Old Mission History: Florence Kneip’s Little Bookshop at Bowers Harbor

I’m going to need some help on this one. Some time ago, Terry Hooper – who’s married to Bruce Hooper; they run Hooper’s Farm Gardens on Kroupa Road – sent me a picture of a letterhead for “The Little Bookshop at Bowers Harbor.”

Also on the letterhead is the name, “Florence Kneip,” with a phone number, “Mapelton, 14F2.” (That’s how Mapleton is spelled on the letterhead.) Also in the photo is a card for “The Little Bookstore of Bedford” (Indiana) Take a look…

I’d never heard of this bookshop, so after quizzing Terry, I did a little investigating. Florence Kneip was Deni Hooper’s mom (Bruce Hooper’s grandmother). According to her obituary in the Traverse City Record-Eagle (May 4, 1972), she passed away in 1972 at the age of 64 – at Munson Medical Center after a sudden illness.

Florence was born on August 11, 1907 in Montreal, Canada, the daughter of Alfred and Rhea Gulliver. She married Irwin Kneip on Feb. 8, 1929, in Flint.

She was a member of St. Joseph Catholic Church on the Old Mission Peninsula, a member of Zeta Tau Alpha Sorority (my mom’s sorority, by the way – I wonder if Mom knew that!), and a charter member of the Flint and Bedford (Indiana) Community Players.

Florence moved from Flint to Traverse City in 1945 and resided here until 1948. She then moved to Bedford, Indiana, where she lived for 20 years, returning to Traverse City in 1971, the year before she died. (I don’t remember much about her, but do recall Mom mentioning her here and there; I was 12 when Florence passed away.)

According to the obituary, Florence owned and operated “The Little Bookshop” for several years, both here and in Bedford. Here is a story in The Bedford Daily-Times Mail dated June 26, 1962, when she opened “The Little Bookshop of Bedford.” It notes that she previously operated book shops in Flint and Traverse City.

I also found this advertisement in the Traverse City Record-Eagle dated March 1, 1948. Apparently, she was presenting a free book review of “The Loud Red Patrick” by Ruth McKinney. It looks like Phyllis Fisher was maybe a co-owner of the shop(?).

Note, however, that the address of Florence’s bookshop is 318 Wellington in Traverse City, in the alley – not Bowers Harbor, as noted on the letterhead at the top of this story.

So my question for OMPers: Do you remember Florence Kneip, and did she actually have a Bookshop at Bowers Harbor? If so, where was it?

Leave thoughts in the comments section below.