Three authors hold their self-published books, from left to right: Elizabeth Hamilton, Dr. Robert Ike, and Elizabeth Spencer.
By Kathy Oswalt-Forsythe
Self-publishing options have opened affordable doors for many authors to gain audience for their writings. With original copy and some basic technical know-how, it is possible to make and create digital and print-on-demand publications. Three writers with local ties, Elizabeth Hamilton, Dr. Robert “Bob” Ike MD, and Elizabeth (Guetschow) Spencer have current titles available.
Schoolcraft resident Elizabeth Hamilton published her third book with the late Harriett Swartz, “Have Camera Will Travel in the Historic Village of Schoolcraft Michigan.” The book presents Hamilton’s photography and features snippets of life in Schoolcraft. A percentage of the proceeds will go to support the Schoolcraft Historical Society and is available at Wrapped in Gratitude.
Dr. Robert Ike, a 1970 graduate of Vicksburg High School and retired rheumatologist and professor at the University of Michigan, has continued his research and reflections about the tragic car accident in 1968 which killed two of his schoolmates and three boys from the class of 1968. His essay and recent reflection about this event’s impact on the youth and local community, “The Accident,” is available on Amazon. Other topics and information appear on his blog, theviewfromharbal.com.
Elizabeth Spencer is a 1988 graduate of Vicksburg High School and a 1992 graduate of Anderson University (Anderson, Ind.). She lives with her family near Battle Creek and is a freelance writer and editor. She writes for various online parenting and faith-based sites and on her blog, guiltychocoholicmama.blogspot.com. In the fall of 2020, she self-published “Known By His Names: A 365-Day Journey From The Beginning to The Amen,” a daily devotional focusing on the names, attributes, descriptions, and titles of God, starting with the Beginning in Genesis and ending with the Amen in Revelation. It can be started on any day of the year and is available on Amazon.
Vicksburg Community Schools Superintendent Keevin O’Neill and Assistant Superintendent Steve Goss said the district and its facilities will be in great shape when classes resume for the 2021-2022 academic year late this month.
By Jef Rietsma
Vicksburg Community Schools officials said summer construction projects are moving along well. But district administrators are crossing their fingers that all work will be completed when classes start Aug. 30.
Superintendent Keevin O’Neill and Assistant Superintendent Steve Goss said through late July, work at numerous locations throughout the district has continued without any major setbacks. They acknowledged construction crews have had to follow an ambitious schedule within a short time frame, but everyone has risen to the occasion.
O’Neill and Goss commended project manager Frederick Construction, architect TowerPinkster and a hard-working team of subcontractors.
“They walk us through everything and it’s so comforting to know that everyone doing the work … I mean, you just can’t help but feel good about it,” Goss said. “They give us unbelievable service, they’re problem-solvers and they’re just amazing.”
The scope of work has been district-wide this year. O’Neill said it started back in the spring at the district’s administrative building. Once the school year concluded, work crews stepped in, literally, on the last day of school at Sunset Lake, Tobey and Indian Lake elementary schools.
In addition, installation of a new track and turf at the high school has been ongoing. O’Neill, in fact, said the district is prepared to modify the varsity football team’s schedule to ensure the field is adequately prepared. In other words, he said, the team could play a number of its early-season games on the road.
The work is being done thanks to a $17.6 million, 20-year millage request district voters approved in May 2020.
Goss provided a breakdown of some of the costs.
$280,532 – partial re-roofing at Tobey and the middle school
$151,214 – interior renovations, painting, floors, ceilings, electrical/lighting/furniture model classrooms at each elementary, the middle school and VHS.
$112,995 – Tennis court repair.
$966,875 – Athletic complex renovation, fencing/concrete repair, asphalt track and synthetic track surface, and field turf.
$513,658 – Administration building masonry repairs, windows and limited interior renovations related to its windows.
$6,477,276 – Mechanical, electrical upgrades, windows, and interior renovations at VHS and all three elementary schools.
Total construction dollars committed to date, Goss said, is $8.5 million.
O’Neill, meanwhile, said bond proceeds are never used to pay for school employee compensation, nor to reimburse the district for any expense.
Goss said the district last performed millage-related work in 2014, when roof work and other behind-the-scenes improvements were made.
“We do view this kind of work as we want to create the best environment for our kids and our staff so they can all do their best,” Goss said. “We’ve been entrusted with the buildings to take care of them and that means we have to put money into them.”
O’Neill followed up.
“There were some tough conversations about whether to proceed with the election last year, right in the middle of COVID, but I’m glad we went ahead with it,” he said. “The needs were not going to go away and, as many homeowners know, problems just escalate over time, so I think we did the right thing. We want that curb appeal, we want to be attractive, and our community and our kids deserve nice facilities.”
Vicksburg Community Schools has about 2,700 students.
John Buelke, 74, Schoolcraft, died suddenly on July 6, 2021. He was born June 8, 1947, in Plymouth, Wis., the son of Eleanor and John Buelke. The family eventually moved to Kalamazoo and John stayed in the area his entire life. John graduated from Kalamazoo Central High School and WMU where he earned his teaching degree. He served in the military and was stationed at Fort Knox, Ky., where he was a chaplain’s assistant. There he met his future wife, Margie Baker. John and Margie returned to Kalamazoo where he began his teaching career, eventually retiring from Mattawan High School. John enjoyed racquetball and pickleball and was a farmer at heart, tending the community garden he started at the Schoolcraft United Methodist Church. He is survived by his beloved wife Margie, sons Robert and Brian, sisters Karen Parrish and Barb Dircks, and a host of nieces and nephews on both sides of the family. He was preceded in death by his parents and a sister, Jeanne. In accordance with the family’s wishes, cremation has taken place and services have been held. Visit his page at avinkcremation.com. Donations may go to South County Community Services – or plant a rose bush.
Merle L. Coville, Sr., 88, Scotts, passed away on July 24, 2021. Merle was born on October 7, 1932 in Climax, the son of William and Ella (Randall) Coville. Merle graduated from Climax High School in 1951 and served in the US Air Force. Merle worked for Consumers Power Company, retiring after 26 years. Merle loved to farm with his brothers and excavating, digging ponds and hauling marl. On August 27, 2002, Merle married Earline. They enjoyed traveling and going to casinos. Merle is survived by his wife of 19 years, Earline; children JoEllen (Jon) Elwell, of Climax, Julie Lighthill, of Oregon, Joy Childress of Arkansas, Merle (Patty) Coville, Jr, of Climax; stepchildren Roco (Patty) Elliott of Wisconsin and Tami (Bob) DeJonge of Richland; grandchildren Michelle, Jennie, Jeffrey, Samantha, Brian, Roxanne; and eight great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother, Wilbur (Shirley) Coville, of Climax and sister Leila Godshalk, of Indiana. Merle was preceded in death by his grandson, Andrew Lighthill; brothers Bob and Ray Coville; sisters Hazel Kaiser and Bertha Buchko; and his first wife, JoAnne Coville. Visit his page at mccowensecord.com. Donations may go to Hospice Care of SW Michigan.
Shirley A. Crawford, 88, Vicksburg, passed away June 22, 2021. Shirley was born September 8, 1932 in Hobart, Ind. In 1952, she married Richard (Dick) Crawford and honeymooned at Lemon Park on Indian Lake. The couple remained in Vicksburg to raise their family. Shirley was a bus driver for Vicksburg Community Schools as well as a receiving clerk for the Upjohn Company for 17 years. Shirley won the Star Award from Kalamazoo County for volunteer work at Tobey School. Dick and Shirley attended every Vicksburg Car Festival since 1980 with their various cars, fire trucks, and tanks. She is survived by her children, Michelle “Missy” (Armando Blanco) Crawford of Vicksburg and Dean Crawford (Vivian Avila) of Vicksburg; grandson Eric (Cindy) Crawford of Vicksburg; and one great-grandchild, Hayden Crawford; many nieces and nephews, dear friends Dick and Janet VanLinder, Maurice and Judy Hovious, and Jordan Avila. She was preceded in death by her husband, two sisters and a brother. Visit her page at mccowensecord.com. Donations may go to Birch Meadows, Hospice Care of SW Michigan, and the Cancer Center of West Michigan in honor of Eric Crawford.
Betty Donovan, 67, Schoolcraft, passed away on July 20, 2021. She was born on December 31, 1953 in Battle Creek, the daughter of Allen and Dorothy (Amsler) Dove. Betty was a social butterfly and loved to spend time chatting with her family and friends. She did puzzles and crossword puzzles, and enjoyed and looked forward to trips to various casinos. Betty is survived by her children, Alan Caffrey (Bev Baldwin), Kristina (Larry) Quick, and Eugene Yohey; grandchildren Kyle and Ryan Quick; sibling Rex Fields; cousins Shirley Jessup, Brenda Elabalsy, Johnny Maurer, Bobby Maurer, Jerry Lawson, and William Krem; and companion Richard Yohey. Betty was preceded in death by her parents and her brother, David Fields. Visit her page at avinkcremation.com.
Harry Mark Gilbert, 73, Indian Lake in Vicksburg, passed away on March 8, 2021 at Bronson Methodist Hospital due to complications from pulmonary fibrosis and chronic heart failure. Visit his page at mccowensecord.com. A memorial tribute for Harry will be held on Saturday, August 14 at 6 p.m. at Dormouse Theatre, located at the corner of Portage Rd. and Lake St. in Kalamazoo. The tribute will be followed by a meal and a party, at Harry’s request. Bring a musical instrument, a voice to sing or a toe to tap. This will be a jam session in Harry’s honor. We want to make sure we have enough of all the food that Harry loved, so please RSVP by texting 269-599-8383. Just leave your name and the number of guests.
Patricia “Pat” Hageman, 91, Schoolcraft, passed away on July 25, 2021. She was born October 29, 1929, in Kalamazoo, the daughter of Joseph and Evelyn Bradley. Pat and her husband Ed had eight children and were welcoming to other children over the years. Once her children were grown, Pat worked as a reporter for the weekly Vicksburg Commercial Express, covering local news and authoring a column titled “Pat’s Pen.” She loved reading and volunteered at the Schoolcraft Library. She was instrumental in the fundraising and building of the library addition in 1990. She also was interested in genealogy. Patricia was preceded in death by her husband Edwin, parents Joseph and Evelyn Bradley, brother John Bradley, children John and Kathleen, son-in-law Christopher Renberg and dear friend Shirley (Kropp) Jones. She is survived by six children, Colleen (George) Schwartz, Susan (Roger) Smith, Jill (Matthew Dickinson) Anderson, Edwin (Kim Porter) Hageman, Cyril (Terri) Hageman, Nell Renberg and her informally adopted daughter, Susan Kay (James) Ryan. Survivors also include nine grandchildren, seven great-grandchildren and numerous nieces and nephews. A memorial service will be held August 27 at 11 a.m. at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Family will receive friends at 10 a.m. Donations may go to Hospice Care of SW Michigan or Residential Opportunities, Kalamazoo. Visit her page at avinkcremation.com.
Katharina Harrison, 88, Vicksburg, passed away January 17, 2021. Visit her page at mccowensecord.com. Katie’s family will have a visitation on August 28 from noon to 3 p.m. at McCowen & Secord Funeral Home. Come and share your stories about Katie. Donations may go to the Vicksburg Community Schools Athletic Department or Hospice Care of Greater Kalamazoo.
Helen Horn, 77, passed away June 14, 2021. Helen was born December 21, 1943, the daughter of Ralph David, Sr. and Elizabeth Anna (Multhaupt) Brown. Helen graduated from VHS in 1961. She attended Northwood Institute, WMU and KVCC. Helen started her career at WKMI AM radio and in 1967, started working at WMU, retiring in 2005. She was member of the Portage United Church of Christ and the Breakfast Optimist Club of Kalamazoo. Helen is survived by her husband and VHS classmate, David Horn; children Kathryn “Kathy” (Dave Kerley) Abts-Kerley and Thomas “Tom” (Kathy) Pressey; grandchildren Joshua (Stephanie) Abts, Nichele Abts, Riley Pressey, Sydney Pressey, Ian (Keely) Kerley, Gabriel Kerley, Connor Pressey, Ashlynn Kerley and Alexis “Lexi” Pressey; great-grandchildren Noah Abts, Kameron Abts and James Kerley; Sharon (Mike) VanDyken, like a daughter; life-long friend and classmate James R. Haas; “BFF” Joann Smith; siblings, Nancy (Otto) Decker, Ralph David, Jr. (Wendy) Brown, Patricia (Paul) Weber, Elizabeth (William) Bushouse and John (Laurie) Brown; and many nieces, nephews and cousins. Helen was preceded in death by her brother, Robert Brown; two nieces and a nephew; mother in-law, Audrey K. (Horn) Baugh; and special friends, Tami Porter, Marilyn Brown and Karen Schuring. Donations may go to Kairos Dwelling. Visit her page at joldersma-klein.com.
Reverend Gerald D. Laing, 91, Vicksburg, passed away on July 26, 2021. Gerald was born on October 18, 1929 in Lansing, the youngest of six children. Because his father was injured, Gerald dropped out of high school and went to work to help support the family. In the late 40’s, Gerald met Marcine Green, and proposed just days before he received his draft notice. He was sworn into service with the United States Army on July 21, 1951; the couple married on November 3, 1951. After discharge, he enrolled at Trevecca Nazarene College in Nashville, Tennessee, pursuing his call to ministry. From 1954 through 1960, Gerald ministered as an evangelist before pastoring at Grace Nazarene Church in Jackson. He then pastored Grand Ledge Church of the Nazarene before going back to work in 1976, traveling as an evangelist. Throughout retirement, he supported the Indian Lake Nazarene Camp and Chapman Memorial Church. Rev. Gerald Laing was preceded in death by his wife of 60 years, Marcine, and his siblings. He is survived by children Jim (Kemi) Laing and Jacquelyn (John) Skurkey; grandchildren James (Alison) Laing, Jared (Tobi) Laing, Jodi (Adam) Leonard, Chelsie (Jared) Capello, and Cole (Kara) Hostetler; 14 great grandchildren and one baby on the way. He is also survived by a niece, Elizabeth Bashore. Visit his page at mccowensecord.com.
Sharlene Lockner, 83, Vicksburg, passed away at her home on July 26, 2021 with her family at her side. Sharlene was born on November 5, 1937 to Charles and Hazel (Dunning) Litten in Kalamazoo, the youngest of seven daughters. Sharlene married the love of her life, Jack Lockner, on January 29, 1954. Sharlene enjoyed spending hours in her art room sharing her love of painting by teaching and painting everything from ceramics, oil paintings, doll houses and furniture, and even painted rocks that could be found on many local walking trails. Sharlene was preceded in death by husband, Jack, daughter Marcia, father Charles, and mother Hazel. She is survived by daughters Linda (Greg) Zummach and Lori Lockner; grandchildren Sandra West, Leslie (Brandon) Thornton, Justin (Tammy) Shaffer, and David (Heather) Maurer; along with many great grandchildren who were the sparkle in her life. She loved her family and adored her cats. An outdoor graveside memorial service will be held September 11, 2021 at Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, and a celebration of life luncheon will follow. Visit her page at mccowensecord.com. Donations may go to Rose Arbor through Hospice Care of SW Michigan.
Norman Charles Mills II, 72, Scotts, died Sunday, July 18, 2021, as the result of a motorcycle accident. Norman was born on September 7, 1948, the son of Norman Charles and Ruth Ella (Orr) Mills. Norm attended the Immaculate Conception Catholic School through eighth grade. He graduated from Three Rivers High school in 1966. From 1968 to 1974 Norm proudly served his country in the United States Army Reserves. From 1967 to 1999, Norm worked for the Pepsi-Cola company and never missed a day of work, receiving many awards and recognitions. Norm met Debra Miller in 1978, and they were married March 8, 1980 at St. Martin of Tours Church in Vicksburg. After retirement, Norm began driving a school bus for the Vicksburg Community Schools, a job he enjoyed. He was an avid golfer, Harley Davidson enthusiast, and a people person. He is survived by his loving wife of 41 years, Deborah Mills; daughters Jennifer Mills and Rachel Mitchell; grandchildren Shailynn Jackson and KeAndre Berry; sisters Ruth (Douglas) Burson and Deborah (Bruce) Harley. He was preceded in death by his son, Kurtis Russell; brother Michael Mills; sister Margorie Beard; and his parents. Donations can be made to Deb Mills for assistance with funeral services. Visit his page at mccowensecord.com.
Sharon Morlan, 73, Schoolcraft, passed away on June 22, 2021, from a three-year battle with non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Sharon was born in Rochester, Minn. on March 8, 1948. She graduated from Lourdes High School in Rochester and received a nursing degree from St. Mary’s Nursing School. Sharon was married to Roger A. Morlan on April 24, 1970. Sharon began her career working as a practical nurse, and after moving to Michigan in 1986, worked at Tendercare of Portage for more than 25 years. She enjoyed reading, soap operas, camping, and family. Sharon is survived by husband Roger; stepchildren Michael (Kim) Morlan and Michele Myers; daughters Heidi Morlan and Wendy Morlan; grandsons Joshua Myers, Mitchel and Bryce Morlan, Ethan and Andrew Shenberger; granddaughters Emily and Hannah Anderson, Jordan Myers, and Taylor Anderson; niece Jaime Dexter; and other family located in central Michigan and Rochester. Sharon was preceded in death by her parents, Gerald R. and Gail M. (Anderson) Dexter; Uncle John and Aunt Dorothy (Anderson) Nordine; and brother Gary Dexter; as well as grandparents and several uncles, aunts and cousins. Donations may go to cancer research or Grace Hospice of Kalamazoo. The family thanks Sharon’s many healthcare workers. Visit her page at joldersma-klein.com.
Lester Dale Noel, 81, Mendon, died May 6, 2021 at his home. He was born in Vicksburg on January 31, 1940, the son of Virgil and Dorothy Noel. Lester graduated from Vicksburg High School. After high school, he worked for 39 years as a mold setter at the Haas Corporation, later known as the Lear Corporation. On October 27, 1959, Lester married Marie Kathryn Overholt in Vicksburg. Lester was an avid bass fisherman. He organized and competed in many bass fishing tournaments and was a member of the National Bass Anglers Association. Lester enjoyed hunting, attending Mendon sporting events, and doing yard work. Lester’s favorite hobby was playing and teasing his grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Lester is survived by his wife, Marie Noel of Mendon; son Randy (Tammy) Noel of Florida; grandchildren Kayla Hollomon (Cody Greer), Christina (John) Bingaman, Kourtney (Brandon) Burbank, Nathan Dupree, Jessica Noel (Kyle Sass), Jonathan Noel, and Justin (Samantha) Noel; 15 great grandchildren; siblings Vernon (Janet) Noel, David (Carolyn) Noel, Joan (Jim) Parker-Sackrider, and Vera (Glen) Thomas. He was preceded in death by his parents, son Rick Noel, and brother Virgil Noel. Donations may go to the Parkinson’s Foundation. Visit his page at eickhofffuneralhome.com.
Ellen Mae Zemek, 83, Vicksburg, passed away on May 28, 2021 in Kalamazoo. She was born July 7, 1937, the daughter of the late Stanley and Helen (Plucinski) Kempa. She graduated from Iron River High School. After high school Ellen moved to Chicago to begin her career as an administrative assistant. She married John Theodore Zemek on November 9, 1957. They celebrated 59 years together before his death on January 21, 2017. Ellen retired from Youth Services Opportunities. Ellen was an avid bowler, golfer and tennis player, and she loved to cook. After living on Eagle Lake for 25 years, Ted and Ellen moved to South Haven and eventually settled in the Scotts-Vicksburg area to be closer to their grandkids. Her pride and love for her grandchildren was apparent with the endless hours spent at ball fields and hockey rinks. She was a parishioner at St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. She is survived by children David (Marilyn) Zemek of Palm Desert, Calif., Nancy (Scott) Muffley of Portage, and Michael (Laura) Zemek of Lowell, Mich.; grandchildren Jordyn and Josie Muffley and Blake and Josh Zemek. She was preceded in death by older brothers Frank, Walter, Joseph, Ben and Robert Kempa and older sisters Rose and Sophie. Cremation has taken place and services have been held. Memorials may be directed to St. Martin of Tours Catholic Church. Please visit her page at mccowensecord.com.
Spurred in part by the loss of trees due to the downtown infrastructure project, Vicksburg village council members approved appointments to a newly formed advisory Tree Committee.
They appointed the following at a July 19 meeting: Council member Gail Reisterer; Vicksburg schoolteacher Kelly Christiansen, retired peace officer and former forester Steve Lange and business owner and former council member Mike Wunderlin.
Village Manager Jim Mallery said committee members will answer to village President Tim Frisbie. Mallery said the committee will field resident concerns and wishes related to tree replacement, and best practices and recommendations for proper tree maintenance.
Frisbie offered a few comments about each committee member:
“Mike is an active Rotary member … he’s seen a lot of the good times and a lot of the bad times in this community, but he ultimately has a passion that just can’t be described. He’s got a lot of great ideas.”
“Steve is a retired Portage peace officer. He was a forester out in California, he knows trees pretty well and we were very fortunate to find him.”
“Kelly teaches in the Vicksburg school system and, in the past, has led the Vicksburg Outdoor Center working with early American plants and trees.”
“Gail Reisterer has a love for Vicksburg … a great organizer, a great planner and has a great vision, so I thought she was a good pick for the group.”
Frisbie said there was debate about adding a fifth member but for now, a four-person committee will suffice, he said.
“They’re developing a plan and a strategy to establish a look of the 1800s to 1900s here,” he said. “Some of the areas where you drive around, we have these beautiful, stately trees. We’ve lost a lot of them in the last 10 to 20 years and we’ve never replaced them.”
Frisbie said Indiana Michigan Power has indicated potential funding is available to help with the purchase and planting of new trees. He said the energy company has literature and resources to guide the village when it’s at a point to re-plant new trees downtown and elsewhere to replace what was removed before the current construction project.
“They can help with (identifying) proper trees under wires, what’s natural to the area, there are some thoughts about considering certain parts of the village … maybe a spruce tree section, maybe a maple tree section, maybe an oak tree section,” he said. “But (the committee) is tasked with looking at it, giving us some recommendations, seeing what funding is available and just helping us with the general outlook in the community.”
Frisbie said the village had a tree committee more than 25 years ago. He said future generations will benefit from the foresight of reviving the group.
Left: The Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center’s Syd Bastos with Alisha Siebers, the newly-appointed executive director. Right: Some of the participants from VCAC’s Arts in the Burg Summer Camp.
With support from the Vicksburg and Gilmore Foundations, the Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center has hired its first full time executive director, Alisha Siebers, effective June 21. Alisha has 15 years of nonprofit management experience, including directing the annual campaign at the United Way of the Battle Creek and Kalamazoo Region, overseeing the membership program at the Kalamazoo Institute of the Arts and serving as a trustee for the Portage District Library.
An award winning-teacher, she has taught courses in literature, poetry, surrealist art, drama and writing at five colleges and universities, including WMU. She has a Ph.D. in English from University of California-Berkeley, where she researched hypnotism in British literature.
Alisha attended a year-long intensive course in nonprofit leadership sponsored by the Kalamazoo Community Foundation. “This course provided in-depth big picture immersion in creating vision, budgeting, ethics, and evaluation.,” she said. “These concepts were hammered home for me when I served for nine years on the Portage District Library board, three of them as board president. In that role I oversaw the library’s $3.5 million budget and led my board in three strategic plan renewals. I’m ready to partner with the VCAC to drive its vision and to deepen the center’s impact on Vicksburg and its surrounding communities.”
“I’m impressed by the support for the arts in the Vicksburg area,” Alisha said. “The Victorian art critic Walter Pater said that art gives us the highest quality to our moments. I’m looking forward to hearing from our region about how we can create these quality moments, together. This is a dynamic time for Vicksburg – a time to expand our reach so that everyone can be inspired, enriched, and educated by the arts.”
To this end, Alisha will work with the VCAC Board of Directors in a retreat in July to unify its objectives over the coming year and dream big into its future. Alisha is charged with bringing the voice of the community into that discussion. She wasted no time on this objective, amassing a large list of people to contact from artists, government officials, volunteers and leaders from other nonprofit organizations in the area on her first day.
Programming already in progress will transition to Alisha’s hands.
The VCAC will host hands-on art activities at the Vicksburg Farmers Market Fridays from 2-6 p.m. in July. Dates and activities will be posted on its Facebook page soon. Also, the VCAC will have art activities at the end of nature walks at the Mill, presented by the Mill at Vicksburg. Guides will lead participants on a scavenger hunt around the Mill and through its 80 acres. The nature walks continue the first Saturday of the month through September with morning and afternoon spots. For more information or to register, go to VicksburgMill.com. A fee of $10 per child will be collected at the check-in tent.
Arts in the Burg Summer Camp returns August 9 through August 13. A camp fee of $140 per camper includes all materials. Limited full and partial scholarships are also be available. While the camp is designed for children 8-12, parents of 7- and 13-year-olds may find this camp works for them too.
The Tournament of Writers Celebration will be September 16. All works entered into the competition will be published in the 7th “Small Town Anthology.” This event celebrates the authors with a whopping 51 entries, nearly doubled from last year. Readings from some of the authors and the announcement of the Judges’ Choice winner are highlights. The book will be available for purchase at the event and many of the authors will be on hand to sign books and talk about their works.
Alisha lives in south Portage with her husband Steve, a librarian. They have three grown sons who live in Utah, Texas, and New York City and a teenage daughter at home. If they don’t have their noses in a book, you will probably find Alisha and Steve walking around their block with their black cat, Vader, following them like a dog.
The Vicksburg Cultural Arts Center operates in the greater Vicksburg area. More information is online at vicksburgarts.com, Facebook and Instagram. Contact Alisha at alisha@vicksburgarts.com.
Left: Franklin Community Hospital. Right: Map of the walking tour.
To celebrate the 150th anniversary of the founding of the Village of Vicksburg, the Vicksburg Historical Society is delighted to invite you to participate in a walking tour of your historic village. What better way to help celebrate this milestone in the history of Vicksburg than to gather your family and friends and take a leisurely walk through town. The material in this article is an update of a pamphlet published by the Vicksburg Historical Society in 2000. Park and start your tour at the Depot Museum. Use the map on to guide your tour.
Union Depot, built in 1904 by the Grand Rapids & Indiana Railway.
Directly south across the tracks stood a hotel known as the Junction House, Adams House, or Railroad Hotel, which served railroad personnel, traveling salesmen and visitors to Vicksburg. It was a two-story brick building and included a restaurant. It was torn down in the 1970s.
To the right, built in 1900, was the original site of the Eclipse Governor Company, which manufactured governors for steam engines. At its peak the company employed 60 men.
The Vine Street Market sits on the original site of the Dentler Bagger Company, which manufactured parts for threshing machines. After moving to another location in town, the Dentlers partnered with the Kimble family to produce steam powered farm tractors.
R&D Automotive sits on the site of the former McMaster’s Opera House and Skating Rink, built in the mid-1880’s. The Opera House stage held many types of entertainment over the years, including vaudeville performances, agricultural exhibitions and concerts.
Prairie Ronde Artist Gallery occupies the site of the first frame building in Vicksburg, built in 1836 as a general store. The current brick building dates from the 1880’s.
John Vickers erected a grist mill on the Portage Creek near the intersection of Prairie and Michigan Avenue in 1831. The Village of Vicksburg developed around this mill site, which is listed on the State Register of Historic Places.
Vicksburg District Library. You can see the modern addition located to your left on Michigan Avenue, but the Fanny Bair Library, listed on the State Register of Historic Places, is just around the corner on Maple Street. Built in 1902 by Mrs. Bair, specifically as a library, the building was very modern for its time, being equipped with electric lights, central heat, brass chandeliers and a fireplace.
On the southeast corner of Michigan and Maple stood the Maple Street School, a two-story brick building which served all grades from 1869 until 1909 when it was replaced by the building you will see at location 10. As you cross the intersection of Maple and Main, look to the left for a good view of the United Methodist Church, No. 11 on your map.
Vicksburg Community School’s Administration Building was built in 1909, to replace the Maple Street School. It housed grades K through 12 until a new high school was built on Highway Street in 1952, then served as an elementary school for many years.
United Methodist Church, constructed in 1870. The church is listed on the State Register of Historic Sites, and features beautiful stained-glass windows.
On the southwest corner of Main and Washington sits Silo Chic, the former location of Corporation Hall, Vicksburg’s jail, fire department and village offices. It was built in the 1880’s and originally housed a grocery.
Just west of Taco Bob’s sits the old Joy and Koons photography studio, built in 1901, at 110 West Washington. S. D. Joy and William Koons left behind many of our most compelling views of early Vicksburg.
Vicksburg’s Main Street retail district contains many buildings dating from the mid-to late 1800’s.
Constructed in 1872 as the McElvain Hotel, this building served as the Vicksburg Community Center until purchased by the McElvain House LLC. Owned by Chris Moore, this private building now houses Paper City Development offices. Four hotels once thrived in Vicksburg.
Just south of the railroad tracks on North Main Street is the former site of the Franklin Community Hospital. Once the home of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Franklin, the hospital served the needs of the community until 1969, when it was replaced by a modern facility on Boulevard Street, west of town. That’s now Turning Leaf Behavioral Health Services.
Beautiful Sunset Lake can be viewed through the property of the Best/Molineaux/Wunderlin home at 101 North Street.
Adam’s Garage and Hudson Dealership once occupied the old block commercial building at 124 North St. The area you are now in was once filled with warehouses, mills, manufacturing concerns and other businesses that shipped products via rail to all parts of the country.
