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Category Archives: Churches

The Ghost Stories of Franklin Church

Posted on October 11, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Haunted Places .

This cute little white and green church stands in south western Michigan. It is a few miles west of Dowagiac and over the door are the words Franklin Church EST 1854.  Next to the church is an old cemetery.  Listed as the Franklin Cemetery it is also known as Munchkin Land. It got the nickname because rumor has it that many people have seen the ghosts of children in the old graveyard.

As the story goes, that I have read on several sites on the internet, In the late 1800s the minister at the church murdered two young girls and burned their bodies in the woods behind the church. After being found out the minister hung himself in the bell tower of the church. I am not sure if the old church is still used for weekly services but I have seen some old photos of it before it was restored. It looked rather dilapidated and that is when I assume the ghost stories started being told. It is nice that the old historic building has been restored.

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The Church Among The Fields

Posted on October 6, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Thumb .

I saw this old church standing among the farm fields in the Thumb somewhere near Caseville. It looks as if it has been a while since it has seen a baptism or wedding.  I don’t know anything about it but it looked rather peaceful watching over the crops.

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The Hidden Log Cabin Church

Posted on July 31, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, Historic Places .

The steeple for St Lorenz Church towers over the town of Frankenmuth. An old graveyard sits across the street from the church and is the final resting place of some of the towns earliest residents. In the back of the graveyard is a building constructed out of logs. It is a recreation of the original log cabin St Lorenz Church dedicated on Christmas Day in 1846.  The original church was built by 15 German immigrants who came to the area in 1845. The settlers named the “colony” Frankenmuth, by combining the name of their home region, Franconia, with mut, the German word for courage.

P.S. I live and was raised in nearby Saginaw and have visited Frankenmuth many times. I just recently seen this old log building behind the graveyard. It reminds me that no mater how much I explore Michigan there is still more locations and stories to find.

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Our Lady Of The Woods Shrine

Posted on April 7, 2023 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

our lady of th woods shrine mio

The Our Lady of the Woods Shrine at St Mary’s Catholic Church in Mio was constructed by Rev. Hubert Rakowski between 1953 and 1955 with the support of the local community. The sacred place has statues of four apparitions of Mary, They are the Lourdes, Fatima, Guadalupe, and LaSalette.

our lady of the woods shrine mio

The mountainous structure made of stone includes several grottos and niches. The grounds are open year round and the landscaping in the summer is breathtaking. The shrine welcomes visitors of all faiths and if you are ever in the area I highly recommend stopping to see this beautiful place in northern Michigan.

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Silent Night in Corunna

Posted on December 24, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

Corunna Village

A few years ago I was out roaming Mid-Michigan looking at and photographing Christmas lights, at the time I had never been to Corunna, but when I saw this old village illuminated at night, I had to stop and take a pic. It was not that late at night, but it was eerily vacant and peaceful and also extremely cold that night, I froze my butt off taking this pic that silent night in Corunna. But it was worth it.

The church in the center of the village is the Christ Evangelical German Lutheran Church that was located in Brady Township in Saginaw County. It was built in 1888 and was moved to the village in 1991.

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The Kirk In The Hills

Posted on December 20, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

The Kirk In The Hills stands near Island Lake in Bloomfield Township. Colonel Edwin S. George, a Detroit businessman whose gift of his home and estate in 1947 made the Kirk possible.  The cornerstone for the church was laid in 1951, the same year Colonel George died. His remains are entombed under the narthex of the Kirk’s sanctuary. The architectural firm of George D. Mason completed the church based on preliminary designs by Wirt Rowland. George Mason designed several of Michigan’s iconic buildings including the Grand Hotel on Mackinac Island. The Kirk in the Hills is modeled after Scotland’s Melrose Abbey. It was almost a decade before services could be held in the church. During construction a fire destroyed the roof and delayed completion of the church. The first service was held in November of 1958.

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Thank You

Posted on November 24, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in autumn, Churches .

I have been exploring the peninsulas for Lost In Michigan for almost a decade. I am fortunate to be able to travels this wonderful state and share my experiences with you. Thank you all for taking the time to read my post and share your comments. We are blessed to live in a country where we can set aside a day to reflect on the things we are thankful for. Nothing is perfect and I am sure we all face challenges it is nice to look at the positive things in life and be grateful for what we have. I hope you are as fortunate as I am and able to spend time with your friends and family.

Safe Travels,

Mike Sonnenberg

P.S. If you are wondering about the church in the pic it is Mt. Hope Church north of Grass Lake.

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Moving a Small Town Church

Posted on May 22, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .


I love the look of this former church in Ovid with its decorative woodwork and its unique one of a kind steeple. It is also amazing that they moved this church to its current location from a different part of town. It is surprising the facts you can learn from historical markers like the one that stands next to this church and reads:

On February 13, 1871, twenty-two persons began Ovid’s First Congregational Church. The next year this structure was erected. George Fox served as master carpenter. Its first minister was the Reverend William Mulder. Originally located at High and Park Street, the church was pulled here by oxen in 1899 and turned to face Main Street. It was enlarged for a growing congregation, which came to be “one of the most powerful social forces in the county.”In 1943, Ovid’s Congregational and Methodist societies merged, using both their buildings until 1972. In 1979, the church became a private residence. This Ovid landmark, whose octagonal belfry tower holds a melodious 1876 bell, is listed on the Historic American Buildings Survey and the National Register of Historic Places.

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Raisin Valley Friends Meetinghouse

Posted on May 1, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches .

North of Adrian along M-52 is a single story white building. Known as the Raisin Valley Friends Meetinghouse it is the second oldest continuously operating church building in the state of Michigan. Quakers from New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania settled in southeastern Michigan in the early nineteenth century. The Quaker missionary evolved into the Raisin Valley Friends and they initially worshipped in a log cabin located near the present church property. In 1834 settler David Baker made a six-acre parcel available, and the congregation raised $800 to build this church, which opened in 1835. Over the years some additions have been added to the church and continues to house the Raisin Valley Friends Church. A Michigan historical marker stands nearby noting its significance to the state’s history.

P.S. The oldest continuously operating church is the Mission Church on Mackinac Island.

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Our Lady Of The Snows

Posted on April 24, 2022 by Mike Sonnenberg Posted in Churches, upper peninsula .

I saw the Our Lady Of The Snows Catholic Church in Hessel in the southeastern Upper Peninsula. It caught my eye since it is a rather unique looking church. I was not able to find out when it was build or who the architect was that designed it. I see a lot of old and new churches while I am traveling around Michigan and this one is distinctive. I thought it was also interesting that it is Our Lady Of The Snows and I saw it on one of the hottest days of the year last summer. Hopefully I will get a chance to see it in winter sometime and get a pic of it with some freshly fallen snow. The Old Mission Indian Cemetery is next to the church but that is a post for a different day.

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