Christmas Memories
John Hendler • December 18, 2020
Readers share their favorite Christmas memories
Small town Christmas
Marshall resident David Swender shares the following quote: “Some of the pictures of Father Christmas in our world make him look only funny and jolly. But now that the children actually stood looking at him, they didn’t find it quite like that. He was so big, and so glad, and so real, that they all became quite still. They felt very glad, but also solemn.”
-C.S. Lewis, The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe
Swender said that thinking back on his childhood memories of Christmas in Marshall, the people, places and things that stand out in his mind all serve to give him a feeling of belonging to the small town he grew up in.
“The most prominent person of this magical season, of course, would be Santa Claus,” said Swender. “On a typically cold, dark evening in December, we would hear the bright brass notes from a hand bell outside our door. Santa Claus (our neighbor, Tom Sullivan) would come to our house to visit and listen to what we all wanted for Christmas. Just like C.S. Lewis’s Father Christmas, he was big (especially to us kids!), joyful and real. On other nights leading up to Christmas, we’d see him around town, at the small Santa’s workshop that looked like a gypsy carriage, parked on Michigan Avenue outside the bank. Looking back, it is amazing to think that this World War II veteran took the time to bring so much joy to the children of our town.
“As we prepared for Christmas, the brightly wrapped presents under the tree were always of interest. But the real attraction for me was the nativity. I’d spend my days looking at all the Fontanini figurines and arranging baby Jesus’s attendants in just the right way. Our Hummel musical drummer boy figurine would chime my favorite Christmas tune while I played.
“On Christmas Eve, we would often go to a neighbor’s house for a party. The cottage-style home on Eagle Street, just around the corner, would be crammed full of all the grownups (and a few lucky kids) from the neighborhood. Their broad, soft-needled tree was always decorated with glassy, silvery angel hair tinsel, taking up nearly half of the front room. The smell of candles, Schuler’s meatballs and smoked oysters was strangely intoxicating. Warmed from the fireplace and stuffed full of food, we would then make our way up snow-lined sidewalks to midnight mass at St. Mary’s. There, the joyful celebration was laced with smoky incense and hearty carols. By the end of the long night, you’d think there would be no waking me the next morning. And yet, after just a few short hours’ rest, my parents would be not so gently reminded, ‘Wake up! It’s Christmas!’
“Just as I cherish these memories, I am taking stock in the traditions and memories that we are making with our children, living in Marshall. The Christmas Parade, the Merry Mile and the downtown decorations all figure prominently in their Christmas. Our nativity serves as both a toy and way of learning about the birth of our Savior. We have our own Santa, whom we see around town both in and out of season (though always in character). Our children have grown up amongst dear family and neighbors, who always make the Christmas season truly special with their visits, gifts and companionship. It is wonderful to think that our children will also treasure special Christmas memories, growing up in Marshall. Now, if I could somehow figure out how to get them to sleep in...”
Christmas wedding
For Karen and Doug Shilling of Homer, Christmas holds not just memories with their children, but of their wedding. On Dec. 26, 1981, Karen and Doug tied the knot. Because Karen’s twin sister and her maid of honor could not make their planned wedding on March 19, 1982, the couple bumped up the date to the day after Christmas when all the family could be together.
“Of course, we moved the date up because I wouldn’t have dreamed of having anyone else stand up with me,” said Karen. “I had three weeks to plan our Christmas wedding. It was small and intimate, but it was perfect. My parents’ church was decorated for Christmas, so we had a beautiful backdrop for our ceremony. Unfortunately, we didn’t have a professional photographer, so the pictures taken don’t capture the beautiful Christmas decorations.”
Another tradition the Shilling family participated in was each year one of the children was given the honor of putting the angel on top of the Christmas trees. Now that the Shilling children are grown and Karen and Doug have grandchildren, traditions are changing.
“For a number of years, we took our grandkids to a home off Snow Prairie Road west of Coldwater to see the elaborate outdoor and indoor displays that Ron and Chickie shared with anyone who wanted to tour their home during the weeks of December,” stated Karen. “It’s amazing the amount of Christmas decorations they have. They begin setting them up in September and one designated night each year they have Santa there to visit with the children and give each of them a dollar present which the couple buys for all the children who come.”
Sibling Christmas
Beth Rayner and her sister Laurie are 17 months apart and Beth said the sisters have shared many Christmas memories.
“She was my first playmate and best friend, and though our close ages often meant bickering and getting in each other’s way growing up, Christmas Eve was always a time when we happily shared space,” said Beth a longtime Marshall resident who recently moved to Japan. “My bedroom was closest to the living room, where our Christmas tree was often waiting for Santa. Laurie always snuggled into my twin bed on Christmas Eve. I think until we were even in middle school. We always tried to stay awake, listening for jingle bells, reindeer and Santa’s sleigh. For Christmas 1980, we lay in my bed, each with wet braided pigtails for a Christmas Day special hairdo. We were sure we heard Santa’s arrival, but the next morning, no one believed us.
“My own children, three years apart, made Christmas much more magical than I even remember it as a child. When they were little, William frequently ended up in Maddie’s bedroom on Christmas Eve after I read How the Grinch Stole Christmas, which has been one of our favorite continued traditions. One year, he was sure he heard the jingle bells. I assured him Christmas morning that I believed him because I’d heard them once, too. Every year they took turns opening presents, shared their new toys, and were really sweet with each other. I loved how they worked together one year to solve a poetic riddle scavenger hunt to find the new Wii Santa had already hooked up under the TV.
"The togetherness and love shared by siblings is my best Christmas memory from my childhood and my children’s. This year is bittersweet - the first that I won’t see either my sister or my own (adult) children because I’ve moved to Japan. I am grateful for the ‘Thanksgiving-mas’ I shared with my sister and her family two days before I moved. And, through the miracle of the Google Meet, I will still read the Grinch to Maddie and Will on their Christmas Eve, as if they were little again seated on either side of me, despite our 14-hour time difference. ‘Maybe Christmas,’ he thought, ‘doesn’t come from a store. Maybe Christmas . . . perhaps . . . means a little bit more!’”
Family traditions
Gretchen Peters said a prominent memory from her childhood was always going to Christmas Eve mass.
“The first Christmas we lived in Marshall, I was asked to process in carrying Baby Jesus, to lay him in the manger,” said Gretchen. “Another memory was that my Uncle Leo would come to visit us each Christmas. He would fly in on Christmas morning and we would pick him up at the airport. He would help us assemble all our Christmas toys. I remember one year he made a Ferris wheel out of Tinker Toys…My dad filmed every Christmas morning for years. As far as I know, no one has ever viewed the videos, but they exist somewhere!
As a parent of five children, Gretchen has carried on some family Christmas traditions and created new ones as well.
.“Hiding the pickle in the tree for the kids to find is a favorite,” said Gretchen. “The girls still compete over this even though they are 27, 22 and 17. We still go to mass on Christmas Eve—often Midnight Mass and shots to follow once we’re home. It’s a tradition my dad always had, and I’ve continued it…I never let the morning start until I read the Christmas story from the Gospel of Luke…We wear Santa hats when we open gifts, and everyone takes turns so the morning lasts longer. We always have a fun breakfast with mimosas. Early afternoon we go to my parents’ house and meet with all my siblings and their families. We generally have 40-plus people and when Grandma passes out the presents it is pure chaos! I love it!”
Sounds and smells of Christmas
Kathleen Oerther, who just left Marshall for North Carolina remembers the excitement of Christmas morning as a child.
“Waking up on Christmas morning for me as a kid was Mitch Miller’s voice blaring from the stereo as my mother and father would yell to my siblings and me that Santa had come,” said Kathleen. “Our stockings would always be full of outrageously large oranges. We’d open presents together, then attend a Christmas service at church afterwards. Soon after we arrived back home, our home would be filled with the aroma of polish sausage - a McPhilamy/Permoda family tradition. We’d nibble on it all day long along with a homemade polish bread (placek).
“As I’ve grown into an adult, my husband Mark and I developed new traditions as our family grew. Every year on the night before Christmas, we’d have each of our children make a wish upon a Christmas key and then hang it on the outside of the front door. The key looks gold and is very heavy. They’d wake up the next morning to the sound of a toy train whose tracks wrap around the bottom of the tree. I’d have them wait on the stairs until every sibling was awake so that they would all come downstairs together and marvel at what Santa had brought, starting with stockings.”
Sharing the love at Christmas
Kim Chapple Mooney said as child, the holidays “were the best.”
“My dad would make special pieces as gifts,” she said. “One year it was a Barbie house, another year a desk, and my favorite year was when I was 7 and my brother and I got Big Wheels!”
The “very best” part of Christmas, said Kim, was the music.
“My dad would stack Christmas albums on the turntable every year and I would dance around to the songs,” said Kim. “We heard everything from Johnny Mathis and Barbra Streisand to my favorite, Herb Alpert and the Tijuana Brass.
As a mom, I’ve worked on carrying on some traditions with my daughters, and together we have created our own traditions. We always try to make a Christmas Eve service at Marshall United Methodist Church and the girls and I share our own celebration together with treats. The one thing I try to teach my girls is that Christmas is not about money. It is a time for love. We might not always be rich monetarily, but we are always rich in love. My girls are everything to me. A few weeks ago, my oldest reminded me of this family phrase and my heart swelled with joy. Christmas is a time to reach out to others and share the love.”
Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”
Get to know MPS Superintendent Becky Jones as she looks ahead to the new school year Marshall Public Schools Superintendent Becky Jones said she has always had a passion for wanting to work in education. Even though her master’s degree is in business from Spring Arbor University, Jones originally went to school at Eastern Michigan University to be a special education teacher when she was an undergraduate before making the switch to the business field. “I always wanted to work in some sort of line in education and be a part of the school system,” Jones said. “My aunt was a special education teacher in an early childhood role and she worked for Jackson ISD. That was part of the reason why I wanted to go to school to be a special education teacher when I started. I ended up changing and I’m not 100% sure why I changed, but it’s interesting that I ended up into the system in the career path of doing that.” After Jones graduated from EMU, she landed a job in Jackson as a business manager for a construction company before being hired at Jackson County Intermediate School District in business operations. Jones has been in the school system ever since her time at Jackson County ISD before coming over to Marshall Public Schools, where she served as the director of business operations for the district for eight years. Jones said the relationships she built over the eight years in that role has helped her transition into the superintendent role. “I think with how I am as a leader and how I am as a person, I like to build a lot of personal relationships,” said Jones. “So I think that’s just something that has come natural for me over the eight years, I’ve just always built really good relationships with the people that I work with. I care about the people, I care about families, I care about our students. It didn’t seem unnatural for me to fill into the role of interim, because it was something I wanted to do.” Jones was appointed interim superintendent in May 2021 after the departure of former Superintendent Randy Davis. After eight months, the Marshall Public Schools Board of Education unanimously agreed to hire Jones into the permanent role. When reflecting on when she officially was hired into the permanent role, Jones commended the many who have supported her during the process and said she feels honored to now be serving in the role. “I think that educating people’s children and educating our youth is a very important role,” said Jones. “It’s an honor and a blessing in how I look at it.” Jones added that she is driven and inspired by being able to serve two communities, being students and families in both Marshall and Albion. “When I look at the district as a whole, I look at it as serving two communities,” Jones said. “Obviously we have an interesting history as a school system with bringing Albion into the system and serving both Albion and Marshall. That to me alone, just having the two communities that we get to serve, is a wonderful thing. Both communities have a lot to offer when you look at it. There are a lot of great people, leaders and businesses that are really supportive of the school system and really supportive of our kids. That’s one of the many benefits of this role.” Jones added she is also inspired by being able to serve the students as a whole and being able to interact with them and the teachers who are involved in their learning development. “Also the kids and the interaction with the kids. We get to go out to buildings and interact with the kids and interact with the teachers,” Jones added. “We have a wonderful staff in the district. When I look at the role, I don’t look at it as a superintendent role, I look at it as ‘I get to work with these amazing people who work for Marshall Public Schools and I get to meet all of these wonderful community members.’” In a March article from the Battle Creek Enquirer, former Board President Richard Lindsey acknowledged Jones played a key role in the annexation of the Albion School District and Marshall Public Schools in 2016. Jones further explained how she was involved in that process. “I walked alongside Dr. Davis when annexation happened,” she said. “I sat in all the meetings, went through all the financials and worked on all those things and what it would look like. So I was right alongside working through the annexation piece of it. Through annexation, there were a lot of people that care about both communities and about wanting to make sure that all of our kids have equal opportunity and equal access to good education. To me, in my eyes, that’s the one thing that matters, is equal access to kids for education.” As superintendent, there are both challenges ahead for Jones along with some things that she is excited about in terms of plans the district is implementing going into the school year. “I’m really excited about our strategic plan,” Jones said. “I think it’s really important for organizations to have a vision for what they are working towards. And I think that we’ve clearly written out what our vision is as an organization. I’m really looking forward to putting that in place.” As far as challenges go, Jones brought up being able to educate students in a post-pandemic world and focusing on providing support for students and families on what they need to further their education in light of all the disruptions that took place in schools during the past two years. “I think we still have a lot of challenges post pandemic when we’re looking at children and we’re looking at education,” Jones said. “We as a district need to sit down and focus on where our kids are at and where we need our kids to be in terms of education. So, I think for this year it’s really going to be a huge focus on what support we can give our families and the things we can do to really get our kids educated and where they need to be in a post pandemic world.” Another challenge in Jones’ eyes is how to put a new bond on the table and how to get community members to support one this time around. Last November, a $45.6 million bond was voted down by a 2 to 1 margin. She also mentioned the school’s sinking fund millage that she said will be on the ballot for voters this November. “We have $75 million worth of needs,” said Jones. “We obviously had a failed bond attempt and those needs haven’t gone away. So we’re going to have to go back out to the community in looking at a bond and (figure out) what we need to do. We need to sit down and talk about where we’re at with that. Another thing is with our sinking fund millage. That is set to expire and we’re going to be putting a renewal on the November ballot. It is a renewal but it’s not going to be worded as a renewal, because we’re going to add in security and technology services for that. So we’re really going to have to get out there and communicate effectively with the communities about that.” When Jones’ time is done at MPS, whenever that may be, she said she just hopes for both communities to look at the school district and be proud of what it represents. “I want both communities to be proud of their school system,” she said. “I want Marshall Public Schools serving both Marshall and Albion communities and for it to be a choice district for those communities. I want them to be proud of the work we do here and how we educate their kids.”
In February of 1921, while what would eventually become the Marshall Country Club was being organized, 70 acres on the south shore of Lyon Lake was purchased for the golf course. That summer was spent by members raking stones, tearing down fences and leveling off and cleaning land while Harold C. Brooks, the club’s first president, hired golf architect Tom Bendelow of Chicago to help design the course. The following year, Brooks erected the club house that was planned by his architect friend Howard Young of Kalamazoo. A breezeway connected the club house with a pro shop and the country club was up and running. There have been a few changes made to Marshall Country Club over time, including the course being renovated into an 18-hole course from a nine-hole course in 1972. But 100 years later, the country club is still serving area golfers, with numerous events on tap as MCC celebrates its centennial year. Director of Communications Nancy Card said she believes Marshall Country Club’s ability to adapt over time has allowed the golf course to stay open even during ever-changing times. “It (country clubs) used to be much more formal,” said Card. “It used to be the ‘good ol' boys club.’ It used to be a high stakes kind of a thing. And now, through the evolution of all of these years, it’s interesting to me to see how creative we’ve had to become in order to continue to operate in the new world. It’s so different and we can’t operate like we used to back then. Just watching the changes and the evolution and how things have made us who we are today, that’s very important. And it’s so exciting to see how people are consumed with this. They really love our country club.” According to a 2019 article from Business Insider , country club memberships dropped 20% from 1990 to 2014. The number of clubs are also diminishing, as there were over 5,000 member-owned full-service golf and country clubs in the U.S., according to the article. By 2017, that number had fallen to about 3,900. MCC used to be a strictly private country club, but over time has morphed into a quasi-private, quasi-public course, with a restaurant, Lyon Lake Grill, that is open to the public. Feef Dillon, a member of the centennial celebration committee, said offering a warm environment has been one of the main keys to making the country club a successful operation. “I think we have to have a welcoming environment that welcomes all walks of life,” said Dillon. “Female, low and high income, we have to make it affordable for people to want to be here and make it worth their while and offer activities that are appealing to people. Long gone are the days where you could write off your country club membership. It used to be that companies would foot the bill. That’s no longer the case. Now we have to find ways (to gain members) and the relationships make it happen.” Tom Duffey, an MCC Board member and past club president, added it’s not only the friendships that are created, but the community environment that has made the country club a special place for him and many others. “This is a great place for family activities,” Duffey said. “We have both Marshall golf teams here, Homer golf teams, Albion College, Olivet College. I brought my kids out to play and now I’m bringing my grandkids out to play. It’s just a friendly, nice place to bring kids. You’ll see a bunch of kids out here hitting balls. It’s just a nice place to come out to.” The COVID-19 pandemic brought tough times to many businesses across the country, and MCC was no exception. House Manager Sarah Coco has been at MCC for four years and said while there have been some difficult times to get through, she did not ever want to leave because of her passion for the country club and seeing how much it matters to so many people she interacts with. “This is my first time working at a country club and it is different than any other restaurant, bar or hospitality place that I’ve ever worked at,” said Coco. “It was pretty challenging during COVID in that situation to get creative with how to be open, how to serve the members. It was a struggle, a huge struggle. You kind of step back and think ‘why am I doing this? You could go anywhere right now and get a job.’ But for me, I can’t do that because this place just means so much to so many people that it becomes special to you.” Vicki Knickerbocker, another member of the centennial celebration committee and MCC member said the country club is special to her in many ways, from building friendships to simply giving her and her husband a hobby. “I think it’s very important for both myself and my husband because it gives us something to do,” Knickerbocker said. “We could be working in our yard or doing something (else), but we’re outside and it’s beautiful out here. My husband is out here (frequently). I’m here maybe a couple days a week, but if it wasn't here where (would we be)?” To date, MCC has held monthly celebrations to honor its centennial year. On Aug. 13, two golf tournaments and a dinner will be held at the country club. The first tournament of the day is for current and past members only and will begin at 8:30 a.m., while the second tournament—a four-person scramble, is open to anyone and is set for an approximate 1:30 p.m. start time. Both tournaments have limited spots available. The centennial dinner is open to the public and tickets are currently on sale. Anyone interested in purchasing tickets can contact MCC. There will also be a raffle drawing that event organizers hope will be held that night, where ticket holders will have a chance to win a variety of prizes, with the top prize being a free membership to the country club. MCC will conclude its celebrations on Oct. 1 with “100 years of fun” and standup comedian Dave Dyer, an event that will also be open to the public. “We want people to know that we are celebrating, why we are celebrating and that we invite them to come and celebrate with us,” Card said.
Jerry Sacharski was a recreation league director in Albion who pioneered T-ball as an organized youth sport in 1956 because he couldn’t stand to turn away young children with the desire to play baseball. Sacharski passed away in February of 2009, but his memory has lived on, which was apparent on June 25 when well over 100 community members came together at Tee-Ball Garden in Albion, where a new T-ball statue and historic plaque was unveiled under the leadership of the Restore Our Coke Sign: Bring Art and History Downtown campaign team. Many of Sacharski’s former players and their families were present to celebrate the event, along with members of the Sacharski family, including Jerry’s three sons—David, Michael and William. Following the ceremony, current T-ball players played a short game in Victory Park near Hannah Street, which was followed by an “Old-Timers” game. John Sims, one of Sacharski’s former players who spoke at the ceremony, expressed appreciation for his former coach and the impact he left on him and many others who played for him growing up. “I go down to that field and I can see him (Sacharski),” Sims said. “I think everyone who played “pee-wee” ball with him remembers him. We have very few people in our lives as young people who make a mark like that. I’m 70 years old and I still remember that guy with very great kindness. He was good to us.” Sims also cited a 1960 T-ball exhibition game, when Sacharski took him and other pee wee players to Michigan State University to put the sport on display in front of a TV audience as the game was videotaped by a local television station. In 2000, the video was accepted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame at Cooperstown, N.Y. Sacharski was also a teacher with Albion Public Schools for nearly three decades. His son David said his father was great at teaching the fundamentals of the game and brought his teaching qualities to the baseball field. “My dad wanted the kids to learn the fundamentals of baseball while playing T-ball, which was sometimes called pee wee ball,” said David. “Notice the word ‘fun’ in fundamentals. He wanted the kids to have fun and at the same time, learn basic skills. Being a teacher, he made T-ball a classroom activity on grass.” William, another of the three Sacharski sons, said he was one of the original 60 T-ball players in Albion. He remembers the summer of 1956 when “everything changed” in terms of how the game of baseball was played when he was a young boy. “The whole game that we played changed,” said William. “As a 7-year-old kid, we actually got to go up to bat and we actually got to hit the ball (instead of getting walked or striking out). You could take a stance and that ball was sitting there on the tee and you could just kind of drive through it. There were no free passes, there were no strikeouts. Every play, something happened. Just like Dave said, after a while, your fundamentals and your skills (improve) because you’re not standing around.” Michael is the oldest of the Sacharski boys and said he was an umpire during the first T-ball game in June of 1956. He thanked everyone who showed up to the event and commended all who helped his father make the sport successful. He told a story about his father after Jerry retired from school teaching when he was in Hawaii that embodied the type of person and coach Jerry was. “I think the second spring he was there, he ambled up to the park that was near our home, because they were staying in our home,” Michael said. “And he ambled up in the park, and in Hawaii they have springtime youth baseball. He was sitting around on a picnic table watching how teams were practicing on the various fields and he did that a few times. Finally, one of the coaches of one of the teams—the players would have been T-ball players here, but they had (the pitcher) throw the ball, they don’t hit it off the tee—the coach said ‘I’ve seen you here, do you know anything about baseball? Would you like to help coach?’ And he said ‘yes, I will do that.’ The name of the team was the Padres, and they were already 0-3 and by the end of the season, they were I think about 12-3 and took the championship. He never told anybody who he was or where he came from. And to this day, the coaches, the players, the parents—have no idea who this guy was.” Janet Domingo and Linda Kolmodin lead the Coca-Cola team and led the effort for the new plaque and statue at the Tee-Ball Garden. The garden is a cooperative venture with the Calhoun County Land Bank and Albion Community Foundation. Money was raised for these art installations and additional landscape improvements through a matching Patronicity campaign through the Michigan Economic Development Corporation, according to a press release that ran in the ad-visor in the June 25 edition. Donated funds were held by an Albion Community Foundation. Other completed projects included the iconic Coca-Cola sign restoration and the new Malleable Mural celebrating Albion’s long foundry history. “This is the completion of our three (main) projects,” said Domingo. “Many years ago, when I was working at the hospital, I made a video about Albion. I named it, ‘Small Town, Big Heart.’ Well, the town’s a bit smaller (now), but it hasn’t changed. As a result of a very successful campaign, we were able to continue with our goal to bring art and history downtown. We’re not quite done yet. We have a couple other small projects in the works. Thanks again to everyone and to everyone who supported us.”
