Don Olree
I have fond memories of growing up on Penn Ave. and being close friends with Marc during our teens and early 20's. Cruising around Veterans Park in downtown GR, drag racing on lower Monroe Ave., Big Boy's Drive-In on Division Ave. just south of 28th Street, running go-carts on the new concrete on I-96 during its construction, siphoning gas late at night from the vehicles behind Meijers on the corner of Michigan and Fuller and other close encounters with the police. A teenage life style of that era depicted in the classic "American Graffiti".
I also remember a camping/fishing trip up into Canada near Wawa, Ontario. We pitched our tent on a sand bar just below a power dam on the Montreal River. We just about were washed away when they opened up the dam to generate electrical power. In addition, when we were ready to go home, Jerry Honk's car would not start. At that time they were still building the road (Kings Hwy 17) around Lake Superior. A construction truck gave us a "jerk" to get the car started. We made it back to St. Ignace before the car finally died again on a hill. We had to pool together our money to get the generator replaced.
I fully understand the pain Susan has after losing the one you loved and lived with for nearly 60 years. I lost my wonderful wife last year after 55 years of marriage. Marc was one of the ushers/groomsmen at our wedding.
Don Olree