Former Keepers of the DeTour Reef Light

On November 10, 1931 at 4 p.m., the new light at DeTour Reef was turned on and the light at DeTour Point was discontinued.  The three light keepers stationed at DeTour Point were moved to DeTour Reef Light, and a three man crew was maintained at DeTour Reef Light (DRL) until the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) took over the responsibility for lighthouses from the U.S. Light House Service (USLHS) in 1939. 

After 1939, the existing USLHS keepers were retained as civilian employees of the USCG.  By summer 1943, a fourth crewman was added to DRL.  After that time, a crew of four was maintained until DRL was automated in 1974.

Over time the number of former USLHS people, working as civilians, diminished.  The last civilian keeper at DRL was Charles Jones, who retired October 31, 1962.  Jones had been Keeper, and Officer in Charge, since April 13, 1940.

In the summer of 1998, ads were placed in several local newspapers by Jeri Baron Feltner, then Secretary of DRLPS, asking people to contact her if they had the names of any remaining living former keepers.  Based on information supplied by Dan McInnes of DeTour Village, MI, four former keepers were located and subsequently interviewed (Colvin, Freels, Soldenski, and Williams) and videoed by Jeri Baron Feltner and Mike Spears.   Two others (Lovett and Anderson) have been interviewed and videoed by Chuck Feltner and Russ Norris.  Others have been interviewed by phone.

Continued research over the last ten years grew this list to 22 former keepers.  We have personally spoken to all of them.  However, in the last two years, two of these keepers passed away, (Gerald Seaburg, 1962-63 and Bruce Ward, 1965), leaving the list of known former living keepers at 20.  These 20 have now been made honorary Lifetime members of DRLPS by the Board of Directors.

Shown below are photographs of some of the former keepers.  The captions on the photographs include date of service at DRL, keeper names, and date of photo in parentheses.  The photos are arranged roughly in chronological order of Service Dates.  The list of all keepers stationed at DRL, as best we know it, can be viewed by clicking HERE. Known living keepers are shown in BLUE font in this list. If you have any information that would help make this list more accurate, please contact Dr. Charles Feltner at (also, please send photos or any other information).

A complete list of all DeTour Reef Lighthouse keepers (1931-1974) can be downloaded by clicking here. [PDF, 63 KB]

Charlie Jones & Lyle Garfield, Circa 1940 (note the ice)	1939-40, Lyle Garfield (1948)	Lyle Garfield at DeTour Dock (1950)
1940-1962, Keeper in Charge, Charles Jones in the kitchen of DRL (1957)	1957-58, Sidney Hermanson, SN (back to camera) and 1957, Kenneth Holcomb, EN3 ((1957) at Restaurant in DeTour Village	1959-60, Milton Lovett; 1951-59, Jack Short; 1940-62, Charles Jones (1959)
1959-60, Milton "Steve" Lovett (2006)	1958-59, Gene Anderson (1959)	1958-59, Gene Anderson (2005)
1960-62, Jim Williams (2003)	1962-63, Eric Olsen (2008)	1963-64, Marvin Kurkierewicz (2008)
1965, Ron Freels (2003)	1966-67, Gilbert Newman and 1967-68, Robert Soldenski work on CG253109 on pier deck of DRL, August 1967	1967-68, Robert Soldenski (2003)
1968-69, Floyd Colvin (2003)	Unidentified Keepers on DRL in 1932. Probably 1931-33, W.S. Hall, 1931-34, James Brander; 1931-35, Sterling Malone