Sunday, August 14, 2016

Eddie Glowicki.......remembering a hero.

Obituary for Edmund Joseph Glowicki.

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TRAVERSE CITY - Edmund Joseph Glowicki, 92, of Lake Leelanau, passed away on August 12, 2016 at the Grand Traverse Pavilions.

Edmund was born in Detroit on April 24, 1924 to the late Martin and Stephanie Glowicki.

After graduating from high school he enlisted and honorably served his country in the U.S. Army. He served in World War II in both the European and North African theaters. He participated in the Omaha Beach and Normandy invasions as well as the Battle of the Bulge. He received both the Purple Heart and Bronze Star.

He married the late Mary Genevieve Morrow in Detroit on August 5, 1950.

Edmund graduated from Wayne State University with degrees in Liberal Arts, Business and Pharmacy. He was a registered Pharmacist in the Detroit and Traverse City areas. The family relocated to the Traverse City area in the 1970s. He especially enjoyed fishing and was a member of the Lake Leelanau St. Mary’s Catholic Church, American Legion, VFW, DAV.

Edmund is survived by his son, Mark (Denise) Glowicki , and grandsons, Martin Glowicki and Evan Glowicki, all of Suttons Bay.

He is preceded in death by his parents, wife Mary Genevieve (2014) and brother, Theodore Glowicki.

Visitation for Edmund will be held from 2-4pm at the Reynolds-Jonkhoff Funeral Home on Sunday, August 14, 2016 with the memorial service commencing at 4pm. Burial will take place at Arlington National Cemetery at a future date.

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I knew Eddie for many many years because I worked with his wife Mary. Mary always loved horses and so did I. Eventually I bought a horse and we had many adventures together. Eddie was her husband. Mary didn't have a lot of respect for a lot of people but she was fiercely loyal to Eddie. She talked of him with much pride. He was a very smart and very kind man, and VERY patient. One would have to be to be married to Mary. Oh the stories I could tell and maybe some day I will. For now this is about Eddie. After the war was over he still suffered his entire life from the injuries he sustained. He was injured on Omaha Beach and his life was diminished somewhat by those injuries, or would have been had he been a lesser man. For a time he was a quadriplegic and spend a lot of time in and out of hospitals. He overcame, he was eventually able to walk again, mainly with crutches or sticks but he was determined and did what he wanted to do. I think his bravery was more in the life he led after the war. He never talked about the war as most people who were in that war did not. My Dad was a POW in Japan, and he never talked about that much either unless he remembered something funny or interesting, but not about his own ordeals. That was Eddie too. His pain did not end there, he suffered from Kidney cancer. Lost a kidney but survived and overcame that too.
Eddie loved to fish, they had a modest home on Lake Leelanau and he had a boat and enjoyed that time when he could get away and relax and fish. Mary would be at the barn with her horses and he would do his own thing. They were socially active for many years and we would see Eddie often at friends gatherings or bank parties. There is one story Mary told of Eddie showing up at a home party one Christmas and Mary was very late. So after a drink and some snacks he had sat chatting with everyone and finally asked if anyone had heard from Mary....................no one knew who Mary was. Eddie was at the wrong house. Their party was down the road a bit. It just went to show how amicable he was that no one noticed that they didn't know him. Eddie looked just like Ed Asner if you remember him?
My boys both liked Eddie very much and only lost contact during their Marine Corp days. Justin went to see him soon after he got out but Eddie didn't really remember him by then.
Eddie ended his days in The Pavilions in Traverse city with his family with him. By then he had cancer in the spine and had last I heard lost at least one of his legs. For a time Mary was also there and shared a room with him until she died. The nurses there loved him from what friends have said. He was a decent and good man, he bore his pain without complaint and to me was more of a hero after the war. A good man has left this world and I hope he has a new body and crowns of glory in the next. If anyone deserves the peace that passeth all understanding it is Eddie.

Tuesday, August 9, 2016

No Camera, oh no................................

On Sunday we had enough of staying inside and the heat so Laura and I decided to go for a drive and get the kids outside. Well I took my camera but, I forgot to put the chip in it. Now do you think you can buy one? No, remember if you wanted film you could pretty much pick up film at any old store? well not anymore.
So, lucky Laura's phone has a really nice camera on it so she is the photographer for the day. She will no doubt remind me next time we go out as I was "take a picture of that" all day.
We headed for the general direction of Leland because we were hungry so that is where we headed. With Reubens in mind. By Lake Leelanau was a beautiful field of sunflowers and people were in the fields taking pictures. So off went Laura to take a few for me
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We continued on to find food. We love the Reubens at Fischer's Happy Hour. Best Reubens in the area.
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With very full tummies we headed to a trail we had wanted to explore. The Clay CLiffs area. The woods were just beautiful. Unfortunately the kids were replenished and full of energy. Oh the noise the noise. Can't wait till schools in and Laura and I can explore on our own. It was a bit difficult for me in the dappled sunlight, I didn't put on better shoes so could not feel my way very well. It gets harder to see these days, but I still do well enough.
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The view from the top of the Manitou Islands.
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The sky, so blue and the water so vivid, aqua near the shore and so blue beyond.
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In the woods trying to show them some beautiful bark, and they are offfffff
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We continued on, the kids getting ever restless. We took some back roads but not much wildlife. Fine by me as I had no camera haha, saw turkeys though and we went by some of our old haunts where we used to live.
Let the kids out to run in the fields and let off steam.
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On the way home we stopped in Cedar for ice cream as they had finally settled down some. Then we stopped at Gallaghers Farm market. I bought some corn and a cherry crisp pie for Gerry. He had to find his own supper so I figured he would enjoy that.
Tristen always loves to stop at the play area at the farm.
We saw a hen and tiny fluff balls, must be two day old chicks.
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I had really wished I had my camera as we looked at the Hollyhocks, the light was amazing. It doesn't do it justice here but it will remind me to go back and see if I can do get it before they are gone.
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I no longer get pleasure seeing the animals as I know their fate and can't get passed it. I know they have a good life but such a short one. Poor things. Still they live in the sun and get good food and lots of attention. Better than factory farms for sure. I don't know and don't want to know if they slaughter their own.
The chickens are free range that's for sure and always seem to have babies around. Roosters strutting. I love watching chickens and still hope to have some one day soon.
Next time I will be sure to have my camera. I usually take two but well..............this day I didn't. So thank you Laura for the pictures.



Friday, August 5, 2016

Tuesday outing in August......................

On Tuesday Laura and I took the kids to Leland beach. It was a beautiful and calm day, the temps in the 90s. Way too hot and humid at home but perfect on the beach. We chose Leland to look for Blue stones, simply for something to do. Tristen took his boats and toys, we intended to stay the day. A light breeze and wonderful waters kept us cool. We normally don't use sun screen but at over 90 degrees we figured better safe than sorry
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The beach was perfect, the water so calm we could actually see the stones under the water, no waves unless a boat went by and left wake.
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This little guy was swimming and we often wonder how they make it through the sand to get back into the greenery
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He was happy to stay out of our way though, we have often seen small frogs swimming in the big lake and wonder how they survive.
We had stopped at a deli and picked up some sandwiches for lunch and when we were ready to eat we had a picnic on the beach
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The water was so calm Tristen even tried out his swimming technique. He doesn't like water in his face and so when there are waves he is not so keen.
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Reina has a great tan going. Her part Puerto Rican blood and our dark skin tone gives her great colour
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When we had finally had enough and were ready to leave we were not ready to go home. Gerry was taken care of as far as his supper went so no hurry on our part. We headed for Port Oneida. We see they are working on the extensions on the Bike trails. One goes by a lake we love looking at from the car, soon we can park and get closer to it. It formed from swampy ground over the years. It's been fascinating to see a brand new lake emerge. The house that was close by has been bought now by the park service, as all within the Sleeping Bear National Park has been. A shame for the families but great for posterity.
One of the old farms. One can imagine this, surrounded by farm land on the brink of Lake Michigan. How isolated everyone must have been in winter. I can imagine though how they must have looked after each other with miles between farms.
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It's one of the things we have done these past couple of years, explored the history of this area.
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All these meadows, orchards and houses and barns will all be preserved now.
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We went down to the beach from the farm we usually go by, there were people there. Usually we have the whole place to ourselves. Still they spread out along the beach so we didn't see them really.
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We saw raptors in the sky. I think some eagles, young ones and probably buzzards too. We found out why when we found a dead deer on the beach. That was not nice. We had seen what we thought was bear poop but decided it was some form of Canine, wolf? Coyote? (yes I took a picture) sigh!!!!
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so when we got to the beach we knew why. Naturally the kids had gone right in before we shuffled down the steps. I have to be really careful, I don't need to fall. My knees are not great and my vision not perfect.
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We had taken the back roads through the forests dirt roads. There are still a few homes left up in the hills. The view from the top is beautiful. The pictures do not do it justice.
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I always think how awesome it must have been here in the early 1800s and before when just the Indians lived here. I wonder how they got along with these homesteaders. I will look into that. Sorry the next picture is a blur but its cute
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So we headed home
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We stopped in Cedar for ice cream
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Reina and Tristen sharing a laugh over a picture she took of her mum
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We stopped to look at some sheep and cows and we saw a mother turkey with a dozen babies in front of her shooing them across the road. Laura tried to find them in the grass but they hid very well. I wanted a picture, we had not seen any wildlife that day
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So it was home, bath and bed for Tristen by that time. Can't remember what we had for supper but whipped something up quick and that was the end of another perfect day.