By Janet Horricks, a HomeWorks Tri-County Cooperative member
My great-grandmother and great-grandfather, Leatha and Charles Malinowski, lived in Sigma, Michigan, a small abandoned logging town near Kalkaska, in a small cottage across from the old, abandoned Sigma Hotel.
Their cozy home featured a massive stone fireplace that was the heart of the house. Hanging above the mantle was an enormous muskie that weighed over 57 pounds and measured five feet long. This remarkable fish was speared by my great-grandmother while ice fishing on Torch Lake.
I regret that I do not have a photograph of the muskie, but I have a picture of my grandmother with another impressive catch of the day. She was also featured in the local Kalkaska newspaper, highlighting my grandparents’ ice fishing expertise.
My grandparents were true Michigan outdoors enthusiasts who lived off the land. No matter the season, they were outside—fishing and ice fishing on the many local lakes and streams. They made full use of Michigan’s beautiful forests by deer and rabbit hunting, or simply by walking the woods to gather berries for my grandmother’s jams and jellies, mushrooms, and other natural resources they relied on in their daily lives.
Most of my treasured memories are of my great-grandmother, as my great-grandfather passed away when I was young. She was an incredible woman and a true figure of “up north” Michigan history.
To supplement their income, my grandmother sold her jams and jellies, which became favorites throughout both Michigan peninsulas. Her many talents were celebrated at local fairs, where she earned recognition for her jams and jellies, baked goods, and most memorably, her Fairy Forests.
She created mini forests made from fungus that grew on the sides of trees, which she gathered during walks through local woods. These were lined with moss from the forest floor and filled with tiny ceramic animals, miniature trees, and mirrored lakes.
I am incredibly fortunate to carry these people in my memories, and I am deeply proud that they were such a meaningful part of Michigan’s outdoor heritage.
