|
-
IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Andy will share his extensive knowledge of tools as he walks us through a collection of sketches of Early American tools and methods compiled by historian Eric Sloane in his book A Museum of Early American Tools. We will learn about farm and kitchen implements, the tools of curriers, wheelwrights, coopers, blacksmiths, coachmakers, loggers, tanners, and many other craftsmen of the pre-industrial age. Americana enthusiasts will enjoy such items as a hollowing gouge, hay fork, cornering chisel, apple butter paddle, boring auger, mortising chisel, holding dog, hauling sledge, winnowing tray, reaping hooks, splitting wedge, felling axe, propping saw horse, and other traditional implements. Andy Buesser is a master carpenter who spent much of his life working in traditional methods on diverse projects such as primitive shelters, log cabins, timber frame barns, and historic houses. He is an encyclopedia of little-known facts and wonders of the trades.
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Andrew Buesser
-
Dates: 11/8/2023 - 11/8/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: W
-
Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
Eli Terry was an American clockmaker who is generally considered the father of the U.S. mass-production clock industry. In 1797 Terry received the first clock patent granted by the United States Patent Office. His invention was a new type of clock movement that was made of wood instead of brass. This made the clocks much less expensive to produce, making them more affordable for the average homeowner. Terry was a visionary leader. He was one of the first clockmakers to use interchangeable parts, which revolutionized the clock industry. Ray Stocking is the son of Jerome R. Stocking, an antique clock collector and part-time repairman for over 50 years. Growing up in a house where every room had at least one antique clock, Ray learned to appreciate these clocks, especially those that worked and kept time! Ray is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University where he received his B.B.A and M.B.A. degrees in business management.
 
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Ray Stocking
-
Dates: 11/10/2023 - 11/10/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: F
-
Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
- REGISTRATION NOT AVAILABLE Please click the "Add to Waitlist" button below.
IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
NOTE: A special guest will be joining presenter Rochelle Balkam for this in-person class: Marj, a retired local realtor, here in Ann Arbor, and a friend of Rochelle's. Both of Marj's great-great grandfathers were enslaved and escaped to Canada. Come join us and hear her fascinating story first-hand.
Few periods of United States history are more important and less understood than the years leading to the Civil War. That is particularly true of the Underground Railroad. The origin of the term is unclear; a slavecatcher is believed to have uttered the phrase “the slaves disappeared, like they had boarded a railway underground.” The proximity to Canada via the Detroit River put Michigan on the map of underground railroad routes. Washtenaw County was the next to the last stop before arriving at the river. For many, it was the most dangerous point of the journey, since the Fugitive Slave Law of 1850 made it a crime to harbor “runaways.” Join us as we follow one family’s story. Rochelle Balkam taught history and government at Ypsilanti High School for 36 years, and taught Michigan history at Eastern Michigan University (EMU) for 27 years. She holds an M.A. degree in history and an M.S. in historic preservation from EMU. Rochelle serves on the board of the Michigan One-Room Schoolhouse Association, and formerly served on the board of the Historical Society of Michigan and the Ann Arbor Historic Commission. 
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor: Rochelle Balkam
Capacity Remaining: 0
-
Dates: 10/18/2023 - 10/18/2023
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: W
-
Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Gerald R. Ford is Michigan’s only President of the United States. Though born in Nebraska, he spent most of his 93+ years either in Michigan or representing the state in Washington, D.C., before becoming vice president and then president. He eventually retired to California, but his presence continues to be felt in our state, especially in his home town of Grand Rapids. Through photos and documents Ken Hafeli will share his accumulated knowledge of our nation’s 38th president, emphasizing Ford’s close ties to Michigan. Kenneth Hafeli holds an undergraduate degree from Michigan Technological University in Houghton and a master's degree in history from Wayne State University. He retired in 2016 from the Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library in Ann Arbor after 39 years. For the last 20 years he held the position of Senior Photo Archivist and was responsible for cataloging, arranging, and preserving President Ford's White House negatives, as well as the Ford family’s personal pre- and post-presidential photographs.
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Ken Hafeli
-
Dates: 11/1/2023 - 11/1/2023
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: W
-
Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
|
|
-
HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
Climb into our time machine and join us for a trip back to the Sixties. We will recall the events of 60 years ago by discussing Robert S. McElvaine’s 2022 book, The Times They Were a-Changin’ in which he focuses on what he calls the long year of 1964: late 1963 to the summer of 1965. Class members are encouraged, but not required, to read the book prior to the class. Susan will review its contents in the first hour, and in the second hour we will share our experiences of that time period. Our second class will also allow time for discussion following a presentatipn relating to the impact of 1964 on our country today. While McElvaine only hints at the subject, Susan will share 15 titles that speak to whether or not we learned from the events in the 1960s. Susan Nenadic holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in history and English. She is known for her integration of history and literature in teaching, and is the author of several books and articles, including A Purse of Her Own: Occupations of 19th Century Women, and Legendary Locals of Ann Arbor. Susan currently leads Friends of Amoru, a non-profit organization building a secondary school in Uganda. 
-
Fee: $30.00
-
Instructor(s): Susan Nenadic
-
Dates: 11/9/2023 - 11/16/2023
Times: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM
-
Sessions: 2
Days: Th
-
Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
The Dexters of Massachusetts: Washtenaw County's Connection to a Prominent American Family
From their arrival in Boston in 1642 through the mid-20th century, nine generations of Dexters left an indelible mark on America and eventually the world. Primarily, through a combination of business acumen and a zeal for public service, the Dexters made significant contributions to numerous events and movements in American history, including the Revolutionary War, the establishment of the Republic, settling and developing the Michigan frontier, abolition of slavery, temperance activism, the rebuilding of Chicago, and the 20th century struggle for women's rights. Frank Wilhelme, along with a group of residents, founded the Dexter Area Historical Society in 1971, and served as its first president. He has also served as executive director of the Historical Society of Michigan. After a career in teaching and historical administration, Frank held several positions at the University of Michigan until his retirement in 2009, including Assistant Dean for Alumni Relations and Development at the Ross School of Business.
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Frank Wilhelme
-
Dates: 11/17/2023 - 11/17/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: F
-
Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
IN-PERSON: The Elderwise classroom at the Vineyard Church
Jane: The Fascinating History of Jane Goodall
British chimpanzee expert Jane Goodall is the subject of this visually stunning 2017 documentary which includes footage of her early research in Gombe National Park, Tanzania in the 1950s and 1960s, plus more recent interviews and narration for the film. This historical biopic reveals rare footage of the famed primatologist's early work. At the age of 26, Goodall travelled from England to what is today Tanzania, equipped with nothing more than a notebook and a pair of binoculars. Her decades of living with and observing chimpanzees opened an unprecedented window into the lives of our close relatives. Join us as we experience the joy, exhilaration, and thrill that Jane herself experienced in Gombe. Today she still works to protect endangered species, particularly chimpanzees, and encourages people to make the world a better place. Toby Teorey is the current Vice-Chair of the Elderwise Council. He is retired from the Computer Science and Engineering Department at the University of Michigan, and in retirement pursues his enduring love of film, music, and world culture.
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Toby Teorey
-
Dates: 9/27/2023 - 9/27/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: W
-
Building: Vineyard Church
Room: Classroom at the Vineyard Church
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
The Michigan militia movement began in the late 1970s, and foreshadowed the growth of the movement nationwide. As an FBI agent in Michigan, Greg Stejskal had extensive involvement with Mark Koernke, “Mark from Michigan,” one of the founders of the movement. Later Stejskal was involved in the investigation of the Oklahoma City bombing, which had a substantial Michigan connection. In this class we will discuss these events, and how extreme elements of the militia movement have become a domestic threat, with their involvement in a plot to kidnap the governor of Michigan, and the January 6 insurrection at the United States Capitol Building in Washington D.C. Greg Stejskal is a retired special agent of the FBI having served from 1975-2006. He has also written a book, FBI Case Files Michigan – Tales of a G-Man, chronicling some of the cases in which he was involved during his career, some involving the Michigan militia.
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Gregory Stejskal
-
Dates: 10/26/2023 - 10/26/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: Th
-
Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
The Korean War: The Forgotten War (1950-1953)
World War II and Vietnam both loom large in our popular culture. The Korean War does not. Yet this struggle, which killed 35,000 Americans and well over two million Koreans, deserves attention. The biggest military conflict of its time, Korea spread the Cold War from Europe to East Asia. It led to a drastic rise in U.S. military spending, accelerated atomic weaponry and alliance systems, and ensnared the US in Vietnam. Within the U.S., it enabled the rise of Senator Joe McCarthy and raised questions about civilian-military relations, limited war, POWs and “brainwashing.” Though historians differ about this war, they agree it never ended, as current missile tests and verbal threats illustrate. Michael Homel is Professor Emeritus of History at Eastern Michigan University. He specializes in 20th century American history and American urban history. He is the author of Unlocking City Hall: Exploring the History of Local Government and Politics, and other publications on urban politics and education. 
-
Fee: $15.00
-
Instructor(s): Michael Homel
-
Dates: 11/15/2023 - 11/15/2023
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:30 PM
-
Sessions: 1
Days: W
-
Building: Hybrid: In-Person and Online
Room: Vineyard Cafe and Zoom
-
-
Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
|
-
- ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.
If you are trying to register the day before this class starts or the day of the class, please email or call the office. This close to the class start date, we need to register you over the phone and provide you with any important information and send you the Zoom Link if the class in online. Thank you!
-
ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
A Day in the Life of an Ancient Roman, Kelsey Museum Virtual Visit
Much of what we know about Roman daily life comes to us not from the city of Rome, but from Pompeii and other cities in the Bay of Naples which were buried by the eruption of Vesuvius in 79 CE. Cities were buried under more than 20 feet of stone and ash, which helped to preserve a literal snapshot of what was happening right before the eruption. What is your daily routine? Wake up, eat breakfast, brush teeth, work, exercise, come home, eat dinner, and bed? Sounds about right, with some variation in there? Do you think the ancient Romans had a different daily routine – or was it the same? Join us online as we discover what a day in the life of a citizen of ancient Rome was like, based on evidence gathered from the ruins of Pompeii.
 
- Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
- ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.
If you are trying to register the day before this class starts or the day of the class, please email or call the office. This close to the class start date, we need to register you over the phone and provide you with any important information and send you the Zoom Link if the class in online. Thank you!
-
HYBRID: In the classroom and online. A Zoom link will be sent to all one day before class.
Early Caribou Hunting in the Great Lakes: Prehistoric Archaeology Underwater
The discovery of ancient caribou hunting structures preserved beneath Lake Huron has transformed our understanding of the early human occupation of the Great Lakes. Since the initial discovery, research has focused on broadening our understanding of these early hunters and the environment in which they lived. This talk will provide a background to the history and methods used in the research and an overview of the exciting results of these new multi-disciplinary research efforts. John O'Shea is the Curator of Great Lakes Archaeology at the University of Michigan Museum of Anthropological Archaeology, and Professor in the Department of Anthropology. He received his Ph.D. in Prehistoric Archaeology from Cambridge University, and prior to coming to the University of Michigan, he taught at the Institute for Pre- and Proto-History at the University of Amsterdam and at the University of Iowa. He is actively engaged in underwater archaeology, where his research involves both historic shipwrecks and submerged prehistoric sites in the Great Lakes.
 
- Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|
-
- ONLINE REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.
If you are trying to register the day before this class starts or the day of the class, please email or call the office. This close to the class start date, we need to register you over the phone and provide you with any important information and send you the Zoom Link if the class in online. Thank you!
-
ONLINE: A Zoom invitation link will be sent one day before class begins.
The Past is Not Even Past: The Aftermath of the Holocaust
“The past is never dead. It is not even past,” said American novelist William Faulkner. Rather than recounting the WW2 Holocaust itself, we will look at the aftermath: especially the contention over the meanings, myths, and interpretations of the Holocaust from 1945 to the present. How and why have perceptions about the Holocaust changed sharply over the years? Topics include the fate of survivors and perpetrators, Displaced Persons camps and immigration, the creation of Israel, a UN convention on genocide, perceptions and attitudes in the two Germanys (now one), and in Sovietised eastern Europe as well as North America, the Eichmann and other trials, Mideast politics, competing victimhoods, and, finally, current controversies in Europe, particularly Poland and the Baltics. What we call history is often a highly contested ground based on competing political agendas and new perspectives. Gene Homel has taught history and politics since 1973 at universities and colleges in Ontario and British Columbia. He holds a master’s degree and a Ph.D. from the University of Toronto and has written and presented extensively on history and culture.
- Return to Home Page
|
|
|
|