My Dad: Clarence Leo Lemire
This is the story of my Dad. Clarence Leo Lemire. I decided to write this, when I found out one of his Granddaughters told me, she only met him twice, and she said hardly any of her siblings knew him at all. So in order for them to know him, and who he was, I shall dig into my memories and my brothers, and others who have known him while I was growing up. In hopes that you will know him better. I am his first born son in his second family, I am Clarence Leo Lemire Jr. Because they didn't want me stuck with the name Junior, they nicknamed me Bud. Seems many in our family had a nickname.
My Dad was Clarence Leo Lemire, born December 21, 1907 in Marquette, Michigan. He was the son of Camille Lemire and Delia Pinard. Camille was born in Quebec, Delia was born in Champion, Marquette, Michigan. They married July 3, 1893 in Marquette, Michigan.
1943 they celebrated their 50th Wedding Anniversary
Lucille Lawry Connors, and Edward Connors. Front row from left to right is:
Aurora Lemire Lawry, Camille Lemire, Delia Pinard Lemire, & Jack Lawry
Delia and Camille passed away in 1949. Delia passed and a week later, Camille passed.
My Dad's siblings were Aurora, who married John “Jack” Lawry; Camille “Mun” who married Stella Giguere; Mabel who married to Alfred Bureau; Olive married William Antilla; Dad first married Mary Josephine Houle, and then married my Mom years later. My Mom was Mary Lucille Joint (Mom had been married first to a Vernon Sivertsen, and had several children). The youngest of my Dad's siblings was Arthur, and he married Irene Bolduc. Arthur ran a Bakery in Marquette for many years.
left to right sitting Clarence, Mabel, Arthur, and Olive
Dad married Mary Josephine “MaryJo” Houle on 30 September 1930 in Marquette, Michigan. They had two daughters, Dorothy “Dottie” and Nancy.
Dottie was married twice. She married Robert Quinn first and had several children. In later years she married John “Jake” Brady. Nancy married Richard “Inky” Ellis. I always got the impression he didn't like that nickname, and not sure how he got it. I'm sure there must be a story behind it.
Dad married Mary Lucille Joint on 17 of December 1959.
Just over a month before I was born on January 21, 1960.
It was in the early 70's that I got to meet them for the first time at our home. Dottie & Nancy came by together, and got their picture taken with Dad on the side of the house by the front porch.
Sometime later in the years, Nancy had moved to Florida, and Dottie had met and married Jake. They would stop by every time they came our way. It was always nice to see them, and it was always enjoyable talking with them. In the 80's when I got a camera from my brother Terry, I would take pictures of them each time they stopped in.
Now Dad always thought he was born December 21, 1906, and Mom was just following what he told her for years. I also saw a form from the Marquette City Clerk that said 1906. But the records I saw and looked at said 1907, and the Lemire Family Bible was listed by Delia, his Mother, that he was born December 21, 1907. I believe that was at the time of birth.
I remember someone telling me an early story of Dad. When they were gathering for some Holiday, Grandpa Lemire and his family. Uncle Camille, Dad's brother whom they called “Mun” had a car. The family would be visiting and talking, and then one would say, “where is Clarence?” No sooner had they said that, then they would see Uncle Mun's car drive away. Dad had taken off with it. Mun had worked on the Railroad, just like his Dad did. I remember one year going to Marquette with Dad and seeing Uncle Mun sitting in his house wearing a railroad cap.
On one of the many trips with Dad to Marquette, he would point to an old barn and say he use to go dancing there. I recall once, I didn't see it anymore. It reminded me that nothing lasts forever.
Dad helped build this store that was at the beginning of Mangum Road. Years later, Dottie & Jake lived down that road.
In the early days of going to Marquette to visit relatives, Mom would go with Dad, and sometimes John and I would go along. In later years, John and I took turns going to Marquette with Dad. Dad would always stop and see Mabel at her house on Fisher Street.
When Mabel moved to Accocks Assisted Living or Nursing Home, Dad went to see her there.
On one such occasion, I went with him.
One time on March 13, 1982 we had a big gathering there (Accocks) to celebrate Mabel's Birthday. Here are some of the pictures from that.
Dad & his brother Art Lemire
Jake, Dad, & Dottie
Irene (Art's wife), & my Mom, Lucille Lemire
Liz, and Big Sister (Mabel's kids) & Mabel
Suzie Lawry and not sure who the other is
The times when I went with Dad to Marquette. After Mabel passed away, he would visit with Liz at the house, and I would go down the street and check out the used book stores. Years later I got into some old Pulp Heroes like The Shadow, Doc Savage, and The Avenger. They had been reprinting the old pulp magazines from the 30's and 40's into paperbacks and for me, I really enjoyed them. I found out that Dad use to read some of them when he was younger. So this time, he would sit at the kitchen table reading these books that I enjoyed as well. Once when he was in the Hospital, he would ask if I had any books he could read. I'd bring him up some more Doc Savage books. He also enjoyed Westerns such as Louis L'Amour.
Mom told me that Dad caught on and was singing a catchy song called “One Horned One Eyed Flying Purple People Eater.” When Dad danced, he danced with one had on his backside.
Back when I was just a very young kid, and maybe even before I was born, Dad worked in the Trainyards here. It was called that, due to all the trains (these days, they work on boats). Dad worked on a crane. He said one time he was knocked out and woke up in North Dakota and he forgot who he was. Luckily for him, someone knew him there. And of course his memory did come back. Thank goodness for that.
Dad also worked as a bus driver for the school kids here in Escanaba. I believe it was Holy Name school, but not positive. He was also very good at picking me up after school when I went to the Senior High.
Still in my childhood. To get a better understanding of how things were at home, I have to share some things that aren't the best. Back in the days, people use to drink a lot. Hard to believe at one time there was a bar on every block. Dad use to drink, and Christmas time was the worst. He would get so rowdy, and come up yelling at my Mom. I was so happy one time that my brother Clyde (from Mom's first family) was home for Christmas, because he stood in front of my Mom and told me Dad to back off.
As Dad got older, Doctors kept warning him to stay off the alcohol. He would always end up in the Hospital. I recall one time, I thought he had given it up, and I found him in the garage drinking something he said was cooking sherry. Having been through his alcoholic rages growing up, I did something I never thought I could. I took the bottle from my Dad, and poured it out. He just looked and didn't say a word. I said “Alcohol has done enough to this family.” He knew I was right. Without the alcohol, my Dad was a very nice man, and I loved him. I knew alcohol was the problem and he was caught up in it. We would find him drinking down in the basement by himself. His favorite place to go to be alone.
Dad didn't talk much, but when he did, I valued that closeness we had. Especially during the times when he wasn't drinking.
Dad loved fishing and would often have his fishing pole with him when he went on trips to Marquette. He & Mom loved fishing on the Island just past our beach house. Back then it was all sand, and I would go along and pick wild peas on the shore side while they fished. They also liked to fish by the Water Plant.
Dad also had a scanner by his place at the kitchen table, where he sat all the time. He would listen to it and see what news he could pick up that was going on.
Now Dad married my Mom and she had several children. Clyde, Dick, Terry, Nancy, Jay, Jim, & Cheryl. Clyde joined the Navy, & Dick and Terry joined the Army in the 60's. Nancy went off and got married in the early 70's. As soon as each kid turned of age, they were told to get a job and move out. Or join the service. When it was down to Me and John, the same thing didn't apply. The other kids all sort of hated that we got special treatment. I am sure they held a grudge for many years. They thought we had it easy. Maybe there were easy times, but as time went on, there were some hard times.
I remember once when he came home from the Hospital having to use crutches. Mom and I were in the other room, and he was in his bedroom taking a nap. We heard is voice calling for us. He was standing in the doorway to the bedroom. He had forgotten to use his crutches.
One day in 1985 John came in to the kitchen to find Dad on the floor. He thought he was dead. He wasn't, but we later found out he had broken his hip. From that point on, he was in wheel chair.
From that point on, Mom, John, & I took care of him. We would take turns getting him up and bringing him to bed. We would take him for rides outside in the summer. Once I even took him down to the park.
We gave him a bell to ring if he needed anything. In years to come we dreaded hearing the bell, but we did it for his benefit. I recall after he passed, and I took care of Mom, we gave her the bell. She knew what it meant and knew it would work, yet hesitated, because she knew we didn't always like to hear it. But we gave it to Dad and her, for a reason, so we'd hear it and know they needed something. We did the right thing.
Our dog Barney (he's in the picture with Nancy and Dad, earlier in the story), was chasing a truck in 1976 and got in front of it and the truck ran him over. Dad loved Barney and couldn't handle it. My sister Nancy from my Mom's family had to take care of Barney. We vowed never to get another dog after that, but in 1989, we got a little Terrier mixed dog named Toby. This was about the time after Dad had broken his hip, and Toby was still a pup. We had taken care of a friend's dog many times, so Dad asked if we were taking care of it. Little did we know, Toby would be with us until 1998. The best friend ever.
It was about this time Dad went to the Hospital. Mom & I went to see him, and they had given him too much Morphine for pain. His eyes looked like an Eagle's eye. I was so scared for him. I thought for sure this was the last time we would see him. I recall coming home and crying in the living room, and Toby jumped in my lap and kissed my face.
Dad lived and later they moved him to the Pinecrest Nursing Home in Powers. My other sister Nancy would drive Mom & I up there to see him. He seemed to be doing okay, although he had lots of pain.
He passed away on March 9, 1990 at Pinecrest. My other sister Nancy called to give me the news. Dottie told us, they were up to see him the day before and said he seemed to be in a lot of pain and not doing good.
The Funeral brought many relatives from Marquette. Some I have never met before, and some I knew very well. Got to meet Camille “Skip” Lemire and his brother George, whom I never met before. Dottie & Jake were there. I was worried that because Dad had passed, they wouldn't be stopping to see us anymore. They reassured me, anytime they got down to Escanaba, they would stop and visit, and they did.
They came by several times
In 1992
In 1998
In 1999
In 2004 John & took a trip to visit Dottie & Jake.
On October 25, 2016 was our last visit to see Dottie & Jake
Dad had many visitors over the years. This next part will be the visiting relatives Photo Gallery.
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