Pearl and Bill Brailey of Negaunee are pictured. (Photo courtesy of the Negaunee Historical Society)

NEGAUNEE — Pearl and Bill Brailey of Negaunee didn’t let grass grow under their feet. Pearl’s philosophy, “Those who leave footprints in the sands of time must wear work shoes.”

Pearl was a native of Negaunee and Bill was born in Gunislake, Cornwall England.

When he was 19 he came across the Atlantic and went to Montana where his three brothers were living. After he worked in the mines there for a while, he decided to venture to the Upper Peninsula of Michigan where he heard about the good jobs available in the small mining town of Negaunee.

Bill worked for the Cleveland Cliffs for 45 years. When Bill arrived in Negaunee he was longing for a home cooked meal. He looked forward to the Harvest Festival Dinner, that the ladies of the Mitchell Methodist Church ladies were serving. He didn’t only get a good meal, he met a pretty girl named Pearl. They were married two years later.

Shortly after they were married they moved to Detroit. They didn’t like the Motor City as well as Negaunee so 5 years later they moved back to Negaunee. The Braileys led an unselfish lifestyle. They raised many homeless children, two of whom they adopted. Tragedy struck the family of their friends, that left a 4 year old girl without a mother.

They brought Phyllis to live with them. Phyllis was the first child that the Braileys opened their heart and home to. Before long the house echoed with the laughter and the voices of Byron, Robert, Marian, Paula and others. Whenever sorrow entered the families of friends, or just acquaintances, through death or a prolonged illness, the Braileys made room for the children who were victims in these crisis.

Jack arrived when he was six years old. Circumstances were favorable and he was adopted by the Braileys. Pearl said all of the children they took in were lovely children. It really wasn’t important whether they were legally adopted or not.

When you raise them for 20 years, you love them and your heart tells you they are yours. The Brailey house was bursting at the seams, and it became necessary to move to a larger one,(which is next door to the museum)

When Bill was 47 and Pearl was 42, the last baby, who was a year old, came to live with them. Donna was also adopted by the Braileys. They didn’t think they would live long enough to raise her, but she blessed them with grandchildren. As the Brailey kids grew and left home, Bill and Pearl needed to fill the empty gap. Bill did a lot of fishing and rabbit hunting.

Pearl needed something to do to keep herself busy, so she decided to start making pasties. Word got around that she made genuine Cornish pasties. In no time, she had a booming business and was making 40 pasties a day in her little kitchen. She did all the clean up too, because Bill wasn’t crazy about doing dishes.

Pearl gave up her business when she began having health problems. Besides the task of raising 10 children, the Braileys were active in civic and church groups. They formed the Jolly Elders, a senior citizens organization in Negaunee. Pearl was on the board of directors for the Thrift Shop. She also conducted religious programs for the nursing homes.in Marquette County.

The Braileys were honored as “Family of the Year” at the Mitchell Methodist Church.