Charlyn Ruth Templeton

Charlyn Ruth Burchard Templeton died peacefully on June 30, 2023 at Meadow Brook Care Facility in Bellaire.  She was born February 5, 1934 to Charles and Anna (Kulczynski) Burchard in Alba, Michigan.  The middle child of three girls, she also had four brothers from her father’s second marriage.  As a child and young mother, she was known by her middle name Ruth.  She grew up in Alba and later Mancelona with her mother and two sisters.  As a young teenager, she spent about a year with her father’s family while attending Lake Orion High School.  Learning came very easy to Ruth.  She skipped two grades and graduated at 16 years old from Mancelona High School in 1950.  In 1951, she married James “Mike” Biehl in Killeen, Texas where he was stationed in the army at Fort Hood.  Together they raised six children on two turkey farms in Mancelona before divorcing.  In 1970, she moved to Traverse City when she began using her first name Charlyn.  In 1972, she married Dick Templeton.  They were together 5 years before the marriage ended.  During this time, she had the opportunity to travel, accompanying her husband to many business conventions.  She worked for a short time as a waitress at Shanty Creek in Bellaire in the mid-1960’s and later for Shields Restaurant during her first two years in Traverse City.  She spent 40 years working in real estate sales starting in the late 1960’s.

Charlyn spent her entire life in northern Michigan and learned to love the sun and its healing powers.  Many vacations were spent with some of her children and grandchildren in Florida and Mexico.  She is remembered for her unconditional love, for the passion and energy she brought to her life and those around her, and for selfless giving when her children and grandchildren were in need.  She was also a talented landscape artist.  Her children were the perennial winners of Halloween contests in Mancelona for several years when she would make the costumes by hand.  She will be dearly missed by her family.  Of special note is that two grandchildren and one great grandchild were born on her birthday.

She was preceded in death by her parents, her sister Barbara Dalton and brother Michael Burchard.  She is survived by her Sister Karen Koenig, brothers Jan, Gerry, and Burch Burchard; daughters Kay (John) Schumacher, Sherry (Don) Balcom, and Judy Biehl, sons Larry, Jim (Anelyn), and Greg (Linda) Biehl; 19 grandchildren and 21 great grandchildren. 

A memorial service will be at held in Traverse City later this summer.

Arrangements are in the care of the Central Lake Chapel of Mortensen Funeral Homes.  Please sign her online guestbook www.mortensenfuneralhomes.com.