Sunfield Community Foundation Journal Issue #4

Sunfield Community Foundation Journal

Issue #4

(5/25/26)

2026 Community Foundation Scholarship and Senior Awards Announcement

Part Two

With this being the Memorial Day weekend I thought I would make the feature story in this issue of the “Journal” the graduating seniors that we recently recognized at Lakewood’s Honor Night who will be entering the military.  Throughout the course of American history, courageous men and women have taken up arms to secure, defend, and maintain those core principles upon which our Nation’s freedoms depend.  Since 2020, the Foundation has been formally honoring the graduating students going into a branch of the service by awarding each of them an engraved “Lade Military Service Medal” from each of their respective branches and a $1,000 cash honorarium.  We present to you this year’s honorees:

Isabell Laberge is joining the Navy.

Tanner Haight who also enlisted in the Navy

Xander Douglas will be going to the Marines

Parting Comments

·      Deep Thought of the Week: Want to know how to frighten the new generation?  Put them in a room with a rotary phone, an analog watch, and a TV with no remote.  Then leave directions on how to use each in cursive.

·      Notable Quote: “It is only as we develop others that we permanently succeed.”

·      That's Puny Department:  What’s Irish and stays outside all year?-----Patty O’Furniture.

·      Dedicated To The Toughest Man In-The-World-----The Chuck Norris Corner: (1) Chuck Norris makes onions cry.  (2) Chuck Norris can strangle you with a cordless phone.  (3) The flu gets a Chuck Norris shot every year.

·      Did You Know Section: The village of Sunfield and Sunfield Township is located in the Northwest corner of Eaton County.  Eaton County was organized in 1837, and is one of Michigan’s “Cabinet Counties”.  The Cabinet Counties are ten counties in the southern part of the state of Michigan named after President Andrew Jackson and people who served in his Cabinet. The Michigan Territorial legislature created twelve counties in 1829, naming eight of them after members of the recently elected Jackson's cabinet. Cass County was also created in 1829 and named for Lewis Cass, the Territorial Governor at the time. Cass later served in Jackson's Cabinet, making a case for it to be included as a Cabinet County. Livingston County was created in 1833 and named for Edward Livingston, Jackson's Secretary of State at the time.

The generally accepted reason for Michigan attempting to curry favor with the Jackson Administration (by naming counties for them) is that this was during the Toledo War period, and Michigan was trying to gain support of these officials in its border war with Ohio over the Toledo Strip. In one of his last acts in office, Jackson signed the 1837 bill making Michigan the 26th state.

Here is a list of all the Cabinet Counties:

+ Barry County, Michigan, named for U.S. Postmaster General William T. Barry

+ Branch County, Michigan, named for U.S. Secretary of the Navy John Branch

+ Calhoun County, Michigan, named for U.S. Vice President John C. Calhoun

    + Cass County, Michigan, named for Jackson's second Secretary of War, Lewis Cass

+ Eaton County, Michigan, named for Secretary of War John Eaton

+ Ingham County, Michigan, named for U.S. Secretary of the Treasury Samuel D. Ingham

+ Jackson County, Michigan, named for Andrew Jackson himself

+ Livingston County, Michigan, named for Jackson's second Secretary of State, Edward Livingston

+ Van Buren County, Michigan, named for U.S. Secretary of State (later Vice President and then President) Martin Van Buren

·      John Henry Eaton was an American politician and diplomat from Tennessee who served as U.S. Senator and as Jackson’s Secretary of War. He was 28 years old when he entered the Senate, making him the youngest U.S. Senator in history.  Eaton was a lawyer in Tennessee who became part of a network that supported the political campaigns of Andrew Jackson. He also served in the militia as a major, and during the War of 1812 became an aide to Jackson; Eaton served with Jackson in all his wartime campaigns and battles, including the Battle of New Orleans.  Eaton later received appointments as Governor of Florida Territory and U.S. Minister to Spain.

·      NOTE:  If you know of anyone who would like to receive these “Sunfield Community Foundation Journals”, just send me an email at john.sandrafisher@gmail.com with their email address and we will take care of it.