One of my grandmother’s best friends was a woman she’d met in the campground of our summer town in the Upper Peninsula. They’d been calling their children from the payphone outside the office in the early 1980’s. They bonded over their creative sides – Suzie was an artist and my grandma an avid knitter – and became fast friends. It turned out that each other’s actual homes were quiet close to each other in the northerwestern part of the state, so the friendship became even easier to maintain.
Suzie was an advocate for the arts in our summer town, showcasing her creations at the Market Place – a shop where local artists could sell their crafts – and joined the campaign to preserve the Pickle Barrel – the actual pickle-shaped, summer home of a Chicago cartoonist that had found its way into our town. Through in rough condition, Suzie’s passion kept locals&toursists on the trail to restore&preserve the home.
Suzie never got to see the Pickle Barrel in all its glory, though. Suzie passed away in 2009. An unexpected heart-attack blindsided all of those who loved her. And – when the Pickle Barrel was finally ready to open – a plaque was placed in the garden in her honor.
As years pass, traditions find new generations. My brother’s girlfriend’s daughter was so excited to peek inside the Pickle Barrel. She learned the story of the original creator’s cartoons, went on a little scavenger hunt, and excitedly took in the antique restorations adorning the home. It was fun to tell her about Suzie and show her the plaque.
A beautiful woman with a heart that simply couldn’t be as strong as it was creative will not be forgotten in our tiny, summer town.
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