The milkman of Berrien County

By Chuck Newman

“If it wasn’t for the milkman we would have starved to death.”

That’s what my mother and her siblings would tell me whenever I asked about their childhood. Ever since I heard this story I wanted to know more about this compassionate man and wished I could somehow thank him. This is the story of my quest to identify and honor the memory of “the milkman.”

My mother, Dorothy Katz Newman, and her siblings grew up in poverty in rural Michigan. My mother wanted me to realize what their life was like when she shared this story: once her brother found a quarter that he gave to their mother who was then able to go to the butcher for a soupbone so she could make soup. Her mother, Jennie Katz, had a huge garden at their home in Paw Paw Lake that was the source of the fruits and vegetables that she would can and preserve so her family would have something to eat. She also obtained dairy products for her children from the milkman who said, “pay me when you can,” which turned out to be 6 years and $600 later. At the time, $600 was a lot of money from someone who had to provide for his own family.

A couple of years ago I was reading an article in Michigan History magazine about a house in Paw Paw Lake that was in the same family for over 100 years and was built by a Swedish immigrant, Andrew Grahn, who was a milkman. Was he “the milkman?” With some help from the internet, I was able to find the phone number of the current resident of the house, the milkman’s granddaughter, who was as gracious as her grandfather was kind. That phone call led to many more and a visit to the milkman’s farm. 

From his granddaughter I learned that Andrew Grahn was a hardworking immigrant from Sweden who built his house himself and established a small dairy. He was incredibly generous and provided dairy products on credit to his needy customers who he knew would never be able to repay him. Also, during the depression, the schools didn’t have the money to pay the teachers’ salaries. Without telling his wife, he went to the bank, mortgaged his farm and gave the money to the schools so the children could get an education.

To honor Andrew Grahn I commissioned my sister’s husband, John Moga, to research and create an exhibit of his life. Last October a reception was held at the North Berrien Historical Museum in Coloma, where descendants of Andrew Grahn and Jennie Katz spoke and met one another. My sister provided baked goods she prepared using Jennie’s baking pans. It was an emotional experience for all who attended and one of the most meaningful and gratifying experiences of my life.

There will be another reception to honor Andrew Grahn’s memory on March 31 when the traveling exhibit of his life will be on display at the Ann Arbor Jewish Community Center, 2935 Birch Hollow Drive, from 5:30 to 7 p.m. Family members will be available to answer questions.

As a result of Andrew Grahn’s generosity, Jennie Katz’s children were able to stay together as a family, which eventually led to fulfilling lives and the ability to give back to the country that gave them and Andrew Grahn the opportunity to achieve the American dream. Both of Jennie’s sons served with distinction in WWII. One earned medals for bravery when he fought in Europe and the other helped build the atomic bomb. Both of her daughters were beloved teachers.

Some WJN readers may have known my mother when she cooked for “her seniors” at the JCC using the skills acquired helping her mother cook from the time she was 11. She was in her 70s and 80s then, which made her older than many of “her seniors.”

Andrew Grahn’s story of an immigrant from Sweden giving a helping hand to a Jewish immigrant from Eastern Europe is a best of America story and it needed to be told. I feel lucky to have a role in its telling.