Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2016 All Rights Reserved USGenNet Data Repository Please read USGenNet Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott for the USGenNet Data Repository http://www.us-data.org/ =========================================================================== Formatted by USGenNet Data Repository Chief Archivist, Linda Talbott All of the above information must remain when copied or downloaded. =========================================================================== Ludington Daily News Tuesday, September 25, 1917 CAPT. L. STERLING, PIONEER LAKE CAPT., ANSWERS DEATH CALL. Lake Career Began at Age of 10 Years As Cabin Boy on His Father's Boat; Was Capt. at 18 Years. RETIRED LAST SPRING BECAUSE OF ILL HEALTH. Widow and Three Small Children Left to Mourn Loss of Husband and Father. Capt. LOUIS HENRY STERLING, Ludington's pioneer of the Great Lakes, died yesterday afternoon at 4:30 at his home, 310 east Melendy street. CAPT. STERLING had been failing in health for the past year but took to his bed only last Friday. Death was due to a stroke of apoplexy. LOUIS HENRY STERLING was born in Chi- cago in 1858. At the age of four years he removed to Lincoln with his parents. About 1865 the family moved to Ludington where the lumbering industry was in its infancy and working in the woods, saw mills and sailing were all the means of livelihood open. The father of LOUIS STERLING was a lake captain and under him the boy began his life career as cabin boy at the age of 10 years. His skill in the art of the seaman grew with his love for the life on the sea and at the early age of 18 years, he had secured his captain's papers. During the days when the lumber industry was at its height, CAPT. STERLING command- ed many of the lake schooners which ran in- to Ludington and carried lumber from this point. For a number of years while Butters- ville was a center of lumbering interests he piloted the ferries across the channel between there and Ludington. He commanded in succession the ferries Helen Taylor, Rival and Cooper. Later in life CAPT. STERLING was employed on the carferries and with the Pere Marquette steamers as mate and second mate. Still later, until obliged to give up his life's work be- cause of ill health, he commanded tugs oper- ating from this port. His career on the lake completed, early last spring he bought out the old Hub rest- aurant property on south James street and opened what is now known as the Eagle rest- aurant. Although suffering much from poor health he personally looked after the busi- ness of the restaurant until a few days be- fore his death. With the passing of CAPT. STERLING Luding- ton loses one of her oldest and best known lake captains. Although only 59 years of age at the time of his death, yet his career, in the making of Ludington, had been a long one witnessing many changes because of his early start in life. As master of the stately schooner of that bygone day, CAPT. STERLING was in his prime and glory, and, when the faster steam- boat replaced the sailing vessel he was not left out of the race by followed his chosen life work advancing with the time in which he lived. Many friends of those early days unite with the friends of today in mourning the death of one loved by all who knew him. His widow and three small children, AGNES, aged 9, FRANCIS, aged 7, and JAMES, aged 2, are left to mourn his loss. He is also sur- vived by two brothers, FRANK STERLING of Milwaukee, and EDWARD STERLING of Ludington and one sister, Miss KATHERINE STERLING, of this city. Funeral services will be held from the home on Thursday afternoon under the auspices of the local lodge of Eagles of which the de- ceased had long been a member. ==========================================================================