Clinton County Historical Society Archives Audio Interviews

A-F G-P Q-Z

Person/Topic	Audio	Description	Transcript	No.
James QUICK	Length 00:02:15	James tells stories from his time in the army. This is from the Lowe Veterans' Appreciation video from November 11, 2020.	Transcript	#Lowe9
Railroads	Length 00:30:19	A partial tape of the January 17, 1980, CCHS presentation on railroad history with Alden Eugene Livingston, Robert P. Walling, Ford Stevens Ceasar, and David Lehman.	Transcript	#35
Mary & Harold RAPPUHN	Length 01:10:07	Harold and Mary were born in Tuscola County and moved to Clinton County after Harold graduated from Michigan State University. Harold tells of his time in the Air Force during the Korean War and attending Michigan State University living in the barracks on campus with his wife and four children. Mary talks about her many museum quality art creations. They had recently moved from their farm home of 54 years on Airport Road in Bingham Township to St. Johns.	Transcript	#109
Alta REED	Length 00:24:22	Alta gives her family history, and information about Valley Farms, their gas station, her political offices, and roads in DeWitt Township.	Transcript	#9
J. D. & Erma ROBINSON	Length 01:12:45	J. D. was a St. Johns postmaster and Erma the Eureka postmaster They give a history of their families and talk about the post offices and history of Eureka.	Transcript	#8
Allen ROULSON	Length 00:04:00	Allen tells of his time serving in the US Navy from 1966 to 1989. From the Lowe Veterans' Apprecation video from November 11, 2020.	Transcript	#Lowe6
Thelma RUEHLE	Length 01:00:39	Thelma tells about growing up in Sault Ste. Marie and teaching in Wisconsin and Sault Sainte Marie, Michigan. She traveled around the world and experienced living in the Soo during World War II. After the war she married and moved with her husband to Elsie where she taught at Elsie High School. She talks about several senior trips she went on with Elsie students.	Transcript	#16
Margaret & Karl SCHAEFER	Length 00:51:21	Margaret and Karl tell of their time both as youth and later leaders in the Clinton County 4-H Club.	Transcript	#107
Jan SEPERIC	Length 00:29:06	Jan tells of operating an antique business, her father who was a writer, the start of the Clinton County Historical Society, chairing the St. Johns Bicentennial committee, the Banner Grange, and the South Riley store.	Transcript	#134
Amy SMITH	Length 01:00:39	Amy (Birmingham) Smith gives her family history and tells of growing up in the Shepardsville-Ovid area.	Transcript	#30
Harold SMITH	Length 00:44:39	Harold talks of working for American Express Company and the types of items they shipped from Ovid.	Transcript	#23
Sam SOPOCY	Length 00:06:06	Sam talks about his service in the army during the Vietnam War. This is from the Lowe Veterans' Appreciation video from November 11, 2020.	Transcript	#Lowe17
Doris SWATMAN & Lexa O'BRIEN	Length 00:57:15	Doris, with the assistance of her daughter Lexa, tells of growing up in St. Johns in the 1920's and 30's. Her husband owned the Standard gas station in St. Johns for many years before becoming a car salesman.	Transcript	#104
Stagecoaches	Length 00:46:09		Transcript	#38
Donna STEPHENS	Length 00:44:57	Donna tells of being the first woman correctional officer in the state of Michigan at the Jackson state prison. Also present was Joyce Blakeslee who talks briefly about her mother who was the first Mint Festival queen.	Transcript	#133
Dean SWEET & Sue HAGERMAN	Length 01:01:12	Dean and Sue talk about their family members that survived the Bath School Disaster. They also talk of their work with the Bath School Museum and tell stories of growing up in Bath.	Transcript	#117
Frank TODOSCIUK	Length 01:09:33	Frank talks about Eureka, his early life, military service, coming to Clinton County, starting and owning Research Tool Corporation in Ovid, and his travels around the world.	Transcript	#129
Carmen TRANCHELL	Length 00:50:40	Carmen gives her family history and tells of farm life, early St. Johns, riding the interurban, Perrin House, teaching at Parker & Rheubottom schools, attending Lansing Business University, working for the State, and helping establish Hazel Findlay Manor.	Transcript	#3
Art WAINWRIGHT	Length 01:28:31	Art tells of his career in radio and TV at WHGR (Houghton Lake), WRBJ (St. Johns), WILS (Lansing), WILX-TV (Channel 10 Lansing), and various other Michigan stations. His career began as a disc jockey and progressed to news, investigative reporting, and finally human interest Route 10 features. He also tells of how he helped start the Shepardsville yearly celebration of the first professional football game beginning in 1995.	Transcript	#108
Art WAINWRIGHT	Length 00:53:54	Art tells of his career in radio and TV at WHGR (Houghton Lake), WRBJ (St. Johns), WILS (Lansing), WILX-TV (Channel 10 Lansing) at a meeting of the CCHS held on September 15, 2022. This presentation focused on news and feature stories he covered as a reporter. (Pictured with his wife. Introduction by Gayla Phillips.) Slides from the presentation. Buford Video		#122
Brad WARD	Length 00:45:29	Brad gives a history of this house which dates to the 1840's and recalls the stores that used to operate in downtown DeWitt. He also talks about his time on the DeWitt Area Fire Department and playing drums for the Bent Scepters band. Horace Marshall Barn Historical Marker	Transcript	#126
Evelyn WEILAND	Length 01:15:53	Evelyn tells of growing up on a farm just west of the village in the 1930's. She also gives information on the families that founded Westphalia, Westphalia history, writing Of Pilgrimage, Prayer, and Promise: A story of St. Mary's Westphalia 1836-1986, and starting the Westphalia History Museum.	Transcript	#130
Bonnie WICKERHAM	Length 00:38:47	Bonnie talks about growing up in Riley Township, moving to St. Johns, and then back to Riley Township. She was a long time Registar of Deeds for Clinton County.	Transcript	#112
Ida WILLISTON & Frank BISHOP	Length 01:01:46	These interviews took place in 1988 during a museum exhibit on the Clinton County Normal School. Ida (Davis) Williston graduated from Clinton County Normal in 1924 and taught at the Boak and Rochester Colony schools. Frank Bishop graduated in 1931 and taught at the Cramer and Marshall schools. They talk of attending Clinton County Normal and teaching in county one-room schools.	Transcript	#37
Orrin & Luvina WILSON	Length 00:02:54 Video Link	U. S. Representative Elissa Slotkin reads a tribute to Orrin and Luvina Wilson for Black History month. Orrin was an early St. Johns barber and Civil War veteran. He and his wife were active members of the First Methodist Church and the GAR and Women's Relief Corp.	Transcript	#132
Joseph WING	Length 00:00:23	The narrator tells of Joseph's service in the US Army from 1955-1957. From the Lowe Veterans' Apprecation video from November 11, 2020.	Transcript	#Lowe2
WOLCOTT Reunion	Length 00:06:19	A very poor quality recording from the Wolcott reunion. Much of the tape is unintelligible and therefore we have made no attempt to create a transcript.		#33
Wayne & Dianna WOODBURY	Length 0054:03	Wayne and Dianna tell the history of the Woodbury Flower Shop in St. Johns. Other topics include Wayne's time with the MSU marching band and his mother's polio.	Transcript	#131
WWI Veterans SIDE A	Length 01:00:59	A recording of a program of the Clinton County Historical Society. Wallace F Watt introduces William F. Peckham on the mandolin while all sing several World War I songs. Jeanne Temple introduces and interviews the following veterans: Joseph H. Hayner, Glenn E. McNeil, and Elmer B. Swagart.		#36A
WWI Veterans SIDE B	Length 00:37:32	Interviews continue of: Elmer B. Swagart, H. A. " Pete" Peterson, Austin Woodward, William Rice, Florence (Acre) Ewer, and Wallace F. Watt.		#36B
Gerri WYBLE & Sharon WORRALL	Length 0101:30	Gerri Wykble and Sharon Worrall tell of the history of the Clinton County Historical Society Museum. Sharon also talks about Essex Township schools and her family's history in the Township. Gerri discussed her bird carving and quilting hobbies.		#136
Don ZIMMERMAN	Length 00:07:36	Don tells of serving for over 20 years as an Air Force chaplain. From the Lowe Veterans' Apprecation video from November 11, 2020.	Transcript	#Lowe7

If you have photos to complete our interviewees, please send them to the CCHS Archives,
P.O. Box 174, St. Johns, MI or email to: [email protected]