Hutchison Reconnects With Pickford Community After 30 Years Away
By Ryan Schlehuber

This is part of a series of articles to introduce readers to correspondents covering their communities in the St. Ignace News readership area.

Audrey Hutchison, the new correspondent for the Pickford community, isn't one to sit back during retirement. Since moving back to the Eastern Upper Peninsula last summer, Mrs. Hutchison, 69, has been keeping busy making new friends and reacquainting herself with old ones she made 30 years ago when she was married to Pickford native Robert Fick.

Mr. Fick passed away in 1997, and, after living in Florida, where she met her second husband, Bobby Joe, Mrs. Hutchison was ready to come back to rural life and to be closer to three of her children who live in Pickford.

In addition to writing about the social scene in and around Pickford, she has begun writing a novel.

For The St. Ignace News, Mrs. Hutchison gathers information about local people and their activities, including baby showers, retirements, and gatherings of friends and family. Since beginning the job recently, she has written about a musicians' jam session, activities of a family with farm animals, the retirements of two postal workers, and a Lions Club gathering. She likes to take photographs of people, and welcomes telephone calls from those who want to submit news to her weekly column.

Audrey Hutchison, standing on the porch at her new home in Hessel, returned to the Eastern Upper Peninsula after a 30-year absence, and is now the Pickford correspondent for The St. Ignace News. She moved to Hessel from downstate last summer.

"I volunteered to write for the Pickford column because it will help me reacquaint myself with the older people, get to know the younger people, and find out what's going on in the community," said Mrs. Hutchison. "I want to become active within the community."

When she first lived in Pickford, Mrs. Hutchison started the Flying Hooves Club, a 4-H program for young horse-riding enthusiasts, and coordinated a cake decorating program for women and 4-H Club members. She also founded the Eastern Upper Peninsula Horsemen's Association with Jack Passmore and Clint Clegg, both of Pickford. The association still exists.

The O.S. Roe's blacksmith shop on the north side of Pickford's main street, circa 1910. Mr. Roe is pictured in the center, along with Henry Genby (left) and Frank Roberts, standing next to a steam engine. (Photograph courtesy of Jack McDonald)

Today, she writes poetry, enjoys singing, which she used to do in a quartet three times a week, and volunteers at the Great Lakes Boat Building School in Cedarville, where her daughter works.

While she lived in Tampa, Florida, in a park community of 211 people, Mrs. Hutchison wrote for the community's small newspaper.

"I really enjoyed it. It was a nice little paper that the residents really enjoyed," she said.

Mrs. Hutchison describes Pickford as "laid back," the aspect she likes most about the area.

"It's pretty much the same as it was 30 years ago," she said. "The hardware store here has that sense of nostalgia, with its wooden floors, and it has everything you need. And the population has grown a little bit, but it has pretty much stayed the way it was years ago."

Mrs. Hutchison said Pickford's image as a wholesome town, with no bars and many churches, is one of the qualities that make it stand out from other rural communities.

Pickford has a population of around 2,000 people. Pickford Public Schools has 424 students enrolled this year, with 36 to be graduated in May.

Pickford had its first school in 1880, but it wasn't until 1922 that classes were extended through the 12th grade school. Six students were graduated that year.

Founded by four settlers from Canada in 1877, Pickford lies in both Mackinac and Chippewa counties. The Munuscong River allowed settlers to access the area from the St. Marys River. Charles W. Pickford established a store and a post office during his second summer in the area.

Farming was the way of life for many Pickford settlers, although, today, according to a 2007 Pickford Township citizen survey, only 2% list farming as their primary occupation. Many residents commute to jobs in nearby Sault Ste. Marie or in Kinross, where there is a large prison facility. About 5% of Pickford's population is retired.

The Hutcinson's mutual interest in antiques is what brought them together, and they operated an antique shop in Florida.

Mrs. Hutchison was a restaurant manager for many years and owned a bookkeeping and income tax business in Eaton Rapids at one time. Originally from Detroit, she was one of four children, three girls and one boy.

Her father was a tool and die machinist contractor for the U.S. Navy, designing shut-off valves on submarines at the naval shipyard on Mare Island, California during World War II. He completed his career at AC Spark Plugs in Flint.

Her mother helped tend to their potato and dairy farm in Lapeer, where they also operated a berrypicking business, selling the goods to local stores and residents.

Mrs. Hutchison was graduated from Lapeer High School in 1956 and earned a degree in accounting at Lansing Community College in 1987.

She has six children, with three living in Pickford and three in Lansing, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Mr. Hutchison, originally from Kentucky, is a retired miner who operated gigantic shovels. He likes antique cars.

Mr. and Mrs. Hutchison will celebrate their 10th anniversary this year.

News can be submitted to Mrs. Hutchison at (906) 484 7825 or bobbyau@lighthouse.net.