Oscar Junior Alber “Mike” born May 5, 1931 in Salem Township, the son of the late Oscar and the late Louise (nee’ Hertler) Alber, and the younger brother of the late Elberta (Combs) and the late Geraldine (McGarry). Mike attended Salem Townline a one-room schoolhouse and worked on the farm with his parents, a habit he continued to a lesser degree well into his retirement. He said he “worked as an electrician to support his farming habit”! Oscar “Mike” served in Korea from January 1953 until Jan 1955, as an Artillery Survey Specialist in the 623rd Field Artillery Battalion. At 24 years of age and happy to be home from Korea he met Joanne Pappas, age 19, on a blind date and they were married September 25, 1955, the couple had just celebrated 67 years! In in April of 1957 Mike completed the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Apprenticeship. Mike was a farmer by birth, self-taught mechanic, carpenter, plumber, roofer, beekeeper, wine maker, pilot, storyteller, machinist, welder and engineer. He was an Army-taught surveyor and a Union taught Electrician. He saw what others could not see, from the sky, in the earth, in metal and in wood. Always making and doing things that others said could not be done. While most people are drawn to either ideas, people or things, Mike understood people, and restored, invented and improved things and explained his ideas usually by drawing a diagram on a napkin. Mike and Sue threw enormous parties from lobster boils to breakfast on the woodstove in a snowstorm. Mike and Sue were members of the Washtenaw Model T club, the “Washten-Naughties” and had fun getting together and joining in parades. They were also members of the BMW Motorcycle family, and the BMW “Airheads” and had years of adventures on their bike, across the country and the continent, and even across Costa Rica (!!) on BMW’s with their friends. When it came time to put the bike away they got out their little Airstream Bambi and continued their adventures.
Mike had an answer for everything, there wasn’t anything he couldn’t do, and he always had a project going on! Mike always had a story to tell, with a beer in hand! There were always folks just dropping by, and usually there was a gang in the shop, because that is where Mike was, doing something interesting! He is survived by his wife Joanne “Sue”, his children, David, Carrie (DeJonghe) and George Albercook, 9 grandchildren, 7 great grandchildren, 2 great-great grandchildren.
Visitation for Mike will be Sunday, February 5, from 4:00 PM until 7:00 PM. A graveside service will be 2:30 PM, Monday, February 6, 2023 at Washtenong Memorial Park with Military Honors under the auspices of the Veteran’s Honor Guard of Washtenaw County.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.muehligannarbor.com for the Alber family.
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