Grayling

The Reverend Esper Brothers and Their Club - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 30)

The Reverend Esper Brothers and Their Club - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 30)

In a previous post I wrote about the history of The Leaning Tree Lodge and its importance to my family for several generations. Before it became The Leaning Tree, it was known as “The Esper Club”, named after three Esper brothers, all Catholic priests, two of whom were twins. This is the story of their club.

The Leaning Tree - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 23)

 The Leaning Tree - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 23)

It is impossible to overstate the multigenerational prominence The Leaning Tree Lodge has in the collective memory of my extended family. Affectionately known as “The Cabin”, it sits on the Au Sable River, east of Grayling, Michigan and has been connected to our family since the 1960s.

1951 Jeep Willys Station Wagon - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 17)

 1951 Jeep Willys Station Wagon - Family Artifact Challenge (Day 17)

This 1951 Jeep Willys Station Wagon has a unique history in our family. For many years it sat, unused, in the garage of the Leaning Tree Lodge, a family cabin on the Au Sable River in Grayling, Michigan.

Say Uncle: What Every Niece and Nephew Needs

Say Uncle: What Every Niece and Nephew Needs

On the main branch of the Au Sable River, about ten miles east of Grayling, Michigan, I learned everything I know about fly fishing, most of it from Uncle Bill. The importance of having (and being) an awesome uncle has been under-appreciated. Here are some tips.

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#78) - Paul Bunyan, Flossie Stimer, and Grayling, MI - 1946

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#78) - Paul Bunyan, Flossie Stimer, and Grayling, MI - 1946

A vintage 1946 Paul Bunyan postcard sent from Grayling, MI by Bonnie and Max to Flossie Stimer of Jackson. Can you help me find their family?

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#60)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#60)

I found this early to mid 1950s postcard of "Sorenson's" at a local antique store. It shows the downtown of Grayling, Michigan, a city that has been a personal family vacation spot for decades. Do you know what kind of car that is? I do, now. 

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27)

The Psychogenealogist Pic of the Week (#27) - Chapel in The Pines, Hartwick Pines State Park in Grayling, Mich.