SS Badger, home of the Poort family

LUDINGTON, Mich. — Over its 70-plus years of service, the SS Badger cross lake ferry has been a vessel of making special memories for thousands of people that span multiple generations. For one Hart, Michigan family the Badger not only provided an important service during a time of hardship, it has become an integral part of their lives.

“My 21-year-old daughter, Sarah Ursiny, had been diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2021,” Tonia Poort explained. “She was living in Hart, and we had to transport her multiple times to the Mayo Clinic in Minnesota for treatments. Eventually, the tumor caused a spinal cord injury and paralyzed her, making the eight-hour drive challenging.”

Taking the SS Badger, which travels between Ludington, Michigan and Manitowoc, Wisconsin, would cut the drive time in half.

“I called the Badger’s reservation office to find out if the ship could accommodate Sarah, who, at that point, was using a large motorized wheelchair,” Tonia said. “I knew that boarding the ship required going up to another deck and that the Badger had a stair chair to assist with passengers with disabilities. The reservation specialist explained that the motorized wheelchair couldn’t be brought to the passenger decks, but we could use a regular wheelchair.”

Sarah Ursiny

Tonia said she knew she would not be able to transfer Sarah herself between the wheelchairs and the stair chair.

“The woman on the phone was very calm and said, ‘No worries, we have people who can help with all your needs,'” Tonia said. “There was just so much compassion in her voice and all my worries just went away. At that moment I just knew we were embarking on something special.”

Over the 2021 sailing season, Sarah got to know many of the crew members and passengers.

“The people we met were just incredible,” Tonia said. “Passengers would come up and ask to pray with us. The crew members would share their stories with us. Every single crossing was just an amazing experience. It was so convenient for us to travel on the ship and became something that Sarah really looked forward to. It was very therapeutic for her.”

Because of the frequent trips on the boat, Sarah got to know the crew members.

“During one of our crossings she was talking with one of the deck crew members,” Tonia said. “She wanted to know all about his job and what it took to keep the ship going. She came home and told her younger brother, Luke, who was a student at Hart High School that he needed to apply for a job on the Badger.

“She told Luke that working on the Badger would be the perfect job for him.”

Then, one day, Sarah began talking to Dean Schultz, who, at that time, worked as the ship’s explosives K-9 handler. As part of the ship’s security protocols, the Badger utilizes K-9 services to detect possible threats to the ship, inspecting vehicles waiting to be loaded. Schultz began working for the Badger following his retirement as a sergeant with Ludington Police Department.

Steve Poort, Tonia’s husband and father of Sarah, was about to retire from a career in law enforcement.

“Sarah started asking Dean about his job,” Tonia said. “She told him all about her dad and how he was getting ready to retire and she knew he needed something else to do as he moved into a new season in his life. Sarah wrote down her dad’s number on a piece of paper and handed it to Dean. As we drove off I thought to myself, ‘He’s just going to throw that piece of paper away.”

Sarah passed away on Dec. 5, 2021 at the age of 22, just two months after the Badger’s sailing season ended, leaving her young son, Douglas and husband Scott Ursiny Jr., along with the rest of her family.

Then, something happened.

In January 2022 Dean Schultz called Steve to talk about the K-9 position at the Badger. The two met for dinner and spent several hours talking about their careers and what it’s like to work at the Badger.

“I couldn’t believe that Dean kept that note and then called Steve. They very quickly became friends,” Tonia said.

As Sarah knew it would happen, Steve began working at the Badger prior to the 2022 sailing season. As explosives K-9 handler, he works with the ship’s dog, Greta. Luke also put in his application to work on the deck crew and was hired in the pre-season as well.

Then, Tonia was hired to work on the deck crew in June 2022.

“The first day they hired me the sun began to shine again in my life,” Tonia said.

Tonia and Steve’s other son, Nathan Poort, was then hired to work as a coal passer on the engine crew. Their daughter, Katie Poort, and Tonia’s mother, Sue McDonald of Shelby, Michigan, were also hired.

“My mom started out working in the galley and this coming season will work in the cruise director’s office,” Tonia said. “Katie won’t be returning this season so she can concentrate on taking care of her newborn baby.”

“My entire family working at the Badger has been such a blessing,” Tonia said. “When we are on board together we always eat together. For me, it’s been an incredible experience. I spent two seasons working in deck security, which allowed me to meet so many people and share our stories.”

Sue said she enjoys working on the Badger for many reasons, but most importantly she gets to spend time with her family.

“I love working on the Badger,” Sue said. “The best part is spending time with my family. I am so proud of my grandchildren and the careers they have developed on the boat.”

This year, Tonia has taken on a new role with the company. In January she was named gift shop manager, following the unexpected passing of Valerie Stapleton, who was in the position for over two decades.

“I am honored to follow in Val’s footsteps,” Tonia said. “Val was such a beloved member of the crew and set such a strong foundation of offering quality products for Badger fans. This is such a great opportunity.”

Both Luke and Nathan have furthered their maritime education, moving into new positions. Luke is now an able-bodied seaman, a certification that is the first step of moving into higher deck crew ranks. They both said they plan on having long careers at Lake Michigan Carferry and Interlake Maritime Services.

Lake Michigan Carferry, which operates the Badger, is owned by Interlake Maritime Services, whose Interlake Steamship Company operates one of the largest freighter fleets on the Great Lakes.

After the Badger was laid-up for the season in October 2024, Luke was transferred to the M/V Mesabi Miner, a 1,004-foot freighter that has a holding capacity of 63,300 gross tons. There, he served as a wheelsman until the ship was laid up for the winter.

“Luke will be returning to the Mesabi Miner when it returns to service,” Tonia said. “He’ll work there as a wheelsman until the Badger returns to full crew at the end of April. I’m very proud that the captain of Mesabi Miner wanted him to return.”

Nathan was sent to school by LMC to earn his qualified member of the engine department (QMED) license, a merchant mariner credential (MMC) that allows a mariner to work in the engine room of a ship. It’s the highest rating for unlicensed crew members in the engine room. The engine crew on board the Badger has a job unique to any other maritime job in the United States, as the Badger is the last coal-powered steamship in the country.

“This is such an incredible company,” Tonia said. “It understands the importance of investing in its employees and sends them to further their education. My family has been so blessed to join this even bigger family of amazing, compassionate and caring people. We just love the Badger and Interlake and it’s all because of the tragedy of my daughter’s passing, which became a miracle for all of us. I just know she is still with us.”

Do you want to be part of the Badger family? Lake Michigan Carferry offers a variety of year-round and seasonal positions. Click here for more information. 

Featured photo: The Poort family on the bow of the Badger. From left: Katie, Nathan, Tonia, Steve, Sue McDonald, Luke, and K-9 Greta in front.