The Alliance Board consists of nine local community members who are committed to the development and support of green/natural burial options on the Keweenaw Peninsula.
April 2023 – April 2024 Alliance Officers:
President – Stephen Jukuri
Vice President – Carolyn Peterson
Treasurer – Jay Green
Secretary – Marcia Goodrich
Our current board members are as follows, in alphabetical order:
April 2023 – April 2024 Alliance Officers:
President – Stephen Jukuri
Vice President – Carolyn Peterson
Treasurer – Jay Green
Secretary – Marcia Goodrich
Our current board members are as follows, in alphabetical order:
Jeffrey Dennis
Note: one board is seat is available to local funeral directors who have demonstrated strong support and commitment to green/natural burial practices. This seat is open to all such funeral directors on a rotational basis and is currently occupied by Jeffrey Dennis.
Jeffrey Dennis is the manager of the Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden and works with his father at the O’Neill Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock. Jeff graduated from Hancock Central High in 1996. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Michigan Technological University, and the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science.
The best of Jeff’s free time is spent, with his family, exploring the Lake Superior shoreline or a wooded trail. He also enjoys photography, learning about local history, and railroad history. It is Jeff’s hope that by participating with KGBA, he can help make more natural burial options available to Keweenaw area residents.
Note: one board is seat is available to local funeral directors who have demonstrated strong support and commitment to green/natural burial practices. This seat is open to all such funeral directors on a rotational basis and is currently occupied by Jeffrey Dennis.
Jeffrey Dennis is the manager of the Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden and works with his father at the O’Neill Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock. Jeff graduated from Hancock Central High in 1996. He attended the University of Wisconsin-Green Bay, Michigan Technological University, and the University of Minnesota where he graduated in 2000 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Mortuary Science.
The best of Jeff’s free time is spent, with his family, exploring the Lake Superior shoreline or a wooded trail. He also enjoys photography, learning about local history, and railroad history. It is Jeff’s hope that by participating with KGBA, he can help make more natural burial options available to Keweenaw area residents.
Jenn Donovan
Jenn Donovan is recently retired from Michigan Tech where she served as the director of news and media relations. She has lived in the Keweenaw for 10 years, moving here from Washington, DC. She has been a newspaper reporter in Florida, Texas and California and has done science writing and editing for universities in Texas and Maryland before joining Michigan Tech. She lives in Houghton with two wonderful cats. Her children and grandchildren live in Oregon, Massachusetts and Florida.
She has always felt an affinity for the concept of green burial, of returning to nourish the earth, but when her husband, Jim Donovan, died unexpectedly in 2011 and she had to have him cremated because no advance planning had been done, she got serious about green burial for herself. She spoke with the funeral director who handled Jim's body, found out that he was knowledgeable about and willing to help with green burial, brought him to speak to her church--the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship--and there met some members of KGBA. She joined soon after that.
Jenn Donovan is recently retired from Michigan Tech where she served as the director of news and media relations. She has lived in the Keweenaw for 10 years, moving here from Washington, DC. She has been a newspaper reporter in Florida, Texas and California and has done science writing and editing for universities in Texas and Maryland before joining Michigan Tech. She lives in Houghton with two wonderful cats. Her children and grandchildren live in Oregon, Massachusetts and Florida.
She has always felt an affinity for the concept of green burial, of returning to nourish the earth, but when her husband, Jim Donovan, died unexpectedly in 2011 and she had to have him cremated because no advance planning had been done, she got serious about green burial for herself. She spoke with the funeral director who handled Jim's body, found out that he was knowledgeable about and willing to help with green burial, brought him to speak to her church--the Keweenaw Unitarian Universalist Fellowship--and there met some members of KGBA. She joined soon after that.
Marcia Goodrich
Marcia is a retired writer and editor, having worked over 20 years in the marketing and communications department at Michigan Technological University. There, she wrote about anything and everything (except sports) and produced the university magazines. Previously she spent 10 years as a reporter for two Upper Peninsula daily newspapers. She is active in her church; sings in two local choruses, Maple Sugar Folk and Noteworthy; and is president of the Keweenaw chapter of Wild Ones. Though she did not know it at the time, she was primed to support green burial as a child, when she worried that all the world would one day be covered in graveyards, since people keep on being born and dying while God is not making more acreage. Upon learning about green burial, she realized that it could preserve land for wildlife. Plus, green burial's congruence with Genesis appeals to her: "for out of [the ground] wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Marcia lives in Houghton with husband Bill Deephouse, two cats, and a dog.
Marcia is a retired writer and editor, having worked over 20 years in the marketing and communications department at Michigan Technological University. There, she wrote about anything and everything (except sports) and produced the university magazines. Previously she spent 10 years as a reporter for two Upper Peninsula daily newspapers. She is active in her church; sings in two local choruses, Maple Sugar Folk and Noteworthy; and is president of the Keweenaw chapter of Wild Ones. Though she did not know it at the time, she was primed to support green burial as a child, when she worried that all the world would one day be covered in graveyards, since people keep on being born and dying while God is not making more acreage. Upon learning about green burial, she realized that it could preserve land for wildlife. Plus, green burial's congruence with Genesis appeals to her: "for out of [the ground] wast thou taken: for dust thou art, and unto dust shalt thou return." Marcia lives in Houghton with husband Bill Deephouse, two cats, and a dog.
Jay Green
As a professional civil engineer, Jay worked at various small consulting firms across the northern tier of the US following his wife’s career path. Retiring to raise their two kids, he volunteered as a member of two city planning commissions, two cross country ski clubs, and the Keweenaw Green Cemetery Association. He joined the KGCA board at its inception to learn more about green burial which he thought was a logical conclusion to a healthy life. Nine years later with two local options for green burial may not seem like lot of progress but considering the complications of state law and public perceptions, he is satisfied with this progress and looks forward to continued progress with the new KGBA.
As a professional civil engineer, Jay worked at various small consulting firms across the northern tier of the US following his wife’s career path. Retiring to raise their two kids, he volunteered as a member of two city planning commissions, two cross country ski clubs, and the Keweenaw Green Cemetery Association. He joined the KGCA board at its inception to learn more about green burial which he thought was a logical conclusion to a healthy life. Nine years later with two local options for green burial may not seem like lot of progress but considering the complications of state law and public perceptions, he is satisfied with this progress and looks forward to continued progress with the new KGBA.
Frann Grossman
Frann has her master’s in Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and plies her trade at Finlandia and Michigan Tech. But before moving to the Copper Country in 2012, Frann spent most of her life as a writer and photographer in Oregon. The Pacific Ocean had always seemed the ideal resting place for her ashes until learning through the Keweenaw Green Burial Alliance that a green burial would be so much kinder to the earth than cremation. Now hiking or skiing through the North Country woods, she imagines composting naturally unencumbered under the jack-in-the-pulpits in spring and the snow-down blanket of winter.
Frann has her master’s in Teaching English To Speakers of Other Languages (TESOL), and plies her trade at Finlandia and Michigan Tech. But before moving to the Copper Country in 2012, Frann spent most of her life as a writer and photographer in Oregon. The Pacific Ocean had always seemed the ideal resting place for her ashes until learning through the Keweenaw Green Burial Alliance that a green burial would be so much kinder to the earth than cremation. Now hiking or skiing through the North Country woods, she imagines composting naturally unencumbered under the jack-in-the-pulpits in spring and the snow-down blanket of winter.
Stephen Jukuri
Stephen grew up in Laurium and returned to our local area again in 2013 after almost 20 years in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Technical Communication from Michigan Tech, and his past work in Benton Harbor included serving on the faculty at Lake Michigan College and the development of the OutCenter, a YWCA outreach program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons that is now an independent community center.
Since his early 20s, it has been his desire to someday donate his body back to the earth of the Keweenaw Peninsula, where it could be naturally recycled back into the web of life.
Stephen grew up in Laurium and returned to our local area again in 2013 after almost 20 years in Benton Harbor, Michigan. He holds a Ph.D. in Rhetoric & Technical Communication from Michigan Tech, and his past work in Benton Harbor included serving on the faculty at Lake Michigan College and the development of the OutCenter, a YWCA outreach program for Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender persons that is now an independent community center.
Since his early 20s, it has been his desire to someday donate his body back to the earth of the Keweenaw Peninsula, where it could be naturally recycled back into the web of life.
Sue Ellen Kingsley
My life between the years of believing that my future had no end, and the years when I realized that my past was longer than my future, those years were full of work (schoolteacher, nurse practitioner), family (a daughter, a husband, aging parents and many siblings), and human rights activism (mostly in Guatemala).
When I contemplated my death, I imagined it would happen outside under a glorious sky, listening to wind in the trees and waves on the beach and I would just become part of it all. Practically, I started investigating how I might be buried on our land outside Hancock in a way that my body could return to the earth as rapidly as our pet cat. I was pleased to find like-minded people in the KGBA, and to now have the opportunity to buy a plot among them in a green cemetery. I hope to expand my understanding of life and death, and to help make natural burial options available to others
My life between the years of believing that my future had no end, and the years when I realized that my past was longer than my future, those years were full of work (schoolteacher, nurse practitioner), family (a daughter, a husband, aging parents and many siblings), and human rights activism (mostly in Guatemala).
When I contemplated my death, I imagined it would happen outside under a glorious sky, listening to wind in the trees and waves on the beach and I would just become part of it all. Practically, I started investigating how I might be buried on our land outside Hancock in a way that my body could return to the earth as rapidly as our pet cat. I was pleased to find like-minded people in the KGBA, and to now have the opportunity to buy a plot among them in a green cemetery. I hope to expand my understanding of life and death, and to help make natural burial options available to others
Carolyn (Candy) Peterson
Candy has been a board member in our local green cemetery movement since the 2008 creation of the Keweenaw Green Cemetery Association (the predecessor of our current Alliance). She has also assisted with Isle Royale wolf-moose research since 1971, has been a Hospice Volunteer since 1996, and facilitated a course titled "Embracing Mortality" for our local community for many years.
Candy has been a board member in our local green cemetery movement since the 2008 creation of the Keweenaw Green Cemetery Association (the predecessor of our current Alliance). She has also assisted with Isle Royale wolf-moose research since 1971, has been a Hospice Volunteer since 1996, and facilitated a course titled "Embracing Mortality" for our local community for many years.
John Slivon
Photo and Bio not currently available.
Photo and Bio not currently available.
Board Members Emeriti
Mark Dennis (Board Service from 2018 - 2021)
Mark is manager of the O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock. A Hancock native, he attended Ripley and Hancock Schools, graduating from Hancock High in 1970. After attending Michigan Tech for three years, he transferred to the University of Minnesota, graduating with distinction with a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Science in 1976. He apprenticed for Bob O’Neill at the O’Neill Funeral Home and worked with Bob for several years before buying the business in 1985. His son, Jeff, who owns the Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden, assists with the business.
Mark and his wife, Joy (Barkell), were married in 1973 have three grown sons—Dan, Jeff, and Matt. They enjoy spending time with their six grandchildren, especially at their shared cottage at Little Traverse Bay. Mark enjoys model railroading as a hobby and as a means to display local history; whenever possible vacations are planned around train travel. He also enjoys plowing snow around the funeral home and for friends and neighbors during those long winter months. Mark served as captain of equipment for the Hancock Volunteer Fire Department. He serves on several local community boards, including the Hancock Housing Commission, the Quincy Mine Hoist Association and local Salvation Army board of directors.
Mark is manager of the O’Neill-Dennis Funeral Home in Hancock. A Hancock native, he attended Ripley and Hancock Schools, graduating from Hancock High in 1970. After attending Michigan Tech for three years, he transferred to the University of Minnesota, graduating with distinction with a Bachelor of Science in Mortuary Science in 1976. He apprenticed for Bob O’Neill at the O’Neill Funeral Home and worked with Bob for several years before buying the business in 1985. His son, Jeff, who owns the Pearce Funeral Home in Lake Linden, assists with the business.
Mark and his wife, Joy (Barkell), were married in 1973 have three grown sons—Dan, Jeff, and Matt. They enjoy spending time with their six grandchildren, especially at their shared cottage at Little Traverse Bay. Mark enjoys model railroading as a hobby and as a means to display local history; whenever possible vacations are planned around train travel. He also enjoys plowing snow around the funeral home and for friends and neighbors during those long winter months. Mark served as captain of equipment for the Hancock Volunteer Fire Department. He serves on several local community boards, including the Hancock Housing Commission, the Quincy Mine Hoist Association and local Salvation Army board of directors.