art
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🌲 Big dreams are sprouting in the woods of western Michigan 🌲
By Michelle Allen 💚 I’m building something rooted in love, legacy, and nature—The Willow Lodge, a rustic retreat where guests can unplug, reconnect, and feel at home among the trees. With heart, hope, and family hands, this dream is finally taking shape. I’ve launched a GoFundMe campaign to help bring it to life, and every Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry (Allen)🪶Sacred Names, Silent Strength: Tracing Our Anishinaabe Path
Every family holds a story—woven through generations, shaped by resilience, migration, and quiet devotion. Mine begins with whispered names and faded photographs, with memories passed down like heirlooms. This blog is where I begin to trace those voices and preserve the legacy they left behind. From the Kieslichs of Prussia to the Newberrys of Michigan,… Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry (Allen)
Every family holds a story—woven through generations, shaped by resilience, migration, and quiet devotion. Mine begins with whispered names and faded photographs, with memories passed down like heirlooms. This blog is where I begin to trace those voices and preserve the legacy they left behind. From the Kieslichs of Prussia to the Newberrys of Michigan,… Continue reading
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✨ Hesperia Spotlight ✨🎨 Reclaimed Beauty: The Story Behind the Mural
By Michelle Allen In Hesperia, Michigan—a town stitched together by generations of legacy, labor, and love—educator and artist Monica Smith Grimard has spent her life using creativity to spark connection and change. Her work, most visibly reflected in the Reclaimed Beauty mural, is not simply artistic—it’s ancestral, activist, and deeply communal. Monica’s journey weaves together Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry (Newberry/LaFleur)
Every family holds a story—woven through generations, shaped by resilience, migration, and quiet devotion. Mine begins with whispered names and faded photographs, with memories passed down like heirlooms. This blog is where I begin to trace those voices and preserve the legacy they left behind. From the Kieslichs of Prussia to the Newberrys of Michigan,… Continue reading
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🌲 Help Launch The Willow Lodge – A Rustic Retreat Rooted in Story & Nature 🌲
Organizer: Michelle Allen, Founder of Whispering Willow Funding Goal: $12,500 Location: Newfield Township, Michigan 💚 The Vision Imagine a quiet cabin tucked into 20 wooded acres in western Michigan—a place where hunters, anglers, hikers, and weary travelers reconnect with the land, with their stories, and with themselves. The Willow Lodge is more than lodging. It’s Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry (Newberry/LaFleur)
Every family holds a story—woven through generations, shaped by resilience, migration, and quiet devotion. Mine begins with whispered names and faded photographs, with memories passed down like heirlooms. This blog is where I begin to trace those voices and preserve the legacy they left behind. From the Kieslichs of Prussia to the Newberrys of Michigan,… Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry (Birr/Engel/Kieslich) A Woman of Firsts: Discovering Bertha Duppler Baur in My Family Tree
By Michelle Allen Michelle Allen is a community storyteller dedicated to preserving the history and charm of Hesperia. Follow along at www.echoesofthewillow.com for more inspiring local stories. Some ancestors leave behind recipes and heirlooms. Others leave behind revolutions. I recently uncovered a remarkable connection to Bertha Duppler Baur (1874–1967)—a pioneering businesswoman, suffragist, philanthropist, and Republican Continue reading
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Echoes of the Past: The Story of My Ancestry🎨Painted into History: My Grandfather and the Mighty Mac (Birr)
By Michelle Allen Michelle Allen is a community storyteller dedicated to preserving the history and charm of Hesperia. Follow along at www.echoesofthewillow.com for more inspiring local stories. Some legacies are written in ink. Others—in rivets, steel, and the sweep of a paintbrush across a five-mile span of sky. The Mackinac Bridge, affectionately known as the Continue reading
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✨ Spotlight on Small Women-Owned Businesses: Renae Wallace of Two Inspired Hands ✨
Inspired Hands, Community Canvas By Michelle Allen Michelle Allen is a community storyteller dedicated to preserving the history and charm of Hesperia. Follow along at www.echoesofthewillow.com for more inspiring local stories. Nestled in the heart of Fremont, Renae Wallace has been quietly enriching Hesperia’s creative spirit—one thoughtful brushstroke at a time. As the hands and Continue reading
