Gail Katherine Schwettmann

January 3, 1941 - January 8, 2021

Gail Katherine (Kabbes) Schwettmann 80, of Traverse City passed away peacefully surrounded by family on January 8, 2021. Gail was born on January 3, 1941 in Cincinnati, OH, to parents Frank and Marie (Smithers) Kabbes. Gail graduated from Mother of Mercy High School in Cincinnati. There she met friends that would last a lifetime, staying in touch to this day. They called themselves “The Millionaire Club.” Gail married William Schwettmann on November 24, 1962. Gail moved to Oxford, OH and lived on a 35-acre farm. She ran a greenhouse business along with becoming a softball and soccer coach for her three girls, a chauffer for all of her kids’ sporting and school activities, looked after her mother and mother-in-law, and some how found time to can enough food to feed her family through the winter. She became a “mom” to all of her kids’ friends, needless to say, she had a lot of kids once you started counting! In 1988 Gail moved to Traverse City and became a lighting specialist at the Lighting Center, where she worked for 22 years. Once retired she enjoyed camping, fishing on her childhood lake, walking her dogs, working in her yard and cooking for family dinners. Mom was called the matriarch of our family, including by her nieces and nephews because of her strength, guidance, love and warm welcome when you walked through her doors. She will be remembered most of all by all of the love she had and shared with her kids and grandkids. She leaves behind her children Kim (Steve), Jenny (Jon), Shelly, Tom (Mary) and Joe (Christine); and grandchildren Steven, Lisa (Kristen), Adam (Casey), Troy, Tyler, Amanda and Brittney. Services will take place at a later date in her home state of Ohio and she will be laid to rest in St. Joseph’s Cemetery in Cincinnati. In Lieu of flowers please send a special gift to St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105. You may visit www.reynolds-jonkhoff.com to share a memory or condolences.