Michael J. Roberts

He was born to Helen (Christnagel) and Frank Roberts on Aug. 30, 1941, in Iron Mountain. He moved with his family to northern Minnesota and graduated from Ely High School in 1959.

After graduating from high school he moved to Detroit, where he worked for the Ford Motor Company and completed the plumbing & pipefitting apprenticeship.

In 1964 he married Mary Fodor, literally the girl next door. They moved back to Ely the following year where he took a job at Reserve Mining Company in their diesel mechanic apprenticeship program.

The Vietnam War was heating up so he proactively joined the U.S. Coast Guard in 1966. During his four-year enlistment he was stationed on Minnesota’s north shore of Lake Superior. He and Mary were the last USCG family to reside at Split Rock Lighthouse where he was lighthouse keeper when it was decommissioned in 1969.

During his time in the service he and Mary had two sons, Mark and Eric. After his time in the USCG, Mike returned to his job at Reserve Mining where he worked for the next six years. A third son, Tim, was born in Ely in 1973.

In 1976, with closing of Reserve Mining imminent, he moved the family to Jackson, Minn. and accepted a job as a plumbing instructor at a vocational college. During this time he also obtained a bachelor of science degree from Mankato State University. They raised their family and lived in Jackson until 1989 when his position was eliminated. He was offered a job in the lumber business in the state of Delaware where he and Mary lived for the next three years until they decided to move back to Minnesota to be closer to family.

He worked for a mechanical contracting company for several years until he was hired as a plumbing instructor at St. Cloud Technical College where he taught for the next decade. Of all of his jobs teaching was his favorite. In 2007 he retired and wrote a book called “The Last Keeper at Split Rock.” He gave several dozen talks at libraries and community centers about the book and their time at Split Rock. He also founded an annual Twin Cities-based U.S. Coast Guard reunion that continues to this day.

His interests and hobbies included playing guitar, attending bluegrass festivals, golfing, inventing and fixing things, genealogy, wood carving, traveling and many activities with grandkids, including Easter egg hunts, sledding, picking pumpkins and storytelling.

He is survived by his wife of nearly 61 years, Mary; sons Mark and partner Connie;, Eric and wife Dawn, their children Lilly, Faye and Maggie; Tim and wife Joanna Paulson, children Zander, Griffin, Riley and Cece; his, brother, Merrill and wife Sue; brother-in-law, Steve Fodor and wife Cherry; sister-in-law, Pat and husband Paul Hicks; and numerous cousins, nieces and nephews.

He is preceded in death by his mother, Helen; father, Frank; and stepfather, Bill Wegner; his sisters, Fran and husband Roy Langsford, Sheila and her husband Rusty Haasl; his brother, Robert; and numerous uncles, aunts and cousins.

A private celebration of his life will be held.

Blessed be the memory of Mike Roberts.