Lorene LaFleche, 89, of Hillman passed away Saturday, April 22, 2017 at Hillman’s Haven.

Lorene Kowalski was born in Posen on May 3, 1927 to the late Joseph and Antonia (Syzdowski) Kowalski and married Joseph E. LaFleche on October 26, 1946.  He preceded her in death on August 27, 2008.  She was a member of St. Augustine Catholic Church, the DAV Auxiliary and VFW Auxiliary.  Lorene worked in Detroit for Bell Telephone from 1944 until returning to the Hillman area in 1947, where she went to work at Ed Bouchey and Mae Lake and retired as a bus driver for Hillman Public Schools in 1985.  Lorene loved to garden, work in her yard and of course playing cards and trips to the casino.

Surviving are her 3 children, Susanne (Roger) Pierce, Mary (Richard) Johnson, Joseph (Linda) LaFleche; 7 grandchildren; 12 great grandchildren; 5 brothers, Julian (Joanne) Kowalski, Joseph Kowalski, Robert (Betty) Kowalski, Wilbert (Nancy) Kowalski, Richard (Rosalynne) Kowalski; sister-in-law, Cathleen Kowalski.

Mrs. LaFleche was preceded in death by a grandson, Paul Joseph Elowsky; 4 sisters, Gertrude Miller, Eleanor Neumann, Emily Yarch, Elsie Smolinski; 3 brothers, Jerome Kowalski, Raymond Kowalski and Elter Kowalski.

Visitation will take place on Tuesday at St. Augustine Catholic Church from 10 a.m. until time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 1 p.m. with Rev. James Fitzpatrick officiating.  Arrangements have been handled by Bannan Funeral Home.

Interment: St. Augustine Cemetery

Memorials: Development Department at MidMichigan Medical Center – Alpena for the Kidney Department