There certainly are plenty of characters in Kalamazoo. Michigan author Dianna Higgs Stampfler’s latest book, Kalamazoo County Characters, spotlights 50 area people reaching back to the early 1800’s and ending with people still living today. From Kalamazoo’s founder, Titus Bronson, born 1788, to contemporaries like National Baseball Hall of Famer, Derek Jeter. Dianna spoke at the Gilmore Car Museum and tailored her presentation to her audience by talking about several automobile-related characters and stories. One of her stories, for example, was about how Walt Disney would come to the Kalamazoo area to visit his friend Donald Gilmore, president of the Upjohn Pharmaceutical Company and founder of the Gilmore Car Museum. Dianna’s book documents how many prominent people in the Kalamazoo were interconnected. One leading family may marry into another leading family and collectively produce several incredible stories. Expected family names that loom large include Todd (Albert M.), Parish (Sue), Upjohn (William), and Fetzer (John). Dianna’s book includes many lesser-known family stories, including a touching chapter about her own father and longtime WKMI DJ, Jim Higgs.