Eugene Richard Sweeney: 7-7-1893 - 12-31-1969

July 21, 2003:

He was described as a quiet person who ate venison regularly. He used to own a dance hall, which is now a grain storage place. People brought their own liquor. Apparently John Dillinger's Lieutenant named Hamilton used to come to the hall. People would stay away from him. Hamilton was later found in a gravel pit near Chicago with over 100 bullet holes in him.

He and his wife had German WWII POW's working on their farm. They owned quite a bit of land at one time and almost lost it during the depression.

If he wanted a particular item such as a new wood stove he would become a dealer in that merchandise to receive the stove either discounted or for free.

His father John came over from Ireland. John was 16 when he bought his farm.

He was known for his generosity in helping other people out. He owned a Case and Massey Ferguson Tractor dealership in Pickford. The dealership is still there.

Interview with Eugene David Sweeney 7-21-2003

His grandmother Ada was a religious Catholic convert. She had a strong will and made most of the family decisions.

She went to her priest in Barbeau and decided the church needed new carpet. She told the priest he was going to buy new carpet, she picked out the style and color and told him that is what he was ordering. She then gave him the money for the carpet.

She cooked everything in a pressure cooker.

German POW's working on her farm feared her, but enjoyed her cooking.

(editor's note) The only thing I remember about her was that she had two black felt throw pillows with the Mackinac Bridge sewn on them. I also remembering going to her funeral.

She was driving her vehicle with her daughter Mary Ethel and went off the road. She jerked the vehicle back across the road and then lost control and rolled over. Mary Ethel was ejected and the vehicle rolled over her killing her.

He recalls that when he was in infantry school in the military his grandmother showed up at his Army base and demanded to see him. When the soldier advised her that he was out in the "field" training and would not be able to come see him, she not only re-demanded that she see him, but also would see the soldier's supervisor! The soldier told his superior what had transpired. When he looked at the grandmother he told the soldier to get Eugene out of the field and that he would not see her. Eugene was able to spend a few hours visiting his grandmother. They went to the px.

July 21, 2003:

The night her older brother Russell died, she was asleep in her bed and was woken up by her brother Russell sitting at the end of her bed. She had a short conversation with her brother and then he told her she should be getting back to sleep. Her brother was in fact down state at that time in a hospital and probably had died prior to Mary Eleanor seeing him at the foot of her bed. When she woke up the next day it was then she learned of his death.

We surely never became sick from meat being under cooked by Mom - everything was well done. We ate a lot of venison. Her cookies were also very well done as when the timer went off she simply turned off the oven and left the cookies in to cook a little longer.

Interview with Eugene David Sweeney, 7-21-2003

Papa came over from Ireland when he was 7 or 8. He talked about his father teaching school. He worked in the woods and had his own horse team. He was paid $2/day because he had his own team. Other workers were only making $1/day. He dragged logs with his team.

Prior to retiring he worked as a caretaker at a cemetery to earn his social security credits. He drew $45/mo benefits, which he was mighty proud of.

When he was young he bought a model A or T and had to have someone stand on the running boards to teach him how to drive it. His wife and kids were on the fence watching him drive his new car home. According to his daughter Eleanor, (author's Grandmother) he was heard yelling "Whoa, Whoa!) while trying to stop the car. He then drove right through the fence!

His education only went through the 3rd or 4th grade. When his daughter Eleanor and her husband Aaron would go visit him they would get word to them ahead of time so they could meet them where the road ended and take them the rest of the way by horse and carriage.

He lived with his daughter Eleanor for 15 years. He slept with Eugene (author's father) until he left the house and then the youngest Sweeney boy, Robert. Eugene stated Papa would always be telling stories when he was trying to get to sleep. He often would fake he was sleeping so Papa would also go to sleep. He moved in with Eleanor when they bought their house on Truckey Street.

He would often walk downtown St. Ignace and visit the various businesses. He often sat on a bench in town. He smoked a pipe. Eleanor did not care for the smell so she bought him some maple nut tobacco which had a sweeter smell to it. He couldn't hear very well, but could always hear "It's time to eat."

He used to be good at making whistles out of wood. He would twist the bark off then hollow out the wood, using the bark then as part of the whistle. He gave the whistles to the kids.

He leant Aaron $1,800 for his first house.

He like to have a hard boiled egg for breakfast. He was very particular about it being cooked just the right way by his daughter Eleanor.

July 21, 2003:

He was a tool and die maker, which was a good paying job. He owned a cabin on a lake around Detroit. Eugene spent a summer there when he was 10 - 11 years old. Eugene enjoyed spending time with Duncan and remembered killing bull frogs with him. Eugene recalled Duncan complaining about some tame ducks constantly waking him up. Eugene and Duncan's son James, took it upon themselves to corral the ducks into the barn and kill them. When Duncan learned of this he was not happy!

One time while at a camp in Raber, James and Eugene were going out deer hunting. Duncan was very sternly telling the boys not to shoot any does. Unbeknownst to Eugene, James could see a doe while his father was telling them not to shoot does. As his father finished his direction and stepped into the house James dropped the doe. Again, Duncan was not very happy.

He died of cancer.