2014 July 21 Berrien Center to Cassopolois, Cass County, Michigan

Family history lesson:  Clarence (Shorty) Hofmeister and his twin brother's mother, Eva Walker Hofmeister, died when the twins were about 2 years old.  Later, their father William Hofmeister remarried.  He married Dora Fickel from the Prescott area.  He and Dora had a large family, half siblings to Clarence (Shorty).  William and Dora moved their family to Anita, Iowa and then on to Cass County, Michigan.  He moved all the children there too but some chose to return to Adams Co, Iowa.  Two of those who returned were Shorty and his half brother, Julius (Jude).  William lived out his life on a farm in Cass Co, Michigan and is buried in the Crane Cemetery with his wife and several of his children, their spouses and grandchildren.  

 

 

William was a carpenter.  He built barns.  And if he built barns, I'm pretty sure he built anything else he wanted to.  Can you imagine building a barn?

 

One of William's daughters Tressie Hofmeister (named after her Aunt Tressie Fickel) married Leroy True and lived near her father and mother.  Tressie  and Leroy had 10 or 11 children and the youngest was Patricia.  Pat married Larry Overton.  In 1970 they bought a house and acreage near Barrien Center, Michigan.  There they have raised 3 or 4 children and have built a comfortable resort where they enjoy entertaining relatives, friends and neighbors.  Lanny and I visited them this week.  We had met them before at Iowa Hofmeister reunions.  They host a True / Hofmeister reunion each year around the 4th of July. 

 

 

Pat says she isn't a gardener but she has flowers all around. 

 

 

I envy Pat her hollyhocks!  Mine are 1/3 that size and the ones we had here in Creston last summer, didn't come back. 

 

Pat reminiscing with her husband Larry.  Lanny is listening and looking.

 

 

 

Lanny found this in the shed.  What is it?  4 of us, 63 years + (that's 240 + years of knowledge lol ) didn't know what this was.  The closest we could come was to call it a boot scrapper.  We really have no idea . . .

 

Once Majestic Barn is now run down and needing TLC. 

 

A view from the farm.  William and Dora owned 160 acres.

 

 

The old farm house is gone.  Pat is showing me about where it stood.  She points out the living room, dining, Uncle Jay's small bedroom, Gramma and Grampa's.  She looks for the rock her mother stood on as a girl.  She retells stories she heard from her mother.   Pat is glad of the chance to remember and we are glad of the chance to hear. 

 

" The row of pine trees is completely gone.

 

That tree over there was on the other side of the yard fence."

 

Uncle Jay was a bachelor and lived on here after his folks were gone.  He farmed and tended it all his life. 

 

Stones abound in Michigan, Pat and Larry told us.  Dig a hole and you will find a rock.  In Michigan, the farmers had rock boats.  It was a skid, with sides.  You hooked it up to a horse or two.  The horses pulled the skid out into the field and people (probably children) picked up rocks and threw them on the skid for the horses to pull out of the fields.   

 

Top of the barn. 

 

Amazing that the other three stories are below grade.  On this side, William or someone, graded dirt up and tamped it down to make a ramp so that a team of horses could walk right inside.  Pat remembered where the horse stalls were, the cow stalls, the bin where the hay was tossed down.  You could tell she enjoyed the memories.  "I am so glad you came!"  she said. 

 

We were so glad we did, too.

 

 

The old water hydrant.   

 

I want to go back.  I will copy old family pictures and news articles for Pat and hope to see old family pictures that she has.  I have much to learn and see and enjoy.  I would love to pass it on to all of you. 

 

 

2014 July 20 Mackinac to South Haven

Sunday was a travel day.  We drove from northern Michigan to southern Michigan.  We did some sightseeing.  We did.  But we didn't stay too long in one spot; we didn't tarry.  We had a date scheduled for Monday at Berrien Center, Michigan.  We made time. 

 

 

 

We made our way to this Michigan State Park.  

We learned that PJ was the .the longest acting Director of Conservation

 and the first chief of state parks in Michigan.

In genealogy records, we find Hofmeister spelled in all manner of ways.

We don't think there is a family connection but can't rule it out completely.

 

A lot of my time in Michigan was spent barn watching.  I get all excited about a 1900 dairy barn and if there is a (rammed) dirt ramp up into the barn, I get really excited.  This barn had a lovely dirt ramp up into the barn on the left side.  It is hard to see. 

 

 

Michigan is beautiful. 

There are Great Lakes.

There are forests.

There are cows and pigs.

There are corn fields, orchards, grapes and blueberries. 

There are beaches and islands and all things nautical.

 

This photo is of a Michigan State Park. 

It is a beach and white sand . . . and several hundred people.

We didn't find any parking areas or shelter houses.  : )

We will go back to Michigan again.  We may not go to Mackinac but now we hfamily to go visit.

2014 July 19 Mackinac / Mackinaw

We got up this morning to discover that we have crossed the line to Eastern Daylight time so we gained an hour.  And we needed it as we were determined to get to Mackinac Island.  We ate a light breakfast at the Econo lodge at Manistique, Mi - out of necessity.  The cheerios were good and there was a banana left!  We were soon on our way. 

We arrived in Mackinac City via the Mackinaw Bridge.

An early lighthouse at Mackinaw City. 

Mackinac Island Bridge built in 1957. 

We arrived on Mackinaw Island via Ferry.  We chose the old classic ferry, Arnolds Ferry. 
It is a 40 minute ferry ride, one way.
The first time, I thought they overbooked the ferry.  It was practically standing room only.
Visions of Indonesia capsized ferries came to mind but we made it.

 



Lighthouse and channel marker just off Mackinac Island.

There are 365 fine large horses on Mackinac Island.
Horses have the right away over people and bicycles.

There are so many lovely turn-of- the- century homes.
I may move to the Island to clean houses!
 

We toured Mackinaw Island.

So did several thousand other people today.

Our tour guide told us that July 3 and 4 are always the busiest of the year so don't go for the 4th!

Fort Mackinaw
 

This is a fine Victorian house.  Photo was taken through a wrought-iron fence.  See the curliques?

Fine houses and beautiful flowers.  A winning combination. 

People, horses, carts and bicycles!
And horse poop; don't forget that. 

People come for the day.  People come and stay as there are quite a number of inns, hotels, bed and breakfasts and, don't forget The Grand Hotel. 

 

The only vehicles on the island are fire trucks and ambulances

but 13-yr old school children can drive snowmobiles to school in the winter. 

 

 

Tonight we are ensconced in the Family Unit of a privately owned hotel, The Bay Inn. 

Only one queen bed (we like 2 full) but we have a bath and a full kitchen. 

We were alerted to a fantastic sunset by the owner.  We paid a whopping $130. 

The sunset was worth it.

 

 

And we were worn out.  lol

 

PS:  no matter whether it is spelled Mackinac or Mackinaw, you say it Mackinaw. 

Who would have thought. 

 

2014 July 18 - Illinois to northern Michigan

We slept late.  7:30 am, Himself rolled out.  I had been waking / dozing / waking as I do a lot (from 4:30 on) and I was awake when he sat up.  We couldn't believe he'd slept so long as he is almost always up at 5 or 5:30 am. 


Blue skies @ Madison, Wi

I had packed everything perishable in the 'frig at home so I had bacon and 4 eggs in the cooler.  I cooked breakfast while he packed the car but still it was 9:30 before we were on our way.  Retirement might be making us a wee bit too relaxed.  You think?

So north to Wisconsin, this morning.  We took the 'scenic' route thru Madison, on to Oshkosh and Green Bay.  Himself came out of Madison in a funk as we (I) missed the bypass and we took I151 right through the city.  Then, headed further north and east to Michigan. 

We ate lunch in a cemetery near Beaver Dam, Wisconsin, north of Madison.  The sugar had dropped out of my blood, I had to go to the bathroom and (although he will never admit it, Himself had been in the car too long).  We each had a little lunch and dipped home-made cucumbers and onions out of the pint mason jar with our fingers.  Man!  those cukes and onions hit the spot!  The cemetery had short, low water faucets scattered around so we washed our hands, wiped our mouths on our sleeves, and headed out feeling a whole lot better. 

This was in the sad little  'baby row'. 
 

Tonight we are a stone-throw from Lake Michigan, staying at an Econo Lodge. 

Lake Michigan, across the road from our motel @ Manistique, Mi
 

Tomorrow, Mackinac Island!

2014 July 17 . . . Mackinac Island or is it Mackinaw Island and Mackinac City?

I do really know that it is Mackinac Island and Mackinaw City . . . but did they name them different?  What's the deal?  I am on a mission to find out.

We left The Cabin today about 11 am.  We gave the cabins a  lick and a promise , packed up and headed home.  The Cabin is expecting company this weekend and we wanted it to make a good impression. 

Home, we picked cucumbers, gave them away, watered plants, threw old food out of the refrigerator, repacked the cooler, checked the mail and paid the bills.  We jumped in the Dodge and headed out.

First leg ended at Galena, Illinois. 

Galena is an interesting old town just off the Mississippi.  It is on the Galena River which rolls into the mighty Mississipp.  If any of you want a weekend in Galena, let us know as there are usually rooms available.

Anyway, we drove 5 hours, stopped in Knoxville, Ia to eat and Mr. C's where we had the biggest pork tenderloin ever, then drove on over to arrive about 9:15.  We are in the smallest ever condo that we have booked at Worldmark.  This is a studio and it is just a bit weird because there is one room and the bath but you can see through the fireplace from the living into the bathroom.  And vice versa, of course.  Now this does rival the size of the New Orleans condo in the old hotel but there, we did have a bathroom and a bedroom and living room.  I think I will need to revisit any photos I have of that unit. 

So, we'll be up and at it tomorrow.  We'll have breakfast here then off to see the wizard.  We probably will go up to Mackinaw City tomorrow to stay the night and then spend Saturday on the Island. 

You all take care!  Have fun!  love, Nance