To the editor:

Christmas without the Einerlei shop in Chassell? Ouch!

In 1975, when Nancy and Bill Leonard followed their dreams from Indiana to Chassell, they named their new shop “Einerlei” – German for “one and the same.” To them that meant a life integrating work, play, interests and projects. Einerlei grew beyond regional and natural gifts, home accessories, and apparel to include gardening and cooking. Becky Darling helped mastermind the shop’s evolution. Nancy’s green thumb led to an inspiring display garden featuring spring flower and vegetable starts and shade plants.

Bill, as longtime Chassell township supervisor, used his civil engineering skills to help develop sewage and water systems and help build a network of cross-country ski trails.

In 1988, to celebrate Chassell’s centennial, Nancy and fellow vintage clothing fans showed off their collections of treasured historic apparel in a fashion show. Next year the Friends of Fashion was born. Its historically researched, scripted fashion shows are held on special occasions in the area.

Community people soon donated their own family heirlooms for preservation and display. The Leonards and others saw the need for a Chassell museum, soon housed in the recently vacated Chassell school. The Chassell Heritage Center used artifacts, along with photos and panoramas, to tell Chassell’s story, starting with native peoples through lumbering, fishing and fish packing houses, up through the strawberry era. Nancy’s display panache and sense of history helped make the museum quite special.

Festivals and the Old-Fashioned Christmas drew in musicians, including David Bezotte, French-Canadian music enthusiast. 2007’s memorable “Joie de Vivre” celebrated local French-Canadian culture, from pea soup to dancing and genealogy (a special interest of French-Canadians in North America).

Today 40 years of the Leonards’ work/life philosophy has had a huge impact on Chassell. Now Bill and Nancy have “retired” to their Agate Harbor forest home in Keweenaw County, with time for sailing and winter trips to Texas and the desert southwest.

I have followed the Leonards’ story in writing “Hunts’ Guide to Michigan’s Upper Peninsula.”

Mary Hunt

Calumet