New members inducted to Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum

by Angie Asam, Staff Writer

Over the weekend the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum (GLLMM) in Rogers City celebrated its 20th Annual Lake Lore Celebration and gathering luncheon. Beginning with a Calcite quarry tour on Friday afternoon and wrapping up with the induction of 22 new members to the museum on Saturday afternoon.

Nearly 100 people filled two school buses for the quarry tour Friday afternoon and more than 50 were present at the Rogers City Area Senior and Community Center on Friday evening to hear Debbie Allyn Jett discuss the U.S. Life Saving Service as a maritime historical event.

Saturday around 180 people assembled at the Knights of Columbus Hall in Rogers City for the gathering luncheon and induction of candidates. Doors opened at 11 a.m. and people were filing in. Following some entertainment by ?The Mariners? and the invocation by Robert Brietzke a luncheon catered by Cheryl Kowalski of Karsten?s Luncheonette was served.

?Twenty years ago a man had a vision to create a maritime museum in the Sebawing Michigan area. After some hard work and lots of cooperation from a number of people the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum located in an abandoned schoolhouse became a reality. Now it is 2010 and the museum has been relocated to Rogers City. Nevertheless the goals remain the same, to honor those men who have made a living working on the Great Lakes and to always remember those men who have lost their lives in shipwrecks on the Great Lakes. Today is a momentous day to the families of the new inductees into the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum,? said Brietzke during the invocation. Following the luncheon and the annual business meeting conducted by board member Dave Mulders the induction ceremony began.

Board member Roger Hulett then ran a brief introduction of each candidate followed by one toll of the bell and museum director Dave Erickson presented each candidate or family member with the certificate for that inductee.

?Today marks a spec

ial day it marks the induction of a special class. Today?s class is the 20th class of inductees; the 20th time the Great Lakes Lore Maritime Museum has honored those who served. The year 2010 marks the 20th anniversary of the museum?s existence. We plan on being here for another 20 years and well beyond,? said Hulett. Hulett then continued with the ceremony, reading a brief biography of each inductee and introducing who would be receiving the award. Nine of the 22 inductees received their own awards while sons, daughters, granddaughters, nieces, nephews and friends received awards for those who have passed away.

Merle M. Morway, a watchman with the Straits Transit Company accepted not only his own award but also the award of his father, Joseph M. Morway, watchman with the Michigan State Ferry Company. Edward J. Brege, captain with the Great Lakes Fleet was inducted while his late father?in-law Marvin H. Karsten was also inducted as a part of the class of 2010. As each name was read, each man was remembered by family and friends gathered and another special class of 2010, 22 men were honored as inductees into the museum.