Many years ago in the Grayling area lived a man and his wife along with their two small boys in a log cabin just a mile or so out of the village.

The fierce north winds blew a blizzard down from Lake Superior, which covered Lower Michigan with two feet of snow and temperatures below zero, and it stayed cold for two weeks. During one of those below zero evenings, a fire blazed in the cabin, and the father put the two boys out of the window and tried to put out the fire.

No one knows what happened, but the mother and father both died in the fire.

A neighbor who lived down the road saw the fire and came with his horse and cutter, taking the two little boys home with him. The mother's sister was married and lived in Port Sanilac, Michigan. She was notified of the tragedy, and she and her husband drove to Grayling, picked up the little boys and took them home with them.

Later on, Vern and Martha Nurenberg adopted the boys named Peter and Paul and raised them with their two boys, Vernon and Edgar, as their own.

Back some 40 years ago Vern Nurenberg, the father, and I hunted and fished together, and we enjoyed many a good time at their home on the lake, on Willow Creek, across the highway from Foley's Market. Many a night during the smelt run, Vern, the boys and I would catch a pail of smelt early, and my wife, Marilyn and Martha would clean and cook them. Between the eight of us we would consume a full ten-quart pail of golden brown, crispy smelt and French fries and cups of coffee. Martha always had hot cider with cinnamon for the boys, and I can still see the sweet smile on Martha's face in the light of the fireplace as we ate.

After the meal the boys did their homework and went to bed. Vern and I would go to the creek entrance and dip more smelt for friends and ourselves. After we came in with our smelt, we stocked up the fireplace, cleaned the smelt, bagged them and put them in the freezer to freeze. We then got out the euchre cards and played cards until it was time for Martha to get out a cake or pie, which she had made for dessert.

Martha was a fine person and a good cook and we had many a great meal of fish, rabbits and ring neck pheasants with her and Vern.

Angels do walk the face of the good earth, and Martha was indeed an angel. She raised the four boys until the day the Lord sent one of his angels to take her to her final home in Heaven. Many years later after Martha left us, I attended Vern's funeral in Carsonville at Pomeroy's funeral home. He was 94 years old. Three of the boys were there: Vernon who is a retired DNR man and lives in Houghton, Michigan; Peter, who lives in Raleigh, North Carolina; and Edgar who lives with his good wife Sharon in this area.

As the boys stood by their Dad's casket, I told them that Martha was looking down on them and was very proud of them. Paul was out west somewhere and didn't get home for his dad's funeral.

I now hunt rabbits with Vern's nephew, Miles Nurenberg, who owns and operates the St. Joseph gift shop south of Lexington.

As long as I live I shall remember Martha Nurenberg and her God-given great compassion for all of God's little people.