Ronald Katers

Ron was known as a courageous and honest entrepreneur. He was a loving husband, father, and grandfather who was the solid foundation of his family. He was the owner of Snyder Drug Stores, greenhouses, and other ventures around the Upper Peninsula. Ron has ensured that his 150-person company will transition to employees who will continue to serve the people of the UP.

He enjoyed serving others as a faithful Catholic on the finance boards of the Michigan Catholic Conference, Diocese of Marquette, St. Peter Cathedral, and Father Marquette Catholic Academy. He believed in “Service Above Self” as an active Rotarian and one of the founders of the Marquette Breakfast Rotary Club. He enjoyed meeting with his fellow Rotarians at 7 am meetings. Only Rotary could get him up that early. His family enjoyed hosting many Rotary Exchange students from all over the world, some of which became like family. He felt hosting students was an important part of his children’s education and learning to get along in the world.

Ron was a board member of Bell Hospital for many years and helped develop the new Ishpeming hospital. He was also on area bank boards and enjoyed listening to young entrepreneurs who came to him for advice. Many of the UP “old guard” did that for him. He was an avid Packer fan, owner, and season ticket holder for most of his life. He enjoyed passing on his love and Packer attendance to his grandchildren and rarely missed a game. If the Packers lost, he was grumpy for a week. He was also proud to have attended the Ice Bowl in 1967, which was one of the more memorable early dates he went on with Iris, his wife. No weather was too bad for a Packer game in the stands.

Ron was born July 15, 1946, in Green Bay, Wisconsin, where he attended St. Phillips and Notre Dame Academy Catholic Schools. He graduated with a BS in Zoology from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. After college, he changed gears to retail, where he was trained by the founders of Shopko, Inc. Ron opened and managed several Shopko stores, including the one in Marquette, before co-founding M.K. Stores, Inc., which operated Snyder Drugs in the Upper Peninsula.

The family was fortunate to travel to Europe many times, often to visit Rotary friends. In 2022, the whole family enjoyed the culture and food of Tuscany while meeting up with a former Rotarian exchange student, Zita Kelemen, and her family. He enjoyed Little League baseball with his son, music and Forensics with his daughter, supporting his wife’s many community projects, sunsets, swimming and floating on the boat at camp, picking blueberries, reading books, playing Playdoh and squirt guns with grandchildren, and building snowmen and forts – simple things. He believed in being always present, giving your children love, responsibility, a great education, and most important religious faith — the greatest gifts and duties of a father.

Ron is survived by his wife of 53 years, Iris (Gilson) Katers, his daughter Laura (Patrick) Reilly and grandchildren Michael and Matthew of Marquette; son John (Jessica) Katers and grandchildren Adam and Leah of Livonia; his five siblings: Pat (Clyde) Engebos, Susan (John) Bennington, Greg (Etta) Katers, Doug (Stephanie) Katers, and Kathy (Walt) Sloan: brother-in-law Steve (Karen Dorn) Katers; and many nieces and nephews.

He was preceded in death by his parents Harold and Vivian (Cunningham) Katers and in-laws Harris and Fyrn (Destree) Gilson, all whom he loved and respected.

In lieu of flowers, please donate to a charity, church, or school of your choice. Thank you to all who prayed with Ron and his family, especially Monsignor Michael Steber; the medical staffs in the UP and Lower Peninsula who do God’s work; Rotarians, employees, friends, neighbors, and school children who surrounded our family with love and assistance.

The Katers family will greet friends and relatives on Wednesday, March 20th in the Bishop’s Room of St. Peter Cathedral beginning at 10:00 a.m. until the time of the Mass of Christian Burial at 12 Noon in the cathedral with the Rev. Msgr. Michael Steber and Fr. Robb Jurkovich concelebrating. Lunch will be served in the church hall immediately following the Mass.

Canale-Tonella Funeral Home and Cremation Services is assisting the Katers family where memories and condolences may be shared at canalefuneral.com.