Memorial Day has always been an important day in our family – given that my brother and me were both born on May 30 (5 years apart, 1964 and 1969 respectively). As a young child, I always felt the parade was just for us…in celebration of our birthdays.
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Dorothy Hecht was just 16 years old in 1937 when she waited on her first table at then Fischer’s Restaurant in downtown Frankenmuth, and ecstatically earned her first 25-cent tip. When she met and eventually married William “Tiny” Zehnder, whose family owned Zehnder’s Restaurant across the street, her happiness continued–and a legacy began.
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Michigan’s many historic lighthouses were home to dozens of women who served as keepers while also raising their families in often remote locations. This Mother’s Day, we pay tribute to these “Mothers of the Lights” here in the Great Lakes State!
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Earlier this summer, while speaking at the Montague Library in Muskegon County, I learned about one of the community’s most noted former residents – Hannah Lincoln Sammis – who was said to be a cousin of President Abraham Lincoln. The sign at the Sammis Cemetery in Montague Township, erected in 1977, even notes this designation while the City of Montague website states “President Abraham Lincoln’s first cousin, Hanna (sic) Lincoln Sammis, is buried in a little cemetery on the north side of Eilers Road, between Besser Court and Cook Street (in Montague Township).”
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Some people are born to lead a particular life, and if we are lucky, we reap the rewards from their passions. Italian-born Mariano Meconi was destined to be a vintner, planting a legacy that remains rooted in West Michigan now for four generations.
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Hundreds of spectacular new digital images – including many from Northern Michigan locales in Petoskey and Horton Bay – are among those featured in the soon-t0-be-released book Traveling The World With Hemingway by Curtis L. DeBerg, PhD.
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Most often thought of as a leisure travel destination, Frankenmuth – with its distinctive German flair – is also one of the state’s top locales for corporate events. Dubbed “Little Bavaria” in the early 1950s, this town is rich with tradition, culture, family heritage and plenty of unique spaces and activities for groups of all sizes.
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Located in the heart of Michigan’s Thumbcoast, Port Huron boasts a charming small-town feel with big city amenities. Meeting planners and attendees alike will appreciate the safety of the suburbs while enjoying picturesque views, a vibrant culture and outdoor adventure opportunities, both during and after the workday.
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Michigan is home to nearly 150 wineries, many with private events spaces set against backdrops of picturesque vineyards and wide-open rural countryside scenes. While weddings are among the primary celebrates hosted, many also offer venues ideal for business and corporate receptions or events.
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Over the past few years, a handful of communities have claimed that the award-winning author Ernest Hemingway had ate, drank, slept, hunted, fished or visited, with little or no actual proof that said statements were true.
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A sure sign of spring…the return of the robins to Michigan! In April 1931, the American robin (Turdus migratorius) was chosen as Michigan’s official state bird – one of three to claim this red-breasted aviary as its state bird (the others are Connecticut and Wisconsin).
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So we stayed at the haunted Nahma Inn in October of 2019 and met several locals who shared stories with us about Nellie Fleming and her spirit who resides within this 1908 building. Apparently there are as many as 5 ghosts here – maybe Charles Good who lived for a time in the room (#17) across from Nell (#16)…and an on-again-off-again affair was known within the town. At one point, Nell’s sisters also lived here (1930 census)…including Anne (pictured) who was a local boys high school basketball coach and school superintendent (and I suspect is actually a sister-in-law, married to Nell’s only brother, John).
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The first library that I remember in my hometown of Plainwell was inside 335 East Bridge Street (now a private home). My recollections are vague, but cloudy visions of story time are tucked in the back corner of my mind. I recall being jealous of my classmate Susan who later lived in the house…how lucky was she to reside inside a former library!
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