August 3, 1941 (Sunday)

MRS. HAROLD WEEKES PASSES

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Another hot day very dry

and no sign of rain.

Men got up at sunrise

and went fishing - but no

luck. Mrs. Alderink and I

slept - I didn't even hear

the breakfast bell. We

left Sable about 11 o'clock

stopped at Pickeral Lake

Lincoln Lake + Pine Island

Lake + Long Lake. Ate dinner

at Baldwin - pork loin

apple sauce, salad, cherry

pie, coffee.

Arrived home at dark.

Alex, Edwina and Clare

here a while this evening.

Morse + Frances came just

as we were going to bed.

They brought Mrs. McCarty

home.

Mrs. Harold Weeks died Sat. Heart

paralysis.

---

It sounds as if Edna slept in a little and enjoyed her weekend vacation. After enjoying a dinner in Baldwin then meandering home around several lakes, they returned home to the hustle and bustle of family and friends who all paid visits after 9 PM. (Edna notes that they arrived home from their trip at dark. The sunset at 8:50 PM on August 13, 1941 in Michigan).

Nowadays, dinner is most commonly referred to as the meal we eat at "suppertime" or in the evening. While dinner has traditionally been the largest meal of the day, it has not always been the meal you eat it in evening. For Edna and her family, dinner referred to the largest meal of the day regardless of the time it was consumed. Henry and Edna and the Alderinks at their dinner in Baldwin, Michigan on Sunday, August 3, 1941. They left the cabin in which they spent the weekend at 11 AM. Baldwin was just a short drive from where they stayed. All of the lakes they visited on their way home are places they would have arrived at after departing Baldwin. They enjoyed a lovely dinner, probably sometime around noon—lunchtime.

One thing I really enjoy about Edna's journals (and I enjoy many, many things about them) is getting to know people I haven't heard of before. This journal entry introduced me to Mrs. Caroline (Carrie) Weekes and her family.

Carrie Weekes, was an "esteemed resident" of Lowell, Michigan. She passed away on August 2, 1941. The day after she died, she would have celebrated her 36th anniversary to Harold Weekes.

According to her death certificate, a doctor had been treating Carrie for two weeks prior to her death for a coronary occlusion—an obstruction of the coronary artery.

Carrie, according to her obituary, was the organist for many years at the Methodist church in Lowell. I found this interesting as her father, David B. Davidson was a reverend for the Baptist Church in Lowell. Her marriage to Harold Weekes is what brought her to the Methodist Church. Harold was a lifelong member of the Methodist Church.

Caroline's father, Rev. D.B. Davidson, died twenty years before her on February 6,1917.

Davidson, according to his obituary, "was an active minister of the Gospel for 36 years in Canada and Michigan."

He served many Michigan communities including Pewamo, Mt. Pleasant, Charlotte, Vernon, Alpena, Lyons, and three years in Lowell (1900-1903).

Harold Weekes, Carrie's husband was the son of Lowell merchant A.W. Weekes.

According to Lowell: 100 Years of History, 1831-1931, Augustus W. Weekes was born in Keene township, Lowell on May 27, 1850, and "lived the life of a farmer’s boy until he was eighteen. At the age of fourteen he tried to enlist in the army, but was rejected on account of his youth. He attended the district school, the Grand Rapids High School and the Michigan Agricultural College; teaching during the Winter to defray his expenses."

In 1874, Augustus married Henrietta Bailey. They had two children, a daughter, Ora, and a son, Harold. Augustus first entered the dry goods business before marrying Henrietta. He eventually opened his own store on Main Street in Lowell, A.W. Weekes.

In addition to his career in the dry goods business, The elder Mr. Weekes was also a politician. He served as supervisor of Lowell township for five terms. In 1892, he was elected to the House of Representatives and served the second representative district for three terms. In 1900, he was elected as State Senator from the Seventeenth district and served two terms.

Augustus Weekes died on August 7, 19\

Harold L. Weekes was born on February 20, 1882. He attended Lowell High School, leaving at the end of his junior year to attend Ferris Institute. Upon completion of his course of study he entered his father’s store as dry goods clerk, eventually coming on as a full partner and, upon the death of his father, sole proprietor.

Like his father, Harold had political aspirations. He served as township treasurer two terms, served as village trustee seven years and two terms as school trustee.

Less than two years after the passing of his wife Carrie, Harold was united in marriage to Mrs. Lenna Anderson.

Lenna was the daughter of Joseph Yeiter and Alida Campbell. She was married to Dr. Charles Anderson, M.D., on 28 June 1911 and the couple had one daughter, Dorothy, born in 1914 in Lowell, MI.

Harold Weekes died on June 2, 1947

Lenna died on May 28, 1951.

Carrie and Harold Weekes are buried next to one another in Oakwood Cemetery in Lowell.

Lenna and her first husband Charles are buried next one another in Oakwood Cemetery in Lowell. Lenna's grave marker is engraved with both of her married names. Lenna Anderson Weekes.

August 2, 1941 (Saturday)

HENRY AND EDNA TAKE A SHORT VACATION WITH THE ALDERINKS

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Nice sunny day, hot

during day and cool

this evening.

Henry +I and Mr. and

Mrs. Ben Alderink went

north to Sable Lake for

the week-end for a little

vacation. Men went fishing

after supper. Henry caught

a 13 inch bass.

Staying in a log cabin

with twin beds and

every thing. Several log

cabin in a group and

all filled. Get meals here

on grounds. Had find

fish supper. Played euchre

when men came from

fishing. Real cool to-night.

Stopped at "Shrine of the Pines"

near Baldwin. All furniture

made from Pine roots + stumps.

---

Henry and Edna headed north for a weekend get-away with their friends the Alderinks. Edna notes that they are staying on Sable Lake in what, from her description, seems like a small resort. The log cabins are grouped together and meals are served on the grounds.

Sable Lake, according to Edna's journal, is where they spent the weekend. I immediately did an internet search for Sable Lake and found nothing. I was able to find a list of lakes in Michigan but it was not a complete list. Michigan has over 11,000 inland lakes of 5 acres or more. This list only includes about 500 lakes. It does list two Sable lakes; Grand Sable Lake in Alger County and Au Sable Lake in Ogema County. Neither are close to Baldwin, Michigan.

I kept digging and finally came upon a group of inland lakes near the Big Sable River called the Sauble Lakes. Some maps refer to them by number.

Sauble Lake #1.

Sauble Lake #2.

Sauble Lake #3.

Sauble Lake #4.

Edna clearly wrote Sable Lake.

A 2009 article in the Ludington Daily News details the varying use of Sable vs. Sauble for rivers and lakes in the area dating back to the 1800's including a vintage kiosk in one park with "Big Sauble Lake" on its map. On that same kiosk and on a nearby sign the body of water is listed as "Sable Lake."

I feel pretty certain that one of these four Sauble Lakes must have been the Sable Lake on which Edna and Henry spent their weekend vacation in 1941.

I did a little digging around hoping I might find some information about a log cabin resort that existed in the 40's near the Sauble Lakes. I didn't find anything that I could definitively say may have been the place.

I did find images of two resorts near/on Sauble Lake: Isenberg's Jungle Haven and Oak Ridge Resort.

Jungle Haven is still shown on the map today (see the red marker at the bottom of the inset on the map above). I found a lot of simple listings for Jungle Haven on the internet but no current day photos or specific details to make me think it is still in operation aside from a 2012 review.

My fav place in the whole world! 5 stars. This place may not be ideal for some people but i grew up here i spend my whole summer vacation here(jun-aug) when i was young and still come up here every 4th of July with the family! this is our up north heaven! love this place holds so many great memories and love the people they are like family!

Oak Ridge Resort didn't seem to match Edna's description of where they stayed. They aren't log cabins.

I had hoped I might stumble upon an image of Sauble Lakes resort with log cabins. No such luck.

One place Edna and Henry and Alderinks visited on their trip does still exist; the Shrine of the Pines.

The website for Shrine of the Pines states that they are a "world famous attraction nestled in the woods on the bank of the Pere Marquette River. Located on M-37 in Baldwin, Michigan."

Their Facebook page provides a bit more history than their website.

Originally started by the late, great Raymond "Bud" Overholzer. He moved to the area from Ohio with his mother and wife, Hortense. Bud had a passion for the outdoors. An avid fishermen, hunter, and taxidermist, he took to the beauty of Northern Michigan's forest/woods, primarily white pines. Bud managed to turn remaining stumps and roots from the logged woods into beautiful furniture, which were originally made for his taxidermist shop. Bud was a magician with his hands, having constructed over 200 pieces of furniture with only hand tools and homemade glue. With the creation of many pieces, over a span of 30 years, Bud and some friends constructed a log cabin (museum) as a gallery to showcase his creations in 1939.

When the Johnsons and Alderinks visited Shrine of the Pines in 1941, it was a fairly new attraction having just opened in 1939.

It was fun taking a little trip with Henry and Edna. I am anxious to see what their day brings tomorrow.

August 1, 1941 (Friday)

THE SHOWBOAT

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Some cooler to-day.

Cleaned the house from

top to bottom.

Hat went with Lyd to

Jack Porritt's this P.M.

Orlo helping thresh at

Leonard, Erin and Erick Johnson's.

Henry went to Erick's

while Orlo did night

chores. Orlo went to Show

Boat to night.

Hank went to Lansing

with 4H club to play

soft ball. They won 2

games out of 3. The

girls softball team won

championship.

Mary Elizabeth stayed with

me a while til Jack came

for her. Lucille + Vera

went with Stanley + Alice to Show Boat.

---

The Lowell Showboat celebrated their tenth anniversary in 1941 to huge success.

The local paper, for August 7, 1941, reported the achievement in several front page articles and contained over 50 mentions about who attended the Showboat, including one noting that Mrs. Lucille Watts, Mrs Vera Watts and Mr. and Mrs. Stanley (Alice) Coles attended on Friday night.

By all accounts, it was an amazing spectacle and experience.

"The entire affair was terrific, the costumes were gorgeous, the acts were spectacular, the orchestra was superb, the lighting effects were brilliant, the decorations were marvelous, the chorus unsurpassable, the handling of the boat was excellent, the smoke really belched, the end men and interlocutor were splendid, the audiences were huge and enthusiastic, the ushers and ticket men did a bang up job."

Attendance records for the 1941 Showboat were the largest in its ten year history. In fact, the evening that Lucille, Vera, Stanley and Alice attended, more than 500 people were turned away when "every inch of space was sold."

The grandiose review of the 1941 Showboat in the Lowell Ledger ended by asking "how can we improve the show again next year?"

They would have to wait four years to answer that question. Showboat productions were canceled in 1942 through 1945 because of W.W.II.

The 1941 headliner for the Lowell Showboat was Eddie Peabody.

Known as the "King of the Banjo," Peabody had an energetic and humorous presence on stage.

At the time of his 1941 Lowell Showboat performance, Peabody was based in Chicago where he was a regular performer on National Barn Dance which aired on Saturday nights from WLS radio and was also broadcast on over 30 stations coast to coast. The show was sponsored by Alka Seltzer.

So it was in 1941 that Walter Zerbe of Lowell, Michigan found himself in charge of daily escorting Eddie Peabody from the Lowell Light and Power offices, which served as a waiting room for the star before he was taken by boat across the river to the rear of the Showboat.

Peabody flew between Chicago and Grand Rapids for his appearances on July 29, 30, 31, and August 1. He was not scheduled to appear on the final day, August 2. That was a Saturday...National Barn Dance day.

Long before coming to Lowell, Michigan to perform on the Showboat, Peabody served in the U.S. Navy during W.W.I. on a submarine. He enlisted at the age of 14, having lied about his age. Sometime during his service, he earned the title of Lt. Commander.

During his performances on the Showboat, the Lt. Commander spoke about "the work and value of the U.S. Navy and listed the opportunities open to young men" before ending his performance by inviting all of the acts from the evening, the chorus, and the audience to join him in singing "God Bless America."

According to the Lowell Ledger, the U.S. Navy maintained a recruiting station at the entrance to the grandstands. They were offering "interesting information" on enlisting in the U.S. Navy and Navy Reserves for what was then considered a "present emergency."

A few months later that "present emergency" would be war.

Eddie Peabody is not the only story to share about the 1941 Lowell Showboat. The line-up was filled with an ensemble of local, regional, and national performers.

One news article stated that more than 300 editors from news sources across the country attended the opening night festivities. Billed as "Michigan's Greatest Evening Attraction," one could purchase a ticket to the spectacular event for as little as thirty-five cents.

The number of articles and bits about the Showboat in the Lowell Ledger leading up to, during and after the 1941 event are astounding. Each one is written with exuberance, satisfaction, and sense of pride. I had to refrain myself from sharing all of them in this post. They were all worth sharing.

As I read them all, I felt the joy and excitement that must have resulted from the moment the Showboat pulled up to the dock -

When the boat cleared the dock by less than a foot and squared away in front, a mighty cheer arose from the crowd.

-until the moment Eddie Peabody and 3,000 plus people sang "God Bless America."

For these people, just beyond the Great Depression and still this side of World War it must have been an evening to behold.