Rose City hero honored with mural
December 25, 2023
Heather Munson painted this mural of her Great-grandfather, Marv Cleveland on the side of the Rose City building when the Daily Scoop is located.
By Donna Thoma and
Mark Constance
"Larger than life, free spirit, honest, trustworthy, hero, beloved by family and the whole town."
Those are words used to describe former Rose City Police Chief, Marvin (Marv) Cleveland (1918-1970).
A member of Cleveland's family, Tonya Alderton, recently opened the Daily Scoop in Rose City. There is a spot on the building, located at 114 N. Williams Street in Rose City, where there is a blocked-in window space.
The duo decided it was a perfect spot for a mural to honor Cleveland. They commissioned Cleveland's great granddaughter, Heather Munson, to paint it, in part as a surprise for the rest of the family, and to honor one of Rose City's heroes.
It is still a work in progress, recently having roses added to the bottom of the painting, as an honor to Rose City and "his" people. The mural depicts Cleveland smoking his classic cigarette, ready to head off with his fishing pole to catch some fish for dinner.
But the mural doesn't begin to describe the depth of the man.
Born 1918 in Clawson, Michigan to Charles and Mona Cleveland, Marv was one of three sons. His father was from northern Michigan, and mom from the Detroit area, a city girl. When Marvin was 12, his family moved to the Rose City area.
His daughter, Sharon Alderton, described her dad as a confident man, movie star handsome, and athletic. His athleticism, according to "legend," was often displayed through his swimming. If it were warm enough, he would occasionally swim across Rifle Lake to get to his classes at O'Conner School in Lupton, where he attended school through the eighth grade.
Marv Cleveland
Alderton said her parents met when Marv came to visit her Aunt Flossie and her mom, June Ranney, was there. Both of their families spent a great amount of time vacationing in northern Michigan, as her mom was from the Flint area.
When Marv saw June, he tripped in the doorway and "fell in love, literally." Flossie asked Marv if he wanted a cigarette, but Alderton said her dad was so shook up he couldn't hold it. Cory had to light the cigarette for him.
The pair married in 1938 and had three children, Sharon, Marva, and Charles.
Due to the depression, job scarcity, and his mother not being used to living in, what was then, "wilderness," his parents divorced. The boys and mom moved back to the Detroit area. On the weekends however, the boys and their mom would return to the Rose City area, where Cleveland enjoyed hunting and fishing.
WWII service at Iwo Jima
Cleveland joined the Marines in 1944 and was a heavy machine gunner and marksman, and eventually participated in the assault of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima.
The battle of Iwo Jima was brutal. Nearly 20,000 U.S. Marines were wounded and 7,000 killed during the fighting there.
A fellow Marine, Lyman Cory, told the family of an event where both he and Cleveland were in separate fox holes in the middle of the night. A Japanese soldier with a live grenade, was crawling toward Cory in the dark. Cleveland shot and killed the Japanese soldier, saving Cory's life. (Lyman Cory of Brooklyn, Michigan, passed away in June 2023.)
On March 24, 1945, Cleveland was buried in shrapnel and debris from a nearby bomb blast. While buried, he'd also inhaled a large amount of volcanic ash, embedding his lungs, nostrils, and tonsils. Battle fatigue (PTSD) was also a large part of his injuries, having witnessed a buddy killed in front of him.
Both Cleveland and Cory were injured during that battle and subsequently placed side by side on stretchers. Cleveland was a smoker at the time and asked Cory if he'd like a cigarette. Due to the obvious stress of the moment Cory said he accepted, smoking his first and last cigarette.
The day after he was wounded, Cleveland was close enough to see other Marines raise the U.S. Flag. The memorial to that event stands at Memorial Park, Arlington, Virginia.
Coming home to Rose City
Following his discharge as Private 1st Class, Cleveland returned to northern Michigan. He would hold a variety of jobs, including mail carrier, tool maker, working at the West Branch Bicycle factory, and a fabrication shop.
His family isn't sure how he came to be asked to take on the duties of Rose City Police Chief. However, he served the community honorably in that position from 1956 until his sudden passing of a heart attack, in 1970, at the age of 51.
Locals who were teenagers during Cleveland's time as police chief, still tell stories today of how he would know what they were up to, and how he could find to find them sneaking a beer.
One young man told a story of how he'd purchased a new car and decided to show off a bit. One night, at the four corners of town, he peeled out, squealing his tires, and racing toward Lupton. A police chase ensued. He raced on, trying to avoid being caught by Cleveland and the Michigan State Police. He pulled off the road and hid behind a building.
Waiting a few minutes, and not hearing sirens, he finally walked out from the corner where he'd been hiding. Seeing and hearing nothing, he went back to his car and got in. It was then he heard a tap on his window. It was Cleveland.
Cleveland was the type of police officer who was more inclined to try and correct youthful offenders and send them home, rather than just arresting and charging them with a crime. A different style of small-town policing that endeared him to the community.
Cleveland, one of Rose City's own, was a hero and a friend to everyone.
Rose City hero honored with mural
December 25, 2023
Heather Munson painted this mural of her Great-grandfather, Marv Cleveland on the side of the Rose City building when the Daily Scoop is located.
By Donna Thoma and
Mark Constance
"Larger than life, free spirit, honest, trustworthy, hero, beloved by family and the whole town."
Those are words used to describe former Rose City Police Chief, Marvin (Marv) Cleveland (1918-1970).
A member of Cleveland's family, Tonya Alderton, recently opened the Daily Scoop in Rose City. There is a spot on the building, located at 114 N. Williams Street in Rose City, where there is a blocked-in window space.
The duo decided it was a perfect spot for a mural to honor Cleveland. They commissioned Cleveland's great granddaughter, Heather Munson, to paint it, in part as a surprise for the rest of the family, and to honor one of Rose City's heroes.
It is still a work in progress, recently having roses added to the bottom of the painting, as an honor to Rose City and "his" people. The mural depicts Cleveland smoking his classic cigarette, ready to head off with his fishing pole to catch some fish for dinner.
But the mural doesn't begin to describe the depth of the man.
Born 1918 in Clawson, Michigan to Charles and Mona Cleveland, Marv was one of three sons. His father was from northern Michigan, and mom from the Detroit area, a city girl. When Marvin was 12, his family moved to the Rose City area.
His daughter, Sharon Alderton, described her dad as a confident man, movie star handsome, and athletic. His athleticism, according to "legend," was often displayed through his swimming. If it were warm enough, he would occasionally swim across Rifle Lake to get to his classes at O'Conner School in Lupton, where he attended school through the eighth grade.
Marv Cleveland
Alderton said her parents met when Marv came to visit her Aunt Flossie and her mom, June Ranney, was there. Both of their families spent a great amount of time vacationing in northern Michigan, as her mom was from the Flint area.
When Marv saw June, he tripped in the doorway and "fell in love, literally." Flossie asked Marv if he wanted a cigarette, but Alderton said her dad was so shook up he couldn't hold it. Cory had to light the cigarette for him.
The pair married in 1938 and had three children, Sharon, Marva, and Charles.
Due to the depression, job scarcity, and his mother not being used to living in, what was then, "wilderness," his parents divorced. The boys and mom moved back to the Detroit area. On the weekends however, the boys and their mom would return to the Rose City area, where Cleveland enjoyed hunting and fishing.
WWII service at Iwo Jima
Cleveland joined the Marines in 1944 and was a heavy machine gunner and marksman, and eventually participated in the assault of the Japanese island of Iwo Jima.
The battle of Iwo Jima was brutal. Nearly 20,000 U.S. Marines were wounded and 7,000 killed during the fighting there.
A fellow Marine, Lyman Cory, told the family of an event where both he and Cleveland were in separate fox holes in the middle of the night. A Japanese soldier with a live grenade, was crawling toward Cory in the dark. Cleveland shot and killed the Japanese soldier, saving Cory's life. (Lyman Cory of Brooklyn, Michigan, passed away in June 2023.)
On March 24, 1945, Cleveland was buried in shrapnel and debris from a nearby bomb blast. While buried, he'd also inhaled a large amount of volcanic ash, embedding his lungs, nostrils, and tonsils. Battle fatigue (PTSD) was also a large part of his injuries, having witnessed a buddy killed in front of him.
Both Cleveland and Cory were injured during that battle and subsequently placed side by side on stretchers. Cleveland was a smoker at the time and asked Cory if he'd like a cigarette. Due to the obvious stress of the moment Cory said he accepted, smoking his first and last cigarette.
The day after he was wounded, Cleveland was close enough to see other Marines raise the U.S. Flag. The memorial to that event stands at Memorial Park, Arlington, Virginia.
Coming home to Rose City
Following his discharge as Private 1st Class, Cleveland returned to northern Michigan. He would hold a variety of jobs, including mail carrier, tool maker, working at the West Branch Bicycle factory, and a fabrication shop.
His family isn't sure how he came to be asked to take on the duties of Rose City Police Chief. However, he served the community honorably in that position from 1956 until his sudden passing of a heart attack, in 1970, at the age of 51.
Locals who were teenagers during Cleveland's time as police chief, still tell stories today of how he would know what they were up to, and how he could find to find them sneaking a beer.
One young man told a story of how he'd purchased a new car and decided to show off a bit. One night, at the four corners of town, he peeled out, squealing his tires, and racing toward Lupton. A police chase ensued. He raced on, trying to avoid being caught by Cleveland and the Michigan State Police. He pulled off the road and hid behind a building.
Waiting a few minutes, and not hearing sirens, he finally walked out from the corner where he'd been hiding. Seeing and hearing nothing, he went back to his car and got in. It was then he heard a tap on his window. It was Cleveland.
Cleveland was the type of police officer who was more inclined to try and correct youthful offenders and send them home, rather than just arresting and charging them with a crime. A different style of small-town policing that endeared him to the community.
Cleveland, one of Rose City's own, was a hero and a friend to everyone.
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