This continues a series adapted from the book, “A Port Oneida Collection,” Volume 1 of the twopart set, “Oral History, Photographs, and Maps from the Sleeping Bear Region,” produced by Tom Van Zoeren in partnership with Preserve Historic Sleeping Bear. Here we continue with a look at the old Frederick & Margretha Werner Farm, which was at the end of Miller Road: As one who “always just had to get into everything,” Mary Lou remembered a time when her mother was going to make a pie: “Show me how to do that,” she said. After Mary Lou’s pie “came out pretty good,” her unknowing father told his wife, “Kathryn, this is one of the best pies you ever made.” Mary Lou became “the official pie baker from then on.”
Mary Lou was also good at farm work, and was recruited by her dad at an early age. Her sisters worked more with their mother.
“Now when we weren’t in school, we were busy. As soon as school was out, about the 15th of May, my dad would say that the maple leaves were as big as a squirrel’s ear: it’s time to plant corn. I was ‘little brother’ then.
