James Warren Mainprize, 94, Houghton Lake, died Jan. 20, 2016, at The Villa of West Branch.
A service will be held on Monday, Jan. 25, at 4 p.m. at Christler Funeral Home, Houghton Lake Chapel, with the Rev. Tom Anderson officiating. Visitation will be held on Monday Jan. 25, from 2 to 4 p.m. at the funeral home. Interment will be in Roscommon Township Cemetery, Houghton Lake. Memorial contributions may be directed to the Salvation Army.
He was born on June 22, 1921, in Coleman, the son of James Raymond and Ople Belle (Calkins) Mainprize. He served as a corporal in the Army during World War II, driving a medic truck from battlefields to hospitals in China, India and Burma. He also served in the Korean War and received three Bronze Stars and a Purple Heart.
Mr. Mainprize worked as a general inspector for General Motors, spending most of his years at the Livonia Plant. He was married in 1947 in Lansing to Josephine Joseph. He and his wife moved to the Houghton Lake area from Livonia in 1987. He was a member of the DAV and enjoyed horse racing and an occasional bet at the race track.
Preceding in death were his parents; wife, Josephine; brother, Don Mainprize; and sister, Laura Anderson.
Surviving Mr. Mainprize are his two sons, Michael Joseph Mainprize of Houghton Lake and James Steven Mainprize of Escondido, CA; daughter, Sharon (Ed) Fritts of Oceanside, CA; sister, Lola Bowman of Houghton Lake; four grandchildren; eight great-grandchildren; and several nieces and nephews.
