St. Agatha Gagetown

The beautiful old church of St Agatha in Gagetown was established in 1879, although this building was built much more recently.   It appears the school and convent are closed but the church and cemetery are both very well maintained.   St. Agatha is part of the Saginaw Diocese.

Great Lakes National Cemetery

Today we officially observe Veterans' Day. In Holly, the Great Lakes National Cemetery opened just seven years ago and already has more than 15,000 interments. Consisting of over 500 acres, the setting is solemn, peaceful and beautiful overlooking a lake with an entryway lined with US flags. At the 11th hour on the 11th day yesterday, the New Century Chorale sang the Star Spangled Banner and other patriotic songs here. Great Lakes is the second national cemetery in Michigan. The first one is Fort Custer, established in 1981 near Battle Creek.

Holy Cross Cemetery in Detroit

The Day of the Dead celebrations started last weekend and go through November 4th in the Detroit area. Some of the events take place in Holy Cross Cemetery on Dix Road in the Delray area of Detroit. It's a very old beautiful cemetery from the early 1800's when French Canadians first used it.  Then came the Hungarians and Polonians and now mostly Hispanics are buried here. A Day of the Dead marathon had been scheduled to run through here Saturday, but that was cancelled.  The West Side Detroit Polish American Historical Society is meeting here November 3rd to share traditional soul cakes in honor of the dead. Many remarkable grave markers are located within these 65 acres.

Haunted Dark House in Brown City

You'll do a double take when you pass the Dark House on Van Dyke in Brown City.  The Bruce Mansion looks like something straight out of the Addams Family. October weekends, this scary 1876 home is open from 8-11pm. They take you on a tour of a cemetery as well.

Oak Hill Cemetery in Pontiac

Pontiac's Oak Hill Cemetery dates back to the early 1800's and sits at the highest point in the area. It's like walking through history with graves of heroes from the American Revolution and the Civil War. The photo is of the Buckland Memorial Chapel, built in 1898 by the grandson of Col Stephen Mack, the founder of Pontiac and the man who donated the land for the cemetery. It is built of Berea sandstone. It was lovingly restored by volunteers from Pontiac.

Detroit Memorial Park Cemetery in Warren

African Americans were denied burial in many cemeteries in the Detroit area, or were charged more or were restricted to burials on certain days and at certain inconvenient hours. A group of business owners pooled their resources and bought a large tract of land in the northwest corner of Warren on 13 and Ryan and developed the 85 acre Detroit Memorial Park in the 1920's. Frances Ballard, a Supreme singer, is buried here as well as state senator Charles Diggs, Jr. The Real McCoy is interred here also, that is Elijah McCoy. This son of escaped slaves was a prolific inventor and is credited with developing the drip cup for the lubrication of machinery.

The Polar Bears in White Chapel Cemetery

We were quite shocked by the story we discovered at White Chapel Cemetery in Troy this week. Apparently there were some 5500 US troops that were sent to Archangel, Russia in 1918 to fight the Red Army or Bolsheviks to persuade them to rejoin the fight against Germany.  But then Germany surrendered in 1918, so why did the fighting continue into 1919? 75% of the 5500 troops were from Michigan! They called themselves the Polar Bears. A group of these veterans went back to Russia 10 years after the conflict to find the remains of their friends who had perished there.  So, we have this polar bear monument that stands in the middle of 56 graves of these Michigan veterans whose remains were brought back from Russia and reburied on May 30, 1930. The sculpture is by Michigan artist Leon Hermant.

Merry Christmas from Edgar A. Guest

Woodlawn Cemetery on 8 Mile and Woodward is a historical, pleasant place to stroll no matter what the season. James Foster, kindly cemeterian, led me on a tour Christmas Eve that included Detroiter Edgar A Guest's tomb as well as the Dodges, the Wilsons, the Whitneys and even Rosa Parks. We indeed wish you a Merry Christmas and close with Edgar's precious words

A Christmas Carol by Edgar A. Guest

God bless you all this Christmas Day

And drive the cares and griefs away.

Oh, may the shining Bethlehem star

Which led the wise men from afar

Upon your heads, good sirs, still glow

To light the path that ye should go.

As God once blessed the stable grim

And made it radiant for Him;

As it was fit to shield His Son,

May thy roof be a holy one;

May all who come this house to share

Rest sweetly in His gracious care.

Within thy walls may peace abide,

The peace for which the Savior died.

Though humble be the rafters here,

Above them may the stars shine clear,

And in this home thou lovest well

May excellence of spirit dwell.

God bless you all this Christmas Day;

May Bethlehem’s star still light thy way

And guide thee to the perfect peace

When every fear and doubt shall cease.

And may thy home such glory know

As did the stable long ago.