These Battle Creek Area Residents Have The Most Fascinating Family History
We recently asked you to share a cool story about an older relative or ancestor on our Facebook page. We want to thank everyone for your online submissions and also those who called in during our on-air feature for this on the morning show earlier this week. It was a lot of fun and very interesting to hear your unique stories.
You can read all of the stories by clicking on the embedded Facebook links below. Here are some of the highlights from our listeners and followers:
My grandparents started Geerts Fuel Oil Company in Battle Creek in the 1940s, which later developed into Geerts Soft Water in the early 1960s. The office operations were home-based in the early days. I remember two phones in their kitchen. One for the business line, the other was their home phone. They worked hard to ensure they provided the best customer service, even if an after-hours call interrupted Bonanza. When my grandmother passed, upon clearing her home I discovered my grandpa’s office desk, pretty much the way he left it. Inside were several collectible items from the business.
My grandfather organized the Battle Creek Township Police Department, was captain of the Battle Creek Township Fire Department, served as Justice of the Peace, was in World War II, and had many other accomplishments. He was a pretty busy fella!
My great grandfather had a ticket for the Lusitania. He missed the boarding by a day. I wouldn't be here if he got on that ship.
My late grandfather, Ted Mummert, was a streetcar driver back in Chicago in the late 1920s
My grandfather was an amazing man. He was a preacher and businessman and was highly respected as a leader in the greater Kalamazoo area. He started the Upjohn Community Nursing Home on Portage Road, which is still operating but under a different name. He also started Westwood Baptist Church. His father, my great grandfather, was also a Pastor. He started RBM (Rural Bible Mission) which is located on 'F' Ave in Kalamazoo. Still operating today. I’m very proud of my heritage!
I can only think of one short anecdote about my grandpa.... He always would tell me to behave whenever I would leave from visiting him. I wasn't a naughty child or rebellious or anything....out of 10 grandchildren, I was the only one he ever said it to. (Might have been because I was the only one with red hair....thats the only theory my mom and I could come up with).
My dad always said I would whine a lot as a kid. When I was about 8 years old my family drove from Michigan to Florida for Christmas Break. That was a long trip and while on the road my dad said if I didn't stop whining he was going to take me to the Winery... Was he serious? Is there such a place for whiney kids? Yes, yes there is according to the highway signs. Needless to say, I was pretty good for the rest of the trip.
My ancestor was on the Lewis and Clark expedition.
John Handcock was my Great-Great-Great Grandmothers's 3rd cousin. My current day cousin does genealogy and traced our history on my mother's side. My grandfather helped to organize the union for Kellogg's and was their first Business Agent for the union.
My Dad was a design engineer with the Kellogg Company for 27 years. There was one day when his boss took him down to the plant, motioned toward some women who were scooping up raisins and putting them in the Raisin Bran boxes...his boss told him the company wanted to move the women to more useful positions...so he wanted Dad to design a machine that would drop in the raisins...and he did, although there were a few design flaws (using plastic chutes for sugary raisins didn't work out well)...Dad came up with such a machine...and they still use it today where Raisin Bran is made...
My Great Grandma was an amazing cook. I remember asking for her recipes for baking and everything was in her head with a pinch, a bit, handfuls, and constant "oh yeah and this because". If she wasn't doing it, recalling it was harder.
My 17th great grandfather was a Mayflower passenger. his name was Edward Doty
My dad was on the original board of Emmett Rescue Squad and we lived closest of the members and backup responder when they were short-handed late-night calls would have my mother answering the phone with dad getting dressed and heading out the door mom would have to flag him down if it was a wrong number.
One of my great, great grandmothers was widowed 3 times before the age of 35. The first husband died in the Civil War. It must have been a hard life. I am descended from the second marriage.
I recently found an old newspaper clipping of the Detroit Free Press with an article about surfing where my dad was interviewed from the 60s. Mind you, my dad had no ties at the time to Michigan. How creepy is that?!?!?! It was about the sport of surfing, judging competitions, and also tandem surfing. My dad was a professional surfer. I had no idea this article ever ran ;) Kind of weird, creepy cool!
We still would love to hear more stories, so 'like' our Facebook page and leave a comment and photo if you like. You can also use our Feedback form or send us a message using our App Chat feature after downloading the station app.
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