Kathleen Peterson of St. Ignace has received a special land use to build a 20-bed assisted living facility on the old Siren property transecting Chambers and Church streets, near the corner of I-75 business loop. The St. Ignace Planning Commission approved the special land use and her site plan Wednesday, August 17, and agreed the facility should open to Chambers Street to avoid traffic congestion on Church Street.

Mrs. Peterson, whose company is called Dignified Living Corporation, said she is seeking funding through U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development.

The Siren property is lined with peonies and has a small two-bedroom home, a garage, an old Finnish sauna, and several log barns. It was farmed by Onni and Alexandra Siren, Finnish immigrants.

Mr. Siren arrived by ship in 1893 and purchased a two-bedroom home and property behind what is now the Flame Restaurant for $350, according to his daughter, Elsie Siren Brown, of Havasu, Arizona, who told Cheryl Schlehuber on a visit to St. Ignace in July. Alexandra met Onni in 1906 while visiting her sister, who lived at the fishing village of Epoufette.

When the Michigan Highway Department surveyed the right of way for US-2 in 1935, the state purchased part of the property and moved all the buildings to the existing lot, where the Sirens continued to farm, delivering milk, eggs, and vegetables by horse and buggy.

Mrs. Brown said her grandmother also washed clothes for the crew of the rail ferry Chief Wawatam and remembers her father making trips home from the ship with bundles of laundry.

After both Onni and Alexandra died, the property was left to their two children, Elsie and Leonard. Leonard Siren, who passed away in 2002, reared his family there.

The estate is now in the name of Mrs. Brown, Jim Siren of Tampa, Florida, and Monty Siren of Phoenix, Arizona.