker, and it was used to give the Veterans Administration the needed documentation to provide markers for Civil War soldiers who were buried there. To award her for this achievement, Jane received the Illumination Award from the Monroe County Historical Museum and a commendation from the City of Monroe.

Jane and Pete never had children of their own. They were blessed with many nieces and nephews. After the death of her husband at the end of 2007, Jane found comfort in her family, friends and her fellow members of the London United Methodist Church, the Genealogical Society of Monroe County, and her two camping clubs. Her life goal now was to become a Centenarian. She reached her goal last October and many celebrated her 100th birthday at three separate gatherings.

Jane died February 12, 2026, in her home while she slept in her favorite recliner. Besides her husband, she was preceded in death by her parents, her brothers George and Kenneth Arting and a baby sister. To honor her memory, she leaves her sister Clara Derossett of Lexington, South Carolina and numerous nieces and nephews.

Friends may gather from 2:00pm until 8:00pm on Monday; February 16, 2026, and from 10:00am until 11:00am on Tuesday; February 17, 2026, at Merkle Funeral Service, Dundee; 297 Tecumseh Street, Dundee, Michigan 48131 (734) 529-3156. A Celebration of Her Life will take place at 11:00am on Tuesday with Pastor Julie Hammill of London United Methodist Church officiating. Procession will then follow to Azalia Cemetery for burial.

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