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The Sheriff of Oxbow presentation

2023.18.28

Mary K was a much beloved and much feared Saugatuck free spirit who defended Ox-Bow from trespassers, spoiled her dogs and lived life on her own terms. This 55-minute presentation tells all sides of this legendary Saugatuckian.

1910 Ox-BowDevelopment, resistance toTuesday Talk1960 Gay/LGBTQ+ culture

Winthers, Sally

Digital data in CatalogIt

Old Harbor/Channel piers pre-1906/Ox-Bow LagoonBettles, Mary Katherine 1910-1984Palmer, Jean (Anderson) 1892-1989Wise Residence/515 Park/Ferry Store/Heath Shop 1917-1980s?Smalley, Kay (Norton)Anthrop, Judy (Bowman)Tillstrom, Burr 1917-1985Deam, Norman Arthur 1932-2022Deam, Constance "Connie" (Graves) 1933-2019

Mary K worked at the Ferry Store, the Saugatuck Chamber of Commerce, the Commercial Record and had an ad agency called Holiday Advertising. She was closely associated with the Deam family, the Smalley family, Burr Tillstrom and Ox-Bow. She was involved in a law suit to establish the Ox-Bow lagoon as a private lake. Her beloved dogs included: Chloe, a Cocker Spaniel given to Mary K by her partner Jean. Chloe was overfed, had boots and lived 16 years. George, an adopted stray hound that rode to work at the advertising agency in Mary's convertible. He roamed around town while she worked. Rex, an aggressive German Shepard that carried a flashlight in his mouth and made entertaining at Mary's cottage difficult. Greta, a kinder German Shepard prone to barking.

09/23/2023

05/08/2025