Eldred George Mugford passed away on June 22, 2015 at the Houghton County Medical Care Facility.

Eldred was born and raised in Laurium. He was the son of Eldred and Clare Mugford.

He attended the local public schools and completed his high school education at the former Sacred Heart High School.

Eldred attended Michigan Technological University for two and a half years and Northern Michigan University for a short time. He also studied by correspondence study with the Univ. of Minnesota, Indiana State Univ., Utah State Univ., Oklahoma Univ., and the Univ. of Florida. He received his B. A. degree in Communications from UW- Oshkosh in 1947. Also, Eldred obtained a M. A. in Public Relations and Cinematic Arts in 1980 from Central Michigan University.

During the summer vacations while in high school and college he worked for the former Quality Food Markets and Calumet Hecla Mining Company.

For several years he owned and operated a photographic agency serving professional photographers throughout the country. These photos were sold to magazines and calendars. He also taught Communications at Western Illinois Univ. in Macomb, Illinois.

Eldred was known to many as being personable, outgoing and highly talented. His commitment to higher achievement and his professionalism while working with others or handling any given situation had earned him much respect. He wrote for television and motion pictures. His 235 page M. A. thesis, “The film Producer and His Craft,” entailed the actual pre…pro…post production in actual motion pictures.

A number of actual motion picture producers in Hollywood helped to provide the information regarding their actual motion pictures. Among them, Federico DeLaurentiis, Producer of King Kong, Raymond James Wagner, Vice President of Production at MGM Studios, Stanley Rubin, President of Producers Guild of America. Eldred wrote, produced and directed a film dealing with Autism and Autistic Children. It was shown to interested parents and citizens, doctors and legislators. The film was instrumental in persuading the Gov. of Wisconsin from closing the hospital where the film was produced.

He gave up his career in the motion picture industry to look after his parents in their latter years when both were in ill health. Eldred enjoyed travelling both in the United States, Canada, Europe and also visited Australia and New Zealand. He enjoyed working in the garden. He had 20 different rose bushes. Also, liked taking video and digital pictures, mountain bike riding, hiking and cross country skiing.

He was a member of the Sacred Heart Church of Calumet. Also, the Science Fiction Club at Michigan Technological Univ.

He is survived by : Keith and Elsa Mugford of Jacobsville, William and Cathy Mugford of Iron Mountain, Michigan, Marilyn Butkovich of Stone Mountain Georgia and Anthony and Cecila Mielich of Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

A funeral mass will be held on Friday July 3, 2015 at 11:00 AM at the Sacred Heart Church in Calumet.

Visitation will be held on Thursday July 2, 2015 from 5-7 PM at the Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home in Calumet. A prayer service will be held at 7:00 PM.

Burial will be in the Lake View Cemetery.

The Erickson Crowley Peterson Funeral Home us assisting the family with the arrangements, online condolences can be left for the family at www.ericksoncrowleypeterson.com

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