Friday, 5/28

If for no other reason than the way the weather's been the past two days it’s hard to believe that Memorial Day weekend in here, but it is, and that means three things--

The first is that it’s the beginning of “summer”. As we've been joking, summer seems to be popping in for a day or two and then running away in terror. Hopefully, whatever we're doing to scare it away will stop, and we can enjoy a few days of 80 degree temperatures and NOT have them followed by a 38 degree day (yesterday, I'm looking at YOU!)

Secondly, it means Loraine's parents will be visiting for a few days, and that's always a fun thing, especially we haven't seem them in person for almost two years and we get to show them all the ways in which Marquette has changed since their last visit.

And that's a lot.

Finally, the fact that it’s the Memorial Day weekend means that we’re s’posed to devote a little thought to those people for whom this weekend was designed, the people who paid the ultimate price so we can live the way we live.

Here’s the story of one of them. It's a story I've told a few times before, but I think it's perfect for this weekend.

Buried under a birch tree in Marquette’s Park Cemetery, not far from the Kaufman Mausoleum, lies a young man named Ralph Ellis. Ralph was a native of L’Anse who came to Marquette in the late 1930’s to attend classes at Northern Michigan College of Education (now, of course, NMU). While at Northern, Ralph played on the football team and joined a fraternity, and fell in love with a local girl named Margaret Kepler.

Just before Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in 1941, Ralph was drafted into the U.S. Navy, and became an aircraft test pilot stationed in California. Every chance he could, he came back to Marquette to visit Margaret and her family. They became engaged in late 1942, and in June of 1943, Margaret and her mother took the train out to the West Coast, where Ralph was still test-flying new Navy planes. On July 1^st, 1943, Ralph and Margaret were married, and took off on a week-long honeymoon to Yosemite. After their return, Ralph returned to duty as a test pilot. His first day back, July 9^th, 1943, he was killed when the plane in which he was flying crashed.

He and Margaret had been married 8 days.

Margaret and her mother, who were still in California, had Ralph’s body brought back to Marquette with them, and buried in Park Cemetery. In fact, if you ever find Ralph Ellis’ headstone, you’ll find he’s buried right next to his in-laws, Mr. & Mrs. F.J. Kepler. For her part, Margaret was married—and widowed—twice more before passing away in 2001.

There are many stories like that in cemeteries across Upper Michigan; if you have a few moments this weekend, and it’s actually nice outside, maybe go for a stroll in one of them, and say “thanks” to all those we’re supposed to honor this weekend. I have feeling that's one of the things we'll be doing, as well.

So on that note, have yourself a great 3-day weekend. I'm sure Ralph would want you to.

(jim@wmqt.com)