Queenie Bernadine McIlquham, 97, retired teacher, widow of William J. (Mac) McIlquham who grew up in Pentwater, and mother of three, died Feb. 15 in Peoria, Ariz. Mrs. McIlquham, daughter of Fred and Lula LaGuire, was born in Cedar Run, Leelanau County, March 24, 1906, and raised in Suttons Bay. After high school, Mrs. McIlquham attended Kalamazoo College for two years and earned a certificate to teach grade school. She then taught in Sebewaing and Lansing before moving to Mason, where in April 1934, she married Mr. McIlquham, a newspaperman with the Ingham County News. Shortly thereafter Mr. McIlquham purchased a small-town newspaper in Iowa. Unfortunately, the venture eventually became a victim of the Depression and the family, which by then included a son, Roderick, returned to Mason where Mac rejoined the County News. Twins William and Mary were born in 1941. When in 1944 her husband became ill and was confined to a sanitarium for much of the year, Mrs. McIlquham found work in a factory to support her family. After the war she returned to teaching, first as a substitute and later in a one-room schoolhouse in rural Ingham County. In 1958 she accepted a fifth-grade position, offered on the condition she obtain a bachelor`s degree, in Haslett. The following year Mrs. McIlquham suffered the unexpected death of her husband at 52, yet she continued with her teaching and studies, graduating from Michigan State University in 1960 and remained with Haslett schools until 1969. Her early retirement years were spent in Lansing and Clearwater, Fla., where she was married briefly to Mr. Jerry Hero, a retired construction worker from New York. Mrs. McIlquham later moved to Mesa, Ariz., to be near family members. Survivors include sons Roderick (Yoshie) and William (Mary), daughter Mary (Wayne) Britten, four grandchildren, and six great-grandchildren. Burial will be at 11 a.m. Saturday, June 5, in Pentwater. Funeral services have been held. Published: Oceanas Herald Journal 2004