People named Herschel Leazier

Herschel Wayne Leazier was my grandfather.Him and he wife,Olive Ruth Leazier(Willis from Neebish Island, Michigan) took me in at the young age of 18 months. They had just begun to live their life when my father, Clyde Duane Leazier and my mother Theresa Ann Leazier got divorced. My grandma came to Detour Village, Michigan and brought me home to Hulbert at my dad's request so he knew I was safe and taken care of. Anyway why I said all that is because when grandpa came home from work that weekend he was not happy to say the least. He said to grandma, we just nicely got rid of our kids and now you go and bring Duane home. Anyway grandpa worked hard to support his family by working for the operating engineers local 324.he was a heavy equipment operator and grandma said he never missed a days work in 37 years. He worked on the Soo Lock Job at Sault Ste Marie Michigan when they built the McArthur Lock for the 1000 footers. Then he went down to DeTour Village, Michigan where they dredged the mouth of the St Mary's River for the 1000 footers because they drafted more water. The engineers hauled a rock up off the river bed with cranes that was big as a 3 story house. Now the problem they faced was getting it off the barge.Herschel suggested taking it out into deeper water and pushing it off with a MICHIGAN LOADER that he ran on the job.well the higher upside gave it some thought and said that's a great idea. So they put grandpa and his Michigan Loader on the barge with the rock and tugboats pull him out into Lake Huron near the DeTour Lighthouse was and still is today.they then dumped gallons apon gallons of oil on the deck of the barge.sure enough the rock started sliding and fell into Lake Huron. Now Herschel had another delima. When the rock fell off the barge it almost stood the barge on end then slammed back down causing the barge to rock back and forth and Herschel almost went into the lake to.he said he was in forward, reverse,forward, reverse trying to keep the front end loader from sliding off the barge. He got control of the situation and the tugboats pulled him back to shore at DeTour Village. The rock is still there today and if anyone has ever wondered how that huge rock got there,now you know. Then he was onto Ludington, Michigan where he worked on a power plant job. Then he went back up west to work at Crystal Falls,Michigan. That is where I had my first memory of grandpa working. He said grandma and I came up to visit him one weekend and when it was time for us to go home I cried because I didn't want to leave grandpa. He said I wouldn't say goodbye because I didn't think he was going to come back home. Then he went over to Ishpeming, Michigan where he worked on the tildon mine job til he retired in 1980. Herschel also hunted and trapped to support the family. He told me that the largest beaver he ever trapped he stretched the fur 72 inches.That was the biggest beaver he ever trapped and as far as I know is the largest beaver ever taken off Hulbert/Mud Lake. He also loved small game and deer hunting which I am very proud to say he taught me along with how to skin and process deer,fish and small game and how to shoot a shotgun and rifle.also he taught me how to sharpen my own knives and how to run a chain saw and file and maintain my saws.he taught me how to cut and pile firewood for the winter and survive.He gave me the work ethic I have today Everything my grandfather taught me in order to survive is now oconsidered child endangerment or abuse.He dissapplind me with a belt and believe me I thanked him for being my grandpa,my dad and best friend all in one. Both him and my grandma raised me and taught me right from wrong and to treat people with respect and do onto others as you would want to do onto you. And last words he spoke to me the day he died were, boy you take care of grandma and make sure you get the wood in the basement.

Herschel W Leazier was born on April 20, 1911, and died at age 80 years old on October 1, 1991. Family, friend, or fan, this family history biography is for you to remember Herschel W Leazier.