Wow.
Ever since meeting Lakeville resident Joe Verajon at his island home – yes, an island home located on Lakeville Lake – that’s how I’ve begun every sentence about him. Wow.
I received the unique opportunity to interview Mr. Verajon in his four-story home after being notified he was the Grand Marshall for the 52nd Annual Addison Township Firefighter’s Association’s Strawberry Festival. When I first called up the Addison Township resident, I was a bit confused by the conversation:
‘The house is at 1675 Rochester Rd. You’ll see a green and white garage with a red pole near the road. The house is down on the island,? said his friend and housemate John Cloutier.
On the island? A house on an island in Addison Township, in downtown Lakeville?
To confuse this reporter even more, I had already been forewarned that Mr. Verajon was in the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease. I was prepared to either get lost trying to find the house or just have a terrible interview with an elderly gentleman himself lost inside a terrible disease.
I couldn’t have been more wrong on both accounts.
Spunky, energetic, intelligent, outgoing and fascinating are just a few of the words I’d now use to describe this soon-to-be 90-year-old firecracker.
Mr. Verajon, originally from Sohpie, New Mexico, moved to Detroit with his family during the great automotive boom.
‘Henry Ford wanted people, he was opening his doors wide for everyone from everywhere,? explained Verajon, ‘so up we come in our wagons. People came by train and by hoards just because Henry Ford needed help.?
To escape the ‘big city,? Verajon said he loved to go driving in the country, especially around Addison Township. However, his drives were cut short when, like so many young men of his time, this Michigan immigrant entered into service for our country.
Mr. Verajon served as a Staff Sgt. Line in the U.S. airforce. He flew a one-man gunner plane and was shot down twice during World War II.
After completing his military term, Verajon said he returned to Michigan and opened The City Press in Detroit. The Lakeville resident described how his largest client was Sears Roebuck & Co.
‘He knew everybody back then, Henry Ford, Sears, Edison,? elaborated Cloutier. ‘Back then it was nothing to know these people.?
Verajon decided he wanted to live in Addison Township after taking another of his ‘country drives.? Shortly after the state had bought out the mill in Lakeville, during the 1940’s, Mr. Verajon said he saw his little island and knew he wanted to live there.
‘I liked to drive and I would come up this way before it was Leonard or anything at all,? he reminisced. ‘I saw my island and went to the township to ask who owned it. Then I bought it. Ended up I paid $400 for it.?
I was still in shock at the prospect of buying an island. Owning ‘a little piece of paradise? always seemed like something from a song or a movie, but here was Mr. Verajon and he had done just that.
When I arrived for my interview at Mr. Verajon’s home, the area was just as John Cloutier had described it – a garage on Rochester Rd. with a red post-type structure. As I walked around the small one-car stall, I was greeted to the most curious sight: a long steel stairwell, similar to those used in factories, snaking along the cliff edge towards a wood and steel trellis bridge.
Mr. Verajon’s island is covered with tall, full trees and dotted with several beds of brightly colored flowers. Sitting almost directly in the middle is his four-story, split level home – built completely by Verajon.
‘I just took the idea in my mind,? he explained as he took me for a complete tour. ‘I knew I wanted a four-level house and I didn’t want something I had to walk 10-14 steps in, so I split it up.?
‘Everything with this house and this property was done with a pick, a shovel and dynamite,? added Cloutier. ‘He did all of this himself, by hand.?
Mr. Verajon told stories about living in a tent on the island for the first year and building the first floor of the home, which ended up being a simple one room structure with a small crawl space. He described how he would ‘ferry? across the lake on a piece of plywood attached to some water heaters, and during the winter he would walk across the ice or have to break it apart to ferry across.
‘I eventually got the steps when I heard that Sears was leaving from Detroit,? he said. ‘I went down there and they gave them to me for free.?
He also built his own pulley-system across the water so he didn’t have to carry his groceries the distance.
‘I haven’t dropped any in the water yet, but Joe has a few times,? teased Cloutier.
After speaking at length with Mr. Verajon, I realized just how much he had seen during his lifetime, especially in Addison Township.
Mr. Verajon was present for the creation of the Lakeville Cemetery.
‘It was funny, we all just sort of stood around and said I want that spot there. Then we paid for it,? he laughed. ‘I have to go and have my tombstone changed now though. It says 19__.?
He was one of the founding members of the Elks Lodge and Lions Club.
He participated in some of the first ‘Pontoon Parties? on Lakeville Lake.
‘I could sit here and look out on the lake and know who was out there just by their boat,? he explained. ‘We’d all go out there, hook out boats together and just fish and hang out for a couple of days in the middle of the lake.?
Mr. Verajon was 82 years old when he finally decided to marry. He joked that he didn’t feel grown-up enough until then. His wife Mary passed away after health problems that required dialysis.
In addition to all his many wonderful stories, Mr. Verajon also had several about the Strawberry Festival; however, the point he repeated over and over again about the event was the close community.
‘I think the festival is a wonderful time for everyone to be able to line the streets and have a good time,? said Verajon. ‘It’s a wonderful time to gather for people. We need more of those times.?
I have never met anyone quite like Mr. Verajon – and I don’t expect I ever will.
When you attend the Strawberry Festival this weekend, take just a moment to speak with this fascinating man. The information he carries is worth a lifetime.