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An important note was “In the event there are no trustees qualified or capable of acting under said Sims Ranch Trust Agreement as amended, the trustees authorized the Circuit Court for Arenac County, Michigan to appoint trustees from among family members. At present, there are three trustees who act for the family Cemetery Trust: Gail Demko, Joe Gammie (descended of Helen Sims), and Susan Binkley (descended of Susan Sims). The difference between the two trusts was that the overall family trust attempted to maintain the entirety of the ~2 square miles of Sims Ranch property in one piece for a requisite number of years. As was expected, property taxes continued to rise, almost as a result of Ed Sim’s desire to see the east shore of Michigan developed as a vacation area, so the family soon found itself in need of money to pay what was owed. Annual reports show profit and loss statements leading up to the dissolution of the overall Sims Ranch trust, starting with the death of the last trustee (Charlotte Smith Sims) in 1955. The 1957 statement reported that between 1934 and 1955, the operating deficit of the Ranch totaled approximately $120,000 and land valued at $43,000 had been sold. By 1957, all the cattle, equipment, and capital assets had been sold with the only remaining assets being the land; the Ranch trust was running out of options. Without the “Padrone” the Ranch was failing and, in 1963, the land was apportioned to family members, half to the two sons and half to the four daughters. Ed had originally expected to leave Sims Ranch to his two sons believing that the girls would marry well enough to provide their own summer houses. However, Charlotte strongly dissuaded him from this action. All of the back property was quickly sold to developers as well as most of the shoreline where there are now only six houses belong to Sims’ descendants. Sims Ranch proper was no more. In stark contrast, the Cemetery Trust is exempt from property taxes (but responsible for certain levies from the township). It is also a trust set up “Forever”. There is a small investment fund that is underwritten by gifts from those who understand the importance of keeping the the cemetery viable; often as a bequest from the estate of those who choose to be buried there. This management fund primarily covers groundskeeping and upkeep costs. The result of this investment by the Sims family over the year is a well-ordered cemetery arranged in family groups surrounded by a field stone wall with space and means to accommodate future extended family. All descendants of Ed and Charlotte Sims (now numbering greater than a hundred people) have the right to be buried with their families at the Sims Family Cemetery. While both of Ed and Charlotte’s sons and their families are buried in Illinois and other states, all four of the daughters are interred at their beloved Sims Ranch. Charlotte was obviously very wise when she insisted that Ed leave the property to his sons as well as his daughters. Those who visit for the summer still visit the cemetery and the graves of those who are buried there. The Sims Family Cemetery is the one last places where family is just that, family. In this day of Ancestry.com and other genealogic sites, we have history at our fingertips. The cemetery is home to five generations of Sims’ descendants, and we, as trustees, hope the family cemetery will be a touching source of history and remeberence for generations to come. |
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