THE JASPILITE

FALL 2016 ISSUE

Our Purpose:

To enjoy, to learn, to

teach and conserve

The rocks, the gems, the

fossils and ores,

To collect, to admire, to

brag and to show

The material we’ve

found, we’ll trade for

yours.

-Bob & Marian Markert

(founding members)

To honor the founders of the

Ishpeming Rock & Mineral Club, the

club has named its annual

scholarship award to a Michigan

Technological University Earth

Science student “The Robert and

Marian Markert Earth Science

Award”.

Bob and Marian were born in

Ishpeming and graduated from

Ishpeming High School. Bob was a

retired railway postal employee,

former director of the Greater

Ishpeming Chamber of Commerce

and the Ishpeming Economic

Development Corporation, member

of Kiwanis, manager of the local

travel agency, and served in the

Navy (Seabees) during WWII.

Marian managed Markert’s Rock

Shop and Motel in

Ishpeming/Marquette and was

active in the Wesley United

Methodist Church.

Bob and Marian Markert founded

the Ishpeming Rock and Mineral

Club in 1953. Both were familiar

faces at the Club’s annual show,

often staffing the mineral

FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK…

identification table, the children’s

area, the micro mineral table, and

leading local field trips. Both Bob

and Marian were active in the club,

serving in many official capacities

including president, secretary, field

trip chairman, treasurer, and editor

of THE JASPILITE.

The Markerts were leaders of rock,

mineral, and gem collecting in

Michigan from the 1950’s through

the 1990’s. Bob was a past president

of the Midwest Federation of

Mineralogical Society. They also led

the IRMC to Host the Midwest

Federation Gem & Mineral Show in

Ishpeming in 1960 and 1972. They

helped publicize the resources of

Upper Michigan and showed

portions of their personal collection

at many shows, as well as helping

many school children learn about

rocks, minerals and fossils.

Bob was inducted in 1988 into the

National Rockhound and Lapidary

Hall of Fame for his achievements

in earth science and the lapidary

arts. He was the first inductee into

the Education category at the Hall.

INSIDE:

You’re Needed!

Upcoming Events

Earth Science

Awards

Raffle Winners

Kid’s Corner

(Continued on Page 2)

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Bob published articles in EARTH SCIENCE

MAGAZINE, LAPIDARY JOURNAL, ROCKS AND

MINERALS MAGAZINE, TRAVELURE, MARQUETTE

COUNTY TOURIST GUIDE, and ALGER COUNTY

TOURIST GUIDE.

Some of Bob and Marian’s unique lapidary

projects include: the altar of Wesley United

Methodist Church, Ishpeming Michigan, made of

Kona Dolomite; the Jaspilite fireplace at

Cleveland Cliffs’ Mather Cottage; and the hearth

at the Wawonowin Golf Club in Ishpeming. They

also cut and polished enough Jaspilite to frame

the entrance to the Cleveland-Cliffs Iron

Company office in Cleveland, Ohio. Bob and

Marian cut and polished hematite cuff-links that

were presented to President Gerald Ford.

(Our thanks to Scott Markert for this biography of his

parents.)

UPCOMING EVENTS

NOVEMBER 20, 2016

Program Meeting

& nominations for club officers

DECEMBER 4, 2016

Holiday Dinner Meeting

& election of officers

JANUARY 15, 2017

Program Meeting

FEBRUARY 19, 2017

Program Meeting

MARCH 19, 2017

Program Meeting

APRIL 16, 2017

Program Meeting

MAY 21, 2017

Program Meeting

AUGUST 4, 2017

Gem & Mineral Show Field Trip

Republic Mine (Tentative)

AUGUST 5, 2017

41st Annual Gem & Mineral Show

AUGUST 6, 2017

Gem & Mineral Show Field Trip

Lindberg Quarry (Tentative)

YOU’RX NXXDXD!

Xvxn though my kxyboard is an old modxl, it

works quitx wxll – xxcxpt for onx kxy. I havx

many timxs wishxd it workxd pxrfxctly. It’s

trux that thx othxr kxys work grxat, but just

onx kxy not working makxs a hugx diffxrxncx.

Somxtimxs our club sxxms a lot likx my

kxyboard. You may say to yoursxlf, “Wxll, I’m

just onx pxrson. I don’t makx or brxak thx

club.” But it doxs makx a big diffxrxncx

bxcausx a club, to bx xffxctivx, nxxds thx activx

participation of xvxry pxrson.

So, thx nxxt timx you think your xfforts arxn’t

nxcxssary, rxmxmbxr my kxyboard, and say to

yoursxlf, “I’m a kxy pxrson in thx club, and I’m

nxxdxd vxry much.”

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one step at a time and being grateful for every

opportunity.”

At the October meeting, we awarded THE

OLIVE AND LAWRENCE SAIN EARTH SCIENCE

AWARD to Ann Pelton from Northern Michigan

University. Ann was nominated by Dr. Robert

Regis of NMU’s Department of Earth,

Environmental, and Geographical Sciences. Dr.

Regis praised Ms. Pelton, saying “She is an

excellent student who will be successful in her

career or graduate school (I believe she has

plans to attend).”

Ms. Pelton is a very private person who

declined to have us publish her photo, but

provided us with the following brief biography:

“I am from Michigan's Lower Peninsula and majoring in Earth Science. This is my final semester at NMU before graduating into the Great Unknown. All I really want in life is a one-inch cube of galena and to never see a grossular skarn again.” Congratulations to Luke and Ann!

This fall the Ishpeming Rock and Mineral Club presented its Earth Science Awards to students from Michigan Technological University and Northern Michigan University. In September, we presented THE ROBERT AND

MARIAN MARKERT EARTH SCIENCE AWARD to

Luke Weidner from MTU. Luke was

recommended by Dr. Ted Bornhorst, who said

of him, “Luke is an outstanding undergraduate

student in geological engineering at Michigan

Tech. Luke was the top student in mineralogy

in both lecture and laboratory parts of the class

that I taught this past academic year.” His lab

instructor Bob Baron added, “I think Luke is a

perfect choice.” Luke sent us a capsule

autobiography:

“I'm a third-year student at Michigan Tech

majoring in Geological Engineering, and I'm

originally from Midland, MI. Since moving to

the U.P., I've fallen in love with its wild beauty

(and unique geology!). I spend many

weekends in the fall exploring and camping

with friends, and when the snow sets in, I like

to cross-county ski. I am involved with the

Geology Club and the Badminton Club, among

others, so I tend to stay pretty busy during the

semester in addition to all my classes. I'm also

active in two research endeavors. One of them

involves collaborating with the Keweenaw

National Historic Park to create a geodatabase

of maps, addresses and census data so that

visitors can see layers upon layers of Copper

County history going back to 1888. The other is

working on ways to use satellite images to

quickly analyze earthquake damage. I'm still

unsure where I will eventually fit into the wide

world of geoscience, but for now I'm taking it

2016 EARTH SCIENCE AWARDS

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The Ishpeming Rock and Mineral Club 2016 Gem and Mineral Show

Raffle Winners

Prize Donated by: Winner 1. First Place Cash Prize IRMC Keith Peregrine 2. Second Place Cash Prize IRMC Kysen Foster 3. Third Place Cash Prize IRMC Dan Gumina 4. Beauty/Toiletry Kit Younkers Dennis Maki 5. Cribbage Board Suzie Q’s Antiques Connie Yost 6. Cookbook & 2 Admissions Marq. Reg. History Center Sue Howe 7. Historic Mining Prints (2) Superior View Philip Oliver 8. The Crystal Bible Glen Kivela Mike Elliott 9. Kona Candle Holder Jim Hill’s Rock Shop Caroline Jordan 10. Gift Certificate Congress Pizza Sue Howe 11. Beauty/Toiletry Kit Younkers Bob Wigg 12. Gift Certificate & Glass Michigan Made Trista Looper 13. Miner’s Sweatshirt ? Lucille Scotti 14. Poster & 2 Admissions Marq. Reg. History Center Connie Yost 15. Jaspilite Slab Rock Knockers Rock Shop Mike Elliott 16. Gift Certificate Rare Earth Goods John Sprague 17. Beauty/Toiletry Kit Younkers James Becker 18. Gift Certificate Old Bank Building Antiques Greg Bergland 19. Cribbage Board Suzie Q’s Antiques Charlie Richardson 20. Kona Candle Holder Jim Hill’s Rock Shop John Garceau 21. Historic Mining Prints (2) Superior View Dave Stimac 22. Jaspilite Slab Rock Knockers Rock Shop Dan Gumina 23. Gift Certificate Congress Pizza Ron Armitage 24. Jansport Back Pack ? Kim Palo 25. Graphic Map of Houghton Art of Framing Stephie Nelson 26. Beauty/Toiletry Kit Younkers Kevin Foster 27. Rock Puzzle w/Cards Al & Joyce Smith Fran Nardi 28. Lunch Gift Certificate Midtown Cafe Wendy True 29. Gift Certificate Kingsley North Mark Furo 30. Marble/Onyx Chess Set Phil Oliver Rodney Hasbrouck

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Republic Field Trip

2016 Show

Lindberg Field Trip

Gold Mine Field Trip

KID'S CORNER A HIT AT THE ANNUAL

IRMC SHOW

Many children stopped by the Kid's Corner at the

show this year. They selected their own

specimens for their egg carton collections.

Dinosaur buttons were also a hit. Many adults

came by to pick up specimens for both

themselves, their children and grandchildren. At

25 cents apiece, they got the best bargain at the

show. Many Mineral Coloring Books were sold to

grandparents also. Thanks to Dawn Hoffman for

helping out and getting each child excited about

collecting their specimens.

Ryan Burns of Plainwell, Michigan was the

winner of the Tumbler set which included grit and

a bag of rocks to polish. He will be a fourth

grader this year. He said that he started collecting

an egg carton of minerals at last year's show and

got a different one this year. He said he likes

rocks. His family decided to come back on their

vacation to the area at the same time as the show

next year. Congratulations, Ryan.

Happy Rockhounding!

--Joyce Smith

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a

Ishpeming Rock and Mineral Club P.O. Box 102 Ishpeming MI 49849 ADDRESS CORRECTION REQUESTED

The Ishpeming Rock and Mineral

Club

www.ishpemingrocks.org

President Dan Fountain

Vice President Ernest Johnson

Secretary Dawn Hoffman

Treasurer David McGowan

Program Chairman Ernest Johnson

Jaspilite Editor Dan Fountain

Trustees Bob Clark

John Crady

Beverly Trynoski

The club meets at the Cliffs Shaft Mine Museum in

Ishpeming at 1:30 p.m. on the third Sunday of the

month, September through November and

January through May. During the summer

business meetings are held at 7:00 p.m. on the

third Monday of the month.

Republic Mine