YESTERDAY, MY WIFE AND I TRAVELED TO POKAGON MICHIGAN, THATS HALFWAY BETWEEN DOWAGIAC AND NILES ON M-51.  THE OCCASION WAS A 1913 CHURCH SERVICE REENACTMENT COMMEMORATING THE FIRST TIME  "THE OLD RUGGED CROSS" WAS SUNG.  IT WAS IN THE RESTORED METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH OF POKAGON.

THE PART OF REV LEROY O. BOSTWICK WAS PORTRAYED BY REV. DARWIN BOSTWICK, A GREAT NEPHEW OF THE ORIGINAL.  REV BERNARD WAS PORTRAYED BY REV. JEFFERY WITTIKAR,  SINCE THE ORIGINAL WAS PERFORMED ON A GUITAR, REV WITTIKAR LEARNED TO PLAY THE INSTRUMENT FOR THE OCCASION.  MANY OF THE LADIES IN THE AUDIENCE WERE "DRESSED" FOR THE OCCASION.

THE RESTORED CHURCH IS IN A SMALL PARK SETTING IN POKAGON WITH PROPER HISTORICAL MARKINGS AND IS AVAILABLE FOR WEDDINGS AND OTHER EVENTS.  THE PARK IS ALWAYS OPEN FOR VISITORS.