Ina (born Aino) Kitti, 100, a resident of Traprock Valley, passed away in her sleep on Saturday morning August 29th 2015 surrounded by family. Ina was born on March 18th 1915 to Aino Gustava Maliniemi Kangas and Christian Kangas in Hibbing MN. The daughter of Finnish immigrants, she was raised in Rockland ME, the eldest of five sisters and brothers. After graduating from Rockland High School in 1932, she moved to New York City where she worked at Michigan Millers Mutual Insurance. While in New York she met the love of her life, Walter Kitti. They married on January 4th 1944 when he returned from the European Theater during WWII. She resided most of their married years in Calumet and later retired in Traprock Valley. Ina was a bookkeeper and seamstress for Columbia Laundry for 25 years, which was owned jointly by Walter and his brothers. As a seamstress she worked on all the military uniforms for the Calumet Air Force Radar Station, Michigan Tech ROTC and Calumet High School ROTC. At home, she could always repair hand-me-down dungarees with a JC Penney iron on patch, stretching their life for another summer. Ina was an excellent cook and bread maker (cardamom), family leader, and was very active in the community. In the late 1940s, Ina served as Superintendent of the one room school in Traprock Valley. She was a Cub Scout Den Leader, past Calumet Figure Skating Club President, and 4H leader. She had also taught Sunday School at the Finnish National Evangelical Lutheran Church, where she and Walter were long time members. Ina was an avid reader and was very proud of her early accomplishment of learning English when she started school speaking only Finnish. She was active in the quilting circle and was known for feeding all the birds, especially the Chickadees. She enjoyed endless hours playing Yahtzee, GoFish, and other board games with her grandchildren. She was particularly proud of her famous tuna salad, potato salad, and skinny pancakes (a recipe from her father). Growing up in the Depression she would always say, “watch the pennies and the dollars will take care of themselves”. She always reminded us that, “growing old is not for sissies” and this was evidenced by her two successful bouts with cancer. She raised all of her children with great respect for adults as everyone was referred to as Mr, Mrs, or Miss. She was preceeded in death by her parents, Christian and Aino Maliniemi Kangas, sisters Lempi Grow and Laura Leuzzi, brothers Reino and Onni Kangas, husband Walter, sons Christopher and Mark Kitti, and daughter Marcia Nichols. Surviving are her sister Vieno McKenzie, Miami, FL, daughter Carole Kitti (Stan Horowitz) Falls Church, VA, sons Paul (Doris) Kitti Marquette, MI, Kurt (Kelly) Kitti Traprock Valley MI. Son in law: Clifford Nichols of Traprock. Daughter in law: Penn Kitti of Thailand. Ina’s grandchildren are Jay Kitti, Tracey Teague, Philip Horowitz, David Horowitz, Kristen Loescher, Erin Nichols, Christian Kitti, Derek Kitti, Brad Laitinen, Kim Bess, Paul Cromell, Briana Simmons, Karyn Vasquez, Jacob Frank, Craig Kitti, Ari Kitti, and Tiia Kitti, and numerous great and great great grandchildren. Special thanks go out to Dr. Bonnie Hafeman, Aspirus Superior Home Health Hospice staff, and all the caregivers that took such compassionate and Christian care of Ina over the years.

A memorial service will be held on Sunday September 6, 2015 at 4:00 PM in the Erickson-Crowley-Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet with Pastor Glenn Schwanke to officiate.

Visitation will be on Sunday from 3-4 PM at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home.

Online condolences can be left for the family at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Ina Kitti, please visit our Heartfelt Sympathies Store.