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Glimpse into the Past at LGHS Meetings

(Left to right) Yvonne Voight and Jane Nelson were interviewed by Larry Nelson at the July 16th Liberty Grove Historical Society meeting. Submitted photo.

Liberty Grove Historical Society (LGHS) members packed Century Farm barn atop the Ellison Bay grade on July 16, to witness Larry Nelson interview 1940s cherry pickers Jane Nelson and Yvonne Voight, who came ready to demonstrate with their pickers’ pails.

At the meeting told stories from their days picking cherries. When asked to give an introduction to cherry picking in the 1940s, Yvonne said, “At that time, there were no migrant workers picking cherries in northern Door County – except from Upper Michigan. And I was one of them – there were about six of us. We were ferried down from the UP on a fishing boat.”

Jane added, “Girls stayed in my grandpa’s garage, which had a small hotplate, and the boys on his porch. I’m not sure if they ate together, but if they did that was all they did together. Grandma and grandpa were strict!”

The interview with Yvonne and Jane was not recorded for posterity. This is all the more reason for Northern Door residents (both seasonal and year-round) to become members. To join, call Linda Wilkinson at 920.421.2640. The Aug. 17 LGHS membership meeting will feature historian Karen Board. The meeting will be held at 7 pm in the barn at the top of Ellison Bay hill.