Meriam Leeke

Meriam Leeke, 86, of Montague, passed away Thursday, Sept. 14, 2023. She was born Aug. 27, 1937, in Evanston, Illinois, the daughter of Harold and Esther Bailey.

Meriam along with her husband, Lyle Leeke, was the third-generation owner of Old Channel Trail Golf Course, in Montague, Michigan. They grew the business from a 9-hole golf course built in 1927 to a 27-hole course.

Meriam broke 80 by age 12, and started playing national events a year later. In 1956, she won the Illinois Women's Amateur as well as match play and stroke play titles in the Chicago District Golf Association. In 1957, she won the National Intercollegiate title, the forerunner to the NCAA championship, and that summer she won the Women's Western Amateur Championship against a national field. In 1958, she was named to the U.S. Curtis Cup Team. In addition, she played in three U.S. Women's Open Championships, and made the 36-hole cut each time. A finance major at Northwestern, she graduated in 1959 - a degree that served her well on the boards of both the Muskegon Lumberman's Bank, which she continued to serve when it became Huntington Bank, and Muskegon Community College and Muskegon Business College, known currently as Baker College.

Meriam is survived by: her son, William ""Billy"" Leeke; two grandchildren, Liam and Tommy; close family friend and Liam and Tommy's mother, Margaret Anne Foster; intimate partner, Neil Vanover; and cousin, Farley Andrews.

Meriam was preceded in death by her husband, Lyle, in 1990.

Services will be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 28, 2023, at White Lake Methodist church, 8555 Cook Street, Montague, MI 49437. http://www.whitelakeumc.com (Note: Construction is being performed on the front entrance. Those who have mobility issues please use the back, west entrance.)

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to either Whitehall or Montague golf programs.

Beacon Cremation & Funeral Service, White Lake Chapel, is in charge of arrangements.

www.beaconfh.com