When We Were 34, It
Was a Very Good Year!
It was the 34th time for the annual
North and South Manitou Islands
reunion, the incorporated Society’s
16th annual meeting, and the 12th
annual excursion to the islands.
Sixty-seven attended the Saturday
events in Empire, and forty-two
spent Sunday on South Manitou.
That’s an all-time record for the
island excursion, and the best
reunion attendance in several years.
Many observed that this year’s
events were “best ever”, and were
already looking forward to 2005.
But there’s even more to be
proud of. It was a year of several
“firsts”. Rita Hadra Rusco was
elected our first Honorary
Member, Glen Lake High School
student Jake Rumbaugh earned
the first annual “Gerald Crowner
Memorial Scholarship”, and the
Society participated as an exhibitor in the Lakeshore’s annual
Port Oneida Fair.
Meanwhile, the Memorial Society became a 501(c)(3) “Public
Charity”, the official letter of determination issued August 12,
2004. We assured a richer experience for this season’s visitors
on South Manitou by helping the Lakeshore provide a special
Interpretive Ranger and distributing over 4,000 visitors guide
booklets. The Society sponsored a work project on South in
late August, replacing the fence at the main cemetery,
recovering burial sites near the Bay Campground, sprucing up
the lighthouse and doing a variety of other small maintenance
tasks. Members, in independent initiatives, replaced the
deteriorating roof on the Harrison Haas (Jenks) house, and
worked on the drywall inside the schoolhouse.
Perhaps the best news of all ... the Society is growing.
Contributions are up over those of the past several years,
thanks to your interest and generosity, and thus far, we’ve
welcomed some 21 new individuals and families as new
members.
It’s no secret that we’re in an era increasingly noted for
declining interest in “civic engagement”. That the Memorial
Society is experiencing this resurgence nonetheless is truly an
exemplary achievement. Your feelings of satisfaction and
pride are fully justified.
Come Where the Action Is
The Memorial Society is chartered as a membership
organization with an Executive Board. That means the Board
of Directors has the responsibility of carrying out the business
and mission of the organization between annual meetings. If
you would enjoy an opportunity to participate more actively,
the Board is the place to be.
At the next annual meeting, we’ll be electing a new Vice
President and Secretary, as provided under the bylaws.
Director appointments (Communications and Hospitality) are
also revisited when each new board is installed. The Treasurer
position is also currently available, with the Board seeking an
interim to serve out the remainder of the present term.
Here’s a great opportunity to jump in and become part of a
success. Can you bring interest, imagination, ideas and
exuberance to one of these positions? If you are retired and
feeling unneeded and irrelevant, here’s a cure for that. For
younger members still building a career, a position as and
officer and/or director of a successful nonprofit corporation
will look great on your resume!
Make your interest known using the form provided on the web
site, or by writing a note to the Nominating Committee at the
Empire address (see the mailing label.) To learn more about
serving on the Board, turn the page.
Manitou Islands
Memorial Society
V15 No 3 Newsletter Fall/Winter 2004
News from the Nominating Committee –
New Booklet Now Available
MIMS, Inc. is a pocketsize booklet designed as a recruitment
tool for corporate officers and volunteer staff positions. As
subtitled, it provides “a brief view of the corporate landscape,
governance and management in
the Manitou Island Memorial
Society for Nominating
Committees and Prospective
Nominees.”
This booklet explains the
corporate aspects of the Society
as a nonprofit entity, how
governance in a nonprofit
corporation works, what the
duties and responsibilities of
officers, directors and
appointed staff are, and what
the management culture is
like. Brief job descriptions for
each position are also
provided.
The information has been compiled from MIMS records and a
variety of Internet resources, including IRS and Michigan
government web sites, nonprofit advocacy foundations and
support organizations. The booklet is available online in
eBook format in the “members/ebooks” section of
www.mantiouislands.org. Printed copies may also be
requested from the Secretary; phone 877-842-7658 (toll free),
email gwarner@manitouislands.org or write to Box 177.
Two New Policies ~ on Gift Acceptance and
Volunteer Projects
Over the years the Memorial Society accumulated a
significant amount of money in various loosely, and
unofficially, restricted funds. With the passage of time, the
purposes associated with these funds proved to be impractical,
irrelevant or impossible. The money therefore lay idle in bank
accounts, rather than being put to any good purpose. Feeling
that the failure to use such gifts and bequests in a meaningful
way discouraged others from designating the Society for
memorial gifts and thinking about the organization when
engaged in estate planning, the Board recognized the need to
remedy this situation. The “restricted funds” were therefore
examined on a case by case basis, finding that some fit the
definition of “donor advised funds”, but none had been
formally or legally designated for any particular purpose.
After requesting comments from the nearest kin of the families
involved, the Board voted to move this money to the general
fund, therefore making it available to the Society’s mission,
with a small set-aside held in a reserve fund.
To preclude the possibility of such situations arising in the
future, and to assure prospective benefactors that the
Memorial Society will be a diligent steward of gifts and
bequests, the Board has adopted a Gift Acceptance Policy. In
general, this discusses the kinds of gifts and bequests that can
be accepted, by whom, under what circumstances, and how
such assets will be managed.
While in the policy making mode, the Board also addressed
the issue of assuring that MIMS-sponsored volunteer projects
are properly announced and promoted, in order to assure
fairness and inclusiveness. The resulting Volunteer Policy
addresses such issues as notice, member-nonmember
preferences, and so on.
Copies of these policies are available online, and printed
copies are available from the Secretary upon request.
Point of Historical Interest – the Demise of
Schooner Eagle and Capt. Jacob Lawson
For many years member Fred Hollister (Alameda, California
& North Manitou Island, Michigan) has been researching the
shipwrecks of the Manitou passage. He’s up to approximately
150 vessels totally lost, and recently came across the
following items that he thought you might find of interest:
EAGLE Schooner, capsized near the Manitou Island, Lake
Mich. April 18, 1848, lost with all hands, seven. Loss
$2,000. - Casualty List for 1848, Toronto Globe, Sept. 13,
1848.
We are informed by Capt. Pratt, of the propeller
PRINCETON, that when about 20 miles off Sheboygan, on
Lake Michigan, he found the schooner EAGLE, dismasted,
and otherwise injured. The body of a man named Jacob
Lawrence, supposed to be her captain, was found on board,
and was buried on one of the Manitou Islands. - Buffalo
Republic, Wednesday, April 26, 1848.
SCHOONER EAGLE - We alluded to the wreck of this
vessel on Lake Michigan some days since. We now
understand that in addition to her captain, there were three
other persons who perished on board of her, viz: a German
sailor, an Irishman and a lumberman. - Buffalo Republic,
Wednesday, May 3, 1848.
Fred suggests ...“So, based on this rather limited information,
the name of Capt. Jacob Lawrence, master of the Sch. Eagle,
should be added to the roster of those buried on the
Manitous."
Fred is searching for an article about Manitou Passage
shipwrecks titled "Gravesites of the Manitou Passage" by Greg
Risig published in the Elk Rapids GAZETTE September 2,
1994, pgs. 1-19. Email Fred at frederichollister@hotmail.com
or send mail c/o Box 177 in Empire.
Manitou Islands Memorial Society Page 2
Treasurer Joe Orbeck Retires
After several years of
dedicated service, Treasurer
Joe Orbeck has asked to be
relieved. Joe was elected to
the post as Treasurer four
times, and served in that
capacity over seven
consecutive years.
In addition to doing an
outstanding job in his role as
Treasurer, Joe has also been
a most dedicated Director,
giving willingly of his time
and personal resources for
the good of the Society
whenever the opportunities arose. Combined with an easy-
going manner and ready sense of humor, his serious
businessman’s perspective won the respect and admiration of
fellow directors, from one Board to the next. As a member,
Director, and descendant of some of South Manitou’s original
settlers and homesteaders (George Conrad Hutzler), he has
always been an energetic advocate for the Islands. The Board
of Directors has accepted his resignation with regrets, offering
the Memorial Society’s most sincere appreciation for a job
well done.
Island Music?
MIMS member Gary Worden, this year's official "Island
Excursion Musician", wonders ...
"whether parlor organs (pump organs) were popular on
the islands. I would think that pianos might have been
hard to ship and maintain. Did many homes have pianos?
Parlor organs, on the other hand are light weight and
were prevalent throughout the Midwest at the turn of the
century ... I have a pump organ. If it were meaningful to
island descendants, I'd be interested in recording some
music of the time and presenting it to (the Society) as a
gift. What do you know about music and it's role on the
islands? How can I find out more?"
Gary receives email at glworden@centurytel.net, or mail c/o
Box 177 in Empire will be promptly forwarded.
Help for Family
Photographers
Taking pictures is a great
way to preserve memories.
Not happy with your
camera? Check out the
helpful photo tips provided
by professionals at Kodak,
a NPS “Proud Partner”...
MIT's Next Epoch
The Grosvenor operation goes back to at least 1918, when
George "Tracy" Grosvenor married Della Firestone of North
Manitou Island and began making regular trips back and forth
between Leland and the Island, carrying mail, supplies and
passengers. He took over the mail contract for South Manitou
in the 1930's, the family thus serving both of the islands ever
since.
Tracy and Della begot George Firestone Grosvenor (known as
"George"), who with his wife begot George Michael (known
as "Mike"), who with his wife begot George Michael Jr
(usually called "Michael'), who with his wife Sarah have begot
another George Tracy. In "Old World" style, the business has
remained in the family for almost ninety years! It recently
passed to the next generation for the fourth time, with Mike's
children Michael and Megan and their spouses taking over.
Megan, and Michael's wife Sarah, now manage the land-based
operations, while Michael, and Megan's husband Jimmy
Munoz, are responsible for the boats and the island-based
activities. Mike continues to participate in an advisory
capacity.
SMI Burial Site Recovery and Marking
Projects ~ African-American Unknowns
NPS Architectural Historian Kimberly Mann suggests doing
some research on, and marking, the graves of certain African-
Americans, which evidently lie just outside the main
cemetery's gate on South Manitou. She has some sketchy
research indicating that two men were buried there, although it
contains nothing indicating names, dates or circumstances.
There are depressions at the location in question, indicating
probable burials.
The presence of such burials has been rumored over the years,
but physical records have never been discovered. Anyone
having any information, anecdotal or otherwise, is
invited to communicate it. Else
the two burial sites
currently identified will
be appropriately
marked and
identified as "John
Doe" graves. Our
traditional Rocheleau
crosses might not be
appropriate in this case, since African-Americans were not
necessarily Christians. Opinions on this are also solicited.
Check out the online book about African-American burial
traditions at http://sciway.net/hist/chicora/gravematters.html.
Since these graves are outside the fence and often driven over
by tour and maintenance vehicles, Kim will arrange to have
the area marked off as a "Potter's Field" of sorts, using large
indigenous rocks. Placing the markers and dedicating the
"Potter's Field" will be an activity everyone can be involved in
at next summer's island excursion.
Manitou Islands Memorial Society Page 3
NMI Burial Site Recovery and Marking
Projects ~ Andrew and John Paepschow
Rita Hadra Rusco, historian for North Manitou, has
recommended markers be placed on two more graves in
North's main cemetery. An existing stone on a third grave is
also in need of repair.
The existing stone, with
inscriptions in Danish, marks
Anna Paepschow's grave. The
top part of this marker,
containing the familiar oval
design with lambs, was broken
off years ago. Rita and Ray
Kimple found it lying in the
grass, and Ray picked it up for
safekeeping. It's in storage
somewhere in the Lakeshore.
David Hooper, former seasonal
ranger on North suggests this
piece probably wound up in the Lakeshore's "Black Hole" ... a
storage building at the Empire radar station. Rita hopes that
piece can be located and restored to the slab remaining on the
grave.
Adjacent to Anna's grave are the graves of Andrew and John.
These once had wooden markers. Those were also removed by
Ray Kimple and put into storage but might be a good resource
for information, if they can be located. Otherwise the
information currently available is:
Andrew Paepschow
Died 11/15/1896
(next in line to the north of Anna)
John Paepschow
Died 12/22/1922
(third in line)
This is based on the work of a visiting clergyman, is several
years old and is open to question since Rita is not sure where
he got the information. Anyone able to verify, correct or
expand upon these details is encouraged to email the Secretary
(gwarner@manitouislands.org)
or mail the information to Box
177 in Empire. Ideas regarding
the repair and restoration of
Anna’s stone are also solicited.
Crosses with brass plaques will
be created by Paul Rocheleau
for the graves of Andrew and
John. Placement of these
markers is tentatively planned
as a project for next Memorial
Day weekend.
Youth Group Sponsorships
Serving our mandate to pass on our knowledge and love of the
islands to the younger generations, the Memorial Society
invites you to sponsor an island experience for the group of
your choice. Kids love
adventure and a journey to a
real island easily beats Six-
Flags or Cedar Point. Besides
the fun and adventure, the
unique experience is also
educational, and is sure to
create a memory that will last
a lifetime. You can help make
this happen as your own, private initiative, by supporting part
of the cost of a day trip or camping adventure for a local
school class, kids club, scout pack, kids choir, church youth
group ... or what have you.
The costs break down as follows:
·
Transportation: Mantiou Island Transit rates are $25
round trip, $14 for kids 12 and under.
·
Parking: MIT provides a secure parking area for
customer vehicles for $3 per day.
·
Park Pass: Options include paying $10 per vehicle or $5
per person. This fee is waived for youth 17 and under.
·
Camping Permits: $5 per night per person for up to
seven, or ...
§
$20 for groups of seven to twenty on South
§
$10 per night for groups of up to ten on North.
For example, six teens with two adults
can enjoy a three-night wilderness
camping experience on North Manitou
for $249. Eight to ten kids with two
adults can have a birthday party (day
trip) on South for $188.
Let us know what you have in mind.
We’ll do the math and let you know
what donation would be needed to cover
the above costs. Then, if you decide to
go ahead, we will make all the necessary
arrangements with the Lakeshore and Manitou Island Transit.
Write Box 177, email youthsponsorships@manitouislands.org
or call 877-842-7658 (toll free)
Notice ~ MIMS “RDBMS”
Over the years, membership records have been kept by hand in
various sorts of formats. They’ve now been transferred to a
computer resident Relational DataBase Management System.
This will make future record-keeping much easier, and the
procedures and records format will remain consistent, even as
those serving on the Board changes over the years. In the new
system, everyone has their own membership record, but each
household has only one member tagged as “receives mail”, to
prevent duplicate mailings. Address labels for this newsletter
were generated from the new system. Please advise the
Secretary of any corrections needed or changes desired.
Manitou Islands Memorial Society Page 4
Rita Rusco, First Honorary Member, Finally
Receives Her Plaque
Shown above is Rita Rusco accepting her MIMS “Honorary
Lifetime Membership” plaque from Paul Maleski. Paul
accepted on her behalf at our annual meeting in July. Seated
with Rita and Paul is former North islander Marcus Oien
(left). Onlookers included family members who were visiting
from Texas, and William R Angell III, son of the island’s
former steward.
The occasion was the Leelanau Historical Society’s annual
North Manitou Island Excursion, held this year on Saturday,
September 11. The group made the crossing on MIT’s
Manitou Isle with sixty people taking advantage of this once-
a-year opportunity to spend a day on North Manitou Island.
(Photo courtesy of Laura Quackenbush, Leelanau Historical
Society & Museum)
Labor of Love
Jack and Suzanne Hughes summered on South Manitou for
over forty years, from 1959 to 2002. Their children and
grandchildren came every year, taking home many happy
memories from the cottage across from the old “Post
Office”. Those younger generations continue even now
as regular summer campers.
The island has a way of getting into one’s heart,
and becoming an unforgettable part of one’s spirit.
Such was evidently the case
for the Hughes’ 11-year old
grandson Christopher Ek,
who built this replica of the
South Manitou Lighthouse
complex. What began as a
school project obviously
turned into a “labor of
love”, with this outstanding result! Look for Chris and his
model at next July’s reunion in Empire, after which we’ll
move it to the Visitor Center museum on the island.
Best Seller Proves Top Fund Raiser
Gerald Crowner really didn’t mean to write a book ... he just
thought he’d jot down a few memoirs for future family
members to enjoy. At the urging of Marie Smith, he agreed to
let her granddaughter Dorothy Belanger of The
Print Shop in Mio publish
his writings as an illustrated
book, which was then
offered for sale at various
points around the
Lakeshore. The resulting
sales validated Marie’s faith
in the project.
The South Manitou Story is a
collection of the former
South Manitou Coast
Guardsman’s anecdotes, tall
tales and poetry. As far as
books about South Manitou
are concerned, it’s become the
definitive “best seller”. It’s not
hard to figure out why. While
most other books are the story of their authors’ families,
Crowner writes about life on the island as he found it in the
1920’s. The characters in his stories are the people who were
his colleagues and neighbors on the island. His accounts often
leave readers with a warm spot in their heart ... and sometimes
with a lump in their throat. Besides his obvious interest in and
affection for the islanders, he clearly had a soft spot in his
heart for the island itself, and often waxes poetic about its
mystery and beauty.
Now, Crowner’s book is proving to be a top fundraiser. Early
this year Marie’s daughter Margaret Hodge and the author’s
daughter Lynn (Crowner) Roe decided to do yet another
printing, and donate the proceeds from the sale of the books to
the Memorial Society. Copies autographed by the author’s
daughter proved a popular item at this summer’s Port Oneida
Fair. To date, the project has raised over $400 for the
Society’s general fund.
Can You Make These?
It’s a simple quad-tone “boat whistle”, made of scrap wood
and ½” dowels. South Manitou’s August Warner gave one of
these to his grandson Gene.
Although his was
made of chrome-
plated metal, the
sound was
the same ...
similar to that
made by the
whistles of
yesteryear’s steam
locomotives. Anyone know what these
boat whistles were actually used for? The Port
Oneida Fair is a family event, and these would go over great
with kids. So it’s an authentic item with great fundraising
potential! Plans, if needed, are available from the Secretary.
Manitou Islands Memorial Society Page 5
Exhibiting at the Port Oneida Fair
On Friday and Saturday, August 6th and 7th, the Lakeshore’s
Port Oneida Rural Historic District came to life with the
advent of the third annual Port Oneida Fair. The Fair, free to
everyone, showcased the crafts, skills and activities that made
rural life productive and enjoyable in the 1850 to 1950 era.
Exhibits featured blacksmiths, potters, barn builders, quilters,
spinners, story tellers,
artists and musicians, all
working in traditional
crafts or taking
inspiration from the
turn-of-the-century Port
Oneida culture.
The Memorial Society
was there, as a first-time
exhibitor, our pavilion billed as “A Maritime History:
Moments with Gerald Crowner”. Crowner was only fifteen
years old when he signed on as a “temporary surfman” at the
Pentwater Coast Guard
Station. At twenty-one,
he enlisted as a full time
Coast Guardsman to
grab a vacancy on South
Manitou Island. That
began his life-long love
affair with the island,
which he ultimately
chronicled in his book
“The South Manitou Story”. A young, authentically uniformed
“Gerald Crowner” (Glen Lake High School senior Jake
Rumbaugh) exuberantly retold his stories, his “stage” being an
authentic Mackinaw boat provided by the Maritime Heritage
Alliance.
The connection between the Manitous and Port Oneida? Many
young men who grew up on Port Oneida farms served in the
Coast Guard, and were often assigned to North or South
Manitou Lifesaving Stations. Names that come to mind are
Kelderhouse, Thorsten, Burfiend. In fact, Jack Barratt, one of
Port Oneida’s very few
remaining residents,
was an island Coast
Guardsman.
Exhibiting proved fun
and profitable for the
Society. Set up is easy,
and duties after that
involve meeting people,
answering questions and engaging visitors in conversation.
Many are MIMS Members, area residents or others already
interested in the islands, so they’re very easily met. There’s
also time to ride an old farm wagon or stroll leisurely around
the area to visit other exhibits and demonstrations. Motor
trams are available for those unable to walk long distances.
So, what are you doing next August? As a volunteer or visitor,
you’re sure to have a good time, so come to the Fair!
Manitou Islands Memorial Society
PO Box 177
Empire MI 49630-0177