Person:Milton Marentette (2)

I do not know where Marguerite BEDARD/BADOUR died. It may have been Milton that told me there was an E in BADOUR ...or my grandmother, Doris.

They didn't tell me much and Grampa was never one for names...he could remember the house number of almost anybody...but not their monikers. Most of their family pictures, clippings, whatever, burned up in their house. He said he remembered throwing stuff on the bed and the mattress caught on fire.

I wish I knew more personal type stuff about my family...we didn't see much of them when I was growing up. I moved up here in 1977 and for 8 years lived just a mile from my Grandpa. Probably saw him 8 times...which was the way he liked it. Except for when he socialized at the bar...he generally preferred to be left alone. He and my gramma came to my house just once for dinner shortly before she died. I didn't even know at that time that she had cancer. My favorite brother is still rankled over that visit. He used to do a lot for Grampa, cut wood for him, take him for rides, fix his tractor, etc and Grampa never once came to his house or to one of my brother's children's special occasions. Our grampa was a strange man. A little dark wizened guy who reminded me of Jacques Cousteau in appearance. He was known at the local bars as "Frenchy". He was feisty and hard-working and tight with his money but times were always hard for him.

Milton Abel MARENTETTE died at Tendercare Nursing Home, Garfield Twp, Grand Traverse County, MI and buried Grand Traverse Memorial Gardens, Traverse City, MI

He worked for many years with Road Construction crews....which was probably the Somerville Construction Company mentioned in a newspaper announcement in the Traverse City Record Eagle (30 May 1980 p32) about them celebrating their 50th Anniversary on 26 Apr at St. Mary's in Hannah, MI. This news item says they were married at Detroit by Father Joseph STAPLETON.

Milton worked on the Mackinac Bridge when it was being built. Apparently their farmhouse in Mesick burned down not too long after they moved into it, as they relocated to Buckley (both in Wexford county, MI) in 1954 where they lived from then on...but in 3 different homes. The first place they lived in Buckley is now the site of "The Old Engine Show"...which draws crowds one weekend every August. The last place they lived used to belong to Milton's in-laws...and now the "Marlboro Man" (of cigarette commercial fame) & his wife live there.

Pearl lived in Troy, Oakland county, MI at time of death. For many years her brother, Milton, would not speak to her because he was angry with her husband over something that happened during some stupid drinking competition between them. Finally, in his old age, Milton's grandson Mark Christopher Marentette drove him downstate to visit his sister. They knocked on the door when they got there and walked all around the house which looked rather unkept...looking in the windows when nobody answered. After awhile a neighbor came over to see what they were doing and who they were. Apparently Pearl had died a few years before. Milton waited too long to speak to his sister.