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We missed the Annual Color Tour again this year. We spent the weekend of October 13 up north near West Branch and Gaylord. We would have enjoyed the Color Tour, but the colors up north were quite spectacular, plus, we were expected to attend an Appreciation Dinner for one of the governors on my council. We had fun visiting, and it was good to get away for a day or two.
While in the West Branch area, we decided to take a side trip to Fairview, which is located near Mio and Lewiston. I hadn’t been in Fairview for over sixty years, and I’ve wanted to go back for a visit for quite some time. I had several aunts, uncles, grandmother, and cousins living there back in the day, so I had many fond memories of the area.
Upon arriving in Fairview, it took me a few minutes to get my bearings. There is a Marathon gas station located where a Shell station used to be. The creamery was gone, as was the cafe, where my Uncle Omer would take me and buy me a hamburger. More on the hamburger adventure next week. The small general store has been replaced by a full-size supermarket. We looked around for my uncle’s house, plus other homes that, at one time, were filled with the laughter of aunts, uncles, and cousins. The houses are probably still there, but the homes are gone, due to the passing of those relatives. This was quite a traumatic experience for me, to say the least. I longed for those days of innocence, when I had no real worries. I wanted the opportunity to visit once again with my Aunt Arla and enjoy the aroma of bacon and eggs cooking in her kitchen, or being with family, as we enjoyed a fish dinner with my Uncle Harry and Aunt Pearl. My Uncle Milt owned a saw mill and was also a trapper. He took pride in showing me his collection of beaver pelts drying in the basement of their home. I miss those days of family gatherings. My aunts and uncles are all gone, but I still have a few cousins living, although it’s been years since we’ve gotten together. My two sisters, brother, and I see each other more often, and correspond on a regular basis. I never really appreciated the 1950s and the memories that we made then. I appreciate the relatives I have now, because I’m the youngest of my cousins and siblings, and they are really getting old. I still have time to make new memories, and I’ll never stop reliving the older ones. Time spent with family is priceless, and should be treated as such.
In traveling around Michigan, we’ve discovered how much there is to see and do for very little money. There are still places we’d like to visit. I don’t know how many states publicize the attractions located within their state. I know that the Michigan Bureau of Tourism does a great job of advertising, and it makes me proud to live in “Pure Michigan”. We have all four seasons to get Out and About. The rumor that we only have winter and road construction is only partially true. I’ll probably never travel to Europe. I’ve traveled internationally, and it’s always great to get back home.
Meanwhile, back in Three Rivers, and reality, we have plenty of memory-making activities of our own. This Saturday, October 26, from 7 to 10 PM, the Three Rivers Woman’s Club will host “Dollars for Scholars”, which will include a silent auction with entertainment. The venue is the Carnegie Center for the Arts, 107 North Main Street, in historic downtown Three Rivers. Tickets are now on sale for $10, and may be purchased at the Carnegie Center, or from any member of the Woman’s Club.
All proceeds will go to benefit the Woman’s Club’s Scholarship Fund, which will support five local high school graduates through college.
Everyone is invited to visit the club’s website at www.threeriverswomansclub.wordpress.com. Look under “Dollars for Scholars” for the continually updating list of auction items.
A few things to keep in mind:
When entrusted with a secret, keep it.
Never lie to your doctor.
See you Out and About!
Submitted by Norm Stutesman
