Everett "Louie" King, II

Everett Louis King, II, “Louie”, passed away August 29, 2023, at Hospice House in Cheboygan.  He was born the eldest son of Elizabeth and Everett Louis King I on September 10, 1930, in Malden, Missouri.

Growing up, Louie had many small-town experiences with his younger siblings, enjoying the simple things like fishing, horse-riding, dogs, and sports: things  that he would continue to value for the rest of his life.

Louie would marry his high school sweetheart, Joyce Green also of Malden, Missouri. At the time Joyce and Louie were living in Pensacola, Florida, where Louie was enlisted in the US Navy.

As the son of a prison reformer and a public-school teacher, Louie learned at an early age the value of a good education.   He  attended the University of Missouri, where he would earn his degree in biology. He was an avid reader and a lifelong learner.  In 1957, Louie began working for the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.  The young family would eventually make their way to Cheboygan.

Louie loved his many years working as a biologist at the Hammond Bay Biological Station.  He and his colleagues worked diligently toward the control of the invasive sea lamprey.  There were many stories that came out from that daily carpool to Hammond Bay from Cheboygan, down Highway 23.  Louie and his crew treated streams and rivers all over Northern Michigan, attacking the lamprey in their larval beds and seeking out local “watering holes” on occasion.  It was then he began a friendship with fellow scientist Lee Hansen; a friendship that would last a lifetime. Louie ushered many groups of school children through the lab including his grandchildren, stressing to them the importance of the Great Lakes ecosystem.

Upon retirement, Louie and Joyce bought a farm on Riggsville Road.  Owning a small hobby farm had been a lifelong dream of Louie’s.  One of his first orders of business was bringing his beloved Tennessee Walking Horse, Ginger, to Cheboygan from Missouri.  His next chapter was built around horses and dogs, and generally being out-of-doors. Whether with animals, or at the hunting camp in Ocqueoc, Louie valued being outside.  He was also especially passionate about volunteering his talents and his horse, Ginger, to Handicapped Horse Riders at the Cheboygan Fairgrounds.  He was always delighted by the amount of joy that Ginger would bring to the kids.

For the last twenty years, Louie spent his time enjoying his children and their families, always interested in what everyone was up to, and proud of their  accomplishments.

Louie is survived by his three children:  Everett Louis (Nicole) King III, of Evergreen, Colorado; Sam (Christine) King of Cheboygan, and Kathryn (Tony) Johnson of Cheboygan; six grandchildren:  CJ, Sam, Eleanor, Ben, Hannah, and Carson; and three great-grandchildren.  He was preceded in death by his wife, Joyce, his brothers Johnny and Neil, and his sister Jackie.

A memorial service will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, September 16, at the Nordman Funeral Home in Cheboygan, with Chaplain Dianne Myers officiating.  Following the service there will be a gathering at Hive North, 100 S. Main, downtown Cheboygan.

Memorials may be made to the charity of one’s choice.

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