Richard Sylvester "Carse" Carlson, Sr., age 65, of Sand Point Road, Munising, died on Saturday, November 24, 2001 in the early evening due to an automobile accident on Federal Forest Highway 13 in Munising Township. Dick was born on June 28, 1936 in Munising, Michigan to the late Sylvester and Jeanette (Pawielski) Carlson. He graduated from Sacred Heart Catholic School and Wm. G. Mather High School in 1955. Carse attended Western Michigan University and Northern Michigan University after high school. During those summers of college, he worked for the Kimberly Clark Paper Mill in Munising. In 1959, he was drafted into the U.S. Army. He served as a ranger and paratrooper with the 101st Airborne, Special Division in Dachau, Germany. Carse was honorably discharged from the Army in January of 1962. He returned to Munising and worked briefly for Kimberly Clark and then for Lorrillard Cigarette Company as a salesman. In early 1964, he became a sales representative for Kar Products, Inc. On October 3, 1964, Carson married JoAnn Wilson. While working for Kar, he and JoAnn opened the Montgomery Ward Catalog Store in Munising in 1966 for three years. In January of 1972, Carse and JoAnn both were licensed as Real Estate salespeople and in 1975, they founded "Big C Realty." In 1980, Carse designed and supervised the construction of the current "Big C" office on M-28 from their residence on Sand Point Road. From 1983 until 1985, they also owned the "Wandering Wheels Campground." In 1990, he bought and currently owned "Sylvester's" bar in Munising. Carse retired as owner from "Big C Realty" in 1998, but had stayed active in the company by continuing to sell real estate.

Dick was a member of the U.P. Board of Realtors, the Michigan Association of Realtors, and the National Association of Realtors, the American Legion Post # 131, a member for years of the MUCC (Michigan United Conservation Club), a former past president of the Munising Alger Sportsman Club, the DDA (Downtown Development Authority, Ducks Unlimited, the NRA and numerous other wildlife organizations, a founding and past member of Kiwanis, and also of the Munising Bay Harbor Club. Carse was an avid and committed outdoorsman. He loved to hunt, fish, boat, and garden. He enjoyed spending time with family and friends at his camp on Strait's Lake. Carse enjoyed reading and he really was an awesome cook.

He is survived by his wife of over 37 years, JoAnn Carlson of Munising; their three children - Richard Sylvester (Karen) Carlson, Jr. of Petoskey, MI, Georgia Ann (Jesus) Rosales of Holland, MI, and William Joseph (Lorra Martin) Carlson of St. Ignace, MI: four grandchildren - Andres and Shaune Rosales and Delaney and Logun "Gunner" Carlson; sister - Toni (Robert) Cowell of Munising, sister-in-law - Ruth Ann (Larry) Boucher of Munising; and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorial contributions may be made to a fund that will be established at a later date in memory of Carson.