Les Flâneurs: Memorial Day

Showing posts with label Memorial Day. Show all posts

Out and about in West Michigan

OK, I admit there's little rhyme or reason to this particular post -- the cynic might say I was too lazy all these past three months or so to post individual notes with accompanying photos. The cynic might be right. And then again she might be wrong.

Frankly, I couldn't bring myself to focus on one simple blog entry as somehow worthy of standing alone on the page as it were. That and I had a few other things on my mind -- spending nearly a month in Europe, spending time with folks I find funny, engaging and happy to be alive enjoying life.

And I was sick for a short while. No, not the kind of illness that brings one to death's door but one that was nonetheless debilitating. And no fun, if I may say.

Anyway, here's what our spring and summer have been like, in part and so far. . .

First up, the butterflies at Meijer Gardens with Susie, her sister Mary and Mary's daughter Mallory.

Cut to Memorial Day, which is a pretty big deal here in the USA. The idea for "memorialization" of past lives grew out of the American Civil War. The veterans of that horrendous conflict as well as their friends and families determined it was important to recall, indeed to remember annually the sacrifice made by so many to preserve the Union. As a kid growing up in central Illinois I remember my folks calling it "decoration day" since we would go out to visit the folks who have long since shuffled off this mortal coil to place a vase of flowers on their graves.

Anyway, we thought we'd visit the cemetery before heading out to Clear Lake for some quality family time and good food.

Susan and her mom visiting Tunis VandenBerg's grave

Melissa Ten Have Loaney

Melissa, Jeff and Laurie

Bernice, Melissa and Susie

June saw another trip back to Meijer Gardens, this time along with family visiting from Chicagoland. Anyway, I learned that the Orchid Corner has been renamed in honor of Anne Frank and the children who died in the Holocaust.

Susan

Later in the month we had a chance to catch a fascinating discussion about Fortunato no. 4 chocolate by its sole producer at Patricia's Chocolate in Grand Haven.

I can never refuse a shot of the pier at Grand Haven.

After the talk Susie and I headed back into Grand Rapids and had dinner at Søvengård on the city's west side.

Small plug here for one of my projects this year: I'm prepping for a presentation on the men of the 3rd Michigan buried in Fulton Street Cemetery in Grand Rapids (21 to be exact) and am updating some of photography.

Fulton Street Cemetery is the oldest cemetery in the city (1838) and is the final resting place of many of the city's early settlers and more illustrious (and undoubtedly not-so-illustrious) characters.

Earlier in July we took a day trip up to Ludington, Michigan and checked out the state park and its beach -- both worth a stop, especially if you're keen on Lake Michigan.

After we left Ludington, we spent an hour or two touring the backroads of Mason County away from the lake and came across this bit of whimsy. . . . Enjoy your summer!

Memorial Day at Clear Lake

It was a perfect day in West Michigan, to be on a lake, savoring the cool breeze, warm sun mixed with good food and warm friends and family.

And that's precisely what we did on Monday last.

After paying our respects to Aunt Marian in Plainfield Cemetery, Susie, her mom and I drove the five minutes to the Ten Have-Galloway-Chapman clan on Clear Lake: it was the day of the big potato cookoff and we had a half dozen different potato recipes to enjoy along with several salads and grilled brats from Kingsma Market in Grand Rapids (they make their own thank you very much).

A wonderful day with nice folks enjoying each other's company. One could ask for nothing more except maybe no double vision but that's another story. . . Be well, be happy and remember life is short!

Susie

Laurie and Susie

The new grill!

brats on parade

Melissa

Bernice

Aunt Bernice with nieces Melissa and Jennifer

Matt

Karen and Marianne

Memorial Day in Grand Rapids

The weather for celebrating the men and women who have paid the ultimate sacrifice in service to their country ended the way it began: warm but low-humidity, clear blue sky with sun all day. A perfect day to be with family out at Clear Lake.

But since we weren't scheduled to gather until about two in the afternoon that gave me an opportunity to pay my respects to a few of the men from the 3rd Michigan Infantry who served in the Union army during the Civil War but didn't live to see the end of that conflict. So, about 10 in the morning I drove into downtown Grand Rapids to Fulton Cemetery. At the time of the war this was the city cemetery and the scene of much anguish among the citizens during the war. I stopped by to say hello to

Captain Samuel Judd, whose body was brought home after he was killed at Fair Oaks, Virginia, on May 31, 1862;
Major Peter Weber who fell at Falling Waters, Maryland on July 14, 1863;
regimental Chaplain Francis Cuming, who at age 64 was the oldest man in the regiment; he became sick early in the war, returned home but never recovered and he died in the city on August 26, 1862;
Brigadier General Stephen Champlin, Kent County; prosecuting attorney before the war and former colonel of the Old 3rd he was at his home in Grand Rapids when he succumbed to wounds on January 20 1864.

Located just a few feet from each other are Weber, Judd and Champlin at the top of the hill:

Champlin

Judd

Weber

In subsequent years many of their former comrades would join them in these few acres at the corner of Eastern and Fulton streets.

A little after 1pm five of us squeezed into our car -- Bernice, Susie, her sister Joyce and Joyce's friend Avery -- and headed off to Woodlawn Cemetery to pay our respects to my father-in-law Tunis VandenBerg's and Van Halsema family members who have passed on: we first stopped at Tunis's grave right near the 7th green of Indian Trails golf course and then walked the few meters to the Van Halsema graves (Susie's grandparents Emo and Nellie, her uncles Dick and Gerard and cousin David and his daughter Dana). It was grand to see so many people out decorating graves of loved ones, and to see so many flowers on gravesites.

From Woodlawn we made our way to Route 131 north and Clear Lake. It was, I said before it bears repeating, an absolutely beautiful day to be alive and out at the Lake. Lots of faces new and old, and of course plenty of warm conversation and delicious food.