A Place to Rest: Onekama Area Cemeteries By Autumn Miller and Veronica Maidens The Onekama Village Cemetery, St. Joseph Catholic Cemetery, and Bertelson Cemetery are all historical cemeteries in Onekama Township. They were established in the middle to late 1800's. There are also many early settlers buried in these cemeteries, and some important families, such as the Sandenburghs and the Milarchs. Land for the Onekama Village Cemetery was purchased in 1894. George B. Bardwell, who died in 1889, has the earliest recorded death date among those buried there. The land was originally owned by the Onekama Lumber Company and was sold to the Village for only 75 dollars. The cemetery is located on Erdman Road south of Joseph Road and the Catholic Cemetery. The St. Joseph's Catholic Cemetery had been established when in 1885 Phelomina Porter was the first person to be buried there. The Catholic Cemetery is located on the southeast corner of Erdman and Joseph Roads. The Bertelson or Onekama Township Cemetery was established in what was known as the “Bertelson District,” where Niels C. Bertelson settled on a farm after his marriage in 1876. He lived there until he moved to the Bear Lake District around 1900. “Henry Hillard was the first person buried in the cemetery,” according to Mary Ann Grabowski, a Manistee County resident who has researched the history of Manistee County's cemeteries. Hillard died in 1868. Bertelson Cemetary is on the east side of Erdman Road, north of 11409 Erdman Road. When we spoke to Mary Ann Grabowski and Jeannine McGlynn, one of the questions we were curious to learn about was, are there any haunted stories about the cemeteries? They said, “No, but once an elementary class took a field trip to one of the cemeteries, and the kids were messing around when a little girl got tired and stopped to rest on a tombstone and it started to sink. There is an explanation for the tombstone sinking; it is because when the tombstone is there for a long time the ground underneath it begins to rot.” At the Manistee County Historical Society Museum on River Street, volunteers such as Mary Ann Grabowski and Jeannine McGlynn have taken a great deal of time to compile the survey for each of the cemeteries. Mrs. Grabowski and Mrs. McGlynn wrote down the information from each of the headstones, recorded the name of each person buried there; and then gave the information back to the Museum, where the information was put onto cards. Now, thanks to their efforts, people who are researching their genealogy and their relatives can use these cards to learn about their pasts and to find out where their relatives are buried. Most people think a cemetery is just a burial ground for the dead, but they are wrong. Cemeteries are a source of important historical information, allowing us to find out things that we may have never discovered from other historical places.
Wilfred's Wonderful Adventures By Brandon Schram, Nicholas Swisher, and Jesse Smith After his series of memorable adventures in the navy and an exciting childhood, Mr. Wilfred Bonnewell landed in the peaceful little town of Onekama. During his service in the U.S. Navy, he was stationed all over the world and had the opportunity to see places that many of us only dream about. Some of the places where he was stationed include Japan, Hong Kong, Greenland, China, Europe, New Zealand, and many more. Wilfred Bonnewell was born in Illinois, but moved to Ann Arbor, Michigan, and grew up there. From his first car, a 1935 Ford convertible, to his 1995 Chrysler Concord, and now a 2000 pickup truck, Mr. Bonnewell has seen the world change over the years. His cars weren't the only means of transportation Mr. Bonnewell experienced. In the Navy, Wilfred was stationed on many different carriers. The ones he likes the most are the Boxer, the Wasp, the Bunker Hill (which was stationed off the coast of Cuba), and the Pennsylvania. He made one trip on a submarine cub, the Seawolf. In the Navy, Wilfred also flew various aircrafts. These aircrafts aren't like today's; they were quite complex. In some of these aircrafts, passengers had to land in water and attach floating wheels and have the guys on shore reel them in with a rope. The planes Wilfred flew were the P2V, C47, the S2F, the PBM, the OSTU, the SP2C, and the P3 Orin. Some of Mr. Bonnewell's hobbies include golfing, fishing, baseball, basketball, shooting, archery, camping, and hiking. Mr. Bonnewell's favorite is camping. Wilfred and his family hook up their RV and explore the area whenever they get the chance. Mr. Bonnewell and his wife enjoy all parts of Michigan. Wilfred has the privilege of having four wonderful sons. Mr. Bonnewell's boys are named Timothy, Dewey, Matthew and Greg. He enjoys being a father; his sons have brought much happiness and many adventures to his life. Mr. Bonnewell's first job was caddying for people at the local golf course, the Barton Hills Golf Club in Ann Arbor, Michigan. He enjoyed working with his community very much. He spends time traveling and working part time. He listens to jazz and big band on the radio.
|
