Gladwin Neighbors Blog

Gladwin Parade of Lights, Dec 4th 2010

2010-11-14T06:29:00.001-08:00

Gladwin County Parade of Lights is scheduled for Saturday, December 4th around 6pm. Fireworks at the City Park to follow!

Halloween in Gladwin - Trick or Treating on SATURDAY!

2010-10-14T04:02:00.001-07:00

Don't forget! Halloween "Trick or Treating" moves to SATURDAY night in the city of Gladwin. So... grab those trick or treat bags and gets dressed up in your favorite costume and we'll see out out there!

A Gladwin Family Story

2010-09-21T10:21:00.001-07:00

I just recently got an email from a past resident of Gladwin, telling me the story of this photo. I thought it was a very interesting story of a small piece of Gladwin History. Enjoy!

As a young boy growing up nearby on Sugar River Rd, I spent a lot of time on this family property on the Meredith Grade. My Great Grandparents, Josef and Helena Slabic, along with my Grandparents, James and Theresa Slabic, settled on this property. They actually cleared the trees and farmed this land. There is a large cleared field North of the house. The area around the house and on the South side of the road was also farmed. There was a barn next to the house. When I lived in the area there was a hand water pump in the front yard. Someone stole that pump years later.

My Great Grandfather, Josef, was born in Austria Hungary in 1866, and died in 1930. My Great Grandmother, Helena, was also born there in 1857, and died in 1944. I vaguely remember Helena. My Grandfather, James, was born in Austria Hungary in 1891, and died in 1951. My Grandmother, Theresa, was born there as well in 1887, and died in 1974. Josef and Helena were married in Trieste Italy in 1895. These people migrated to Cleveland Ohio and then on up to Sherman Township. Exactly when they came to the Meredith Grade property, I am not sure. It would have had to be sometime after 1895 and by 1914 as my mother, Elizabeth Slabic Soehnel, was born in this home in 1914.
You mentioned the home where the peacocks were. That is where my Grandma and Grandpa Slabic lived. They moved there from the Grade property. We lived across the road from them. Our home burned down years ago. The owner, Gus Keding, died in the fire. There is some old lumber on that site that is left from our small barn. Our homes basement walls are still there. In fact the laundry tubs, that we sometimes bathed in, is still in that basement. It is sad to see what has happened to my grandparents home. Their barn burned down when I was a young boy going to the country school at the corner of Sugar River Road and Chappel Dam. I went to that school from the first grade through the sixth grade. At that time my parents moved into town. I graduated from GHS in 1959.

Josef and Helena are buried in the Highland Cemetery in the City of Gladwin. Theresa and James are buried in Santa Barbara California.

John Kastellec married a daughter of Josef and Helena’s. Currently that home and the 160 acres belong to John Kastellec’s son, Joseph (deceased), and his wife, Stephanie. Stephanie lives in Ohio. Joseph Kastellec’s ashes are buried by the apple tree next to the house. My family looks after this property and has for many years.

When I lived on our farm, on Sugar River Rd, the Meredith Grade was a private two track road. There were locked gates on both ends and only owners of the property had keys to the locks. In the Spring the road was impassable as it was all mud and flooded in the low areas. Elmo Hoy owned Blue Lake back then. There were no homes on the lake. My dad would take us kids there to swim and fish. He always stopped at Elmo’s home and asked permission to go swimming or fishing. He always gave us permission. There was never anyone there.

My mother died in 2004 at 90 years old. My dad died in 2006 at 95 years old. My dad’s sister is still alive at 96. She lives in the Detroit area.

My Grandparents Adolph and Mary Koshatski owned the home and barn on the corner of Chappel Dam Rd and Sugar River Rd. They both still stand there today. The small white home and red barn were built by my father, Joseph Soehnel. My fathers mothers maiden name was Soehnel. My father changed his last name from Koshatski to Soehnel before I was born.

The man that lived in my grandparents home, and had the peacocks, was Bill Adams. He was born and raised on a farm in the back of our 40 acres, which was at the end of Chappel Dam Rd. As a young boy I worked for Bill and his dad Mike.

My grandparents home, where the peacocks were, originally belonged to a man named Sharkey. That is why our country school was called the Sharkeyville School. I believe he furnished the lumber to build that school. I know the man that owns the school at this time.

Growing up in that area was great, but it also was tough going.

By the way I see you are with Kehoe Realty. I knew Don and Jack Kehoe. They were members of our church. They also were customers at Al Rau’s Shell station, where I worked during my high school years and two years after. If they are still around, tell them I said hello. If they don’t remember me they should remember my family. I had five sisters and three brothers that grew up in Gladwin. I am the oldest boy.

I know I told you way more than I needed to, but once I get going on this I can’t seem to stop. You have my permission to use any of this material that you choose. Thanks for your interest.

Francis Soehnel

Deer walking across Blue Lake

2009-02-14T10:34:00.001-08:00

What a Wonderful World...

2009-02-03T04:30:00.000-08:00

Okay... this isn't a Gladwin Thing, but a friend of mine sent this and I just had to share it. This si so cute!

Gladwin County Traffic Jam

2008-12-21T08:05:00.000-08:00

This is the kind of traffic jam we get in Gladwin County!

2008 Gladwin Parade of Lights TONIGHT!

2008-12-06T08:28:00.000-08:00

Check this out! You can watch the Gladwin Parade of Lights on the Internet tonight! The camera is posted on top of the Gladwin County Abstract Building! Pretty neat!

Link: http://www.ejourney.com/cam/

-------------------------

Driving Through a Postcard Setting...

2008-12-03T05:43:00.000-08:00

This photos turned out fantastic! I took this yesterday when I was on my way to town. I jumped out of my Jeep to take this shot. This was located on Meredith Grade Road in Gladwin. It's part of the Cedar River. Notice the sun trying to peek through the clouds, in the background. It looks just like a Christmas Card.

This photo was also taken on the other side of the road, from the first photo, on Meredith Grade Road. It was like driving through a postcard yesterday.

This is also located on Meredith Grade Road about a mile east of where I took the river photos. I am going to guess that this might have been a train station at one time, but I am not sure. Meredith Grade used to be the railroad grade leading into, the once large town of Meredith. Back in the late 1800's, the town of Meredith used to be one of the roughest towns in the US. It was a big lumber town. Meredith has all but died since the lumber boom ended. Now, our neighborhood is located off of this old railroad grade, cutting through some of the prettiest forests in Gladwin County.

Memorial Day Parade

2008-06-05T15:06:00.000-07:00

It was a lovely day for a parade.

Spring Newborn Fawn NW Gladwin County

2008-05-19T13:31:00.000-07:00

Yesterday afternoon, I came home to a pleasant little surprise. This doe was on our lot with a newborn fawn. Shortly after I took this picture, she ran off.

I couldn't resist going over and investigating.
At first the little guy started walking towards me. He saw my movement and must have thought I was his mother. He was "bahing" like a little sheep as he walked towards me. I can imagine that a newborn's eye sight isn't so great, right after they are born.
He kept coming closer.
.... and closer!

After he got within just a few feet of me, he realized that I wasn't his mother! He stopped in his tracks and tried to play "invisable".

Needless to say, I took a bunch of pictures! Who could resist?

This is where I left the little guy. He decided it was okay to snuggle down next to the log. I left and checked back about 1.5 hours later and he was gone. Mom came and took him to a safer location.

I never touched him. When you see a baby deer, it's wise not to get your scent on him/her. In the wild, fawns do not carry any scent. You want to keep it that way, to protect it.

Scenes from Gladwin

2008-05-14T05:08:00.001-07:00

Farm in the Fog, Chappel Dam Road

Webs in the morning sun, pepper a field on Meredith Grade Road.

Foggy morning on Chappel Dam Road.

Foggy field (Chappel Dam Road)

Northern Gladwin County

2008-03-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

Spring might be here, but so is the ice and snow. With the rain, it's quickly melting!

Sugar Springs Deer

2008-03-02T06:55:00.000-08:00

14 Whitetail Deer along Sugar River Road on February 28th, 2008

Click on photo to enlarge view

Gladwin County Ice Carnival Photos

2008-02-10T14:37:00.001-08:00

The Gladwin County Ice Carnival was held over the weekend.

It was a COOOOOLD Day for an Ice Race!

Sunday offered blistering COLD temperatures!

At around 11 AM, this is what my Jeep's outside temperature read!

-2 BELOW ZERO!

It was still fun to watch from the comfort of our own warm truck!
The wind was also something else! They say that the wind chill was more than 30 below!
Can you imagine how these guys felt?

You got to give them credit for getting out there!

Gladwin County Ice Carnival February 9th, 2008

2008-02-05T16:06:00.000-08:00

Quick Note! Albright Shores Ice Carnival is being held this upcoming weekend. Click HERE for more information on their website: http://www.albrightshores.com/ice.htm

Gladwin Events!!!

2008-01-16T13:54:00.000-08:00

Easter Bunny and Egg Hunt

The Gladwin Business & Professional Association will be holding their 10th annual Easter Egg Hunt in conjunction with the Gladwin Arts Council. The event will be held in the Gladwin City Park on Saturday, March 22, 2008 beginning at 11:00 a.m. SHARP!

There will be prizes, Aunt Tude’s petting zoo, face painting and a special guest...The Easter Bunny. Pictures may be taken with the Easter Bunny for a donation (donations are not mandatory). All other activities are free.

The event will take place rain, snow or shine. Make plans to join in all the fun.

Gladwin Home and Garden Show

Sponsored by the Gladwin Business and Professional Association will take place on Friday, March 28th and Saturday, March 29th at the Gladwin Community Arena, 402 James Robertson Drive in Gladwin, Michigan. The time of the event will be Noon to 8:00 p.m. on Friday and 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. on Saturday. Admission fee for the show will be a $2.00 donation, with a portion of the receipts donated to the Gladwin County Habitat for Humanity.

We Got More SNOW!

2007-12-16T12:20:00.000-08:00

Michigan got socked with a bunch of snow last night.

Gladwin County got hit with their share too.

I didn't measure what we have, but I'm going to guess that we got about 7 inches of snow, give or take.

Gladwin Parade of Lights

2007-12-14T13:52:00.001-08:00

Saturday, December 1st, was the Gladwin Parade of Lights!

If you've never gone, you need to go next year. It's worth standing out in the cold for an hour our so. There is always lots to see!

Afterwards, they do a nice fireworks show, down at the city park. I wish I would have gotten pictures of it this year, but it was too snowy out.

Welcome to the Gladwin Neighbors Blog

2007-12-14T13:41:00.000-08:00

Check back for Gladwin County events and photos!