I Owe Lou a Million Dollars

I was thinking of times past today. I began to think about my brother Dean and his brother-in-law Louis Mikulich. Lou or Louie as we knew him was one of a number of children. Lou lived in Traunik, MI his hometown. The Mikulich family was well known in that area as his mother and father had owned and operated a general store and post office there for many years. Louie came from a talented family. My sister-in-law, Gladys or Miki as we knew her was an athlete of some prominence in high school. Several brothers played tennis in college and old man Mikulich had built an asphalt tennis court at his home for his children to play on.

Lou went to college and had a degree in some field like Botany or Biology. I'm not sure what the degree was in. He never worked in the field. When Mr. & Mrs. Mikulich passed away Lou took over the store and kept the property at Joe's Lake in good shape so family members could return to the U.P. for vacations and family gatherings. Lou eventually became post master and ran the store keeping an eye on the family holdings.

Lou was a gentle man, soft spoken and refined. He was well educated and stay current on the events of the day. He was aware and knew of the issues of the region, the state and the country. Louie smoked a pipe and was one of those people whose appearance a pipe enhanced. Lou loved to laugh and had a good sense of humor, however the image he projected was one of serious contemplation.

Whenever my brother was at Joe's Lake Lou paid a visit nightly to sit and discuss the events of the world, enjoy my brother Dean's company, or many times to go night fishing for bass on Joe's Lake. Joe's Lake was a beautiful body of water. About 2/3 of it was bounded by either state or Cleveland Cliffs land. There were cabins, but not too many. The lake was clean, sandy bottom with some silting as there was no flow through the lake. It harbored huge small mouth bass. Dean and Lou caught many bass and always released them, the fun was in the catching, not the eating.

Lou and Dean had agreed they would keep a bass weighing over 5 1/2 pounds and have it mounted to hang in the log cabin. Back in the depression Mr. Mikulich, senior, had a builder pay off a debt owed to his store by building a log cabin on a piece of property Mr. Mikulich had acquired on Joe's Lake. It was a simple cabin, however it was spectacular. It was made of huge northern pine logs, had a huge field stone fireplace, two very small bedrooms and sat on a hill over looking the lake. It was simply magnificent. This is where my brother spent his summers, and the land Lou watched over with benevolent grace.

I've been to that cabin many times. I stayed the night on occasion. I went night fishing with Lou and Dean and enjoyed the thrill of small mouth bass striking surface lures and startling the hell out of the fishermen. I've enjoyed the company of two intelligent, articulate men who enjoyed each others company as much as anyone could. They played golf in Gladstone many times and ate dinner together often. They loved one another deeply.

One time when I was very young I spent a week in Midland, MI at Dean's home. The weekend I was to return to Munising Lou showed up and offered to drive me back to the U.P. The plan was he would drive me to Traunik, the Mikulich home, and then I would call my Dad and he and mom would drive out to pick me up. My folks had given me some some money to pay my way, but Lou wouldn't hear of it. In fact, he ended up driving into Munising and taking me right to my home. I expressed my appreciation and told him that I owed him a Million Dollars. He chuckled and lit his pipe. He said that one day he would collect and drove back to Traunik.

Lou was a solitary figure much of the time and I could not help but wonder about the quality of his life. Lou seemed to enjoy good conversation, discussion of issues, and seemed to care deeply about the country and the environment. He was alone most of the time for Lou was a bachelor.

Through the years we would enjoy getting together when my brother was up north. We would enjoy a fire in the fireplace in that magnificent cabin and I would listen as Dean and Lou discussed and debated the issues surrounding the times. Over the years I stopped in several times at the store in Traunik to pay my respects and noticed Lou grow older, getting gray and a little stooped. He still smoked his pipe and was so gracious when you would meet. Wanted to know how you were, what you were doing, how the family was, my mother and father. He was an easy man to love.

I would remind him from time to time about the Million Dollars. He had forgotten. When I would retell the story he would chuckle and say that some day he might collect. Lou may have forgotten, but I never have. I will always remember that kind, gentle, pipe smoking man who loved life, loved my brother, and was a very good man. Lou got to know my father and mother-in-law as they were postmasters too. They would see each other at meetings held in various parts of the Upper Peninsula and talk about Alger County. It was through my in=laws that I learned of Lou's passing from cancer.

My brother died from a stroke in 1982, and I lost touch with Lou as the common meeting point no longer existed. However, I was sorry to hear of his passing, and wished I had been more outgoing or concerned and made contact with Lou. He was a very special man.