TAPED INTERVIEW WITH LAURA (OLSON) HOYT
with son, G. GARY HOYT
11/09/1980

Start 0000	Gary & Laura talking of the first homes on Detroit, Cascade & Euclid St. homes.
		Of 5 years, and Owen Hoyt had not started at Ford’s and Willow Run Airport.
		About 1935, Owen taking home $35.00, then at Ford’s, took home $45.00 / wk.
		Albert & Edward Olson came down to work at Willow Run in 1942-43. Louie 
		Living in Inkster, Mi. When Laura’s father, Edward came down to work at Willow 
Run, air plane factory, he soon became ill and was diagnosed with TB. Apparently,
Edward caught his chill last 2 winters working in a freezing and cold barns on the 
Farm, in Suttons Bay, MI. Doctors sent him to the Taylor Sanatorium from 1942-45
Albert was only male Olson, male, to work the farm with the sisters.
Owen began working at the Willow Run airplane factory when it was being built,
as a crane operator.
	
0650		Jackie was born in grandpa & grandma Hoyt’s house (Marcus & Abbie). 
Owen delivered Jackie.
Hansen House (204) lived upstairs until people downstairs moved out, then we 
moved downstairs. Then, Gary was born 22 months later.

	0800		Laura and Gary talking about the farms near the Olson Farms, and who lived in 
them. Laidlaw’s near Grandpa Olson’s.

	1050		G. Marcus Hoyt and Hoyt Family had good ethics, born into family of religious 
and caring people. Laura never saw a Family so close and open. The Hoyt’s all kissed 
and hugged one another. Never spoke ill of another, didn’t criticize one another, and
shared Love & Affection towards one another. 
Laura (Olson) Hoyt quoted, “It was one of the Greatest Things to happen to her, was 
to come into the Family of the Hoyt’s. In that, she returned to do the same for her 
Brothers and Sisters of her Family, and became open, as we were not supposed to talk
openly or question way things were done.
Having the Lord in their (Hoyt’s) hearts, and each day, a Bible reading at Dinnertime,
And each day, of, “How they could make it better for someone else, the caring they
showed to others of less means”.
Grandpa Olson, a Minister? That Mother & Dad Olson were nice people, and Dad let 
Her and other children sit on there lap and rock. Dad Olson was a bit nicer and 
friendlier, but they never had the time to show affection, nor listen to us.

1290		Gary said that Hoyt’s worked mental, while the Olson’s worked physical, which can 
be a very different life.
Laura speaks of, that they had fun on the farm, had ice cream, but couldn’t really talk.

	1657		All the girls (Olson Sisters), married and left the farm.
			Talked of music of the Hoyt’s, except Owen never had anything, and Grandpa and 
Grandma, started to pay for Owen or Ken’s piano, but wouldn’t pay the high price 
after a while. Grandpa (Marc) Hoyt was tight, but when he saw other parents giving
there kids beer at 16 or 17, he thought that was terrible. Owen didn’t have any money 
to spend on anything, and had to rely on school chums to help him out once in a while.
	2020		Backwards, Grandpa Marc Hoyt, in Rose City. He left home in Saline when he was 
about 14 *(16-17) years old, as they were so poor they didn’t have enough food. He 
stayed nearby, the Presbyterian Church house next door, and they helped in out. 

*(This was about 1877, not 1875, just after G. Gerard & Eliz. Adell Hoyt moved to 
Saline, MI; as Bessie (Eliz. Isadore) Hoyt, was born in Muir, MI, on Dec. 29, 1874.
So records show that Marcus Hoyt was educated in District & Saline High School,
In one of his obits, it had to be 1 or 2 years later, which made him about 16-17 years
Old, and when Carrie M. Hoyt was born in 1877, and by Sept. 1, 1878, G. Gerald &
Elizabeth Hoyt had moved to Elm Hall, Gratiot Co., MI - jeh)

When Marcus left home, he went to work for the Railroads, traveling Michigan in 
a logging train. When they had stopped at Rose City. He learned of a job with a 
Doctor in town, that would teach a person how to be a Pharmacist. Most people back
then, learned Pharmacy, from a Doctor, as there were no Pharmacy Schools.

2300		Your Grandma (Abbie Geroy Rose), married Grandpa, (Marcus Hoyt), when she 
was only 17. But she was an adult, having taken care of her sister Jennie, when she 
was but 11 years old, as their Mother was sick in bed for years, that she had to use 
a stool or step to cook on the stove. Father was Colonel Rose from Civil War.
More on Jennie and Gerard Hoyt and burned out house? 
A Mrs. Gerald adopted Abbie & Jennie, when Mother Rose died?
Grandpa Rose’s second wife, became an alcoholic. Either Grandpa Rose or their step
mother would away and get plastered once a year?
	2700		Gary thought Hoyt money came from Clinton, but Laura says that Earnest and Hugh
			started in the Milling Business in Clinton and became successful, but not rich.
			When Marcus Hoyt wanted to move from Mio & McKinley, Oscoda Co., MI, as a 
druggist, he took a very careful view of where to move, either Suttons Bay or Saginaw.
He took a long time weighing the factors of which place would be successful, and he 
decided that the lumbering town of Suttons Bay, and it’s capacity to have rail & boat
travel & shipments, would be better then the potato area in Saginaw with their farmers
and it’s workers would not be suitable.
	
	3050		Great Grandpa Hoyt, George Gerald Hoyt, he was called “Gerald”*, George Kenneth 
was called Ken, and George Marcus was called Marc or Marcus.
	*(The records show that G.G. Hoyt was George Greenwood Hoyt. It is on his daughter’s 
death certificate, it is on the Timothy Hoyt Genealogy booklet by his in-law cousin, Helen 
Faye Hoyt. Where he obtained the nickname of “Gerald” is beyond our knowledge, at this
 time. Perhaps, when he was younger, he didn’t like his middle name, Greenwood, as it 
had no family references, unless it was a neighbor or very close friends to his Mother & 
Father, John G. & S. Isadore Hoyt. – jeh)

			Grandpa Marc was a Republican, and he held every office of Suttons Bay, and even
learned law, from his books at the drug store. As he missed his proper education, He 
self-studied, so he would be knowledgeable to hold offices, like Justice of the Peace 
and then going to Lansing.
(Marcus Hoyt elected as Leelanau County Representative, as Legislature 1923-24, to the 
State Capitol in Lansing MI - jeh)

	3200		Laura and Gary discuses the Olson’s from Norway. How Grandpa and Grandma 
Hoyt, either had visit from Norway, or visited in Norway with the Olson’s.
Gary, “It’s important to learn one’s Family and lives while they are still living. 
We seem to want to learn and respect our elders only after they have passed.”

	0000		(TAPED TURNED OVER) (Con’t on more of Olson’s from Norway?)
That Marc & Abbie Hoyt went to see Aunt, received letters. 
Uncle Hugh & Paul, Earnest, Harland did well. Mentioned the Hoyt sisters, 
Aunt Elizabeth Fell, Aunt Carrie, and Aunt Ada. & kids and Great Grandma 
Hoyt (Elizabeth) keeping tabs on them, Great Grandpa died young?(76).*
	*(G. Gerald Hoyt, died in 1922, so he was around quite a while after all the 7 children 
were born. Gerald Hoyt had taken the Family to Saline to be with his Father and his
 brother, William S. Hoyt, until 1878, after having Carrie, the Gerald Hoyt Family moved 
to Elm Hall, Gratiot Co, MI, then, in 1883, (I learned that Elm Hall Mills across from the
 flouring Mill, burnt down in 1885, and the Flour Mill burnt down by 1900. Their were 
many years of food starvation in Gratiot County during these years of 1878-1883). Gerald 
Hoyt Family moved to Mack City,(Curtisville),Oscoda Co., ,MI (farther North, from 1883 
till 1885.They moved to Stanton, Ionia County, MI (South), in1885,, he then moved the 
Family with baby in  tow, Gerald & Eliz. Hoyt lived in Stanton, MI until Mill burnt down
 in 1895, then they moved to Remus, Mecosta Co., MI to operate the Flour mill there, until 
they sold it in 1906, and G. Gerald retired. Gerald did the books, while sons, Earnest & 
Hugh P. Hoyt did the operations. George“Gerald” Hoyt died Dec. 4, 1922 in Remus.–jeh)

	0230		Marcus Hoyt worked with Doctors at Rose City, MI, and he was able to get his 
Certificate of Pharmacy, which hung on the Drug Stores wall in Suttons Bay.
The State recognized him as being Certified, without having attended a School 
of Pharmacy, and must have been supported, (sponsored), perhaps by the 
Doctors at Rose City & Suttons Bay,
 (Dr. W.M. Payne -jeh).

0350		Gary talked of while traveling in U.P., he fell down the falls, and while Owen 
(Dad), and him were there with Grandma, Owen grabbed a paper bag, and 
tried to write everything down of what she was saying. 
Gary was 38 years old, and in 1972, he was 42 years old. Family history was 
there but not important.

	0500		Laura mentions, Religious background. Reading from the Bible, relating to
everyday life as examples from the reading..
“What can you do, to do the best to others”.

	0540		END OF TAPED INTERVIEW 
of Laura (Olson) Hoyt, of Suttons Bay, Leelanau Co., MI
11/09/1980 by son, G. Gary Hoyt