• Sunday-What'sUP August 10 - 04:39 pm

Deb Simons found this photo of her Mom's team back in 1948-1949, so she asked her (June (Normand) Durocher ) for some background information:

The Softball team was sponsored by the Maple Leaf and called the Lake Leafs. She said there was also a Hubbell team, a Calumet team and a Quincy team, but is unsure how many others.

The uniforms were green, shiny acetate material, with white trim and Lake Leafs was written across the front of them. I attached a photo that Mary Schei had of herself and some others that wore those uniforms during a Lake Linden 4th of July parade a few years back...she wasn't sure of the year, but perhaps between 2005 and 2010. They were found in the basement of the Maple Leaf. She said they were all small sizes, so the women must have been tiny back then. Mary Schei also said the uniforms were scratchy and stiff and she didn't know how they could work out in them.

They played quite a few games each summer and this particular year they won the championship UP here and then went to Escanaba for playoffs, where they won 2 out of 3 games and finished in 2nd place. They were all quite proud.

June played about 4 or 5 years, but then quit because she started a family (that's when Deb came about...). She said she loved softball and it is also where she met Deb's Dad, Ben.

When the LaCasse brothers took over as Managers, they became quite the team to reckon with. She says she really misses those days, as they were some of the best and happiest days of her life.

Thanks, Deb and June, for a neat 'blast from the past'!!

what a story.....love it.

Oh that's awesome. Wish I was still there so I could show my mom. One type-o though. I believe my mom played 4 or 5
years, not games lol. She was a very good shortstop and it's been much fun watching our granddaughter taking after her with the love of the sport.

Thanks for sharing this picture. My mom will be so happy!

Mary says: I went ahead and fixed the typo, Deb. That may have been my fault when I typed up the info to send to Charlie! ;-)

It might have been me too, Mary.

Great photo Deb and it must make you smile every
time you look at it. I love the old photos...blasts
from the past.

I do love looking at this photo. There's also one of her alone and one with her best friend from the team. They really had some good times and she always says it was the best time of her life, other than having her kids. Always reminds me of the movie "League of Their Own".

Oh, thanks, Mary. That's so cool. I found out from my mom what I didn't know about the single picture of her was that after the team picture was taken, she and her friend, Jean, shown above, went to the carnival in Hancock and had their pictures taken in one of those photo booths. She said it's one of her favorite pictures of her. She always thinks she takes a horrible picture. anyway, it was cool to see these here. Thanks, Mary.