While many here in Omena enjoyed seeing the partial eclipse, a number of Omena-ites were able to be in places where they could witness the total eclipse. Crowds gathered all around Indianapolis, and Shapiro’s Delicatessen was one of those spots. Sally Shapiro reported that many hotels in Indy had several day minimum stays, so the deli was busy all weekend, through Monday. Quite a few people made Shapiro’s parking lot their spot for eclipse-watching. Brian and Sally and all of their staff took turns going outside to watch the eclipse. Sally put eclipse glasses on her camera and got some good pictures.
Kim and Dennis Armbruster visited Kanda and Harold McKee in Powell, Ohio, which is outside of Columbus, and which was in the totality path. They said it was an awesome experience. They got to see the diamond ring effect.
Not too far to the southeast of Powell, Bill and Paula McMenamy experienced about a 90 % eclipse. They said it got dark enough that the street lights came on and the temperature dropped about 10 degrees. Further north in Ohio, Rob Oberndorf and his father, Ed, watched it together in Cleveland, and said that it was spectacular.
While it seemed like the skies over most of the path miraculously cleared for the eclipse, Helen Putnam Bradley reported that she got to experience the eclipse under heavy cloud cover in San Antonio. She said she was still surprised by how dark it got. Stories are still rolling in, so we may have more eclipse-watching news next week.
Omena residents, and many in Northport and Suttons Bay, as well, are mourning the death of Annette Deibel this past Saturday. Annette celebrated her 99th birthday in February, and her Zoom “party” with friends from around the county and the country was pictured in this column in the Enterprise that week.
Annette was truly a role model, and a friend, for so many in this area. Her interests were wideranging, and she fit in with all ages. She kept active – physically, mentally, and socially. She did stretches every morning, and went to yoga classes until fairly recently. She went to aqua-aerobics and took Zumba classes into her early 90s. She kept up to date on current events, locally and worldwide, and cared deeply about many environmental and social issues.
She was a great reader of a wide range of books. She was a member of the Omena Wine and Literary Society book club, and was always an active part of the discussions. When her eyesight started to fail, she found the National Library Service audiobooks. She and her late husband Gil were patrons of the arts locally. She was thrilled when the State Theater in Traverse City began carrying the Metropolitan Opera performances and was part of a group that attended regularly. She was truly a Renaissance woman.
While she had retired from formal committees and boards, she had a long history of involvement both in Leelanau County and in Saginaw, and continued to support many local organizations here that were important to her, including Share Care, Inland Seas, the Leelanau Township Community Foundation, the Leelanau Conservancy, and the Northport Performing Arts Center.
Most memorable about Annette, though, was how special a friend she was to so many. She always had a smile for you and was interested in what you had to say and how you were doing. She was always upbeat, and loved whatever was going on. She made everything she did even more fun for everyone. She was also able to encourage and cheer those who were going through some down times.
Not only was she a friend to many in the area, she was related to many, as well. Her Omena ancestry goes back to the early days. Her great grandfather, John Anderson, was probably the first businessman in Omena, running a mercantile business in the 1860’s across from what is now Omena Beach. His son, Andrew, who was Annette’s grandfather, chose to broaden his experience by working for W. S. Johnson in Suttons Bay. There he met Maret Bahle, whom in married in 1883, thereby linking Annette to the Bahle family of Suttons Bay, as well as to the many Anderson descendants in Northport and Omena. Her niece, Susan Anderson is currently an Omena resident.
Annette cherished her family, and Omena friends loved keeping up with the news of her grandchildren and great grandchildren. Our sympathies go to her three daughters, Andrea, Roxanne, and Laura, and to their families, and to Sue Anderson and Gina Harder, who became so important to “Auntie” when they moved here a number of years ago. Annette will be an irreplaceable part of so many lives in this community. She was truly a special person.
Hallstedt Homestead Cherries has adopted the stretch of M-22 that includes Omena as part of the State’s Adopt-A-Highway program. The next clean-up is scheduled for this Tuesday at 4 p.m., and should take about an hour. They are looking for volunteers to join them at the Omena Historical Society museum in downtown Omena at 4 p.m. You can let Phil Hallstedt know if you are interested in volunteering at [email protected], or feel free to just show up. The clean-up will occur rain or shine.
Happy Birthday to Hazel Jane Heiser, granddaughter of Scott and Cathy Heiser, who turned two last week. Her last name was incorrect in last week’s column. I will talk to my data entry staff about that blunder. Scott and Cathy went to New York for the weekend to help celebrate, and had a wonderful time.
Happy Birthday this week to Tom Van Pelt, Heather Maier, Becky Warner, Julie Fletcher Golding, Cheryl Huffman, Teddy Buzby, and to Ella Pearson, who celebrates her first teenage birthday this year.
