Centennial Farm Celebration

Yesterday I drove up to Standish, my dad's home town, to attend a celebration in honor of the family farm receiving their official "Centennial Farm" designation. I wish my dad had been up to going, as it was just a great time.

My great grandfather, Albert Hagley, started the farm. Dad's father, Rollie, continued and passed it on to Dad's brother Louie, and now Louie's son Tim and family are running the place. Tim has done quite a bit of research into the family, and found that Albert, prior to starting the farm, was one of the major movers and shakers in Omer, Michigan, which was a happening place in the lumber heyday of the turn of the century. He ran a shingle mill, dry goods store, and I think even a hotel there. He built a fine house in Omer, and another one of similar design on the farm, which is still there today. Unusual for it's time, the house had carbide gas lighting, and running water from a 400-foot-deep flowing well. The water was even piped to the barn. It's the house my dad grew up in, and Tim's daughter and family live there now.

There must've been around a hundred people at the celebration. Tim had come down a couple of days before to borrow the 117-year-old dinner bell my dad has, which was originally at the farm. It was fun to have the bell there and Tim and I both got to ring it. Tim promises to return it to Dad's house soon. I got to see some relatives I hadn't seen in quite a while, and a few I didn't even know I had. I met Cindy Hagley from Duluth, around my age and one of Albert's progeny but I have lost track of just how.

One day earlier this week as I was going to bed, I thought I heard faint "meows" coming from outside. I figured one of our outdoor cats was moving her kittens again, and didn't think any more about it. The next morning when I got up, I opened one of the built in drawers in my bedroom to get my clothes, and out jumped poor little Princess. Kitty had spent a cozy night in the drawer and seemed only a little upset about it.

This week cousin Jerry will build a ramp to Dad's front door, so that hopefully he'll be able to ride his little electric cart right out to the garage. Dad should be coming home sometime in the next week or two. Last week I had the house (at least the main floor) professionally cleaned and it looks so much better! Someday soon I will tackle the basement.....