More things to see and do in Michigan

 

Mackinaw City, Michigan / Mackinac Bridge

Where is Mackinaw City, Michigan?

Things to see and do in Michigan

 Tahquamenon Falls -- upper and lower -- in the upper peninsula of Michigan. (Yes, I've been there.)

These postcards are copyrighted in 1958 and 1960.

Here's the location (see the red pin) of Tahquamenon Falls.

Pictures of Aunt Belle

My grandparents, Bill and Christie, with Aunt Belle. This was most likely taken in or near 1962, shortly before Aunt Belle died.

On the left, my grandparents, Christie and Bill. On the right is Aunt Belle. I think this was taken in her house in Ohio. The man in the middle is Aunt Faun's husband, Bob McDonald. I don't know why his mouth looks so strange in this picture. He didn't look like that in real life. 

Aunt Belle with her daughter Hazel.

Aunt Belle with her husband Les Herdman.

Aunt Belle, top left, with her parents and her two brothers Marcus and Estle.

My great-grandfather Marcus Treat and his sister Belle.

Aunt Belle 1872-1962

November 3

"We stayed all nite here the 21th, Madge's & John's & us when Aunt Bell died. Was buried Tues, May 22 -- '62"

I didn't go with them on this trip to Ohio in 1962. The handwriting on the card is my grandmother's -- Christie Thomas. Aunt Belle was grandma's aunt, sister of Marcus Treat. Aunt Belle's daughter was Faun, my favorite one of the Ohio relatives. Faun and I shared the same birthday, and we always exchanged birthday cards every year until her death. When I went to Ohio with Grandma and Grandpa every year we usually spent a night or two at Faun's house. I remember going to Aunt Belle's house at least once. She had long long hair -- she never cut her hair in her life until just shortly before her death (because it was giving her headaches). She wore it in a long braid that actually touched the floor when she walked. That's the main thing I remember about Aunt Belle. 

November 2

 

  I grew up in one of those fundamentalist Christian churches where we called one another 'brother' and 'sister'. I really liked that. (Still do.) Even the preacher was called 'brother'. The Bible says "call no man on earth your father" - so that was our justification for not having priests. We extrapolated that to include terms like 'reverend' -- only God is to be revered, not any human person. We didn't even call them pastors. Being 'pastors' or 'shepherds' was properly the responsibility of the 'elders' - a group of men who ran the congregation by committee, and who technically outranked the preacher, in that they could hire and/or fire him. 

  A preacher was just a preacher. Well, to be honest, a lot of them did have other full-time jobs besides preaching a sermon on Sunday and teaching a class at Wednesday evening Bible study. But even the ones for whom church was their full time job were still not known by any special title. In this photograph are two men who were, I assume, Church of Christ preachers. I don't remember either of them, so I don't know specifically which congregation they might have been associated with or anything else about them. But I have their picture -- two copies of it -- so somebody in the family knew them from somewhere.

November 1

 Dear Renue: Well - here we are located in a nice cabin a half block from this lovely park. This place has about 1 dozen stores all one side of street. It's quiet, cool here. Nothing to do, no V.F.W. or Legion, strictly a resort town. I'm feeling O.K. so i guess that is the most important. Hope you are feeling O.K. My address: Mrs. Will York, Gen Del. Mackinaw City, Mich.

postmarked Mackinaw City MI Jul 14, 1944

Ghosts of Hallowe'ens past

 

When your mom really doesn't like Hallowe'en, but she tries...

October 30

Every summer Grandma and Grandpa Thomas took a trip to Ohio to visit Grandma's relatives, and I usually went with them. In the summer of 1961 I would have been 6 years old and just finished 1st grade in school. 

"Dear Mom, I have come close to 400 miles. How are you? I am still fine and still having a fine time. How is Ricky and Dad. Love, Dianne"

The address was written by Grandma or Grandpa. Postmarked Waverly, Ohio. Postage 3 cents.

 

October 29

Mrs. Erwin Wells

102 Detroit St

Buchanan Mich

postmarked Bangor, Michigan

"Wednesday 13 - 1922  Dear Renue, If Ruthie is better she is quite sick I think we will come Saturday. Don't look too hard for us. The roads are better down this way some. With love to all, Mother"

The recipient, as usual, is Aunt Renue (my grandfather's sister). She married Erwin Wells in 1920, so her last name is not Thomas any more. 'Mother' is Nancy Ford Thomas.

'Ruthie' is probably Ruth Margaret Thomas, the daughter of Renue's older brother Roy. She was born in 1920.

I don't know what month this card was written, but it must have been winter as she talks about the roads being bad. (I looked it up. In 1922 the 13th falling on a Wednesday would have been in either September or December. This card was probably written in December.) It's 50 miles from Bangor to Buchanan on US Hwy 31. I don't know if 31 was even in existence in 1922 or not. 

(Don'tcha just love Google?)

Will the real Aunt Peggy please stand up...

A back-of-photo conversation between Wathada and Cleffie.

Or...

(The red ink handwriting is mine.)

Here's a picture of  the real Aunt Peggy, with the Arnold family:

Photo L-R: Aunt Peggy, George, Adaline holding Etta, Annie behind John, John Henry holding Marlie.

Here's a picture that I believe may be the same woman as in the 2nd (greenish) photo above.

This is George Bullard's 2nd wife, Mary Morehead Robinson Bullard. I could be wrong, but in comparing ALL the family photographs, I think this is the most likely match.