May 2006 - January 2007

The Sherer party Wednesday evening (We picked Doris Ballard up) didn’t turn out too good, as turnout wasn’t as expected, we were about 18 people short this year, a lot due to sickness and old age of some of our people, I believe if my count was correct we had 20 people, all had a good time anyway, next year we will have the party some place different or if available in the basement of the Moonraker where it will be less noisy, people were playing pool in our room while we were eating and talking which was annoying to me, at least. The food and service was good however, most didn’t mind the noise.

Yesterday morning I had an appointment with Dr. Mahr for a checkup, all was OK, this morning I had an appointment for blood test, (may 4, 2006) and to determine the cloistral count and other things it tells the Doctor. The clock is striking noon, which means that its time for the Smith’s to head for McDonalds to have our ½ of a hamburger each and a drink, talk to ya later.

Hi Again, quite a lot has occurred since my last input, Jack and I didn’t play as much golf as we did last year, the weather didn’t cooperate well for us. However, I did not report on this before but it actually is a major accomplishment-------Here’s the story, I was going thru’ the VA news one niter and noticed that, the VA Administration had added THE LOSS OF HEARING to be eligible if service connected, for compensation, this was in 2005----I called the number it listed to apply and received the information on how to start----I e-mail a letter stating on how where and when my ear problem started, I was told that the situation causing my condition was established and entered into my army records in April of 1944 when I received the Bronze star medal in the area entering Countance France when the Half-Track I was driving was hit by a German 88 tank projectile. From there I followed procedures up until the present.

Resulting in unexpected compensation for my problem, much more than I ever imagined, However, it hasn’t been easy for me or for Ardis having to repeat most everything talked about.

This will be entered in its proper place in my autobiography, probably near the end as it is happening now (Oct.5th 2006) the first check will cause a

Family celebration somewhere you can count on that, maybe Shuler’s why not. I have not had a steak at Shuler’s since I retired 27 year’s ago.

Talk to ya later. This is (10-07-06) and I’m sending this to Karen to put in my story wherever she thinks it should go.

To further my investigation in the V.A. It was necessary to send them our marriage certificate to prove the marriage was legal for more compensation, as it turned out the entitlement was almost doubled, and I received the checks to prove it, however, it didn’t mention my wife concerning the benefits, so I am going to have to get in touch with Scott Losey to determine why. Scott is the Director for the VA in this area. This is 1-2-2007 of the new year (Not sure about Florida yet )

April 2006

THIS COULD BE THE FINAL CHAPTER OF THE FRONTIER KID

This will not be an easy chapter to add to my autobiography, this April 30, 2006 to-day the kids had a wonderful party for our 65^th wedding anniversary at the Methodist Church in Marshall, Mi.-------More than 60 people attended including friends and relatives, this was beautiful, however, in the last five months we have had several disappointing news, first my long time deer hunting pardoner Clyle (Jake) Jacoby my nephew died in November (30^th) we hunted deer to-gather since 1936 mostly in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan, plus my best friend in our Florida Mobil Home Park, Jim Crane my old golfing pardoner from Maryland died in December, we were about to depart for Florida when Ardis came down sick, had to take her to the Hospital, they found she had a ruptured ulcer and had to operate right away, this held us up for several weeks, finally we left for Florida the 28^th of January and arrived the first of February--------I’m going to hold up the story for the time being and will start it again when the notion alerts me. Ardis recuperated well in the Sunshine State, and I played golf with the park league about twice a week, this year we played at St. Leo course and Lake Bernnadette course.

Here’s the high light of the year, we sold our Mobil Home, with the idea that we

Were getting too old to drive the distance (1300 mile) through the big cities and on the inter-states, our health isn’t too good at times, however, if it improves considerably we will rent a home next year in the same park, in fact that was one of the option’s when we sold it, we would be first in line to rent it next year if we wanted it. Now here this, the time stayed at the park will not be the same without Jim.

We had a little bad luck with the car this year, when we pulled in to the Motel 6 in Tallahassee where we stay the second niter out, we took our bags in to the room and

Come out to go accost the road to eat dinner at Shoney’s and it started raining so

We went back to the car to drive to dinner, the car wouldn’t start, battery dead, which meant a real predicament as we were in a strange town on a rainy Sunday night. The car came equipped with On Star phone system and I had activated it just before we left for Florida, they became our Angel of Mercy, I called the number on the card that I had, explained the situation and was told to sit tight and not to worry, help was on the way, I might add fast help, as in about ten minutes there was

A fellow knocking on the door, he tried to start it with the jumper cable that he had but it didn’t work, so what did On Star do, they sent a flat bed to pick the car up and take it to the service garage to find the problem, this was around 11:00 pm so we went to bed and got a good nights sleep. Next morning I called the garage to find out if they had found the problem, they were working on it, so we grabbed a cab and went to the garage to wait for it there, in about 15 minutes a person came and told us the car was ready, in fact it was setting just outside the waiting room where we were. We were given a statement for the labor and parts that gave it a balance of 00. The car was still in warranty. A new battery was all that it needed, the old one had blown up. Due to On Star’s total reliability we were on our way early in the forenoon Monday morning and arrived at our destination almost on time.

This is the 2^nd of May, 2006, to-marrow evening we will have our annual old Sherer employee’s party, usually have around 30 to 35 people, it will be at the Moonraker Restaurant on old US 27 south of Marshall about 2 miles at 6:30 or thereabouts, dinner at 7:00 if all goes well.

I will be the host and MC, my helper Bill Lautenslager is up north to his cabin so

Will have to shovel it alone, think we will bring up the subject of new youngblood to handle it in the future, it is a good get-to-gather night for hashing over the past, everyone has a good time and a good meal.

Not much happening this time of year, except maybe getting ready to go fly-fishing for bluegills and hoping for better weather to play some golf.

I think that I mentioned our new great-granddaughter, Adrienne Grace Dysinger, she’s a beaut. Too I must mention that our other granddaughter, Carol Johnson will be having a baby sometime in October of this year, that will make two great grand children, how about that for a couple of 80 plus year old grandparents.

We intend to give each household a Thousand dollars for them to invest for there children’s college education, in 20 years the proceeds should help considerably

Providing its invested in the best of financial practice.

That all for now will catch you next time. As mentioned above our other granddaughter Carol Johnson had her baby Oct. 14^th 2006 and named him –him –him-----Alexander Thomas Johnson, a beautiful boy.

Getting back to the party at The Moonraker, we didn’t have the turnout we usually expected, about 16 people less than expected, these people are getting old and some don’t like to get out if it means going home in the dark, next year we will have it earlier to correct this problem, we lost two of our old members, Carl Green’s wife

Margaret, then in the winter sometime Bill Hammond died, Margaret was 89 years and Bill was 79 I believe. So much for the Party.

Frontier, MI

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                                    FRONTIER MICHIGAN

My hometown and the place where I was born went to school and grew into Manhood. It is fitting then that my autobiography should indicate when and how Frontier got its name. The following will be a history of that and of

Woodbridge Township, Frontier, Michigan.

 

In 1834 the first settler’s took up residence in what is now Woodbridge township most all of the descendants of the first settlers are now gone.

 

Woodbridge was set off from Fayette Township in 1840, its original territory embraced within its boundaries the present Townships of Woodbridge, Cambria and the west half of Amboy, Amboy Township was home to my dads birthplace in the log cabin built by my Grandfather, John Smith and his wife Harriet Smith in era of the late 1850’s, my dad was born in 1873 he had a Brother and Sister that was born there also. 

 

Now, how did my hometown get its name?? Apparently, the men who formed the skirmish lines for the Ohio-Michigan war felt this was a true Frontier of wilderness. One of the officers, marching into towering trees, came upon a fairly clear area of ground and thought he was on the line cleared by surveyors. He placed three signs at intervals to say Frontier. When the Commanding officer did not see one of his companies of men, He sent a runner to look for them. He found them five miles north of where they were supposed to be. They were dispatched forthwith to the line. The Signs and the name “Frontier” stuck.

This date as of this writing is Aug. 29, 2005 and Frontier is still there with all the history surrounding it still to be written.  I’ll get to it as soon as I get the notion, it will be the Schools and Churches that I attended when I was growing up. Also, I will mention some of the storms that I recall created a

Lot of damage to the town and surrounding areas.

The Tornados have struck the settlement, twenty years apart. In 1928 some farm damage was done west of the town. The roofs were taken from at least two barns and many trees were taken down. In 1948 a tornado struck again west of town. The Ed Westfall barns were badly damaged. Etta Crampon’s garage in town was flattened. The two-story mercantile building, that stood where the barber shop  is now was toppled against the Young’s building to the east of it. The chimney was taken off the Baughman house. Many windows all over town were broken out. The barns on the United Brethren Parsonage lot was leveled.

The third tornado , in 1968 , was the one that wrought major destruction

It swept across some of Amboy, Woodbridge and Cambria Townships doing $500,000 in damages. The funnel at this time was quite wide with a swath of nearly a block . It caused $50,000 damage to the properties in Frontier. However, only one person was injured causing him to have several stitches, his name was Carl Deisler.

The schools of Frontier and the surrounding community, were built and put into operation in the early 1840’s some of the area school names were Brodock, Brahman, East and West Maple Grove, Tamarack and Fuller.

My wife Ardis attended the Maple Grove school when she started school.  I attended the Fuller school when I was in the fourth grade, which was about a half mile from where I lived, on a small farm a half mile north of Frontier. This is where I grew up from the 1920’s until 1941, the year that I

was married. Our neighbors to the south were Guy Snider, Nealy Alpaugh Grimes and Art England and to the North, Charlie Sturdefant Clide Pierce and Elvan Bell.

The Fuller School building has since been torn down however, the big beautiful maple trees that surrounded the school are still there, and was on a portion of the Pierce farm.

In 1844 a board of inspection met and organized the district schools, the first Frontier school was a building at the corner of clark and Montgomery roads  on land formerly owned by George Blount who gave it for a school.  In 1873 a larger Frontier school was necessary. A site was chosen on Brad Street because it was far enough away from t he road so that the fast-moving horses could not hurt the children.

 

A two-story, three room building was erected at a cost of $ 3500. The grades were primary, intermediate and high. The completion and dedication of this ten grade school were held in the summer of 1895. The first graduating class (1895) held its ceremonies in an orchard just in back of

The Methodist church across the road from the school. The first class graduated six students. The next few classes were larger. The graduation exercises took two nights. Each student graduating was required to give a speech before receiving his diploma. At this time the superintendent received $540 a season and the teachers received $360 a season.

In 1912 the Ransom school district joined Frontier for the high school education by sending their students to Frontier to complete their schooling.

In 1913-1914 there was no graduating class as the school changed from a ten-grade to a twelve-grade school. My wife’s mother was the first to graduate from the 12 grade school in 1914 as was my oldest sister Grace.

In 1914 Professor Reed the Superintendent, applied for and received accreditation for the school. Under the direction of Edith Clark, the beautiful maple trees surrounding the school were planted on Arbor Day 1918. The 1968 tornado took several of them down.

In 1926 a mass meeting was held for a discussion by the people of a proposed bonding of the school district for $17,000 so that the high school building could meet the state requirements for accreditation and standards.

The election, held on May 9, 1926 carried 2 to 1. The bonding included a two-story addition 40 by 45 feet for a new high school. The old high school became a grade school. The new building was to include a heating plant. The committee to oversee the building was W.J. Westfall and R. I. Kinney.

Horse and wagon brought the school bell from Angola, Indiana by Fredric Chester. Pete Fosbender was one of the first janitors. He rang the bell from the second story each day. It wasn’t till some years later that GUY SNYDER, as janitor, fixed the bell so it could be rung from the main floor.

Guy Snyder, was our neighbor first house and farm to the south of our farm for many years, in fact his daughter taught at Fuller school where I went for several years.

There are several Cemeteries in Woodbridge Township including Frontier Cemeteries. Most of my relatives are buried in the Frontier Cemetery, my parents, my oldest sister Grace and most of her family, my sister Ethyl and her husband, my Grandmother and Grandfather on my mother’s

Side.

Getting back to the school information, in 1928 the Frontier school was placed on the University of Michigan accredited list,. This same year the first alumni meeting were held.

Commencement and baccalaureate exercises were held in both of the Frontier churches, with one church serving one year and the other church the next year. When the school cafeteria was begun in 1942, Wynola Lott was head cook. Wynola Morgan her maiden name graduated from Frontier high school and then married Bob Lott, Bob was a exceptional picture on our Frontier high school base ball team, in fact he tried out for the major league teams but didn’t quite make it.

Mrs. Hazel Drumm, a teacher in the Frontier School, Started a Mother’s Club in 1945. It is still active in the school system. In 1945 the last graduating class exercises were held in the Frontier school. A little note from yours truly------- That was the year world war II ended and I came home in October of that year, in the two years that I was overseas I missed a lot of the history that I’m writing now which is as interesting to me as I hope it will be to the people that have an opportunity and are fortunate enough to read this in the years to come.

For the record, my wife Ardis (Dickey maiden name) graduated from Frontier High School in 1938 and went on  to take a post graduate course in Quincy high school Graduating from there in 1939.

Myself, I went to Frontier high school to the tenth grade then had to wait until after discharge from the service to complete my education comprising several years in touch and go formations, with locations in Battle Creek, Detroit, Traverse City and Marshall. 

I would say that it ended when I was promoted to a desk job in the company where I worked in May 1^st 1952.

In the fore years that I had schooling under the GI bill of rights my company records indicate my Refrigeration Engineer’s assurance status indicates the equivalent of two years college in courses of that nature.

So much for the last of Frontier school’s and our education.

May-June 2003

This is Tuesday the 27th of May 2003, we didn’t make it to the Frontier Mi. cemetery on Memorial day to clean up the graves of our family, but we plan on going down this Thursday to do that. Ardis's sister Evelyn wants to go with us, so be it. People reading this will think the old boy had a spurt of adrenalin to be able to congregate a few words so close to the dates of one another even though they mean practically nile it will give the reader a positive reaction of what's coming next, and that’s what this honorable declaration is all about, yeh, kilroy was here. Thought I would add a couple of current events while I am thinking about it, Deanna and Pat left for Montrose Colorado the 30th to visit Barb her old friend of school days, they flew to Denver and rented a car and drove the rest of the way, I called her a couple of times while they were in route on the highway ( Route 70 ) She told me the speed limit was 75 but still it took them 9 hr. to get there. Her cell phone was clear as a bell, amazing. We put 12 items on E-Bay for sale yesterday and one to-day. My thinker has thunk out again, However, I want you to know that I really appreciate you taking the time to read my autobiography, you know it certainly is not a thing of exhilarating beauty that forces your mind to adjust to the fact that the writer rarely knows what the next paragraph is going to be.>>>>>>>>>Kilroy was here!!! 6/ 3/ 03

May 2003

This is a current event that is worth mentioning, maybe because I was one of the individual's taking part in the maneuver. Bill Launtenslager, Al Cornwell and myself went on a fishing trip to Berrien Springs Mi. on the St. Joe river fishing for steelhead's, we left Marshall at 3:30 A.M. the 23rd of May and arrived there around 5:00. The captain of the boat we were on was a fellow by the name of Bob Warner, a very capable charter boat individual, we went up the river a couple mile, in fact it was just 24 mile from lake Michigan. We had fairly good luck as each one of us caught two fish with an average weight of 12 lb. each. Goooooooood eating.

Incidently, this is Memorial day weekend and Ardis is setting up her flea market extravaganza at Cornwell's Turkey farm and restaurant, she had made pretty good so far, has one more day to go..

We also received an e-mail from Dick Baker from Florida in answer to one I had sent him several weeks ago, he mentioned that it was or has been for a couple of weeks in the 90 degree temp. range .He and Norma Jean (my niece) live in Titusville, Fl. which is on the East Coast of Florida about 50 mile from our mobile home at Dade City.

Bill said he plans on going up to his cabin at Lovell to-day (Sat.) 25th of May to stay for five days then, coming home for a doctor’s appointment. He's having considerable problems with his lower back. I told him to tie up a big old gobbler for this fall hunt, it would be likely too that he would do that.

Carol's wedding is comming up fast, the 21st of June, we have all the presents; we shopped early for them. It is now 12.:01 Sunday the 26th of May 2003 and my thinker has tinkered out again, except I might mention my old barber (Bob Palmer) passed away this last week, he cut my hair for nearly 40 yrs.

he was 92 yrs old. I went to the family visiting afternoon session, saw Pappy Miller (Wayne) there, he's in pretty tough shape, but I believe he is 91, wow the year's are creeping up on us old farts.

For now, that's it I'm going to hit the sak I'll struggle up some more facts soon as they creep into my noggin. There's a lot of amendments to this thing, I hope the people that read it don't get squirmy and quit, probably would be best to start reading it after you have had a severe nervous breakdown and need the mother of all laugh's to regain composure to start living again.

May 2003

Yesterday was the 11th of may,2003, Dennis and Marge asked the whole family to come for dinner at 5:00. Ardis and I, Deanna and Pat, Jeanne and Perry, John and Carol, Nick and Karen all were there-----I took many pictures of the clan, all had a good time. Dennis has certainly made a lot of improvements to the woods around the house since he has retired, cleaning them out and cutting the brush etc.

Bill and I plus a friend of Bill's by the name of Pete Burrows went up to Bill's cabin at Lovell's turkey hunting May 4th and 5th and stayed for four days, did'nt see many birds this year and none to shoot.-----

The weather hasn’t cooperated yet to play any golf so loafing has been the agenda since returning from Florida----- I'm getting set to do a little fishing when the weather clears and gets warmer .

Ardis is all set to flea market this season again when the weather gets better, she will be going to Cornwell's and Thurston's probably all summer.

Well, I'll tell you now that the old thinker has thunk out for the time being, but when it become's connected again we'll spin out a few more facts. By the way the date is12th of May 2003 8:57 PM.

Kilroy was here>>>>>>>>>>!!

April 2003

This is the 19th day of April 2003, I will jot down some of the things that has happened this year, we had to wait until after Dec.14th (Karen's wedding) to get ready to leave for Florida, so we left the 19th and arrived the 21st of Dec.. Everything was hunky dory at the mobile home, the weather was perfect for about a month, then it got a little cold for a couple weeks, but all in all the weather was fine all during the time ( four months ) we stayed. I played golf on Mondays and Thursdays every week, in fact I had my best game ever, since I retired--- an astonishing 18-hole 76, not bad for a old f----- Eh!!!

Ardis hasn’t played for the last 2 yrs. because she says she can't hit the ball far enough. She got her exercise by walking about 2 to 3 mile a day.

Our old friends and my golfing buddy Jim Crane only played the two games a week that the Park had scheduled because of a serious brain tumor operation he had last summer, they removed a tumor the size of a golf ball from his brain at John Hopkins hospital in Maryland. It's amazing how fast he has recovered; however, he has problems and is under a doctor's care and will be for a long time.

We didn’t have any family come down this year. We did have some people visit, my niece Norma Jean and her husband Dick Baker came over from Titusville, Fl. over on the east coast , also, Helen Lyon came over for a few hours from her son's park just east of Dade City. We managed to eat out about once a week mostly at the Golden Corral in Dade City, they featured sirloin steak all you can eat every night.

We came home earlier than we had planned because of a Easter dinner the family had scheduled the 18^th of Dec. We started home the 15th on a Tuesday and arrived Thursday PM . It rained all day the 16^th making it tough driving, we stayed all night at La Grange, Ga. the first night and at Seymore, Ind. the second night then on home the third morning.

Outside of the fact that my mind can't seem to muster any more facts or fiction, I'll stop for the time being. Talk to you later.