Lighthouses are impressive structures. They are beautiful to look at, often located at stunning locations, and they remind us of a time when surviving was an adventure. You can hear colorful stories of the brave men and woman who kept the lights burning, along with history, music and information about today’s lighthouses, when Donn and Diane Werling of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association appear at the Wells County Public Library on Tuesday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. The program is free and open to the public.
Donn and Diane Werling, of Fort Wayne, are founding members of the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association (GLLKA) which is based in Mackinaw City near the Old Mackinac Point lighthouse. They have served as modern day lighthouse keepers (Diane was the head keeper of Grosse Point Lighthouse for 10 years), continue to help staff the St. Helena Light Station on the western Straits of Mackinac, and lead maritime heritage education workshops each summer on the island.
Besides sharing their own stories at the library, the Werlings will bring to life the tale of Captain Edwin James Moore, a lighthouse keeper at Grosse Point Light from the turn of the century. Captain Moore was typical of historic keepers and their exacting attention to detail. As President Thomas Jefferson said when he inaugurated the U.S. lighthouse service, “…lives ride upon their safe keeping”
GLLKA was originally an informal gathering of retired lighthouse keepers. The group incorporated in 1983 and quickly began a project to save and restore the abandoned St. Helena Light Station. With the help of dedicated volunteers, work began and the lighthouse was listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1988. GLLKA continues to work on its own lighthouse projects and assists other organizations around the country. GLLKA has purchased the Cheboygan River Front Range lighthouse with plans to return it to its circa 1910 appearance when Cheboygan was in its heyday and is also collaborating on the Cheboygan Crib Light and the St. James Lighthouse on Beaver Island in Lake Michigan.
Three Centuries of Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers by Donn and Diane Werling is a free program at the Wells County Public Library. For more information, call the library at 260-824-1612 or visit www.wellscolibrary.org
FREE LIGHTHOUSE PROGRAM AT WCPL – Donn Werling will portray Captain Edwin James Moore, a lighthouse keeper at Grosse Point Light, as he and his wife Diane present Three Centuries of Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers on Tuesday, April 6 at 6:30 p.m. at the Wells County Public Library. The program includes colorful stories, history, music and a look at what the Great Lakes Lighthouse Keepers Association is doing now. (Submitted photos and info)
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