In addition to my grandmother’s wedding book, I also am the custodian of the register created at her funeral. I will also post all the pages, with comments when I feel may be relevant. Here are my first two scans, the cover and the first two pages.

This page brings memories for me, since this book came from my father’s funeral home. You can click on the thumbnails to see the full size scans.

Until about a year after Grandma’s death, our family lived over the funeral home my father ran at 115 Stimson Street, Cadillac, Michigan; with the Baptist church on one side, and C.L. Bendle Memorials, who sold and engraved of tombstones on the other. Currently, a addition to the First Baptist church occupies the property where father’s first funeral home stood. My brother and I took enforced naps during funerals. I now know this was to prevent distracting footsteps from disrupting the services. I remember sitting quietly on the floor at my bedroom window at the front of the house and watching people enter and leave by the front door. Many waved at me, and I waved back.

In the front, a poem, and the basic facts of my grandmother’s life and death.

In Memory
Winnie Alice Kaiser Yearnd
Place of birth Cadillac, Mich

Date of Birth July 19, 1885
Deceased
Date December 10, 1957
Place Cadillac, Michigan

I do not know who wrote this information in the book, the handwriting is not that of my Mother or Father.

I do remember being told about my Grandma’s death. The story is a simple one, of my parents glancing at each other over my shoulder, and seeming quite uncomfortable. They really didn’t need to worry, death was a comfortable companion of this undertaker’s child. Years later, my mother told me that I was the last person who saw my grandmother alive. Perhaps she met the last family member.

I was allowed to visit Sweetie only when Pauline was there. Pauline was a cleaning lady who worked for grandma, and later my family. I remember her better than I remember my grandma, since she was around through my teen years. I know that if I visited Sweetie, it was Pauline’s day. According to Winnie’s death certificate, she died at 5 p.m. on 10 December 1957, of coronary thrombosis, one hour after the event. She was 72 years, 4 months and 21 days old. Perhaps I was there visiting there that day, if Tuesday was Pauline’s day.

I do remember the day of the funeral, which was held at the First Congregational Church, Cadillac, Michigan, which our family attended. I remember asking my Dad why he wasn’t working, since my six year old mind knew a funeral was his job. He just sadly said that someone else was working for him today. I don’t remember another thing about that day, except sitting in the back alcove of the sanctuary. I couldn’t tell you who was there, I have no memories of seeing anyone.

The minister, Rev Wesley Purschbacker, was a good friend of my father’s. He was the pastor of the Episcopalian church in Cadillac, I have no idea why he served as the minister for Grandma’s funeral.

In addition to my grandmother’s wedding book, I also am the custodian of the register created at her funeral. I will also post all the pages, with comments when I feel may be relevant. My sixth scan shows very little information.

My father’s family have been laid to rest in Maple Hill Cemetery, Cadillac, Wexford County, Michigan. Block 18, lot 7 was purchased on 29 July 1936 by my grandparents. I am not sure why they got it at that time, but I do have the original deed, which shows that date. This is a thumbnail, you may click it to enlarge the document.

I also can show that my grandmother paid for perpetual care on the lot in in 1952.

In addition to my grandmother’s wedding book, I also am the custodian of the register created at her funeral. I will also post all the pages, with comments when I feel may be relevant. The pages on the seventh and eighth scan are blank.

I do not know why these were not filled in. I do know that Mom always said that Dad was very close to his mother, perhaps it was just too hard.

In addition to my grandmother’s wedding book, I also am the custodian of the register created at her funeral. I will also post all the pages, with comments when I feel may be relevant. The ninth scan starts the pages of the visitors register. There are seven of these pages, and they read like a roster of the First Congregational Church membership of my childhood, with some family and neighbors mixed in. I will have something to say about most of these pages.

Floyd and Alice Wilkinson

J. V. Shepherd

Ralph McNeth

Dr.land Mrs Gregory A ALe???

Mr. & Mrs. C. L. Bendle — The Bendles owned the company that sold and engraved cemetery markers.

Kay Servis — My father’s cousin.

Frank Servis — Kay’s husband.

Gerald Carlington

Don Mohl — member of the church, if my memory is correct.

Ray Cunningham — owned a drug store in downtown Cadillac.

Ruth Mills — Mrs. Mills was my grandmother’s good friend. One of her sons was the same age as my father, and there are photos of the boys together. Mrs. Mills was a member of the Congregational Church, and shared stories about my grandmother with me when I was an adult.

Hale and Mary Dickerson — members of our church.

Jack Smith

Monsignor Callahan — from St. Ann Catholic Church, Cadillac.

Sr Mary Teresa RSM — from St Ann Catholic Church, Cadillac

Mr. Eldon Hagstrom — a Hagstrom family owned a flower shop in Cadillac, I am not sure if this is the one.

I recently received this information with regard to Eldon Hagstrom, and received permission to add it here:
Eldon,  his wife Emma (nee Anderson), and son Harry Delos Hagstrom were the original owners of Hagstrom’s Flower Shop in Cadillac, Michigan.  Eldon was born 21 Dec 1900 in Clam Lake Township, Wexford County to John Gustof Hagstrom and Ingrid Mathilda (Johnson) Hagstrom.  He graduated from Michigan State University in Animal Husbandry.  Emma Lynn Anderson was Eldon’s wife.   Emma’s mothers last name was Bertleson which ended with her, since she had no brothers.  All of Emma’s children took the Bertleson name as a middle name as well as their Christian name. Emma’s father owned a lumber camp and a saloon in the area.

Mr. & Mrs. Harry Hill — members of our church.