Anishinabek Nation remembers Wiikwemkoong Elder and WWII Veteran

By Rick Garrick

WIIKWEMKOONG UNCEDED TERRITORY—Wiikwemkoong Elder Andy (Andrew) Manitowabi is fondly remembered by many for starting up Andy’s General Store and initiating plans to build the Wikwemikong Nursing Home. He passed at the age of 96 on Oct. 30 after moving into the Nursing Home about a year ago.

“That was a long great life he had,” says Walter Manitowabi, Andy’s son. “My dad had 10 children; six of us are still here today. His first wife, Josephine Green, passed away in 1972, and my dad remarried in the early 1980s. Veronica (Marjorie) Jocko, his second wife, passed away in 2016. His six remaining children and dozens and dozens of grandchildren and great grandchildren are going to miss him dearly.”

Andy started up his confectionary store and gas station, now known as Andy’s General Store, in 1966.

“He often joked that he started the confectionary store so he could buy his groceries at wholesale because of his large family,” Walter says, noting the business is now a large retail operation with about 50 employees from the community. “With the business, he gave us all a place to work and a place to grow. I believe that was my dad’s greatest pride, to set up a business to provide goods and services to the community, but also to employ community members. Many of our employees are long-serving employees working more than 20-plus years at the business and that says something about what my dad established.”

Kevin Wassegijig, Wiikwemkoong’s director of operations, says Andy provided him with his first job.

“What I remember of Andy is his commitment to his community and to his family,” Wassegijig says. “When he started up the store, he was very much focused on helping the community. I was fortunate to work there as a young person and really learned a lot in terms of that and just being instilled of care for the community.”

Walter says his father initiated plans for the Wikwemikong Nursing Home, a 70-bed personal care home, while serving on Wiikwemkoong’ s council for a few terms in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

“During the last year of my dad’s life, he lived in the Nursing Home,” Walter says. “He was very proud of the care that he was given by our community members, professional care and loving care. And we saw that right until last night, after his passing, where all of the staff came and did their farewell to him.”

Andy volunteered to serve his people in World War II during the 1940s.

“He was sent overseas immediately and was right on the frontline of the conflict,” Walter says. “He was out there for about two years. He saw a lot — he survived, but he lost a lot of friends, a lot of his comrades. But he returned home safely back in 1944.”

Andy married Green, a volunteer for the war efforts who he met while preparing to go overseas, after returning home.

“In his early years, he supported his family by doing construction work, building roads and building infrastructure across Manitoulin Island and across the North Shore,” Walter says. “So all of the roads you see around here, he was involved with.”

Grand Council Chief Glen Hare says Andy was one of the Anishinabek Nation’s “very proud veterans.”

“He was a very dedicated veteran,” Grand Council Chief Hare says. “He was at all of the services that I attended. He was always there, a very quiet individual. He will certainly be missed. Over all of these years he has been very involved in his community.”

Hare says Andy’s son Melvin Farrell Manitowabi, who passed in 2010, used to share stories about his father while they were working together.

“Even though he was 96, it was still a shock to hear of his passing,” Grand Council Chief Hare says. “I want to say miigwech to him and also to the family for putting Wiikwemkoong on the map. He played a big role in that and the family has a big task to carry on and I know they will.”