Sally Ann Goulette

Our Matriarch was called home to be with our Lord and her Savior on Monday, February 6th, after a courageous fight with lung cancer.

Sally Ann was welcomed into this world on April 13th, 1951 to Bruce and Shirley Arneson in Bay City, MI where she lived her entire life. Sally was raised with her Grandma Selma and 3 sisters, Kathleen, Cynthia and Brenda, whom she adored throughout her lifetime.

Mom was affectionately referred to as “Annie” by her loving husband and our father, Royal Goulette. The two high school sweethearts were married on March 21st, 1970 after graduating from T.L. Handy High School in Bay City, MI. They were inseparable throughout life, married for 53 years. During their time together, they raised four loving children, Heidi, Heath, Hollie and Harth. They showed us what true love and respect for one another means. In their early years together mom and dad would enjoy summers on the rifle river camping and canoeing, and spending time with those they loved at the Goulette family home.

During her life, mom was a hard worker and retired from McLaren Bay Region Hospital after nearly 35 years of service. She loved and cared deeply for her family, always ensuring we never went without anything we wanted. She devoted her entire life to her family, putting our needs above all else, always.

Mom was a lifelong member of Messiah Lutheran Church in Bay City, MI and enjoyed volunteering on the Alter Guild as us kids were baptized and confirmed throughout the years.

In her retirement, she enjoyed spending time at our family cabin on the Big Creek in Luzerne, MI, watching her kids and grandchildren enjoy the life that her and dad were able to give us after their years of hard work. From neighboring on the golf cart, endless campfires, to going for wagon rides in the woods, mom was able to create priceless memories that we will cherish forever.

Mom had a passion for genealogy and was extremely proud of her extensive family tree on ancestry.com. She loved helping others find lost family connections and researching their own heritage. She was quite the sleuth and would stay up to the early hours of the morning researching family records and tracking down leads to ensure her tree was the most accurate. Early in life she was expressive through her art. Mom enjoyed producing chalk art, oil painting, writing in calligraphy and even had a poem entitled “Utopia” published.

Left to cherish her memory is her loyal husband and best friend, Royal, and her “4 H’s” – Heidi (Anthony) Eno of Hale, MI, Heath (Brenda) Goulette of Bay City, MI, Hollie (Matthew) LaRue of Bay City, MI and Harth (Kevin Lozo) Goulette of Traverse City, MI; her mother, Shirley Arneson; her sisters, Kathy (Chris) Elzinga, Cyndy (David) Rabidoux and Brenda Arneson; in-law’s, Frank (Heidi) Goulette, Douglas (Rebecca) Goulette, Linda (Jim) Fitzgerald, Jill-Ann Marie Goulette-Wilson and several adored nieces and nephews.

Our mother lived her later years with a passion for her grandchildren, Rachel, Travis, Cole, Dakota, Breona & Richard, Katarina, Isabella, Gabriella, Madison and Brady; great grandchildren, Arabella, Thor, Bjorn, Finan, Grayslyn, Iziah and Mila. She enjoyed getting text messages, phone calls and pictures from each of them.

Always our mother, forever in our hearts. Mom was preceded in death by her father, Bruce Arneson; mother and father in-law, Shirley and Robert Goulette and grandson, Brett Royal.

A memorial service will take place on Sunday, February 26, 2023 at 3:00 p.m. at the Gephart Funeral Home. The family will be present to receive visitors on Sunday from 12:00 p.m. until the time of the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Wishes of the Family.