THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Association;
AUGUST 1991, Volume 27, Number 1.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: PETRIE, ACKERSON, SHILTON, HALLADAY, SANDBORN, FRIEND, BENEDICT, McCORMACK, LIPPENCOTT, MERRILL, GARDNER, VANDERHEYDEN, HOWLAND, RATHBURN, STRONG, DAVIS, REED, SHILTON

PHOTO OF SEBEWA “HIGH” SCHOOL – 1903 on front of this issue:
BACK ROW LEFT: MARRIED:
Ortho Lowe Dawn McCrumb
Edna Showerman George Burkle
Eva Smith Robert Cook
Flossie Henry Harry Kelley
Mable Morgan Robert Howland
Agnes Erdman, Teacher
Jane Smith Evert Towner
Elsa Brown Robert Warner
Ralph Felton Helen Sprague
Glenn McArthur
Morris VanSchoter
Ben Smith Mable Baird Hale
Walter Hubbard
Walter Brown Mary Snyder
Reva Weipert Bishop
Floyd Erdman Cecil Goodemoot
Edna Austin
Ruth Showerman Emo Gerlinger
Edna Allen
Laura Barton
Hattie McArthur
Bernice Halladay Jake Sandborn
Fred Brown Bessie Ralston
Warren Merrifield
Arthur Barton
Bert Brown Minnie Sayer
Leon McArthur
Elberta Marcy
Vernon Allen
Inez Brown
Mary Weipert Vern Collier
Fern Conkrite
Vida Merrifield
Don Benschoter Winnie Snyder

May 15, 1991, Dale Petrie buried the remains of the William Petrie barn in NE ¼ Sec. 26 Sebewa. This was a pegged, timber framed, banked basement barn, with white pine siding. So few of these were left, we mourn the loss. Pole barns are handier for modern machinery, but a bank barn is the place to be born on a cold, windy, winter night. And if the timbers have been protected, the building will stand true and weather any storm like a sailing ship. In fact it is sometimes called ship’s-timber framing.

RECENT DEATH: Margaret E. Ackerson, 66, daughter of Matilda Mae & Iril Shilton, son of Andrew & Hattie Shilton. Margaret was wife of Allyn Jay Ackerson, mother of Larry, John, Ron, Pattie, Norma, and Vicki, and sister of Carl, Howard, Kenneth, Royal, Edith, Bertha, and Pauline.

HALLADAY GENEALOGY by Grayden Slowins:

This seems like an appropriate place to attempt a genealogy of the Halladay family of Sebewa. Even with the help from several sources, we may have errors. Corrections are welcome. Three Halladay brothers came to Sebewa in 1852 or before. They were ELIHU (1797-1858) & Amanda (1818-1899), DAVID (1799-1858) & Nancy (1799-1880), and APOLLOS (1801-1882) & Annis (1804-1875).

Elihu & Amanda lived on S ½ NE ¼ Sec. 25 Sebewa, where Larry Brown is now. They were followed by a son, Charles, who married Mandy Sears. Charles had Arthur, who married Martha Jane Deatsman and lived across in N ½ NE ¼ Sec. 30 Danby. Arthur was followed by a son, Russell and wife Mildred, who added next 80 east. Russell’s son is Paul. Arthur’s daughter, Bernice, married Jake Sandborn and had Max, another son, and Kathleen (Mrs. Don Rogers).

Charles’ daughter, Lucy, married Ralph Friend and had Lawrence, Evelyn (Courser), Mildred (Merrill), Lucile (Todd), George, and Bernice (Curtis). Evelyn Courser was mother of Marge Benedict, of Ionia, mother of Dale Benedict. Charles also had Mildred and Ernest, both of whom lived and married in Alabama.

David & Nancy lived in NE ¼ Sec. 36 Sebewa. Their son, Abel C. Halladay (1829-1905) & wife Rosabelle (1833-1908), lived on SE 10 Ac S ½ NE ¼ Sec 25 Sebewa, where Gary Merrill lives now. Abel’s son, (George) Edgar Halladay & wife Ethelynd (Lynn) Lena McCormack got David’s land in Sec. 36 and added more. They were followed by their son A. C. (Abel C.?) (Midge) Halladay and wife Etta.

Edgar’s daughter, Blanch, married John Lippencott. Abel’s daughter, Lillian, married Ross Merrill, and their son, Royce, married his third cousin, Mildred Friend, daughter of Lucy Halladay Friend, listed above.

Abel’s other daughter, Alice, married Charles Gardner. Henry Halladay (1819-1881) is thought to be another son of David & Nancy. He and wife Catherine lived in W ½ NE ¼ Sec. 31 Danby, where Walter Brown is now, and ran a hotel in their home. Some of their land across in SW ¼ SW ¼ Sec. 30 Danby went to Elmer Blanchard, whose wife may have been their daughter. This family may also have produced Reverend Will Halladay, a United Brethren preacher.

Apollos & Annis lived on SE 1/3 Sec. 25 Sebewa with their son Daniel W. (1829-1890) & wife Malvina N. (1836-1913). This family gave the land for the Halladay School and Halladay United Brethren Church. Daniel’s son, George D., married Mary Dravenstatt and lived across on NW 10Ac of the Charles O. Hiar farm at NW ¼ SW ¼ Sec. 30 Danby. George’s daughter, Clara, married Carl Bidwell and got Daniel & Malvina’s farm. Daniel’s daughter, Anna, married Oscar Dravenstatt, brother to Mary. George’s second wife, Lillian Bidwell, was stepmother to Carl.

Another son of the old settlers was Dr. A. H. Halladay, who married Dora E. VanderHeyden of Ionia and settled in Long Beach, California. Oil was discovered on their land and they became very wealthy. Since they had no children, when he died about 1917-1918, some of the Sebewa relatives came into a lot of money.

HOWLAND-RATHBUN-STRONG by Grayden Slowins:

Recent letters are from Frank H. Rathbun, Jr., of Fairfax, VA, and Elmond L. Strong of Mesa, AZ, plus a visit in the cemetery with Julian (Jack) & Florence Howland of Portland. The coincidence is significant because these three men were thrown together by fate long ago.

Frank and Elmond were transplanted from Grand Rapids to Bippley Road in Sebewa as youths, when their fathers remarried to Sebewa women. Frank Rathbun, Sr., married Jesse Strong Howland, the widowed second wife of William Howland. Frank & Jessie had been classmates. Ernest Strong was a cousin of Jessie, came to visit, and ended up marrying Katherine Howland, daughter of William by his first wife.

William Howland’s children were: Robert, who married Mable Morgan, fathered Julian, and lived on the Alexander & Addie Morgan farm; Amy, who never married; Edna, who married Raymond Kenyon, had a daughter Katherine (Hobner, Kaumeyer, Velcheck), and a son Norman; and Katherine. Katherine & Ernest Strong bought the old Morgan farm from her brother Robert.
This was in 1925. Elmond Strong graduated from Portland High School in 1927, worked 2 years for R. W. Dawdy Clothing and 2 years for Steketee’s Shoe Dept. in Grand Rapids. In 1931 Ernest died and Elmond came home to operate the farm with his brother Earl and Stepmother Kate.

He married Agnes Mattson, a Portland teacher from Ironwood, raised children Ernest, Richard, & Betsey, and continued to operate the farm until 1946, when they sold out to Herb & Harriet Evans. They moved to Wayland, where he ran an oil business and she taught school.

Elmond remembers riding with Wesley & Gerald Joynt in the family Reo touring car and having a slight accident on the corner north of Weck Lumbert’s. Later he bought a 22-inch grain separator from John Joynt at the time he sold his farm to Ross & Gladys Tran. The neighbors who threshed together were Elmond Strong, Roy Sears, Frank Bickle, Don Benschoter, Bert Evans, Willliam Roseveare. In a few years combines came in and Elmond bought a used eight-foot collapsible-table combine with Don Benschoter. Don’s dad, John Benschoter, had had a grain separator powered by a steam engine.

FRANK RATHBUN writes to confirm the connection to Melissa Rathbun-Nealy, an Army truck driver who was wounded in action and captured by the Iraqis during the Persian Gulf War, and became the first American servicewoman to become an enemy prisoner in recent times. Melissa Rathbun was born in Grand Rapids, MI, March 9, 1970, the only child of Joan & Leo Rathbun. She was graduated in June, 1988, from Creston High School. She had been in ROTC her senior year, and soon joined the Army. She was briefly married to a fellow soldier, Anthony Nealy, in 1989, hence her hyphenated last name.

Melissa was one of some 30,000 women among the 500,000 American troops in Desert Storm. Coming under enemy fire, her truck was disabled in the driveshaft and Melissa was wounded in the arm and captured. Released after 33 days at the end of the fighting, she received a hug from General Norman Schwarzkopf. After receiving Purple Heart, Prisoner of War Medal, and others, and a furlough, she returned to her unit in Fort Bliss, TX, and was married March 28, to fellow soldier, Michael Coleman.

DANDELION DAYS by Bill Davis:

Driving past what was left of one of our county’s one-room schools last week, it occurred to me that it was forty years ago on a similar Spring “Dandelion Day” that I was riding in the back of a pickup to a softball game. My country school was Greene School in Orleans Township. Every Spring Friday afternoon, we’d play another little school---Chittle, Tasker, Brink, or our arch-rival Dorr School, taught by the mother of three of our girls. A couple of times each Spring we’d play one of the big city schools, the much-feared teams from Orleans or Palo.

What made those teams tougher was that they had both more boys and bigger boys on their teams. Generally a country school for its best team of nine would field 3 big boys (7th or 8th grade), 3 big girls, and 3 little boys. Orleans and Palo fielded teams sometimes with no girls and no little boys. Big boys from one end of the lineup to the other. We knew every time we played them we might get whipped……

In my 6th grade year in 1949, there was only one other person in my grade. He was a boy, but he didn’t play softball. In the 7th grade we had 5 girls, and 3 of them were big—real big. Not only that, these three, each weighing well over 150 pounds, not only could hit the long ball, but they also hit for pretty good averages. In the eighth grade, due to another statistical fortuity in this Golden Year, we had four boys. One boy was built slightly and not too good, but presentable. Two of these four were big and slow, but capable of poling a long one on the rare afternoon. Ah, the last of the big boy 8th graders, what a splendid ball player!
He ran like a deer, and hit like a dream. Leslie Doty at least once a game launched that softball right out and over the playing field onto Johnson Road or sometimes all the way across the road into the dark spruces of the cemetery. His dad was a dairy farmer and Leslie worked long hours milking, haying, and “doing the chores”. Leslie was a worker, and Leslie was in shape, and Leslie could rap that old apple. Wow!

That Golden Year Greene School went undefeated, crushing all the schools our size (25-30 pupils), and sliding past both the feared Palo and Orleans. The most memorable game was with Brink School, well south of us. Brink boasted a big, tough, boy-man who hit the ball hard, and ran the bases like a wild horse. Late in the game he hit a vicious line drive up the gap in right field, and Elaine ran over, grabbed it to fire the ball to her sister, our second baseman (baseperson?).

The hitter had raced around first base, and set sail for second. He never figured we’d field his drive, and given his personality, even if we did, he figured he’d blast his way through any tag at second base. Nearing second, Martin dropped into a spectacular hook slide, just as the ball arrived up high in Marilyn’s glove. Dust flew everywhere, and when it cleared, Martin lay sprawled flat in the sand. Marilyn, our heftiest Amazon, was sitting on top of him with the ball in her glove. All of them were ten feet short of second base. Marilyn reached down, and tagged Martin with the ball. Out! We all laughed and cheered. Marilyn the hero. We win!

If that year was Greene School’s Golden Year, the year of 1950 was our Silver Year. All the 8th grade boys had graduated, and gone on to Belding High School. Our Greene School ball team was left with 5 big girls, 1 big boy (me), and 3 little boys (one 6th grader and two 5th graders). We did pretty well, but it wasn’t a Golden Year.

The game that stands out was our season finale against Dorr School. Our right fielder, Elaine, was a very beautiful young woman. She had blue eyes, blonde hair, and perfect teeth. All the boys were in love with her. She knew it, and didn’t care. She thought we boys were fools. She had an older boyfriend in Ionia named Duke. She also had a mean mouth.

Dorr School’s catcher was an earnest and stalwart young fellow. He was the star of their team. He, of course, was also in love with Elaine. Being the catcher, when his team was in the field, he spent that half of the inning about three feet from Elaine’s mean mouth. She began razzing him about his hair, and she commented unpleasantly on his pimples. He started crying softly in the third inning. Dorr School’s teacher called time out, and took him aside, and tried to cheer him up.

It didn’t do much good. He cried a little more. Our big girls all muttered about him being “a baby”, but I knew how he felt. I went to school with her. She delighted in calling me “little Billy boy”. I knew how he felt. The sight of their star player cruying unnerved the Dorr team, and after he returned shakily to the game, we beat them easily.

My last vivid memory is Joyce, our first baseman (baseperson), and me in a practice game. I hit a grounder to third, and the throw pulled Joyce off the bag and down the baseline. We collided and fell, she falling on her back with me on top of her. All the farm kids went wild with laughter. I jumped right up, embarrassed, but not knowing what was so funny.

I went over to Elaine, and in a puzzled way asked “What’s so funny?” She stopped laughing long enough to see that I was serious, that I didn’t even know what was so funny, and then she really went wild. She fell on the ground laughing, she rolled around screaming and hooting. All the other big girls were crying they were laughing so hard, all except Joyce, who was crimson with embarrassment. END

Thank You to our fellow columnist, EDGAR FLEETHAM, for his praise and recognition of Cemetery Sextons and their Township Boards on the care and repair of cemeteries after the vandalism. We Sextons (Cemetery Superintendents is the proper term, since sexton really denotes a church custodian), sometimes feel unappreciated. We perform the last human service, after the Doctors & Nurses, after the Mortician, after the Preacher. We cover you with dirt, sod, and flowers, and settle it well. Often this goes un-acknowledged.

LAKE ODESSA 1919 UNDEFEATED FOOTBALL TEAM (PHOTO)
Back row l to r – Cloise Tasker, Gerald Bretz, Lloyd Reed, Ambrose Slosson, Noble Nagler, Sherm Lepard, Burton Groff, Alton Klahn, Boyd Stockford, Dick Overly.
Front row l to r – Donald Braden, Jim Henderson, Owen Barkdull, Ervie Howard – Coach, Allie Trowbridge, Spencer Braden.

INTERVIEW WITH LLOYD REED CONTINUES by R. W. Gierman

My granddad Reed had lived north of Woodbury on what is now M-66 and my dad first lived about a half mile south of him. (The Hosea Reed farm later became the Wm. Balduf farm.) We lived across the road from Jay Daniels.

Their farm was once owned by people named Steele. The Steeles were Seventh Day Adventists. I was occasionally in the Steele home. They had one wall of a room made into a chalk board and had religious gatherings there. They had four girls and one boy named Levi. He lived out west of Lake Odessa until he died. We moved from that place in 1910, and they left before that. The road was almost all sand and I used to go out there to play. Cars were very, very scarce.

I remember the Model-T Fords with the front fenders running straight out over the wheels, before 1910. John Henderson lived north of Jay Daniels. A fellow came along in a Model-T, John’s dog ran out after the car, and the man lost control. The left front wheel ran between the fence and the barbed wire and he got stopped there.

I remember how they grunted and got that car out of the fence. The fender was bent and it was made of such heavy metal they couldn’t straighten it.

On the northeast corner of Musgrove Hwy. and M-66 lived Frank Mills. Frank’s father worked for some dredging concern. After the father died they moved from the next house north (Frank McDonald’s) to the corner place. Edwin Leak now has a blueberry planting on the muck there.

We moved to Lake Odessa in 1919 (on what is now the Henry Beland farm and at the corner of Tupper Lake St. and Joudan Lake Ave.). My dad and his brother Walter, six men from Grand Rapids, and three from New York, established Lake Odessa Canning Company in 1919. Dad was field manager for the company as long as he lived. After Walter died, the boys sold the canning factory and it has been sold a couple times since. It now has a huge freezer capacity. I helped build the warehouse when the plant was first started.

Granddad Reed and I swept that whole factory area. The plant had been a furniture factory. It was sold to the Reeds for one dollar. Granddad and I swept the entire three floors before it was opened as a canning factory.

I worked there during vacations from school. I worked there one vacation as cook. That doesn’t mean I did much cooking. They had big retorts. They would put the cans in cages and we would put them in the retorts and lock them down and turn on the steam and keep track of the time. Then we would place them in a cooling tank and the cans would then move very slowly to the warehouse.

I very much remember picking up those tile blocks that were used to build the warehouse. I’d pick up a block, carry it some 15 or 20 yards and then up to the second floor, go back the length of the warehouse and set it down for the masons. That was for thirty cents an hour, three dollars a day, fifteen dollars a week, and no overtime. When I was cooking I used to be at work at seven o’clock AM and sometimes it would be two or three o’clock the next morning before we got the last of them out.
I left Lake Odessa in 1920 to go to the University of Michigan. I was back only weekends. I started out in Detroit after I graduated from the University, but I ended up in West Michigan. There I worked for the Holland Furnace Company. I was in the credit department. There were four of us on the road. My territory was from New Orleans to the Canadian border and from the Mississippi River to the Pacific Ocean. I made three or four trips out through there for the company by train.

Then in 1932 they took us all off the road and gave us an office in Holland and we worked by correspondence. I had worked for them for five years when they had a big shake-up. All the officers were kicked out and the man with whom I started, Chris Becker, Grand Rapids Branch Manager, was appointed manager of the Home Furnace Company of Holland. He gave me a job as credit manager there, and I covered five states. I was there for nine or ten years.

Then I started out for myself during World War II. I went to Allegan in an International Harvester dealership. I was there three years when a man came in one day and wanted to buy me out. So I sold it to him. Then I went to Muskegon and bought a neighborhood hardware store. I was there about eleven or twelve years when they put that new road through. That nearly broke me. They were not quite close enough to touch my property, but people just would not cross that expressway to shop. My sales volume went down and I finally sold my stock and fixtures to a man who was starting a new hardware store over in Spring Lake, near Grand Haven.

Then I started a Shopper’s Guide, with encouragement from my friends in Allegan, who had one there. But Muskegon was too large a territory for me and part of it wouldn’t support a Shopper. So I looked at towns of 5,000 or more and after three months of search, selected Marine City, south of Port Huron. It was there I started a new Shopper’s Guide. I had two people picking up copy for me. But we printed it in Muskegon. We would have it folded by Tuesday and I would drive it 225 miles across the state to be delivered. Then Wednesday, Thursday and Friday we would work on the next issue.

ANDREW SHILTON by Grayden Slowins

Andrew Shilton moved his wife and sons Ernest & Iril from SE ¼ SW ¼ Sec. 5 Orange to SE ¼ NE ¼ & NE ¼ SE ¼ Sec. 9 Sebewa in 1896. They bought the north 40 first, from a relative, Samuel Shilton. Since the frontage was low and swampy, their first dwelling was on a knoll in the woods about 40 rods west from the west end of York Road.

They lived the first winter in a tent. It was square and had a stove in it that kept them warm--sometimes too warm. There was a shield for the stovepipe to keep it fro setting fire to the tent. An Indian camped in a tepee nearby gave them skins to keep the floor cozy.

The next spring Andrew Shilton had Jimmie Creighton saw out lumber from the woods to build a house. It was a rough lumber, 15’ x 20’ house of a story and a half. The boys slept in the loft and reached it by a ladder. Iril was just ready to start school and Ernest a little older. They found they were in the Travis District, which had a lot of big boys who enjoyed making life tough for the little fellows. Andrew decided enough was enough and he had a solution. The new house was built on a foundation of wood blocks. By fitting a pair of skids under the house and using three teams of horses, he moved the house a short distance to the south 40 and began living in the Sebewa Center School District. Later, by skidding the same house still further south between stumps and stones, it became part of the large square farmhouse still there today. END

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
OCTOBER 1991, Volume 27, Number 2.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: WHITFORD, VanBenSCHOTEN, BENSCHOTER, LOWE, BROWN, SANDBORN, PETRIE, SHOWERMAN, SMITH, COLLINGHAM, MORGAN, FELTON, HUBBARD, WEIPERT, ERDMAN, ALLEN, HALLADAY, MERRIFIELD, LUSCHER, McNEIL, SNYDER, MOYER, HOPPES, PERKINS, HARPER, MORSE, LaLONDE, HARPER, GOODEMOOT, GIERMAN, LYON, BURNHAM, CULVER, FENDER, BRUNDAGE, CHILDS, INGALL, COOK, BROWN, PROBASCO, THUMA, KAUFMAN, LEIK, CASSEL, ROSECRANS, WOLFERT, GUNN

BALLOON ASCENSIONS by Craig A. Whitford

Sebewa Center has had balloon ascensions for several summers now, as well as Passovers from neighboring communities. Perhaps, in order to place things in the proper historical perspective, we should take a look at the beginnings of this sport. For Lansing, the first recorded aviation encounter was July 3, 1875, when P. T. Barnum’s Great Rolling Hippodrome was performing there. One of the featured attractions was the air-ship P. T. Barnum, piloted by the well-known aeronaut, Professor William Harrison Donaldson. Most balloonists in those days were major attractions in lifting off the ground. It was increadible! The Lansing Republican, on July 6, 1875, said the balloon ascension took place at 4:30 PM. Several thousand people were present. Prof. Donaldson was the only one to make the ascension, as the wind blew in fitful gusts and he said it was a little risky. Once the balloon was relieved of its ballast, it bounded away from earth and started its flight. Imagine the wonder and excitement of Lansing residents!

Twelve weeks later Professor Donaldson was in Chicago to drum up excitement for the coming circus. Several balloon ascensions were made with the balloonist performing on a trapeze suspended from the balloon. Donaldson allowed a newspaper reporter by the name of Junius Brimwood to accompany him on the final trip. As the balloon arose, the breeze caught it and it drifted out over Lake Michigan. The report states the lake was rough and the balloon was unable to keep aloft. Then unexpectedly it gained altitude. It is believed Prof. Donaldson lightened the load by throwing Brimwood into the lake. They did find Brimwood’s body on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan near St. Joseph, MI. It was reported later that Prof. Donaldson was in Canada. END

SOME UPDATES ON THE SCHOLARS IDENTIFIED IN THE AUGUST ISSUE IN THE SEBEWA “HIGH” SCHOOL 1903 PHOTO:

MORRIS VANSCHOTEN should have been VanBenSchoten, son of Harvy VanBenSchoten, that branch of Cornelius and Diana’s family that did not change to Benschoter. Otho Lowe, son of Dayton Lowe, lived north of the church. Fred Brown Jr., Walter, Sr., Bert, Sr., Harry, Ted, Inez, and Ruth, were children of Fred Brown Sr, who lived where Howard & Mary Sandborn live now.

ELSA BROWN was daughter of Herb Brown, who lived in the Ansel Green log house next east, mentioned by Lloyd Reed in the June issue, where now owned by Ruth Miller Erdman Petrie. Herbert later lived just north of Cornell in the Sandborn tenant house.

EDNA & RUTH SHOWERMAN were daughters of Orlando V. Showerman and his second wife, Helen. His children by his first wife, Emily, were Ernest, Elmer Jay, and Myrtle. Orlando lived where Dennis Petrie did later. Flossie Henry was daughter of Elmer Jay’s wife, Lydia Henry. Eva, Jane, & Ben Smith were children of Oliver & Elizabeth Collingham Smith, who lived in the Collingham house, now Opal Thuma’s. Mabel Morgan was daughter of Alexander Morgan. Ralph Felton lived in the Ackerson house. Walter Hubbard lived on Erdman Road at the river.

REVA & MARY WEIPERT were daughters of D. G. Weipert, who lived where William Petrie lived later. Floyd Erdman was son of Frank Erdman, on the north east corner of Erdman Rd. & Musgrove Hwy. Laura & Arthur Barton’s mother was an Erdman. Anges Erdman, the teacher, was from another family. Edna, Vernon, & George Allen (father of Maxine Sandborn) were children of Merritt Allen, on the place now Pifer’s.

Bernice Halladay was daughter of Arthur, as mentioned last time. Warren & Vida Merrifield were grandchildren of W. W. Merrifield, who was first on the Luke Sandborn farm and later owned much land on both sides of the road west of Alex Morgan, later owned in part by Don Benschoter and now Howard Meyers.
END.

Another update tells us Gail Hitchcock & husband, Sam Smith, have leased the south half of the Clanty Derby-George Morse farm from Dr. Patrick Laughlin. This joins with her parent’s land on the north half and makes an ideal home for them and their horses. Laughlins are in Idaho, where he works in a hospital setting that is western and relaxed in his style.

LUKE & JANE SANDBORN are developing the James & Pearl Barr farm near the Barr school in Sec. 4 Danby for beautiful homes, all with geothermal heating & cooling. James H. Barr owned the land before 1875, and his son, Pearl, was back around Portland in the 1940s, when he sold the land to Melborn & Fannie Sandborn.

CARR & HADEWAY burned & buried the house, barn, outbuildings & giant spruce trees of the Jacob Luscher farm on July 25, 1991. This once-stately Victorian home had fascinating rooms and cubicles, but had not been occupied for approximately 30 years. The Luscher family began here with Jacob & Anna Luscher. They were succeeded by Jacob Jr. & Minnie Erdman Luscher. Other sons were an infant Wilbur and William, father of Warren, father of Walter. Jacob Jr. & Minnie had Alma (Mrs. Lawrence Lon) Sandborn, Nora (Mrs. Harry) Tussing, Emma (Mrs. Norman Jr.) Gibbs, Edna McNeil Lich Wenger, and an infant Homer. Minnie died young and the children were raised by a second wife, Emma.

GRANDCHILDREN OF JACOB & MINNIE LUSCHER NAMED Sandborn were: Herbert, Columbus Jr., Jacob, Riley, Lawrence, Allen, Vera, Raymond, & Melborn. Others were Charles McNeil & a Gibbs girl who married Charles Wilson. Riley Sandborn set the record for great-grandchildren of the Luschers with: Howard, Maxine (Volk), June (Higbee) Riley Lavern, Louis, Joyce (Lyon), Richard, Janet (Gilbert), Kendall, Bonnie (Jameson), Gary, Judy (McCrumb), and Betty (Russell).

ANOTHER UPDATE ON CIVIL WAR VETERANS tells us Mrs. Leon Moyer was a daughter of Dr. George Snyder and thereby an aunt to Winnie Benschoter and to Mamie Downing’s half & step-brothers & sisters. Moyers were living on the Charles Halladay-Walter Brown farm when the house burned, and lived for a time in a house east across Keefer Hwy from the John Bradley home & store. Later they moved to the Eagle area and Mark Moyer, on Bippley Rd. by the creek, is their great-grandson, grandson of Bruce, son of Bill.

RECENT DEATHS:
Rhea R. HOPPES, 56, daughter of Harry & Beatric Field Fensom, wife of Raymond Hoppes, mother of Mary Ann Warren, Shirley Lewis, Clifford Towner, Harry Towner, Joe Towner, Joan Milbourne, and Marilyn Bentley.

Also, Paul E. PERKINS, 62, husband of Georgianna Hollenbach Perkins, father of Sue Stemler, Robert Perkins & David Perkins. Retired from Fisher Body, they had lived in Marion, North Carolina, in recent years. He is buried in Danby Cemetery, which means we will probably miss out on burying our only female Korean War Veteran, Georgianna. She traces back in a straight line to Jacob & Lucy Boyington Collingham, her great-great-grandparents.

We note from our fellow historical newsletter, THE BONANZA BUGLE, that we omitted from our High Family article in Volume 22, Number 5, April 1987, the life of Frances L. MORSE LaLONDE. She was born in Lake Odessa, October 7, 1910, died in Bishop, California, December 4, 1989, daughter of Dr. Frederick and Nellie HIGH MORSE, formerly of Sebewa. She was wife of Furman LaLonde, mother of Christine Bishop and Richard LaLonde, sister of the late Dr. George Morse.

HOWARD M. HARPER, 95, born in Sebewa on the Max VanHouten farm, son of Charles F. & Blanche BATRAN HARPER, husband of Minnie MILLS who died in 1947 and later Opal KOOS, father of Arden Harper, Vernon Dean Harper, and the late Phylene (Mrs. Karl) Klahn. Charles Harper owned the Zeno Leak farm in 1875, but traded it to J. McAllister for the VanHouten place before Howard was born. Howard was the last of five brothers and two sisters. He was an author as well as a farmer.

FORD A. GOODEMOOT, 75, born in Odessa Township, son of Donald & Sarah (Sadie) Fox Goodemoot, husband of Lorraine Curtis who died in 1962 and later Madeline Durkee Stadel, father of Alan & Von Goodemoot, Sharon Brink, & Jeanie Mulford, brother of Mike, Don, Rex, and the late Francis Goodemoot, Marian McDowell, Helen Livermore Robinson, and Peg Faulkner. He was a farmer and worked for Reith Riley Blacktopping. His parents lived on the John Lehman-Homer Downing farm at West Sebewa between those two owners, and dismantled the Presbyterian Church to build farm structures.

JACK PAUL GIERMAN, 75, son of William C. & Mary A. Gierman, husband of Barbara Jane Ramsey, father of Dianne, William, & Robert, brother of Pauline. Automotive engineer with GM. Born in Ionia, second cousin once removed to Robert Wilfred Gierman.

EDMOND LYON, 76, son of Sanford & Dorothy Green Lyon, husband of Eloise Steward, father of Mike Lyon & Marilyn Forney, brother of Jim & Edward Lyon and Joan Everly. Born in Lake Odessa, his father was rural mail carrier on Lake Odessa Route #3 into Sebewa for 44 years, from the time Sebewa lost it in 1914 until he retired in 1958.

MAUREEN (REENIE) BURNHAM, 68, daughter of Frank & Clara Hoag, twin sister of Pauline Wilson of California, mother of Brenda & Richard Childers. A former employee of Mapes Furniture, she & second husband Albert lived in Susan Haddix house and buried East Cemetery.

KENNETH GEORGE CASSEL, 80, son of Asa N. & Beulah A. Cassel, grandson of James & Catherine Cassel and George & Viola Gunn, great-grandson of Theodore & Amelia Rarick Gunn, father of Larry.

ALMA WOLFERT ROSECRANS, 86, daughter of Cornelius Wolfert, sister of Leslie & Vera. The Wolfert family once lived in the Jacob Luscher house whose demise we record in this issue.

FROM THE EARLY HISTORY OF THE SEBEWA CENTER CHURCH, by Miss Ella Gunn on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary, we gather the following: After organizing a Sunday School in February, 1891, plans for a church were in order. The Board was elected May 9, 1891, and organized by electing Theodore Gunn, chairman; Joshua S. Gunn, treasurer; and Irving A. Brown, secretary. It was voted to proceed immediately to the erection of a church building. Theodore Gunn, J. S. Gunn, & I. A. Brown were appointed as a building committee to prepare plans & specifications. These were adopted May 30 and advertised for bids as follows:

“The building committee of the Methodist Church of Sebewa Center will receive sealed bids for furnishing material and building a church at the center of Sebewa until and including Saturday, June 13, 1891. Said church will be 32 x 50 feet in size. Plans and specifications may be seen at the residence of J. S. Gunn at Sebewa Center and bids may be addressed to him at Sebewa. The right to reject any and all bids is reserved.”

The Board made a contract July 7, 1891, with Bradford Kellogg of Charlotte to build the church for $2000, to be completed by October 1, 1891.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
DECEMBER 1991, Volume 27, Number 3:

SURNAMES: SMITH, THOMPSON, GATES, ATWATER, MORRIS, PATERSON, ANDREWS, PERKINS, PARDEE, POWELL, BACHUS, GILLETTE, MEYERS, SHIPMAN, BAILIFF, KENYON, CARPENTER, RALSTON, SHILTON, FIGG, FRYOVER, EASTMAN, LEIFHEIT, ALLEN, WILLIAMS, MATHEWS, ALLEN, NEWMAN.

RECENT DEATHS:
EDNA G. KENYON, 100, daughter of William, sister of Robert Howland, Amy Howland, & Katherine Stron, widow of Raymond Kenyon, mother of Katherine Hobner Kaumeyer Velcheck & Norman Kenyon. Born near Lapeer, she moved with her family at age 12 by team & wagon to a farm on Bippley Road in Sebewa Township. Married to Raymond in 1913, they farmed at 11167 Keefer Hwy. for 61 years and she stayed another 10 years, still sharp as ever when she retired to Florida at 94. She never failed to cast her vote and she danced at her 100th Birthday Party!

HOBART CARPENTER, 92, son of Laura Heick & Claude Carpenter, who was grandson of Charlotte & Cyril Carpenter, son of Rev. Samuel Carpenter. Samuel (1776-1861), Charlotte (1816-1887), & Cyril (1810-1873) were originally buried in the Carpenter-Reeder Cemetery on the SW corner of Kimmel Rd. & Tupper Lake Rd., but when that cemetery was taken up abut 1905, they were moved to West Sebewa Cemetery. The generation between Cyril & Claude was a Dr. Carpenter in Woodland, whose name we cannot bring to mind. Hobart was husband of Edna Narregang, father of Betty, Beth, Beverly, Linda, Lois & Jerry. He sold Hudson & Essex automobiles & International farm machinery with his father in a building in the middle of the east side of the 1000 block of 4th Avenue in Lake Odessa. After burning out in 1920, he managed the Kroger store and then operated his own grocery store. During World War II he worked for Nash Kelvinator in Lansing and retired from General Motors in 1966. His was one of two recent deaths who listed their lodge as the long-gone Knights of Phthias.

MARIAN A. RALSTON, 84, daughter of William & Sylvia Ward, widow of Leland M. Ralston, mother of Laura & Leland L. This family lived in the former Johnson School on Bippley Rd. and were no relation to the pioneer family of Andrew Ralston across from us on Musgrove Hwy.

FAITH M. SHOOK SHILTON, 77, widowed second wife of Iril Shilton, she had children & grandchildren of her own and a summer home at Wolverine. She worked as a cook, waitress, and nurse-maid to old men. She also flew around the world to Australia!

WINIFRED B. SMITH, 80, daughter of Georgia Cahoon & George Clow, wife of Burton Smith, mother of Selma & Burton Jr. This family once lived across from our farm on Musgrove Hwy. in Sebewa Township.

MINNIE BAZAN, 78, wife of James Bazan, mother of Carol, and others. This family once lived in the Alton Gunn tenant house on Bippley Rd., as well as on the Elon & Marian Lakin farm on E. Grand River Ave. in Danby Township.

HAROLD W. FIGG, 71, son of Voight & Harriet Butolph Figg, brother of Joyce, Jannette, Florence & Kenneth, husband of Annette, father of Anita, Kathy, Diane, Frances, Janisce, Jill, Karl, Jeff & John. Born on the family farm on Tupper Lake Rd., Sebewa Township, now part of the Gilbert farm, he lived at Mulliken and retired from Mapes Furniture Co.

MARY FRYOVER, widow of Herbert Fryover. They were long-time members of the Sebewa Center Association, lived in Portland.

NELSON C. EASTMAN, 89, SON OF Wilford & Rosie Eastman, brother of Arthur, Forest, Lennis, Roy, Herman, Bertha & Milo, father of May Apsey, Leona Brooke, Leta Thompson, Lyle Eastman & Jeanette DuBois. Born on Grand Ledge Hwy, just east of Sunfield, he farmed on the SW corner of Sec. 34 Sebewa Township. He started with a fine pair of Belgian horses and later used Farmall tractors, did a neat job of farming.

HARLAN LEIFHEIT, 89, son of Herman & Minnie Boreman Leifheit, brother of Elmer and others, husband of Ruth, step-father of Keith Hoffman and James Shull. He was born at Millbrook, southern Illinois, came to Ionia County with his parents at an early age. The family farmed at various places in Orange and Sebewa Townships and he settled on the east portion of the old Ed Demaray farm. He was a carpenter and led 4-H woodworking groups for many years.

LABAN A. SMITH GENEALOGY by Grayden Slowins

LABAN ATWATER SMITH was a prominent pioneer farmer in the Township of Portland. He arrived in 1866 and accumulated over 700 acres of land in Sec. 9 – 10 – 11 -17 by the time of his retirement in 1890. The accompanying photo of his homestead from Schenck’s HISTORY OF IONIA & MONTCALM COUNTIES, 1881, can be recognized as the Portland Country Club. Chapman’s Portait & Biographical Album of Ionia & Montcalm Counties, 1891, is our resource for his ancestry and life.

LABAN A. SMITH was born at Honeoye Falls, Monroe County, NY, November 14, 1828, son of Lucy Thompson & Marvin Smith, son of Lydia Gates & Benjamin Smith, son of Hannah Atwater & Daniel Smith, son of Anna Morris & Samuel Smith, son of Elizabeth Paterson & Thomas Smith, who were married in New Haven, Connecticutt in 1662.

On his mother, Lucy’s side, Laban A. Smith was the grandson of Dorcas Andrews & John Thompson, son of Esther Perkins & Timothy Thompson, son of Sarah Pardee & John Thompson, son of Mercy & John Thompson, son of Priscilla Powell & John Thompson, son of Eleanor & John Thompson, who signed the Connecticut Colony Constitution in June 1639.

MARVIN SMITH settled in Bloomfield, Ontario County, NY, with an uncle at age 12. He went back to New Haven, then called East Haven, for his second wife, Lucy, in 1826. It is noted that his youngest sister was named Evelyn.
Laban’s wife Hannah was a daughter of Daniel & Elizabeth Bachus Gillette. Laban & Hannah were married November 17, 1852. In 1857 they moved to Elkhart, Indiana, in 1865 to White Pigeon, Michigan, and in 1866 to Portland, MI.
Laban Smith was a member of the Baptist Church and a Republican in politics. He first voted for General Winfield Scott, a Whig, for President, then John C. Fremont, the first Republican candidate for President, then Abraham Lincoln, the first Republican to win, and all Republicans thereafter. He was Portland Township Highway Commissioner for several years, Township Supervisor 1875-1879, and Ionia County Superintendent of the Poor 1880-1890.

Laban & Hannah divided their land among their six living children and retired to the village of Portland in 1890, when he was age 62. They lived on the west side of Smith Street, in the second house south of James Street. He was a Portland Village Trustee, and devoted much of his time to reading in his home library of choice books.

LABAN A. & HANNAH GILLETTE SMITH’S children were:
1. Leonard Laban Smith 1854-1926, married Della Gale.
2. Benjamin Marvin Smith 1856-1929, married Eva Webster 1870-1929.
3. Harriet W. (Hattie) Smith 1861-1919, married Charles Frost.
4. William Gillette Smith 1863-1903, married Cynthia Hurd.
5. Henry Davis Smith 1865-1882.
6. Morton John Smith 1867-1872.
7. Daniel Gates Smith 1871-1957, married Dana Webster sister to Eva.
8. George Thompson Smith 1873-1960, married Tressa Chalker 1873-1919.

LEONARD LABAN SMITH & Della Gale farmed in Portland Township. Their children were:
1. Florence Smith, married Veryl Tyler.
2. Clara Smith.
3. Laura Smith.

BENJAMIN MARVIN SMITH & Eva Webster farmed in Portland Township, first place east & later southwest of the old homestead.
Their children were:
1. Mary Webster Smith 1893-1971, married Charles Lockwood.
2. Ruth Hannah Smith 1898-1943, married Frank McGowan.
Harriett W. (Hattie) Smith & Charles Frost farmed in Portland Township, second place west of the old homestead. Their children were:
1. Dana Frost, married Mr. Budd, lived Lima, OH.
2. Laban Frost, lived in California.
3. Inez Frost, died age 12.
4. Elmer Frost, never married, lived with Stegengas.
5. Harriett Frost, 1902- , married Conrad Stegenga 1900-1957.

WILLIAM GILLETTE SMITH & Cynthia Hurd farmed on the old homestead in Portland Township, but were living in Grand Rapids when he was killed in the famous East Paris train wreck during a snowstorm. Their child was:
1. Raymond Smith, never married.

DANIEL GILLETTE SMITH & Cynthia Hurd farmed on the old homestead in Portland Township on the first place west across the road from the old homestead. Their children were:
1. James Smith, lived in California.
2. Richard Smith, lived in Seattle, died in Oregon, 1991.
3. Eva Louise Smith, married Fred England Jr., lived in Portland, worked in Bank, retired to Cadillac & Florida.

GEORGE THOMPSON SMITH & Tressa Chalker farmed in Portland Township on south side of Goodwin Rd., two miles west of the old homestead. Their children were:
1. Irene Smith 1894-?, married Dale Blackman 1893-?
2. Harold Smith 1895-1925, had polio, never married.
3. Laban Atwater Smith II 1897-1972, married Hermene Hamlin, Alice Rand, and Margaret (Marge) Davis.
4. Earl Chalker Smith.

FLORENCE SMITH & Veryl Tyler farmed a mile south of Goodwin Rd. and west on Peck Lake Rd. in Secs. 13 & 24 Orange Township. Their children were:
1. Mignonne Tyler 1921- , married Howard Hodnett.
2. Dean Tyler 1923- , married Elizabeth Jones from a mile north of the old homestead on David Hwy., Sec. 4 Portland Township.

MARY WEBSTER SMITH & Charles Lockwood were leaders in developing the Portland Country Club on the old homestead. Their child was:
1. Ruth Lockwood 1916- , married Donald French.

RUTH HANNAH SMITH & Frank McGowan were actors & musicians, directing the Lowell Showboat, etc. Their child was
1. Frank McGowan II, married Elizabeth Sullivan.
Harriett Frost & Conrad Stegenga farmed on the Harriett & Charles Frost farm and lived in the house on the south side of the road after the big house had burned. Harriett’s unmarried brother Elmer lived with them, as well as Con’s father. Con worked in the Development & Testing Department at Oldsmobile. Their children were:
1. Ellen Stegenga 1923- , married James Sullivan & Jack Winchester.
2. Jean Stegenga 1927- , married Maynard Barrus.
3. Evelyn Louise Stegenga 1933- , married Richard Haueter 1927-
4. Jack Stegenga 1927- , married Laura Platte.

IRENE SMITH & Dale Blackman’s child was:
1. Lois Smith 1922-1962.

LABAN A. SMITH II & Hermene Smith farmed in the Portland area and built up a large Registered Holstein dairy herd. Due to asthma Labe was forced to sell out, and it was one of the saddest days of his life when the cows left. He entered the employ of Bill Stocum in the Hardware Store previously owned by Duncan Kennedy in the Opera House. Soon he purchased the store in partnership with Leo Lehman. Laban & Hermene were divorced and he married Alice Rand. They were divorced and he married Marge Davis.

Marge was a Flint school teacher, originally from Charlotte, MI, who came to visit her sister, Winifred (Mrs. Dr. Basil) Lowrey, and married Labe. After raising a family, they sold the Hardware Store and she joined him in running East Side Lumber Co. They also raised riding horses and were active in the Portland Historical Society. Labe was elected Ionia County Commissioner in 1968 with the first class, and when he died in September 1972, she was appointed in October and elected by write-in in November for the Portland District. After retiring at the end of 1976 and moving to their horse-farm, she was again elected in November 1978 to represent the Danby, Sebewa, Orange, E. Odessa, S. Berlin, S. Ionia District. She retired again at the end of 1982.

LABAN’S child with Hermene was:
1. Charlene Smith 1921- , married Harry Hoyt.

LABAN’S children with Marge were:
2. Laban Atwater Smith III 1943-1954.
3. Daniel Smith 1946- , lives in Seattle.

EARL CHALKER SMITH’S children were:
1. Mary Alice Smith.
2. Harold Smith.
3. Gerald Smith.

Mignonne Tyler & Howard Hodnett’s children were:
1. Dean Hodnett 1946-
2. Cirrue Hodnett 1949-
3. James Hodnett 1951-

Dean Tyler & Elizabeth Jones’ children were:
1. Michael Tyler 1947-
2. David Tyler 1950-
3. Margaret Ann Tyler 1954-1954

Ruth Lockwood & Don French’s children were:
1. Gail French 1940-
2. Tom French 1942-
3. Cathy French 1944-1990
4. Charles French 1953-1955
5. Kristi French 1956-

Frank McGowan II & Elizabeth Sullivan’s children were:
1. Sheila McGowan
2. Raymond McGowan

Ellen Stegenga & James Sullivan’s child was:
1. Kathy Sullivan 1944-

Jean Stegenga & Maynard Barrus’ children were:
1. Timothy Barrus
2. Suzanne Barrus

Evelyn Stegenga & Dick Haueter’s children were:
1. Teri Haueter 1959- , married Kevin Carrigan
2. Amy Haueter 1959- , married Mark Bailey. Teri & Amy are twins.
3. Karen Haueter 1965- , married Kevin Everts.

Jack & Laura Stegenga’s children were:
1. Michael Stegenga
2. William Stegenga
3. Beth Stegenga, married Douglas Stiffler

Charlene Smith & Harry Hoyt’s children were:
1. Brian Hoyt 1952-
2. Wendy Hoyt 1957-

Beth Stegenga & Doug Shiffler live in the beautiful new brick house with home-sawed hardwood interior trim and a backyard pond at the 5400 E. Clarksville Rd, and have twin babies, the sixth generation of the Laban A. Smith family, which brings us back to Sebewa Township!
Their children:
1. Clayton Forrest Stiffler 1990
2. Cristin Elizabeth Stiffler 1990

HARRY MEYERS & THE DAKOTA TERRITORY by Grayden Slowins

Recent newspaper articles have focused on homesteaders in the Dakota Territory a century ago. One such man was Harold Albert (Harry) Meyers (1891-1971). He was born in Sebewa Township, son of Lydia Shipman (1857-1935) & Albert W. Meyers (1852-1912), son of Amey (1836-1873) & Rev. Daniel Meyers. Harry attended Sebewa Center Rural School and worked on the home farm with his older brother, Archie. About 1912-1913, after his father’s death, he went to Golden Valley, North Dakota. They still called it Dakota Territory, although the two States had been admitted separately into the Union in 1889, and Harry really went after the land rush that settled the big wheat farms. Others from the Berlin-Orange-Sebewa area who had gone earlier were Peter & Levi Schnabel, the Letts brothers, and Robert Ainsworth.

Harry had a small farm of his own there and a small coal mine. He met and married Mattie Bailiff (1901-1939), daughter of Lynn (1880-1950) & Tina Bailiff (1882-1951). His mother, Lydia, came out on the train to visit them. Their oldest son, Harold, was born there. Then they returned to Michigan about 1921 and Wesley was born here. Harry’s brother Archie (1890-1934) had been left to run the farm here alone and had built the strange 1/3 slice of a gambrel roofed, glazed tile dairy barn, which still stands today against Howard’s new pole barn. Archie was crippled, gave violin lessons, and had a small orchestra. He never married and died young. So Harry returned to operate the home farm. His older sister, Nellie (1879-1955), had stayed with their Aunt Jennie Meyers Barber at Saranac, attended High School there, and had one term at Ferris. She married Rob Gierman and became the mother of Robert Wilfred Gierman.

Other Bailiffs soon followed to Michigan, including Lynn & Tina, their daughter Alice, and their son Garland and family. They had been migrant farm workers in the west. (See Garland’s story in THE RECOLLECTOR Volume 4, Number 5, April 1969.) Here Garland went to work for Lake Odessa Canning Company operating a stationary pea thresher. He & Grace lived in the north house on the Clarence Sayer farm and worked on the farm too.

Later they farmed on shares 14 years for Glenn Olry on what is now our farm. Lynn & Tina Bailiff lived in the George Gunn house just east of Lancey Meyers and worked in the cemeteries. Their son-in-law Harry Meyers was Secretary of the Sebewa Center School Board and Clerk of Sebewa Township. Since the Clerk has responsibility for the cemeteries, this was probably the start of the tradition of using family help in the Sexton job.

Harry’s maternal grandparents, William Shipman (1823-1896) & Angerona Carpenter (1828-1914), had come from Jonesville, Michigan, about 1874 and selected this farm because it had lots of stones! Stones were supposed to indicate good wheat ground. After fighting these stones for four generations, Howard & Wes recently sold truck-loads of them to a contractor for erosion control and ground stabilization. They came in with big dump trucks and a front-end loader and hauled them away. Some went to Sunfield, some to Flint, and some as far away as Indiana for lawn decoration.

They almost wished they had all those back the family had buried over all those years! The stones are part of the Grand Ledge Moraine deposited by the glacier and circling from Grand Ledge thru Ionia County and up thru Edmore. Angerona Carpenter Shipman was distantly related to the Sebewa-Odessa-Woodland Carpenters, of which see the obituary of Hobard Carpenter elsewhere in this issue.
Harry & Mattie’s children were:
1. Harold Meyers 1920
2. Wesley Meyers 1921
3. Howard Meyers 1923
4. Eleanor Meyers 1924
5. Ardell Meyers 1934
END

UPDATE ON THE SEBEWA HIGH STORY:
George Allen was not a brother to Edna & Vernon Allen. The Allen family in Sebewa begins with William Allen. His son was Thomas J. Allen, whose wife was Rosilla F. Allen. They lived on what is now the Vernon Pifer farm on Keefer Hwy., formerly Thomas Huizenga’s, and the Luurt or Grace Huizenga forty across the road in Danby, and the eighty next south of that. Their sons Merritt S. Allen and Ora Clark Allen inherited the farms, O. C. on the Danby side and M. S. on the Sebewa side. Merritt married Carrie (Kaddie) Soule and their children were Edna, Weldon, Vernon & infant Nelson Merritt.
Ora C. Allen married Carrie Wilkins, brother of Frank Wilkins, who married Kitty Emery and lived next door on what became the Raymond & Edna Kenyon farm. Their sons were George Thomas Allen and Faye Wilkins Allen. After selling the north forty to Merritt, they moved to a little old house on the south eighty, and when Ora died young, Carrie sold that to George High. George Thomas Allen married Myrtle Mack, lived on the Densmore farm on Looking Glass Ave., ran an ice business, died young. Children – Tom Allen & Maxine Sandborn.

Update on Schoolhouses in Odessa story: Although the fate of the wooden Russell School is unknown, the Bonanza School which succeeded it was a two-story brick building. It can be seen in an early photo of Bonanza on display at the Library. It was in use only a few years, then torn down and the bricks used to build a house on 5th Avenue, third house north of M-50, west side, across from the Tom Johnson rose garden. It was owned by George VanTeflin, then his stepson Claire Pickens, and his son Tom found the school’s headstone while digging in the yard. The Bretz Schoolhouse was torn down by Lewis Rush and used to build two houses on Johnson St. south of Garlocks.

UPDATE ON THE LEON & MABLE WILLIAMS FAMILY:
As we mentioned last time, Mable was the daughter of Charles P. Cook Sr., who lived where Henry Smith does, granddaughter of Pierce G. Cook of the same location, who also ran a store in Sebewa Corners during the Civil War and later was Justice of the Peace in Portland. Her Uncle Edward H. Cook was killed in that war.

Leon Williams’ father was a half-brother to Mamie Downing’s father, Lewis G. Williams. Leon’s father died when Leon was 6 or 7 years old and he was raised by his grandparents Gray on the farm where Cecil Gray lives now, at the corner of Eaton Hwy. & Goddard-Saubee Lake Rd., just over into Eaton County. Leon taught school winter terms at the Johnson School and courted Mable Cook. He also taught Travis school and roomed with George Goodemoot, grandfather of his son Gerald’s future wife Ruby. Schools needed a man teacher in winter term, because some of the scholars were 20-year-old boys!

Along with the above information, Gerald provides us with the Nineteenth Annual Report of the State Board of Agriculture for 1880. Their principle business was governing Michigan Agricultural College, as the report shows. Much space is given over to information and experiments of the kind we would call Agricultural Extension today. The hottest group of machines being tested were wind engines (windmills)! Several were pictured, including a wooden model like the one on this farm when we moved here. The president of MAC got $3000 per year and the six professors got $1800 each!

RECENT ACTION OF THE SEBEWA TOWNSHIP BOARD will give residents free access to both Lake Odessa and Portland Libraries. A major source of support for libraries is the penal fines from the courts of Michigan. These are distributed on a per-capita basis by the State Library Administrator, thru the County Treasurer, to the library of choice for each local unit of government. Sebewa had contracted for this service with Portland Library since 1977, which was before Lake Odessa Library got organized. Current comparison shows about equal numbers of Sebewa residents using each library, due to proximity and the two school systems. Hereafter the penal fines will be distributed 50-50. Another advantage is that Lake Odessa Library belongs to the Lakeland Consortium of West Michigan. This will allow our residents who hold cards at Lake Odessa to have no-charge use of the Ionia Library, and access by computerized catalog to any of the library resources in West Michigan.

SEBEWA CENTER UNITED METHODIST CHURCH celebrated the Centennial of its dedication on Sunday, November 3, 1991. There were five former ministers present in addition to current minister, Gordon Spalenka: Robert Carson, Clinton Bradley-Galloway, Chris Schroeder, Kenneth Lindland, & Joseph Spachman.

Sixteen new members joined during the morning service: Bob & Nancy Bessemer, Delores & Amy Stank, Leo & Marge Carr, Ilene Carr, Ruth Seybold, Tom & Mary Dowker, Debbie & Ed Smith, Lisa & Terry Walkington, Ray & Joan Heintzelman. Counting Charles & Karen Darling and their three children, who joined earlier in the centennial year, the church reports a gain of 21 members.

The only woman minister this church has had I the past 100 years was Rev. Margery S. Mathews, who went on to become a District Superintendent and then the first woman Bishop in all the Christendom. She also served as Chairperson of the National Council of Methodist Bishops and as Delegate from the National Council of Churches to the World Council of Churches in Brussels, Belgium. She never forgot those people in Sebewa whom she served as a seminary student, and said they prepared her well for whatever came afterward. She died at Clark Home in the same bed in the same room in which my mother had died.

MORE ON THE ALLEN FAMILY: George Allen Sr. was a half-brother to Merritt & Ora. He ran a clothing store in Portland and married Anna Probasco (East Cemetery) and Mary Newman, had no children. Mary was daughter of the founding Newman family and they lived in the ancient house that became Bandfield’s. Dr. George Allen of the Allen Hughes house on Academy St. was no relation, nor was Civil War Captain E. M. Allen who founded the bank and built the Fred Rowe house, nor “Dam” George & Tom Allen, nor even Earl Allen of Sebewa. Our Tom Allen married Joan Haley and of course Maxine married Riley LaVern Sandborn.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Association,
FEBRUARY 1992, Volume 27, Number 4.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: SPITZLEY, KLOECKNER, GILLES, MULLER, HALFMANN, SCHNEIDER, SCHLICHT, SIMON, SCHMITT, POHL, WILLEMS, LAY, PUNG, ECKARDT, SEYBOLD, HENDERSON, BURNS, SESSIONS, VOLLINK, PRANGER, CARR, VANDENBERG, BANDFIELD, FISHER, HOUGH, FARRELL, ELDRIDGE, SLOWINSKI, FROST, KLINTWORTH

RECENT DEATHS:
FLORENCE J. ECKARDT, 96, daughter of Kate Seybold & John Henderson, granddaughter of James Henderson, sister of Mildred Hall and Marion, Olive, Ethel, and James Henderson II, widow of Karl Eckardt, and mother of Joyce Scott and Bruce Eckardt. The Hendersons were a pioneer family at the northwest & southwest corners of State Road & Henderson Road in Odessa Township, and were generally considered to be part of the West Sebewa Community, especially back when they got their mail at that Post Office.

ROBERT D. BURNS, 79, husband of Helen, father of Maggie, Barbara, and James, brother of Florence, George and Stewart. A long-time member of our Association, he had been Clerk of Danby Township.

HATTIE FARRELL, 98, daughter of Jay & Sophia Eldridge, daughter of Louis Slowinski, son of Daniel Slowinski Sr. & Anna Schnabel. She was a widow of Ray D. Farrell, mother of Alta Mae Frost, Raymond J. & Charles Farrell. She had been a telephone operator in Lake Odessa, cook in a U.P. logging camp, and they farmed the John Klintworth place, Sec. 34 Sebewa, 1923-1937, before buying their own farm Sec. 30 Odessa.

THE SPITZLEY FAMILY IN AMERICA by Grayden Slowins

Johann Jakob Spitzley & Anna Kloeckner Spitzley were the first Spitzleys to arrive in Westphalia, MI. Johann Jakob was born in Arft, Province of Prussia, Germany, January 8, 1801, died in Westphalia, MI, February 22, 1878, son of Johann Spitzley and Anna Marie Gilles. Anna Marie Kloeckner was born in Langenfeld Province, Germany, April 3, 1800, died in Westphalia, MI, February 13, 1878, daughter of Johann Hubert Kloeckner & Anna Gertrude Muller. They were married November 28, 1820, and emigrated to Westphalia in 1846, after all their children were born.

The original homestead is located at the NE corner of Price & Clintonia Roads, two miles west of downtown Westphalia and just into Clinton County, and is still in the family. The inventory of their estate shows:
80 acres land – W1/2 SW1/4 Sec. 6 T6N R4W ---$4000.00
Three cows - 60.00
Two horses - 100.00
One wagon - 10.00
Three hundred bushels wheat - 315.00
One hundred fifty bushels oats - 30.00
Nineteen sheep - 55.00
Total $4570.00

THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Anna Gertrude Spitzley, 1822-1877, married Peter J. Halfmann.
2. Marie Katherine Spitzley, 1826-1901, married Frank Schneider.
3. Anna Maria Spitzley, 1832- ?, married Michael Schlicht.
4. Michael Spitzley, 1834-1912, married Suzane Simon.
5. Anton Spitzley, 1837-1918, married Mary Catherine Schmitt.
6. Maria Spitzley, 1842-1846, died enroute to MI.

THE CHILDREN:
4) Michael Spitzley, born in Arft, Prussia, March 5, 1834, died in Westphalia, MI, May 1, 1912, son of John Jakob Spitzley & Anna Maria Kloeckner, was married February 13, 1855, to Suzane Simon, born in Germany, September 1, 1838, died in Westphalia, MI, August 23, 1906, daughter of Peter Simon & Anna Maria Berzen. They farmed for 10 years, and then he became a storekeeper, first president of Westphalia State Bank, and first president of Westphalia Village.

THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Mary Spitzley, 1856-1935, married John Thelen.
2. Anna Spitzley, 1860-1895, married Michael Pohl,
3. Catherine Spitzley, 1863-1928, married John Pohl.
4. Margaret Spitzley, 1885-1928, married John Thelen & John Rademacher.
5. Mathias Spitzley, 1867-1921, married Mary Schafer.
6. Elizabeth Spitzley, 1869-1943, married Henry Theis.
7. Rosina Spitzley, 1871-1921, married Mary Schafer.
8. Michael Spitzley, 1873-1944, married Josephine Arens & Gertrude Gross Koster.
9. Suzanna M. Spitzley, 1876-1877.
10. John B. Spitzley, 1878-1960, married Elizabeth Fandel & Ross Willems.
11. Joseph A. Spitzley, 1880-1969, married Elizabeth Pung.
12. Theresa Spitzley, 1882-1966, married Ignatz Koenigsknecht.

2)ANNA SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, MI, December 16, 1860, died in Westphalia, MI, December 16, 1860, died in Westphalia, May 16, 1895, daughter of Michael Spitzley & Suzane Simon, was married to Michael Pohl, born in Westphalia, March 17, 1857, died in Westphalia, December 31, 1914.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. William N. Pohl, 1887-1970, married Josephine Knoop & Rose Barton.
2. Katie A. Pohl, 1889-1889.
3. John A. Pohl, 1890-1977, married Theresa Knoop.
4. Catherine Pohl, 1893-1980.
5. Mary M. Pohl, 1895-1895.

1) William N. Pohl, born in Westphalia, December 2, 1887, died in Portland, May 2, 1970, son of Anna Spitzley & Michael Pohl, was married October 21, 1913, to Josephine Knoop, born in Westphalia, June 14, 1892, died in Portland July 18, 1933, daughter of Henry Knoop & Josephine Schneider. William was then married to Rose Barton. They farmed on Emery Road in Danby Township.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Linus Pohl, 1915- , married Irene Thelen.
2. Anna Pohl, 1920 - , married Alfred Thelen, parents of Ron, George & Phil of Sebewa.
3. Florence Pohl, 1925 - married Gregory Thelen.
4. Agnes Pohl, 1929- , married Alfred Schneider.
5. Janet Pohl, 1932-PHS50, married Marvin Fedewa.
6. Mary Pohl, 1933- , married Joseph Simon.

5) MATHIAS SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, June 13, 1867, died in Westphalia, January 21, 1921, son of Michael Spitzley & Suzane Simon, was married April 28, 1891, to Maria Schafer, born February 12, 1871, died in Westphalia, December 9, 1957. He ran Westphalia Hardware Co, and sold agricultural implements, at the northeast corner of the main intersection in Westphalia. Their home was a quarter mile east and had 16 rooms including 9 bedrooms for their sixteen children:
1. William M. Spitzley1892-1975, married Seraphine Martin.
2. Suzanne Spitzley, 1893-1986, married Isador Thelen.
3. Regina K. Spitzley, 1895-1895.
4. Anna Spitzley, 1895-1983, married Julius C. Thelen.
5. Albert Spitzley, 1897-1960, married Mary Miller.
6. Infant female, 1898-1898.
7. Anthony Spitzley, 1899-1981, married Theresa Pohl.
8. Rosa Spitzley, 1900- , married Julius J. Thelen.
9. Edward Spitzley, 1902-1984, married Marcella Rademacher.
10. Herman Spitzley, 1904- , married Daroline Wohlscheid.
11. Louise Spitzley, 1906- , married Aloys Platte.
12. Isadore Spitzley, 1907-1970.
13. Harold Spitzley, 1909-1967.
14. Roman Spitzley, 1910-1973, married Eleanor Fink.
15. Norman Spitzley, 1910- , married Maria Fedewa.
16. Theodore Spitzley, 1912-1913.

1)WILLIAM SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, April 17, 1892, died in Portland, October 31, 1975, son of Mathias Spitzley & Maria Schafer, was married September 12, 1916, to Serephine Martin, born October 19, 1891, daughter of John Joseph Martin & Catherine Fedewa. They owned Portland Hardware Co., which they started as a branch of Westphalia Hardware. Their children were:
1. Carl Mathias Spitzley, 1918 - , married Ann Zimmerman.
2. James Louis Spitzley, 1919- , married Phyllis Williams.
3. Thomas Albert Spitzley, 1922-1986, married Rose Mary Wolfert.
4. William Joseph Spitzley, 1927 - , married Gladys Brown, of Sebewa.
5. Alice Marie Spitzley, 1934-PHS’52, married Robert L’Hullier.

8) MICHAEL SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, MI, November 6, 1873, died in Westphalia, September 10, 1944, son of Michael Spitzley & Suzane Simon, was married January 21, 1896, to Josephine Arens, born March 17, 1874, died in Westphalia, October 14, 1913, daughter of Joseph Arens & Mary Thome. Then he was married April 12, 1915, to Gertrude Gross Koster, born January 5, 1876, died Spetember 10, 1944, 20 minutes before Mike, daughter of John Gross & Anna Maria Thelen. Michael worked in town most of his life, first in the general store and then in the bank founded by his father and later with his brother John B. Spitzley, bank president.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Michael J. Spitzley, 1897-1958, married Rose Pung.
2. Leo A. Spitzley, 1899- , married Theresa Fox.
3. Edwin Spitzley, 1904-1940, married Agnes Blizzard.
4. Hildegard Spitzley, 1906-1984, married Carl Bollman.
5. Pauline Spitzley, 1908-1969, married Julius Galvanek.
6. Josephine Spitzley, 1913 - , married Julius Wirth.
7. Laurine Spitzley, 1916- , married Martin Edinger.
8. Adelaide Spitzley, 1918-1969, married Robert Wirth.

2) LEO A. SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, May 11, 1899, son of Michael Spitzley & Josephine Arens, was married February 6, 1923, to Theresa Fox, born in Westphalia, December 20, 1901, daughter of Steven Fox & Elizabeth Thelen. Leo was a farmer, first in Berlin Township on Ainsworth Rd. a quarter mile north of Eddy School, now in State Park, and many years on the Ben Sykes farm, next to the Laban Smith farms at SW corner Goodwin Rd. & Divine Hwy.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Leo M. Spitzley, 1924 - , married Mary Ann May.
2. Robert S. Spitzley, 1925- , married Laurine May.
3. Harold S. Spitzley, 1926-PHS’45, married Germaine Martin.
4. Philip J. Spitzley, 1929-PHS’46, married Elizabeth Breimayer, and now living in Sebewa.
5. Joan J. Spitzley, 1930-PHS’48, married Carl Simon & Ed Schmitz.
6. David E. Spitzley, 1932-
7. Wilma I. Spitzley, 1933-
8. Roy C. Spitzley, 1935-
9. Jerome P. Spitzley, 1938-1970.
10. Alvin R. Spitzley, 1940- .
11. Alice I. Spitzley, 1941-1983, married Louis Esch.

5)ANTON SPITZLEY, born in Arft, Prussia, December 11, 1837, died in Westphalia, MI, December 8, 1918, the other son of Johann Jakob Spitzley & Anna Maria Kloeckner, was married January 20, 1863, to Mary Catherine Schmitt, born in Germany, December 23, 1842, died in Westphalia, October 31, 1927, daughter of John Schmitt & Clara Sauer. Anton Spitzley farmed the land where his father had homesteaded, at Price & Clintonia Roads in Westphalia Township.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. William Spitzley, 1864-1949, married Mary Thelen.
2. Mary Theresa Spitzley, 1867-1896.
3. John J. Spitzley, 1869-1934, married Anna Hauck.
4. Theresa Spitzley, 1870-1960, married Peter Thelen.
5. Joseph Spitzley, 1876-1956, married Catherine Hufnagel & Biretta Fitzmorris.
6. Frank Spitzley, 1879-1934, married Betty Martin.
7. Clara Spitzley, 1882-1974, married John Hufnagel.
8. Susan Spitzley, 1885-1974, married Anthony Goodman.
9. Baby Anthony Spitzley, 1888-1888.
10. Baby Peter Spitzley, ?-?

1)WILLIAM SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, MI, December 4, 1864, died in Portland, January 11, 1949, son of Anton Spitzley & Mary Catherine Schmitt, was married October 30, 1888, to Mary Thelen, born in Portland, September 17, 1870, died in Portland, February 2, 1972, daughter of Peter Thelen & Anna Pung. William & Mary farmed on David Hwy., 3 ½ miles west of Westphalia where Larry Keilan and Pliney Stump own now, as much as 480 acres. Most of the work was done with horses until they got a McCormack-Deering two plow tractor.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Theresa Spitzley, 1889- , never married.
2. Catherine Mary Spitzley, 1891-1991, married Tony Willems.
3. Anthony Spitzley, 1893- ?, never married.
4. Anna Spitzley, 1894- , married George Miller.
5. Arnold Spitzley, 1896-1959, married Anna Bengel.
6. Louis A. Spitzley, 1897-1983, married Theresa Bengel.
7. Henry Spitzley, 1899-1974, never married.
8. Isador Spitzley, 1900-1901.
9. Ida Spitzley, 1902 - , married Joseph Fox.
10. Pauline Spitzley, 1904-1910.
11. Amelia Spitzley, 1906- , married Andrew Tanghe
12. Rosella Spitzley, 1909 - , married Victor Huhn.
13. Laurina Spitzley, 1911- , Sister Mary Antonio.
14. Genevieve Spitzley, 1913- , married Donald Clark.

2) CATHERINE MARY SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, September 13, 1891, died in Grand Rapids, December 29, 1991, daughter of William Spitzley & Mary Thelen, was married to Anthony Peter Willems, born February 26, 1889, died May 18, 1956. They farmed on Frost Road, Portland.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Donald J. Willems, 1917 -, married Jean Steward.
2. Mary E. Wiliems, 1921- , married Francis Mercer.
3. Ethelene M. Willems, 1923- , married Lee Lillie.
4. Margery Willems, 1927- , married Robert Smith.
5. Charles L. Willems, 1931-PHS’50.

5) JOSEPH SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, February 1, 1876, died in Portland, September 20, 1956, son of Anton Spitzley & Mary Catherine Schmitt, was married October 17, 1899, to Catherine Hufnagel, born in Westphalia, November 22, 1877, died in Portland July 18, 1916, daughter of Anton Hufnagel & Helena Hanses. He then married Biretta Warnick Fitzmorris. He farmed first on Marselle Rd. near Clintonia Rd. Sec. 24 and then SW ¼ Sec. 27 within the village of Portland on Looking Glass Ave., now owned by nephew Robert Goodman.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Anthony Spitzley 1900- , married Louise Martin.
2. Mary K. Spitzley 1902- married Norman Lay.
3. Leona Spitzley 1903- , married George Miller.
4. Elizabeth Spitzley 1905- , married Sylvester Pung.
5. Katherine Spitzley 1907- , married Donald Weidman.
6. Helen T. Spitzley 1911- , married Henry Alling.

2) MARY K. SPITZLEY, born in Portland, March 14, 1902, daughter of Joseph Spitzley & Catherine Hufnagel, was married January 25, 1921, to Norman Lay, born in Williamston, March 3, 1896, son of Henry Lay & Anna Thelen. They farmed on Ionia Road, Portland.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Annett Lay, born 1932-PHS’50, married Eugene Snitgen.
2. Ivan Lay, born 1936- .

4) ELIZABETH SPITZLEY, born in Portland, February 4, 1905, daughter of Joseph Spitzley & Catherine Hufnagel, was married to Sylvester Pung, son of John Pung & Julie Simon. They farmed on Keefer Hwy. S ½ Sec. 1 Sebewa Township, where their son Joe is now.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Catherine Pung, 1925- .
2. Joseph Pung, 19?? .
3. Mary Jane Pung, 1930-PHS’48.
4. Ronald Pung, 1933-PHS’51.
5. John David Pung, 1943- .

6) FRANK SPITZLEY, born in Westphalia, December 5, 1879, died in Westphalia, March 12, 1934, son of Anton Spitzley & Mary Schmitt, was married June 8, 1909, to Mary Martin, born in Westphalia, May 27, 1886, died in Westphalia, May 26, 1935, daughter of Peter Martin & Elizabeth Cook. Frank was the youngest son and last to marry, so he stayed on the homestead, along with another 120 acres on Goodwin Rd. Sec. 13, Portland Township. The building pictured being moved with Alfred Bauer’s Rumely Oil-Pull tractor was going to that farm, a mile south of the home place.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Dorothy Spitzley, 1909- , married Arnold Nurenberg.
2. William J. Spitzley, 1913- , married Katherine Shepherd.
3. Martin J. Spitzley, 1915-1966, married Lillian Geller.
4. Estelle Spitzley, 1918- , married Roman Schafer.
5. Richard C. Spitzley, 1920- , married Dorothy Johnson.
6. Marie F. Spitzley, 1922- , married Gerald Wrocklage.

2) WILLIAM J. (JIM) SPTIZLEY, born in Westphalia, October 16, 1913, son of Frank Spitzley & Mary Martin, was married to October 21, 1939, to Katherine Shepherd, born in Portland, August 27, 1918, daughter of LeRoy Shepherd & Mary E. Grenier.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Francis J. Spitzley, 1940- .
2. Dennis W. Spitzley, 1942- .
3. Susan K. Spitzley 1943- .
4. Patricia A. Spitzley, 1944- .
5. Phyllis M. Spitzley, 1947- .
6. Mary L. Spitzley, 1952- .
7. Lawrence E. Spitzley, 1952- .

1) FRANCIS J. SPITZLEY, born in Portland September 14, 1940, son of William J. (Jim) Spitzley & Katherine Shepherd, was married April 18, 1964, to Charlene Culman, born November 18, 1945, daughter of Robert Culman & Mary Watkoski. They were divorced and he was married on December 4, 1981, to Carole Owens Kirby, daughter of Ray Owens.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Gregory Scott Spitzley, 1965-
2. Dawn Marie Spitzley, 1966-
3. Karen Marie Spitzley, 1968-

7) LAWRENCE E. SPITZLEY, born in Ionia, July 5, 1952, son of William J. (Jim) Spitzley & Katherine Shepherd, was married July 30, 1982, to Pamela Gierman Mullen, born April 20, 1951, daughter of Maynard & Helen Gierman, formerly of Sebewa.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Camille Spitzley, 1977 - .
2. Mathew Steven Spitzley, 1984 - .

This story on the Spitzley family may seem long, yet it only scratches the surface. We selected one or two members of each generation to carry down, because we were surprised how many of our classmates in Portland High School were first, second, or third cousins to each other (Note PHS-50 etc.) If you want to know more, contact Thomas L. Spitzley, son of Leo, son of Michael, son of Michael, son of Johann Jakob. His book THE SPITZLEY FAMILY, has 490 pages like this and fills two thick volumes. His address is 801 W. St. Joe Hwy., Grand Ledge, MI. Phone (517) 627-5293.

Two photos in this book are of the Johann Jakob Spitzley & Anna Maria Kloeckner farm, another is of the William Spitzley farm, one of the Mathias Spitzley implement business, and one of the Westphalia State Bank. We will show as many as we have room. The one most interesting to me is of a tractor hauling a hog building thru the main intersection of Westphalia to the Frank Spitzley farm about 1912-1914. The tractor is a Rumely Oil-Pull, a kerosene-fired steam engine owned by Alfred Bauer. I started out on the threshing crew behind this very engine and a Red River Special Grain Separator in 1942, at age 10!

COUNTY FARM CEMETERY & SESSIONS SCHOOL:
The bronze plaque has been restored to its place at County Farm Cemetery, after being pried from its stone, stolen, and then found.
David Vollink, the Eagle Scout candidate who restored the door at Sessions School, has received his Eagle rank in a December ceremony at Saranac School. He is son of Pamela & William Robinson and Karen & Laurence Vollink, grandson of Sherm & Muriel Pranger, grand-nephew of Marjory Carr, great-grandson of Cornelius Vandenberg & Kristina Pranger.

One hundred years ago, Thomas J. Bandfield was increasing the size of his furniture factory in Portland. He was a cabinet & coffin-maker who first worked in the back-room of his furniture store on Kent St. Eventually he expanded into the building where Barley’s are today. He had a large kiln for quality hardwood lumber and some of us have center tables and other pieces made there. So do the antique shops in Portland, at a pretty price if the label is intact!

Sandy & John FISHER have a beautiful homestead about a mile east of Sunfield, where her parents – the Keith HOUGHS – used to live. The 80-acre farm was homesteaded by her great-great-grandfather. Sandy heads an architectural & construction firm that recently built the East Jordan Iron Works distribution center across the road. John is a vehicle development consultant at B-O-C and an Eaton County Commissioner.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Association,
APRIL 1992, Volume 27, Number 5.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: LAY, HUFNAGEL, SPITZLEY, SCHMITT, KLOECKNER, THEIS, PHILP, HISSONG, YORK, REED, TOWNSEND, HARWOOD, HOWARD, REDSTROM, TASKER, GODBEHERE, BRAKE, COSENS, MILLER, GOODCHILD, PAGE, DANIELS, THOMAS, SOBER, CATT, McDONALD, FRASER, WATSON, MERCHANT, SANDBORN, BERA, MAPES, WEIPPERT, McCARTNEY, LOVELL, WEBBER, OWSLEY, BROWN, WILKINS, WELCH, MASON, COLLINGWOOD, STONE, BOWEN, ABBEY, HUDSON, LEE, SPRINGER, CLAY, FORD, VanderHEYDEN, WOOD

RECENT DEATHS:
MARY K. LAY, 89, daughter of Katherine Hufnagel & Joseph Spitzley, son of Mary Catherine Schmitt & Anton Spitzley, son of Anna Maria Kloeckner & Johann Jakob Spitzley. She was a widow of William Schmitt and a 1st cousin to Leo Spitzley Sr. Both these women are mentioned because of their connection to our story in February issue.

CLARENCE H. PHILP, 76, son of Walter & Florence Philp, father of Ricard & Linda, husband of Doris C. Hissong Philp (not Philip!). Doris’ parents, Eli & Dora York Hissong, brought their family to Sebewa by covered wagon about 1920, and farmed on the Stephen York homestead, Sec. 10, near her brothers, Harry & Ernest York. Many of the Hissong family, as well as the York family, are buried in the West Sebewa Cemetery, and some in the East Cemetery.

LLOYD F. REED, 89, son of Blanche Townsend & Earl Reed, son of Clara Harwood & Thomas Hosea Reed. Also grandson of Henry Townsend, he was husband of Wilma, father of Eleanor, brother of Bernice Howard & Iris Tasker. Lloyd told his life story in our June & August 1991 issues.

REGINA GODBEHERE, 61, born in Lake Odessa, daughter of Roland Redstrom & Gwendolyn Tasker, daughter of Frank Tasker & Martha Jane (Jennie) Brake, daughter of Abraham Brake & Caroline Cosens, daughter of Ann Miller & Charles Cosens, son of Ann Goodchild & Charles Cosens Sr. Frank Tasker, son of John Tasker, was foreman of Frank Page’s milk condensery in Lake Odessa, and the family long lived in the house on Second Avenue later owned by Euceba Daniels & Bernard Thomas. Regina operated a nursing home in Lansing. Her mother, Gwendolyn, was once housekeeper for Howard Sober in what is now the Governor’s Mansion.

VERTIE CATT McDONALD is alive and well at 108. Last year her photo was shown on the Today Show, but now the host says she will have to wait until 110, because as many as 200 people a day are going beyond age 100. Vertie and Frank McDonald farmed on the A. C. Green – Reverend Hoffman – Kyle Stambaugh farm on Musgrove Hwy. Sec. 23 Sebewa, before owning their place on State Road Sec. 19.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO:
Sebewa Township Supervisor Watson Merchant purchased the Emma Fraser farm in SW ¼ Sec. 31 Portland and moved across the corner from his old home in NE ¼ Sec. 1 Sebewa. He also owned land in SE ¼ Sec. 36 Orange. The Portland Review said “Although Mr. Merchant eats and sleeps in Portland, the smoke from his chimney will drift over Sebewa with the wind in the northeast, into Danby if from the north, into Orange if from the east, and into Portland village if from the west. He is the only man who can stand in his yard and throw a stone into any of the other four townships mentioned (three-fourths of it his own land). A fly that bites Wat’s horses one minute is likely to chase Sandborn’s cows the next”.

MAPES FURNITURE in Sunfield is celebrating 100 years. J. H. Bera started the furniture & undertaking business. He was also the postmaster and first Sunfield Village President. His son-in-law, Harry Mapes, came to town from Sebewa in 1907 and joined him in the business. Eventually they came to occupy the space of six stores wide and a block deep. The west portion on the corner was Sunfield State Savings Bank before the Bank Holiday and Griffin Weippert was the last Cashier. Mapes ancestors are buried in East Sebewa Cemetery and J. H. Bera has relatives in the West Cemetery.

ANOTHER FORMER BANK BUILDING has recently been remodeled as a hair salon. The Lake Odessa State Savings Bank could be recognized by the burglar alarm located near the roof-line of the brick building on the east side of the 1000 block on Fourth Avenue, even tho it closed as a bank 60 years ago. William H. McCartney was the last Cashier and later operated a real estate and insurance business there with his son, C. Hale McCartney. The bank merged with the Farmers’ & Merchants Bank after the Bank Holiday, to form the Union Bank. The embossed metal ceiling and wainscoting have been uncovered, and the ornate entrance to the vault restored.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Association,
JUNE 1992, Volume 27, Number 6.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: INGALL, WILLIAMS, SHETTERLY, BRYANS, CROSS, FLEWELLEN, SACH, HEYBOER, BIEREMA, VanANTWERP, SPITZLEY, FEDEWA, MARTIN, L’HUILLIER, LIVINGSTON, GUY, RUSSMAN, HAYES, FINEIS, ROWE, WARREN, OLMSTED, CASE, STEELE, WEBBER, STERNER, REISBIG, STOREY, COOK, POHL, SHOWERMAN, SCHNABEL, SLOWINSKI, STEINBURG, BANHAGEL, BIEHLER, MAJINSKA, KUBISH, ELDRIDGE, O’MARA, LEHMAN, BRAKE, WILSON, GREGORY, RALSTON, BRITTEN, GALLOP

RECENT DEATHS:
MILDRED L. INGALL, 82, daughter of Leon Williams & Mable Cook, daughter of Emily & Charles P. Cook, son of Ursula & Pierce G. Cook. She was widow of Lyle Ingall, mother of Dan, David & Dawn, sister of Iva Reed, Edith Bippley, Bernice Bulling, Gerald Williams, and the late Myrtie Childs & Claude Williams. She taught rural schools and at Lakewood.

DALE B. SHETTERLY, 84, son of Lillie Rowe & Ozro Shetterly, son of Charles Shetterly. He was married to Winnie Bryans and father of Phillip, Shirley Chapman, Joy Wickham, and Linda Kenneson, brother of late Gladys Cook. A farmer & shepherd, he was a leader in statewide 4-H, later field-man for Lake Odessa Canning Co.

RALPH D. CROSS, 80, son of Della Aves & Leonard Cross, son of Emma & John H. Cross. Married first to Dorothy L. Flewellen, then Velma Sach, he was father of Loreta Burt, Geneva Strimback, Robert, Duane, Roselie Bartlett, Betty Kenyon, Raymond and Leonard, brother of Allen and late Raymond, Howard and Reva. Another grandson of a Civil War Veteran, he was retired from Diamond-REO Corporation.

WARREN A. HEYBOER, 70, son of Agnes Bierema & Mike Heyboer, husband of Evelyn, father of Arlene Lee, Richard, Howard and Carl, brother of Wilma Harrington and Alvin. He was a dairy farmer on the farm once owned by George Pierce, Erwin Wilson, Ted Wilson, and Francis Lawless, in SE ¼ Sec. 35 Orange & NE ¼ Sec. 2 Sebewa.

BELLE E. VanANTWERP, 99, widow of Elmer Van Antwerp, Sr., mother of Elmer and Fred, grandmother of Chris and others, sister of eleven. Member of Daughters-of-Union-Veterans, she and husband operated a General Grocery Store in Sunfield.

SEREPHINE M. SPITZLEY, 100, daughter of Chatherine Fedewa & Joseph Martin, widow of William M. Spitzley, mother of Alice L’Huillier, Carl, William, and late Thomas and James. Her husband was son of Mathias Spitzley and they operated Westphalia Hardware and Portland Hardware Co.

UPDATE ON SPITZLEY STORY: William N. Pohl, son of Anna Spitzley & Michael Pohl, has many ste-grandchildren of the Brown families in Portland & Sebewa, including Jan Livingston, Joan Guy, Anne Russman, and their children & grandchildren.

ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO: Orlando V. Showerman, the new Supervisor of Sebewa Township, was in Ionia today. He is a Veteran of the Sixth Michigan Cavalry in the Civil War (commanded by General Kidd, Editor of the Sentinel), has a good army record, and is highly esteemed by his neighbors. His political affiliations are a conundrum. Such a man belongs in the Republican party.

NOTICE: The Schnabel Family History is ready – after 37 years work! The book includes the Schnabel, Slowinski, Steinberg, Banagel, BIEHLER, MAJINSKA, KUBISH, ELDRIDGE, O’MARA, LEHMAN and related families. Over 350 pages with lots of photos, leather bound hard cover. Price is $30.00 including tax & mailing. $26.50 at my house or delivered locally. Send check to Grayden D. Slowins, 3226 E. Musgrove Hwy., Lake Odessa, MI 48849.

HAYES IONIA COMPANY by Grayden Slowins

The death in 1991 of Nevene Fineis, 86, of Ionia, and news articles about the move of the Capital Wagon Works from Lansing to Ionia thru-out the year back in 1891, converge to create a story of importance to the history of Ionia County.

NEVENE FINEIS was born in Muir, August 7, 1904, died in Ionia, August 1, 1991, six days short of her 87th birthday. She was the daughter of Fanchon Rowe & Austin C. Hayes, son of Nathan B. Hayes, son of Hector Hayes. She was graduated from Ionia High School in 1922 and Mount Ida School for Girls in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1925. She worked at Hayes Auto-Body as a secretary, as secretary to the Commissioner of Agriculture in Lansing (probably Herbert E. Powell of Ionia), and as a stenographer in the Michigan House of Representatives. She was married April 3, 1937, to Erwin (Pete) Fineis, and together owned & operated Fineis Oil Company and later Pete’s Tavern. They also owned the old horse-racing track in Saranac and extensive pine re-forestation lands. After his death in 1959, she operated the tavern for another 25 years by herself. She is survived by a daughter, Nancy (Mrs. John) McNamara of Ionia, sons Hayes of Lyons, John of Georgia, & Steve of Ionia, ten grandchildren, and her sister Maxine Zemer of Ionia. She was taken for burial from St. John’s Lutheran Church to North Plains Cemetery.

Hector Hayes, born in Prattsburg, New York, 1804, died in North Plains Township, Ionia County, Michigan, son of Pliny Hayes, was married to Lucinda Warren, born in Connecticut in 1806, and settled for a time in Bristol Township, Ontario County, New York, where their sons were born. In 1836 they came to Michigan with their two small sons and settled in North Plains Township. He was a carriage-maker by trade (an interest which would come in handy later) and a farmer.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. George Hayes.
2. Nathan Bradford Hayes, 1835-.

2) NATHAN BRADFORD (N.B. OR BRAD) HAYES, born in Bristol, Ontario County, New York, December 13, 1835, was married in 1864 to Mary Olmsted, daughter of Anstus Case & Jay Olmsted. He was educated in a log schoolhouse and Olivet College. He taught school five winters and helped his father on the farm summers. Then he took up farming full time. He became the largest farmer in Ionia County, owning twenty one hundred acres in North Plains and Lyons Townships, plus about fifteen hundred acres timberland in Montcalm County. The main homestead was at the intersections of Sections 29, 30, 31, 32 in North Plains. There he had the largest barn in Ionia County, it being one hundred sixty two feet long, with a wing one hundred feet long. He fed 100 cattle at a time and up to 5000 lambs.

He owned a sawmill in Muir and another in Bushnell Township, Montcalm County. He had an agricultural implement dealership in Ionia and one in Muir. He was president of the First National Bank in Muir and a director of State Savings Bank in Ionia. He was elected to the State Legislature in 1876 on the Republican ticket.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. George B. Hayes.
2. Hector Jay Hayes, 1869-1957.
3. Jerry C. Hayes.
4. Austin C. Hayes.

One hundred years ago the Capital Wagon Works was in financial trouble in Lansing and sought local investors to re-organize and move the plant to Ionia. Investors were found and Benhagel Brothers built the buildings. Photos & stories show the land at the triangle, or “flat-iron” ad it was called then, at the junction of Steele & Dexter streets, was covered with buildings. There were sheds for lumber that came in by railroad car, a dry-kiln building, a spoke factory, etc., and a huge boiler-room and smoke stack. There was a paint shop, display rooms, and storage rooms.

By 1909 automobiles & trucks began to seriously cut into the demand for wagons. Three of the Hayes brothers of Muir began to organize a company to meet the needs of changing times. It was a natural out-growth of the family sawmill and lumber processing mills at Muir. George B., Hector Jay, and Jerry C. undertook this venture, with Hector Jay as president. Austin C. stayed home on the huge family farm. Thus was born the Hayes Ionia Company, later Hayes Auto-Body Corporation when they expanded to Grand Rapids. Gradually they grew until they occupied all of the Wagon Works buildings and built more.

H. Jay Hayes, who died in 1957 at age 88, was a farm boy from Muir who was a genuine auto pioneer. He drove one of the first electric cars, and he liked to tell how, when he took the car to Detroit, he had the battery charged by a young Detroit Edison Employee named Henry Ford. Hayes developed and championed the all-steel, closed-body style for automobiles, although wooden station-wagon bodies were still built by United Furniture Workers in Ionia factories for many years thereafter. Hayes made steel bodies for many auto manufacturers. Before General Motors bought Fisher Body, Hayes made all the bodies for Chevrolets and was the largest employer in Grand Rapids, with a payroll of 5,000 people.

In 1933-1934 they even launched a joint venture with Continental Motors to produce their own car, the Beacon. Their respective companies had been producing the bodies & engines for another car line, the DeVaux, and when that company went broke in 1932, they tried to salvage the 600 DeVaux dealerships and themselves. The idea for the car was simple – make it cheap. The Beacon was advertised as the cheapest full-size car on earth at $355 for the basic model. It had four cylinders and allegedly got 25-30 miles to a gallon of gas.

The cars were okay, but Chevrolet, Ford & Plymouth were almost as cheap and customers were afraid to chance an untried car in those shaky financial times. They also had the Beacon Flyer at $450 & the Ace Big Six at $725. But production ceased in less than two years. Hayes revived somewhat on war contracts during World War II, then went out of business and sold its buildings in Grand Rapids in 1957 to American Seating Co. for warehouse space.

The Ionia buildings, where many of our fathers learned the auto-body trades, never re-opened after the Great Depression and eventually were occupied by Grand Valley Chair Compnay and other ventures. The three-story main building, the old Wagon Works woodworking shop, has now been historically restored by Dick & Gerry Brown for office, engineering, and display space for Brown Corporation, which makes auto components. The south end of this building also houses an auto-parts retail store – how fitting! The dry-kiln and the last other remaining building were recently torn down. The blacksmith shop had been gone for some time.

All of these buildings stood on the Steele Street landfill. This was once bottomland farmed by WILLIAM & NANCY JANE STEELE. They acquired it from Webber Brothers, and after farming it a bit, ran in a railroad spur and began to fill. The family had purchased the A. J. Webber farm on N. Jefferson, where Dr. Sterner and William Reisbig are now, for $55,000 in 1886. The French-Italianate house built of Ionia sandstone & brick was said to be the finest farm-house in Michigan in 1881. After it burned in 1896, they sold the farm for $27,000 and moved to another large house 475 E. Washington Street, the A. F. Bell homestead, which their daughters later sold to the city to make way for the hospital. George W. Webber had owned the bottomland. Steeles used a temporary train track at first and, we suspect, a Shay Locomotive, which was specifically designed for rough trackage. They hauled fill dirt from the back of the farm where Reisbigs later got gravel for their readi-mix, or from Webber land south of the river, or both.

Steeles gave the land for south Steele Street and built the grade. They gave the land for the railroad spur and built that grade. They gave the land for the Wagon Works – later the Auto-body Works, for the Gas-light plant, the Hale Flour Mill, the Sorosis Garment Factory, and filled them all to grade. They also founded the William Steele Meat Packing Company. Their initial fortune had come from lumbering on the Flat River. The problem was, they loved to build but didn’t invest wisely in that growth. When a “panic” came, in 1890, they lost almost everything. But they persisted and began to grow sugar beets on their rich bottomland.
It may have sounded like a big undertaking, to lay a track for filling. But it was nothing compared to the great Boston Massachusetts Backbay landfill of the same period. There they laid tracks and dumped a trainload of dirt into the shallow shoreline of the Charles River every 45 minutes, 364 days a year, for 30 years. Talk about your loss of wetlands! That is considered the largest project of its kind the world has ever known & became the most fashionable and valuable building sites of its day. Today it is undergoing downtown revitalization, as is Ionia.

WILLIAM N. STEELE, born at North Berwick, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, November 8, 1845, died in Ionia, May 21, 1927, was married in 1867, to Nancy Jane STOREY, born in Gray County, Ontario. To this union seven children were born: Janet L., Margaret L., John L., William N., Mary Agnes, Jessie D., and Martha E. Steele. John lived in Detroit. Margaret, Mary Agnes (Mayme), and Martha lived in Evanston, IL. Miss Jessie Steele lives in Ionia. They are buried at Highland Park Cemetery.

THE PIERCE G. COOK FARM by Grayden Slowins

Henry G. Smith brings us the Abstract of Title for his farm, plus some notes written by Charles M. Cook Jr., as told to him by his father, Charles P. Cook Sr. This farm, being the W1/2 SE1/2 Sec. 19 Sebewa Township T5N R6W, was taken up from the United States Government on February 3, 1837, by James Pierce & wife. They sold it almost immediately on February 3, 1837, to Jason Smith. He sold it on May 21, 1853, to Benjamin D. Weld & wife. They sold it almost immediately on June 9, 1853, to Pierce G. Cook & wife. In both 1837 & 1853, the first purchaser was probably financing the next owner.

Pierce G. Cook & wife Ursula had numerous mortgages on the farm over the years as they acquired other land, a store in Sebewa Corners, a home in Portland. They mortgaged to Frederick Hall & wife Ann, to Thomas McGonigle, to Richard Dye, to Zachariah Chandler & Edward Orr, to Nathan Brockway & Chauncey S. Wolcott, to Jerome Brokaw, to Henry C. Wright, to John C. Hubbard, to Larmon J. Townsend, all of whom had to be quieted when transfer was made to Charles P. Cook & wife Emily on August 17, 1874.

Charles P. Cook went out to work as a reaper with a cradle scythe at age 15. He had helped his father dig the shallow cellar for the log house with Jim & Sam, their horses. Jacob (Jack) Lapo helped lay the logs. The log house set north & south on the west side of the present upright. When the frame upright was built, the two parts were connected by a covered hall which they called “the tunnel”.

In 1914, the log portion was replaced by the present kitchen-dining wing. Pierce G. Cook had used an ox team to clear the land. His first corn crop between the stumps was stored in his work-bench turned upside down with slats nailed on. Eighty years later his grandson, Charles M., sold a 90-bushel wheat crop for 36 cents per bushel in 1932.

Water for the family & livestock came from a spring below the hill on the VanHouten line fence. Charles P. Cook also worked on the railroad grade from Woodbury thru Sebewa Corners to Portland. The track was never laid. Pierce ran a General Store in Sebewa Corners during the Civil War and his son Edward H. Cook was a Union soldier imprisoned at Andersonville, escaped on the dead wagon, and died in battle.

Charles P. Cook built the first gambrel-roof barn in the neighborhood in 1891. He let the job for $111.00 and the contractor cut the lumber in the Cook woods. It was a nice barn. The six-pointed stars on the ends may be Jewish or Pennsylvania Dutch. They had an ice-cream social barn-warming when it was done. The first mail delivery was by Mrs. VanHouten. Charles P. & Emily Cook’s children were: Clifton J. (who married Gladys Shetterly), Ethel (who married Tillison Daniels), Mable (who married Leon Williams), Carlton R. (who married Etta), Charles M. (who married Reva), Charles P. & Emily mortgaged the farm to Manley Conkrite. Grover H. & Reva Mae acquired it from the estate in 1936 and mortgaged to Charles Kimmel. They deeded the farm to Henry G. & Betty L. Smith on March 31, 1958. Henry is our conscientious substitute shepherd when we travel.

REUNIONS: Kent City Historical Society Newsletter reports the High School Class of 1942 is having a reunion, their first ever. All but three of the 29 class-mates are alive and all are located. Five teachers are still living. One is Miss Jane Wilson (Mrs. Elwood Brake Jr.). Two members drove to Ionia one day in February to inquire about Miss Wilson’s whereabouts. They stopped at the Sheriff’s office, where they were told to go to the Sentinel Standard and ask for Rus Gregory, Editor.
They went to the newspaper office and located Mr. Gregory, who knew exactly who Miss Wilson was and informed them that she was now living in Arizona. Their hearts sank, but he told them he thought he could find her. He made two phone calls and had her phone number in Mesa, Arizona. A few minutes later, Mr. Gregory had Miss Wilson (Mrs. Brake) on the phone. That was one phone call none of them will forget. Kent City was her first school. She was there during the years 1939-40 and 1940-41. In March two class-members visited her in Arizona. Then she sent a letter and photo to Kent City, discussing travel arrangements. It’s a definite maybe that she will come.

JANE WILSON BRAKE is the daughter of D. LEE WILSON, son of Riley N. Wilson, legendary farmer, merchant, constable and deputy sheriff of Sebewa. Later he went to Ionia to become Sheriff. The late Wilson Dalzell of Ypsilanti-Reed was another grandson. Riley Wilson lived on Lot #1, Block #6, John Friend’s Addition to the Plat of Sebewa in 1891. I believe that is the last house to the north, on the west side of Main Street (Keefer Hwy.), long occupied by Burton & Helen Gilbert. His biggest shoot-out in Sebewa was with a Mr. Dann, who threshed out and sold some wheat which he had previously mortgaged.

AN EARLIER REUNION:
At Sebewa Center School, June 14, 1858, marking the 75th Anniversary of the building of the Sebewa Center Schoolhouse. Here is the chronology of the building project as reported in the PORTLAND OBSERVER in 1882-1883:

September 20, 1882. Our annual school meeting came off the other evening and resulted in the election of D. Brown, M. Severance, and Joshua Gunn as school board members and $1,500 was voted to build a new schoolhouse in the center of the township. (School was previously held in a wood structure one mile east.)
October 11, 1882. We will have a new schoolhouse at Sebewa Center in time for the winter term. It will be a brick structure 28 x 38 feet. The ground already has been broken for a wall and a portion of the material is on the ground.
November 1, 1882. The building committee of our new schoolhouse has decided to finish the foundation and then adjourn until next spring.
May 9, 1893. The new schoolhouse of Sebewa Center is progressing finely.
July 3, 1883. Our schoolhouse at Sebewa Center is progressing finely, being up and the roof on. We hope it will have a bell the pupils can’t ring, but one what will ring some of the pupils.
September 5, 1883. We hear of dissatisfaction about the new brick schoolhouse at Sebewa Center. It is not being built in a workmanlike manner.

Here are quotes from people who remembered being transferred from the old schoolhouse, a mile east, to the new building:
WALTER RALSTON: I was eleven years old when this schoolhouse at the Center was built. I remember my father hauling the brick for the school with a wagon, and I think he hauled them from Muir. I used to go over every day and help unload brick.
PETER BRITTEN: As for this new schoolhouse, the mason who did the work, his name was Frost and he was tended by Tim Barrel – that would be Robert Barrel’s father – and he was all summer at it. Tim used to lay down and go to sleep sometimes. He had plenty of time to waste and he knew how to do it. This schoolhouse was built in 1882-1883. It was a modern school at that time – very modern with the slate blackboards, which we certainly enjoyed. We were used to a wooden blackboard with big cracks in it. We would have to jump over those cracks when we were doing our problems on the board.
DELLA AVES CROSS: I well remember that when the water came in, in the old tin pail with the tin cup, then we’d all fight to see who was going to pass the water first. I remember too about the shutters on the windows there after we had our new schoolhouse. We had to keep them closed for a couple of years so that the window lights did not get broken. We played ball a lot out in the school yard. At first we all played together – the boys and the girls – and then they got so the girls wanted to play by themselves. They thought they could catch the ball in their aprons, but lots of times it went right through the apron onto the ground.

In 1883, the year the Sebewa Center Schoolhouse was finished, here is how things stood: Ionia had been settled for 50 years – Sebewa for 45 years. The Gunn sawmill that had furnished the lumber for the big square houses was being dismantled and moved north. Some of the first plank-frame barns were being erected in the community. A train of 19 cars loaded with emigrants, livestock, and tools left Ionia for Dakota Territory, as did several Sebewa residents.

Telephones were first being used in Portland, with a line running from the Depot to Maynard Allen Bank to Newman & Rice’s Mill. Windmills were beginning to replace hand power for pumping water on farms. The Grand Army of the Republic (G. A. R.) Veteran’s Post was organized at Sebewa Corners. Red Ribbon Clubs were popular – as a part of the Temperance Movement, everyone signing the “Pledge” wore a red ribbon in his hat. Board fences were the think to have along the roadside. Ionia County had 1, 075 working oxen and 11,545 horses. Parlor organs were making their way into the “best” homes. Three strawberry farmers of Sebewa Center marketed many bushels of berries during the season.

Sebewa Corners had a Baseball Club and a bowling alley. Potato bugs were a problem for every farmer. Staples Brothers installed their cane mill and evaporator for making syrup from sorgum. Don Gallop of Odessa with his partner shot 640 buffalo in Dakota and brought back 500 hides to be tanned. A single bear seen in Sebewa Township created a furor. Because of a wet spring, wheat yielded only 10-15 bushels per acre. END

TIME FOR ANOTHER REUNION:
In this 110th year since the start of construction, The Annual Meeting of the Sebewa Center Association will be held on Memorial Day, May 25, 1992, beginning with a Potluck Super at 6:30 PM. In case you are a stranger, we are located at the intersection of Shilton & Bippley Roads, at the center of Sebewa Township. The three-year terms of Ilene Carr – Treasurer, and Wallace Sears – Trustee, expire.

At the May 27, 1991, Annual Meeting, a motion was made by Eleanor Allen, supported by Elaine Nash, to raise dues to $5.00 per year for all subscribers. Motion carried and the new rates begin with the new fiscal year after this issue – that is Volume 28. If you paid for 1991-1992, your dues run out at that time, except for a few who paid ahead.
We plan to have a slide program on early trains of Ionia & Montcalm Counties, presented by a man from Greenville, after the supper and business meeting. So bring your table service & a dish to pass and join us. Visitors welcome.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
AUGUST 1992, Volume 28, Number 1.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden Slowins:

SURNAMES: STEGENGA, FROST, SMITH, WINCHESTER, BARRUS, HAUETER, WEBBER, WELCH, WEBBER, WILKINS, YOUNG, HIEHLER, O’BIERN, WYMA, HEYWEYER, DEKKER, KRUITOF, JONKERS, WEIGHMINK, ELHART, REGNERUS, FISHER, LEADER, GIERMAN, HOLCOMB, MEYERS, KLAGER, FRITZ, SANDBORN, HIGBEE, CASSEL, WISELOGLE, YAGER, LEAK, CASWELL, TEW, BURDICK, SMITH, TREMAINE, MASON, KIMMEL, ALLEN, SLOWINSKI, BENNETT, HORNING, BELCHER, BRIGGS, PROBASCO, DAY, OLRY, CHAPMAN, GREEN, KART, LASS, FATE, KRELLWITZ, STEFFERS, WOODS, TWIST, GLOVER, MAKIN, JOHNSON, BOND, KATT, GIBBS, ZAUKELIES, HILL, BULLING, SAXTON, BARKER, BRADEN, HORTENS, GEMUEND, KNOLL, AVES, WORTLEY, JACKSON, GATTNER, SHERRARD, YAGER

RECENT DEATH:
HARRIET F. STEGENGA, 90, daughter of Charles Frost & Harriet W. Smith, daughter of Hannah Gillette & Laban A. Smith Sr. She was widow of Conrad Stegenga, mother of Ellen Winchester, Jean Barrus, Evelyn Haueter & Jack Stegenga.

CHARLOTTE E. WEBBER, 90, daughter of Dora Stone & Lorenzo Webber, son of Mary E. Mason & John A. Webber, son of Jane A. Welch & Lorenzo Webber, son of Sophia Wilkins & Andrew W. Webber. She was a teacher in Ann Arbor Public Schools.

MILDRED L. WEBBER, 88, of Menomonee Falls, Wisconsin, widow of John A. Webber Jr, brother of Charlotte.

ALICE YOUNG, 99, daughter of Nellie Leece & Robert Young, sister of Mary Bell Young & Wilbur Young, cousin to both Biehler & Young of the Biehler-Young Hardware Company, Grand Rapids. She taught rural school, assisted Mamie O’Biern in the baked goods department at Ionia Free Fair for many years, and was a long-time local correspondent from South Boston for the Ionia County News, Sentinel-Standard, Lake Odessa Wave & Clarksville Record. She was a member of South Boston Grange, North Bell School Association, and Sebewa Center Association.

RENA SMITH, 90, daughter of George & Mary Wyma, sister of Ben Wyma, Hattie Heyweyer, Alice Dekker, Minnie Kruithof, Jennie Jonkers, John Wyma, Louise Weighmink, Ruth Elhart & Ella Regnerus. She was widow of Gerrit Smith and mother of Henry, John & Marvin Smith.

PAUL F. FISHER, 71, son of Velma Leader & Arthur P. Fisher, husband of Frieda, father of Paul, John, Kenneth, Angela & William, brother of Wesley, Edward, Arthur, Evelyn & Ruth. Son of a Lutheran minister, he was a mortician for 40 years, operated the Mapes-Fisher Funeral Home in Sunfield, and was a member of many religious singing groups.

CHARLES FREDERICK GIERMAN, 54, son of Pauline Holcomb and Charles Albert Gierman, son of Nellie E. Meyers & Robert E. Gierman, son of Christina Klager & Charles Gierman, son of Frederick (Fritz) Gierman. He was an employee of Jacobson’s in Grand Rapids.

EIGHTY YEARS OF CHANGE, 1912-1992 by Frederick Y. Wiselogle in A Talk before the Lake Odessa Area Historical Society; Thursday, January 09, 1992.

My entire professional career covering 36 years was spent in two major cities on the Eastern Shore of the United States – along that corridor between Washington and Boston where everyone feels a smug superiority over the remainder of the country. But in 1972 when I elected to retire I was determined to return to the small village in the Midwest where I had spent many a wonderful summer as a young lad. You see, I was following in my parents’ footsteps; when my father quite work back in 1940 he and my mother built a retirement home here on Jordan Lake.

I used to visit them once a year or so and I always found my return visits relaxing and restful; the lake, and the village, seemed somehow exactly the same as I had remembered them decades before. And it was nostalgia for the halcyon past that made me determined to return to it and hold on to it as long as I could enjoy life……

………My paternal grandparents were Fred and Emma Wiselogel living on a farm just outside of Springport, some 50 miles southeast of here. Their son, named Andrew but always called Andy, graduated from Springport High School and promptly went to work for the telephone company installing new phones in farmers’ homes around the village. Just imagine the excitement of having an opportunity for the first time to talk to a neighbor a mile away from you!

………My maternal grandparents were Fred and Maggie Yager, a retired farmer living on Sixth Avenue in Lake Odessa. Their eldest child was a daughter, Florence, or Flo as she was commonly called. Flornece graduated in 1899 from Lake Odessa High School. Thanks to Geraldine Klahn, I have a copy of the commencement program – for the six in her class. Flo went on to college in Mt. Pleasant, earning a teacher’s certificate; she returned to teach at Bippley School just north of town; to my delight local people, such as the late Mildred Hall, have come up to me and reminded me that my mother once taught them!

In 1906 Flo’s grandfather, Tom Leak, a prosperous Sebewa farmer took her on a trip to England to renew acquaintances with relatives living in Grismby. Though I can’t recall ever meeting Tom, I can remember a later recital by my mother of that trip………
(to be continued)

CASWELL & COMPANY by Grayden Slowins

DENARD O. CASWELL brings us the account book used by his great-great-great-grandfather, THOMAS G. TEW, beginning on a farm at Coventry, Chenango County, New York, on May 27, 1829, and continuing thru his son, George Tew, and grandson, E. C. Tew, in Berlin, Orange & Odessa Townships, Ionia County, in the 1880s.

THOMAS G. TEW entered partnership with one HARRY SMITH in the blacksmith and wagon-making business at Coventry in 1832. He also operated a store in nearby Brookfield, Madison County, where his son, George, was born in 1800 and married, and where Thomas died aobut 1863. George & wife, Amy Burdick, came to the 240 acre farm at E3/4 N1/2 Sec. 12 Berlin Township in 1864, with their son & wife, E. C. Tew & Hannah Maria Mason. E. C. Tew also ran a store across in Orange Sec. 18 at Tremaine’s Corners. In the late 1880s E. C. moved the store to Bonanza, and about 1907 moved into a four-store block in Lake Odessa, with groceries, men’s clothing, shoes & dry-goods, on the southeast corner of Second Street & Fourth Avenue, where Linda & Gary Kimmel have recently remodeled.

To the original partnership Harry Smith contributed a stock of wagon gear & parts, lumber, paint, harness, etc. Worth $111.74. Thomas G. Tew contributed a lumber wagon, pine lumber, a shovel, a pitch fork, two cows worth $20 each, 12 hens worth 25 cents each, and a supply of bar iron & band iron, for a total of $118.53. Tew also bought a half interest in Smith’s stock of unfinished wagon bodies & wheel spokes for $31.77. Tew also purchased a 75 acre farm at Coventry, with all buildings & improvements and 6 acres of rye in the ground for $1024.00, which he operated in conjunction with the shop and interspersed the book-keeping for both. Income & expense items were all entered in the same column, so this also makes it difficult to follow the transactions.

Tew evidently brought blacksmith skills to the partnership and Smith was the wood-worker. They made and repaired wagons, wheel rims & spokes, horse shoes, plough points, clevises, whiffletrees, log chains, cant hooks, cart tongues, cutters, bob sleighs, wheelbarrows, brush-hooks, pitchforks, bolts, nuts, and square nails. They also began to buy & sell a few items of farm produce, groceries, and other supplies for the community. Oats & rye were relatively high-priced at 50 cents per bushel, when you consider a cutter sold for $12.00, a man’s coat for $4.00, and man’s pay for a full day’s work (12 hours) was from 5 shillings (62 ¼ cents) to $1.00. Maple syrup was 5 shillings per gallon. Some things were actually paid to the half-pence.

The bill to repair a wagon:
New waggon box - $3.00, New waggon tongue - .75, Painting wagon – 2.00, Re-setting 2 tyres – 1.75, Made irons & nails – 1.25, Tongue irons - .25. TOTAL $9.00.
Two-thousand shingles cost $3.38. A small cherry coffin $1.50!

In 1853 there was a change in handwriting in the account book and Thomas G. Tew purchased several flocks of sheep from various people: 14 for $23.50, 24 for $71.00 and 32 for $96.00. Also he purchased a new team of oxen and several head of cattle. This suggests that Thomas retired back to the farm at Coventry and George took over management of the store. They also engaged in banking transactions for their neighbors after this time. Thomas Tew died about 1863, was buried at Brookfield, and in 1864 George and Amy came to Ionia County with their son, Elmer Charles (E.C.) Tew and wife, Hannah Marie (Mari).

Besides acquiring and operating a large farm of 240 acres, they again operated a blacksmith shop on the farm and purchased a general store & Orange Post Office at nearby Tremaine’s Corners. George died in 1880 and was buried in Balcolm Centery. E. C. Tew and sons, Charles Edward & Edgar Allen, soon moved the store to Bonanza, and after the railroad came thru, set up a four-storefront operation in the new town of Lake Odessa. Someone of the family always operated the farm. Dan Slowinski worked on the farm as hired man before 1900.

The farm was divided in half. Edgar Allen Tew & wife, Ida Bennett, got the south half, and since they had no children, this passed to the Bennett family. Charles Edward Tew & wife, Ada B. Horning, got the north half with the buildings. When he died in 1933, that half was divided between his son, Charles Jr., who sold the west half to Belchers, and his daughter, Mary Pearl, widow of Orr Caswell. Charles Edward Tew is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

The Caswell family were early settlers in Sebewa. Henry Caswell had come from Rochester, N.Y., and married Emaline Briggs, who came with her parents, Weston & Emaline Briggs. Henry & Emaline are buried in Danby. Their daughter, Emma, born 1867, died 1902, married Eugene Probasco and became mother of Benjamin Probasco Jr. Henry & Emaline’s son, William, married Elizabeth Leak, daughter of David Leak Sr. & Mary Ann Day.

William was age 6 when he helped build our barn here on the John Olry farm by handing up square nails the carpenters dropped. He was age 14 and working here as hired man when this house was built in 1878-1879. He was a horseman in Sebewa Corners, then spent the rest of his life caring for horses at Lake Odessa, including the teams he drove on Weed & Wortley’s funeral hearses, and race horses at the fairgrounds. He died at age 99 years, 11 months and 23 days, on May 20, 1965, and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

BILL & LIZZIE CASWELL had two sons, Orr & Chalmer. Chalmer (Chuck) had sons Jack, Bill, Richard, and another son & daughter. Some of them lived around Sheridan. Chalmer chauffered for Fred Chapman & Governor Fred Green and was around the family garage all his life. Orr started working for Sam Kart in the Ford agency in Lake Odessa, then had his own agency selling Dodge cars where Carl Senters and Con Lass and Fates later were. He was Odessa Township Treasurer in 1924 and saved some tax receipts tucked in the old account book, all four being 20-acre farms valued at $1800 each. He spent his last 3 or 4 years raising Jerseys on the Tew farm. He died in 1929 and is buried at Lakeside Cemetery.

DENARD ORR CASWELL, son of Mary P. Tew & Orr Caswell, was born March 19, 1908, on the kitchen table in Lake Odessa. He was graduated from Lake Odessa High School and his Grandmother Tew had left a letter that he was to have $1000 for college. But in the Depression years there was not enough liquidity in the Tew store to fund it.

So he lived one year on the family farm, but left when his bride of one year died there. She was Deputy County Register of Deeds, was diagnosed with Tuberculosis post mortem. Denard opened a gas station, sold Goodyear tires, and prospered during World War II. He married Mathilda (Matt) Krellwitz, SS. Peter & Paul class of 1929, and they had two sons, James Craig & Joh Frederick. After the war he took on Packard sales, then Nash, and finally Mercury & Ford. He was an ardent downhill skier until past 80, and still swimming at 84. They lived at 1724 Horizon Drive, Ionia, and had a cottage at Long Lake. Jon followed in the business, married Elaine Steffers, had Christopher, Lisa & Steven.

The Leak side of the family begins with Christopher & Mary Woods Leak, of Donington, Lincolnshire, England. Mary was born in 1795 and came to Sebewa with her adult children as a widow, died May 24, 1889, and is buried in West Sebewa Cemetery.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. John Leak, born 1825, died 1880, married Eliza Twist, born 1840, died 1923, buried in West Sebewa.
2. Elijah Leak, born 1829, died 1901, married Sarah Ann Glover, born 1833, died 1912, buried in West Sebewa.
3. David Leak, born 1831, died 1920, married Mary Ann Day, born 1835, died 1917, buried in West Sebewa.
4. Thomas Leak, born 183?, died 1914, married Elizabeth Makin, buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
5. James Leak, born 1836, married Elizabeth Johnson, buried in South Dakota.
6. Rebecca Leak, married Harry Bond.
7. Isaac Leak, married Rebecca Katt.
8. Mary Leak, married Robert Gibbs.

ELIJAH LEAK owned the 20 acres out of Thomas Leak’s 160 which later belonged to various Leaks and finally became part of the John Zaukelies farm.

DAVID LEAK owned 80 acres at S1/2 NW 1/4, Sec. 29, where Janice lives today, plus N 30Ac E1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 30, where Ed lives today.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Geraldo Leak, born 1856, died 1860.
2. Esther Leak, born 1862, died 1865.
3. Lillian Leak, born 1864, died 1920, married Charles William Hill, buried at Barryton.
4. Edwin Leak, born 1866, died 1940, married Hermine Bulling & Mary Baldwin Saxton, buried in West Sebewa.
5. Esther Leak, born 1867, died 1938, married William Barker, was mother of Alta Braden, and grandmother of Dallas Braden, buried in West Sebewa.
6. Elizabeth Leak, born 1869, died 1946, married William Caswell, was mother of Orr & Chalmer Caswell, buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
7. Emma Leak, born 1872, died 1946, married Charles Day, buried at Six Lakes.
8. David Leak Jr., born 1875, died 1938, married Sarah Hortens Warner, parents of Dorothy Costello, grandparents of Linda Gemuend, buried in Lakeside Cemetery.
9. Samuel Tilden Leak, born 1877, died 1933, married Jenny Knowll who drowned & daughter Glada, buried Lakeside.
10. Millie Leak, died at birth.
11. May Leak, died at birth.

EDWIN LEAK & HERMINE BULLING farmed the 80 acres at N1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 29, where Deborah milks cows today, and after Hermine died he married Mary Baldwin Saxton, whose family had owned the Demaray farm, and lived on Tupper Lake Street in Lake Odessa.
ED & HERMINE’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. Mildred Leak, born 1897, died 1988, married Arlo Aves.
2. Maynard Leak, born 1899, married Madge Wortley.
3. Maurice Leak, born 1901, died 1988, married Bertha Jackson.
4. Naomi Leak, born 1904, married Marcus Gattner.
5. Zeno Leak, born 1908, died 1981, married Doris Sherrard.
6. Thelma Leak, born 1908, died 1908.

THOMAS LEAK owned 140 acres of NE1/4 Sec. 30, now known as the Maurice Gierman farm, plus 80 acres at E1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 30, and retired to Lake Odessa fairly young, served on the village council.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Christopher Leak, who married Ida and farmed on the Zaukelies portion of Thomas’ old farm. She later lived in Woodbury and kept house for their son, Leon, after his wife, Leona, died giving birth to Donald.
2. Margaret Leak, who married Fred Yager and had Florence, Thomas, Ed, Clarence & Chester yager. Florence Yager married Andrew Wiselogle and became mother of Fred Wiselogle whose story begins in this issue. END

UPDATE ON THE SANDBORN FAMILY:
Edward & Betsey were the founders of the Sandborn clan in the Sebewa-Portland-Danby area. Columbus & Morrison were their sons. Columbus’ son Alonzo & Morrison’s son Ernest were first cousins. Alonzo’s son Riley & Ernest’s son George were second cousins. Riley’s daughter June & George’s son Charles were third cousins. Riley’s daughter June & George’s son Charles were third cousins. June’s daughter, Kathleen Higbee, married Charles Sandborn, her third cousin once removed. Their sons, Greg & Derick, are Sandborns on both sides.

ROBERT WILFRED GIERMAN will no longer be delivering your Recollector in person, nor collecting your dues each year. So if there is any error or change in your mailing address, so that you do not receive six issues per year, for August, October, December, February, April & June, please let us know. Since people leave for the warm climates at all different dates of the year, it is very difficult to tell the computer which address to use. Therefore we would like you to give the address where you reside most of the year and make other arrangements for forwarding your mail in the short season. Be sure to mail your dues of $5.00 per household for the Volume Year beginning July 1 each year to our new Secretary-Treasurer: WALLACE SEARS, 11501 S. SUNFIELD HWY., PORTLAND, MI 4887.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
OCTOBER 1992, Volume 28, Number 2.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden Slowins:

SURNAMES: PHILP, HISSONG, YORK, NORMINGTON, HENDRIX, DOOLITTLE, LENON, HAWKINS, BRAKE, AMON, TREZISE, CUNNINGHAM, LOWREY, NELSON, REED, HAWLEY, THOMAS, McMULLEN, MUSGROVE, HUBBELL, COOK, AUNGST, AUSTIN, DANIELS, SHELLENBARGER, LINEBAUGH, MATOON, TRIEWEILER, SANDBORN, RIKER, REED, ELVERT, ADAMS, HILL, SALINE, JANES, FERRIS, KUHLMAN, HUYNH, SHATTUCK, SEARS, GIBBS, GIBBS, ESTEP, McCRUMB, ILER, HARDEN, BROWN, PIERCE, EVANS, SPITZLEY, HART, SEARS, WISELOGLE, BORMAN, BIPPLEY, YAGER

RECENT DEATHS:
DORIS PHILP, 74, widow of Clarence Philp (not Phillips!), mother of Richard, Linda & Russell, daughter of Eli Hissong & Dora York, daughter of Christina & Stephen York, son of Rhesa York.

LIONEL R. NORMINGTON, 79, widower of Lucille, father of Doris, Sandra, Lois, Robert, Dennis & Leon, son of Ray & Olive Hendrix Normington. He farmed on Clarksville Road in Sebewa, where Elias York raised his brood of girls.

LYNN DOOLITTLE, 86, born in Mulliken, began his teaching career at Sebewa Center School, ended as principal in the Dade County Florida School System. Leaves grandchildren & great-grandchildren.

THEO LENON, 92, son of Minnie & Barney Lenon, brother of Dorothy Hawkins, widower of Elizabeth Brake Amon, father of Richard Lenon and M. Joan Trezise. He was born in a log cabin on a small farm in Sunfield Township, graduated from Sunfield High School in 1918, served three months in the U. S. Navy in WWI, and three years in the Naval Reserves. He married Elizabeth in 1919 and came home to farm. In 1922 he began working for Smith Brothers Velte & Co. Elevator at their Sunfield branch, eventually became joint owner with several farmers & Smiths, and retired as Manager in 1979. He never lost his love of farming, and operated 700 acres in Sebewa Township on Tupper Lake Road now owned by Lyle & Don Cunningham. He served on the State Milk Commission and the State Agriculture Commission. He traveled in 75 countries of the world and was a popular speaker on his travels, as well as long-time author of a weekly newspaper column giving his out-spoken views on agriculture, politics, world affairs, and life in general. Our most vivid memory of him was going with our folks (Elizabeth was a first cousin to Crystal Brake Slowins) to his farm one evening during World War II. He was busy helping Dan Brovont milk the Jersey (or Guernsey?) cows, but stopped long enough to go with us to get 600 pounds of very scarce 2-12-6 fertilizer from his warehouse so we could plant six acres of wheat.

ARTHUR D. (TY) LOWREY, 81, husband of Helen, father of Brenton Lowrey & Jane Nelson, brother of Norton Lowrey, son of Myrtle Reed & (John) Carl Lowrey, son of Carrie G. Thomas & Ebenezer N. Lowrey, son of Jane McMullen & (Ebenezer) Norton Lowrey. The family had farmed in Berlin Township for four generations. E. Norton Sr. & Jane Lowrey farmed in Ohio, where she died, and after stopping off two years in Indiana, he came to Sec. 27 & 28 Berlin Township in 1858, and married a widow, Mary Hawley Thomas.
NORTON & JANE’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. Archibald Lowrey, killed in the Battle of Stone River.
2. John C. Lowrey, also a Civil War Veteran.
3. Ebenezer N. Lowrey, born 1842, Civil War Veteran.
4. Sirona Lowrey, wife of James Musgrove, mother of Robert.
5. Jane (Jennie) Lowrey, wife of Nathan Hubbell of Saranac.

NORTON & MARY’S CHILD WAS:
6. Abram (Pratt) Lowrey.
John C. Lowrey & wife Harriet farmed on the E ¼ SW ¼ Sec. 28 Berlin Township, on what is known as the George Cook farm today, as well as NW ¼ NW ¼ Sec. 27. Their daughter Bernice Jane was in the Eighth grade when Dan Slowinski was in the First Grade at Coon School. The teacher quit mid-year and the Board made Bernice Jane the teacher. She taught him well, because with only three years schooling, he read the Grand Rapids Herald from front to back every nite of his adult life. Later John & Harriet lived on Tupper Lake Street in Lake Odessa, second block west of Jordan Lake Avenue, in the house on the north side with a cement-block porch. They owned the block of store buildings that included Urtel’s General Store, and the block that included Elfstrom’s Shoe Store.

Beatrice Jane Lowrey married Jack Aungst and had daughters Jennie & Eva. Eva married Dan Austin and their daughter Beulah married Oren Daniels and became mother of Larry, Dallas, Gary, & Margene.

Ebenezer N. Lowrey was 16 years old when his father moved to Michigan and had attended school in Ohio & Indiana. He was engaged in farming at the outbreak of the Civil War and promptly enlisted in Company B, Sixteenth Regiment, Michigan Infantry Volunteers. He was wounded at Cold Harbor and Gettysburg, thirteen times in all, and carried the Cold Harbor bullet in his body all his life. After the war he came back to the farm and married his step-mother’s daughter, Carrie G. Thomas. They farmed on the NE1/4 Sec. 28 & SE1/4 NW1/4 Sec. 28 & SW1/4 NW11/4 Sec. 27, 240 acres in all, where they built a beautiful VanderHeyden ivory brick Victorian-Italianate home in 1892. Their son Carl sold this estate to Walter Reed in the 1950s and the present owners, Bill & Ruth Allen, have replaced the house with a modern ranch-type. They were active in the G. A. R. & Women’s Relief Corp, the Berlin Center Methodist Church, the Republican Party and the School Board.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Frances Lowrey, died at one month.
2. Willard Lowrey, a civil engineer in British Columbia.
3. John Carl Lowrey, farmer in Berlin Township.
4. Richard Roy Lowrey, farmer in Boston Township.
5. Cecil C. Lowrey, died young.
6. Harvey H. Lowrey, born 1878, Ionia County School Commissioner and later Superintendent of Inkster Consolidated Schools.
7. Ed. N. Lowrey, born 1880, Sheriff of Ionia County.
8. Earl E. Lowrey, farmer on the home place in Berlin Township.
9. Hazel J. Lowrey, a teacher.

ABRAM PRATT LOWREY farmed the original homestead of Norton & Mary Lowrey, being the SE1/4 Sec. 28 Berlin, where he was born and his son Charles N. Lowrey was born, and Charles’ daughter Phyllis Shellenbarger (Mrs. Claud) was born, and her son was born. The farm is well beyond its centennial year.

ROY B. LINEBAUGH, 69, son of Ida Matoon & J. Calvin Linebaugh, son of William J. & Polly Linebaugh. He was brother of Gertrude Trierweiler, Carl, Howard & William Linebaugh. William J. & Polly Linebaugh owned and farmed 160 acres on south side of Portland Rd. second farm east of Mellstead Rd, Sec. 33 & 34 Orange, now part of the Riley Sandborn estate, near Kilmartin School. Polly lived in retirement above one of the stores on Kent Street in Portland.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Frank Linebaugh.
2. Lafayette Linebaugh.
3. Roy Linebaugh.
4. John Calvin Linebaugh.
5. Faye Linebaugh, married a Riker.
6. Bert Linebaugh.
7. Chester Linebaugh.
8. Floyd Linebaugh, married a Reed.
9. Tillie Linebaugh, married Ray Elvert.
10. Mertie Linebaugh.

Frank Linebaugh was a teacher, farmer & orchardist on Emery Road 160 acres at SW ¼ Sec. 8 Danby, and retired to the large house on NW corner of Lincoln & Bridge Streets in Portland, where he was Village Assessor. He was married twice, to Adams sisters. The first was mother of his daughters and the second raised them. He was the father of Gladys Hill & Emma (Tiny) Saline.

Lafayette (Lafe) Linebaugh owned a 270 acre farm on Goodwin Road, Sec. 11 & 14 Orange Township, was married to Addie, and famous for their large Sugar Bush. Their only child, Webster, succeeded them on the farm but died young. He left five daughters: Margaret Janes, Virginia Ferris, Jean Kuhlman, Patricia Thomas & Judy Huynh, plus a son James.

Roy Linebaugh married Beulah Sears and farmed on the Sam Gibbs farm at E ½ SE ¼ Sec. 13 Orange, now known as the Morris & William Shattuck farm. He died young and she remarried to Kelly and lived on SW corner of Lincoln & Hill Streets in Portland. Roy was father of John Linebaugh, the plumber, and of Dorothy Gibbs Estep. John was father of Joyce McCrumb, Robert & another daughter. Dorothy was mother of Priscilla (Percy) Gibbs Estep Iler Harden, and another daughter.

J. Calvin Linebaugh was a teacher, principal, Ionia County School Commissioner before Harvey Lowrey. He had a small farm in Orange, where Wright-Way Carpet Store is now, and was married to Ida Matoon. Their children were Gertrude, Roy GB., Carl, Howard, William.

SYDNEY J. BROWN, 91, son of John & Annie Pierce Brown, widower of Mildred Evans Pierce, father of Gladys Brown Spitzley. He was born in Cornwall, England, came to this country as a young man, farmed, operated S. J. Brown Livestock Trucking and retired as manager of Michigan Livestock Exchange in Portland. This family ties into the Evans Family History (Volume 24, NO. 1, 2, 3, 5) and the Spitzley Family History (Volume 27 – No. 4).

Gladys married William Joseph Spitzley, son of William Mathias (Hardware Bill) Spitzley. Their son William Jr. is at least William the Fifth. One of the pallbearers is their daughter, Patricia Spitzley. We encourage this trend, and plan to have all women pallbearers. Third child is Elizabeth Spitzley Hart.

MISSING AND PRESUMED DEAD: CATHERINE & RAYMOND SEARS, SON OF JOHNANNA & WALLACE SEARS, SON OF EDNA & ROY SEARS, SON OF WILMONT SEARS, are missing and presumed dead. They left their home in Kalamazoo on July 18, boarded a rented plane at Battle Creek, piloted by Tom Lammon, along with Mrs. Lammon. They planned to visit brother John at Beaver Island, who pilots his own plane and has a home there.
They took off about 9-10:00 AM and last made radar & radio contact about 12 noon over the water north of Traverse City. They asked permission to drop below the clouds, but the supposed cloud was really a fog bank and extended down to the water. Two weeks later a wheel & fiberglass parts were found just offshore up the coast from Harbor Springs, between Cross Village and Good Hart. They leave two little daughters. Wallace Sears is our Secretary/Treasurer. His address is 11501 S. Sunfield Hwy., Portland, MI 48875.

MEMORIES by Fred Wiselogle (continued)
In 1906 Flo’s grandfather, Tom Leak, a prosperous Sebewa farmer took her on a trip to England to renew acquaintances with relatives living in Grismby. Though I can’t recall ever meeting Tom, I can remember a later recital by my mother of that trip……
Some of you will recall that back in 1981 Phil and Doreen Borman, of Grmsby, England, entertained the Historical Society, then meeting in the Page Building, with a set of movies taken around Grimbsby by Phil. Here’s the background to that visit: Ten years before that my father forwarded an old postcard sent in 1907 by Flo to her uncle, a Ben Wall in Grimsby. My mother had retained it all those years and then my father had kept it after she passed away. Marveling at that, I decided almost as a joke on my father to determine whether any relatives of the Leaks were still living in Grimsby. So – in 1971 – I sent off a letter to Ben Wall’s address of 1907; the recipient, obviously bewildered, forwarded my request to the local paper and they published it.
And a niece of Ben’s, one Gertrude Borman, who as a young girl of 10 had met my mother during their visit to Grimsby back in 1906, spotted the article and responded. It was her son, Phil, with his wife, Doreen, who returned the visit of my mother some 75 years later – and we have corresponded ever since.

Now, back to the early nineteen hundreds. Florence left Bippley and went on to teach school in Springport. It was there that she met Andy, who by now had changed jobs and was an assistant freight agent for the Michigan Central Railroad at the depot in Albion. They were married in the Sebewa Baptist Church in July, 1911. Reverend Dick Cross assures me that the church still retains the records of their wedding.

I was born in Albion on my father’s birthday, May 18, 1912. My mother claims she heard the noon whistle during my arrival – though it certainly was not daylight savings time: why, it wasn’t even eastern standard time for Michigan was then in the Central Time zone – keeping up with Chicago.

I don’t recall much of my life in Albion as we moved some 2-3 years later to a rented house ($10 a month) at 410 Pennsylvania Avenue, Lansing – within easy walking distance of the railroad passenger depot there. You see my father had been promoted, jumping over his boss, to be the Lansing passenger agent for the Michigan Central Railroad.

I began my schooling (kindergarten) by walking north across Michigan Avenue to Clinton School on the east side of Pennsylvania Avenue. I can still recall a few events of those early days. My parents took me to a vaudeville show in a theater on Michigan Avenue across the then terrifying bridge over the Grand River – scary because the roadway was open mesh through which one could see the river below while walking across. I thought the chorus girls beautiful when they sang – and in that respect I haven’t changed a bit over the years; my folks took me one evening to see a human fly climb to the top of the Capitol Building. We all gasped in relief when he reached the top. And I can remember an early Christmas at home. The tree was decorated with lighted candles, of course – and around the base my father had installed a track on which operated a battery-powered electric train set – running around the tree. I was probably 3 or 4 years old at the time and I’m not sure my father ever let me play with the train alone!

In 1917 Dad was promoted to passenger agent for the Michigan Central Railroad in Ann Arbor, and so we moved to a modern 3-story house on 403 Church Street – directly across from the main University campus. This was the first house that my parents ever owned and I suppose cost them in the range of $2,500. I can recall a family gathering when we learned of the armistice celebrating the end of the First World War.

Our house in Ann Arbor was very modern for 1917; why, we had lighting fixtures in every room that could be operated either with gas or electricity. Apparently, the builders couldn’t foresee just which form of lighting would endure so they gave us a choice. We had a gas stove in the kitchen; of course every burner had to be lighted with a match. We had an icebox and city water – but we also had a hand pump leading to a cistern – and we pumped up cistern water for all of our washing. Oh, to be sure, it was pretty brown – but it was soft; at least bar soap would lather in it.

Milk was delivered daily from a horse drawn wagon. We had no garage; the corner lot was too small. But then we didn’t need one; we didn’t have a car.

I can’t recall how we paid our electric bills. But I do remember that we paid our gas bills with cash. Indeed, with coin. There was a gas meter in the basement containing a slot that accepted quarters. And when, in the course of preparing a meal, the stove suddenly shut off, my mother knew that she had to locate a quarter. Go down stairs and insert it in the meter- and presto, the gas was back on again, perhaps for another couple of weeks. Our bathroom had an instant heater for bath water; it was mounted high over the tub and one lighted the heater, turned on the water and presto – hot water drained into the tub for one’s bath. One shut the gas off, then got in the tub. Oh, the agony if the main gas supply shut off just as one started to fill the tub!

We had a great furnace in the basement. And right next to it the coal bin. Our furnace was modern – in the sense that we had all the needed controls in the living room. My mother was the thermostat. The control consisted of a horizontal arm pivoted in the center with two chains leading from the ends down through holes in the floor to the furnace. One end was connected to the draft door in the front of and below the firepot of the furnace. The other end was connected to a damper door behind the furnace opening into the chimney. If it got too hot – one opened the damper, letting cold air directly into the chimney, reducing the draft and thereby cutting down on the air going over the burning coals.

When it got too cold the lever was reversed, closing the damper and opening the draft door to permit more air to pass over the burning coals. It was beautiful, simple and straightforward – and required no connection to an electric socket, not even any batteries. Of course if one didn’t go down every four hours to stoke the furnace with more coal – why, raising the draft door was quite futile.

A few years later my father was promoted again and now worked in Detroit, in that once magnificent Depot there. But we never left Ann Arbor. Commuting to Detroit was a snap. Many passenger trains ran every day between Detroit and Chicago with frequent stops along the way. My father, of course, had a pass to travel without cost on any railroad in the United States and there was a street car line in Ann Arbor going from our house right to the depot.

On occasion, Dad would take me in to see his office in Detroit – open 24 hours a day and always filled with clerks selling tickets to a never ending stream of passengers. There I first saw mechanical adding machines, with numbers set on the perimeters of wheels and a handle, going kerchunk, kerchunk, to make the additions. Oh, how I wanted to bring one home to help out in my school work. But even more breathtaking was a similar mechanical machine; masterful ingenuity that would multiply two numbers. It was called a Comptometer and I felt that this was the absolute ultimate as far as calculating numbers was concerned.

By 1924 my parents felt sufficiently comfortable, financially, to afford a car – a second hand model T Ford coupe, complete with vase inside to hold flowers. It cost $450. Now for the first time we were really mobile and could, almost every weekend, visit my grandparents in Springport and in Lake Odessa. Indeed, my mother and I sometimes spent a week with Fred and Maggie Yager on Sixth Avenue.

I’ll never forget the rigidity of my grandmother’s work schedule. Monday was wash day; Tuesday was ironing day. And here I witnessed a technology problem. Maggie did her ironing in the kitchen using ssad irons – heavy cast metal, pointed at both ends, heated on the cooktop of the wood-fueled kitchen range. When the metal was suitably hot, she latched on to it with a wooden handle, turned around and quickly ironed as many clothes as she could before it got too chilly. Meantime another sad iron was heating up; Maggie deftly returned the cooled iron to the stove, picked up the new heated one and resumed her weekly chore.
But change intervened. The village of Lake Odessa had electricity and new, electric powered irons suddenly became popular. Every housewife on Sixth Avenue bought one. The problem was that Consumers Power, and to us that meant Forrest Branch, couldn’t supply enough power to Sixth Avenue to let everybody iron at the same time. The voltage went down and the irons just wouldn’t heat. The solution: why, my grandmother just got up earlier in the morning to beat the rush. For her, Tuesdays began long before daybreak.

When I graduated from University High School in Ann Arbor in 1928 I had no problem deciding where to go to college. After all, the University of Michigan campus was right across the street from our home. I went there – for eight years, getting a bachelor’s degree in 1932, a master’s degree in 1934 and ending up in 1936 with a Doctorate of Science, majoring in organic chemistry. And all that time I lived at home.

Now chemistry is a laboratory science and one does experiments. These have to be quantitative, just like making ice cream or baking bread. So we had to weigh ingredients, record the weights – do things to the mixture and weigh the end result again. We ended up with a lot of numbers and these had to be put into formulas and calculated. All this involved multiplication and division of multi-digit numbers – a long and painful exercise.

But, thank goodness, someone had come along to ease our anguish. He had invented logarithms………so, in the thirties all scientists used logarithms to do their multiplications and divisions. We looked down at the few souls who insisted on doing long division and multiplication of multi-digit numbers. How smug and superior we felt!

My mother and father had an understanding in Ann Arbor that any money she earned was hers to use to furnish our house. So we took in roomers – always college students – Tom Gilson, Cary Peabody, Dave and later George Smith – all from Lake Odessa and then others whom I did not know. One that I still recall, a crippled polio victim, Gordon Sindecuse, later became a famous dentist in Kalamazoo and recently contributed a few million dollars to the University in appreciation of his education there. As far as I know he is still alive, and comfortable in the Tampa, Florida area.

So with the room rent money, my mother outfitted our house with extravagances – pictures, sofas, console phonographs crank wound, of course. There was dining room furniture, a baby grand piano, a violin for me. Of course I had to take lessons @ 50 cents an hour; alas, I did not become an accomplished musician.

In the twenties radio suddenly became a fad – and the “in” thing to do was to build your own; commercial sets just weren’t available. One needed an outside aerial – a plain wire stretched between two poles mounted along the length of the roof and brought into the dining room by a lead in wire. Then there was a ground wire soldered to the incoming water pipe and also brought up from the basement to complete the circuitry. My father – as did everyone in our neighborhood – built our own set. He started with a Quaker Oatmeal box around which was strung plain copper wire closely spaced with great care. A cross piece with a contact…………(TO BE CONTINUED)

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
DECEMBER 1992, Volume 28, Number 3.
Submitted with written permission of Editor, Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: VanHOUTEN, HOUGH, BRADEN, HUFNAGEL, SCHMITT, KLOECKNER, FEDEWA, WISELOGLE, SCHNABEL, LINEBAUGH, LOWREY, BRAKE, BLANCHARD, FERGUSON, SMITH, BELAND, VanHOUTEN, RYDER, CRAPO, MURDOCK, HENRY, BEAVER, ROLLS, SHEPHERD, SHOWERMAN, KELLY, LEIGH, HOLCOMB, GIERMAN, HUNT, ALBERTS, DAWDY, ROGERS, HAMLIN, KIMBALL, BIPPLEY, ARNOLD, BOYES, McWHORTER

RECENT DEATHS:
THE REV. GERALD F. VanHOUTEN, 81, son of Clara Hough & William Glenn VanHouten, son of Amanda Braden & John Jacob VanHouten, son of John Henry VanHouten & Betsey Ann Ryder, daughter of Stephen & Elsia E. Ryder. He was husband of Edna Beer and was a retired roofer, trucker, and Church of God minister.

ANTHONY J. SPITZLEY, 92, son of Katherine Hufnagel & Joseph Spitzley, son of Mary Catherine Schmitt & Anton Spitzley, son of Anna Marie Kloeckner & Johann Jakob Spitzley, who emigrated from Prussia to Westphalia, MI, in 1846. See RECOLLECTOR Volume 27 Number 4. He was widower of Louise Martin, father of Lorraine Fedewa & Joseph Spitzley, brother of Elizabeth Pung, Katherine Westren, Helen Barratt, and the late Mary K. Lay & Leona Miller.

IONIA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH by Grayden Slowins (As Martin Schnabel might have told the story to his great-great-grand-nephew.)

I was born in Posen, East Prussia, August 5, 1826, and came with my wife Marina & son Peter to Ionia County in 1857, just in time to help build that beautiful new Presbyterian Church at the town called Ionia County Seat. We settled on a sheep farm in Berlin Township, but our family was always involved in construction work. In fact, my sister Anna Slowinski’s daughter, Paulina, married one of the original partners in Benhagel Brothers Construction Co.

In 1857 we were tradesmen & laborers on that wooden church. We quarried & cut the stone for the foundation, molded & fired the brick for the chimneys, and did the carpentry. That building was destroyed by fire during Sunday Service, June 28, 1908. The tower was ignited by embers from a burning depot, which was ignited by sparks from a locomotive. In 1909-1910, Benhagel Brothers were the prime contractors and all the Schnabel, Slowinski, Steinberg & Biehler relatives laid brick & stone. The cornerstone was laid June 27, 1909, and we had it ready for dedication March 13, 1910. In 1969 some of my great-grand-nephews, who had helped in 1909, came out of retirement to lay a few bricks on the new addition. You can see some cut stone and VanderHeyden brick from the original church in the furnace room and the tower basement.

I understand the church was first organized some 15 years earlier, in 1842. In the beginning they had a hard time deciding their denomination, being first organized at the old Court House in October, 1842, as the First Congregational Church of Ionia. They soon moved to the old Episcopal Church, which is now the parish house, and shared that building until they built their own in 1857.

In 1845, they became Presbyterian. In 1848, they became Congregational again. In 1857 they adopted the Presbyterian form of government. In 1868, there was dissension and a group withdrew to organize a Congregational Church. Rev. Job Pierson came to the Presbyterians at this time and served for 10 fruitful years.

While here he wrote over 400 items for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as keeping the first daily log of the weather readings in Ionia. He left to become librarian at Alma College. The Congregational group purchased the original Methodist building and continued for a good while before returning to the fold.

The early settlers of Iona were mostly English, and they always looked down on us Germans, but we got the last laugh. They hired us to build the First Baptist, First Methodist and First Presbyterian Churches on the flats, not much above the flood plains beyond the railroad tracks that also came thru in 1857. No wonder the drains back up and the toilets overflow! Then we built the Episcopal Church & Church of Christ on higher ground. When we began to build our own churches, we moved up Washington Street for the German Evangelical (Zion) Church, and to High & Baldie Streets for SS. Peter & Paul Catholic. Now we could look down on the English! Highest of all was St. John’s Lutheran, also German. Martin Schnabel 1826-1917. END

SCHOOL COMMISSIONER UPDATES: J. Calvin Linebaugh served after Harvey Lowrey. The order and dates are as follows:
Harvey H. Lowrey – 1905-1919.
J. Calvin Linebaugh – 1919-1923.
Elwood M. Brake – 1923-1962.
Bruce T. Blanchard – 1963-1975.
Thomas J. Ferguson – 1975-Present (Soon to retire).
Near the end of Brake’s tenure, the title was changed to County School Superintendent, the office became appointed instead of elected, and was moved from the Court House to the Annex. Early in Blanchard’s tenure the title was changed to Intermediate School Superintendent. Elwood Menno Brake’s cousin, Charles Elwin Brake, was County School Commissioner in Wayne County during some of the same years, and Bruce Blanchard and his wife, Elsie, taught under him. Harvey Lowrey was Superintendent at Inkster under Charles Elwin Brake.

BELAND FAMILY HISTORY by Henry B. Beland

HENRY BELAND SR. & ROSA BELAND, my parents, lived on a farm near Loda, IL. In 1924, due to depressed farm prices and the high price of land in Illinois, they decided to move to Michigan, where land prices were much cheaper. Many others came about the same time. In March they and their five children, Gladys aged 14, Leah 13, Rosa 11, Henry J. 6, and Thomas 1 year, moved to Sunfield, MI. My father had made a previous trip by train and located an 80-acre farm one half mile north and three quarters of a mile west of Sunfield. The cattle, horses, chickens, farm machinery, and all household goods were loaded on two railroad box cars. A young man was hired to ride along in the box cars to feed and water the livestock.

The day after our possessions were loaded, the family started out for Michigan. My father had a 1920 Maxwell touring car, so with the seven of us and some of our more valuable possessions, we were more than a little crowded. It was the first of March and the weather was on the cold side. At that time there were no road maps like we have today and the highways were not marked with road-signs.

Also most of the roads were gravel rather than pavement. My father would stop at a gas station and get directions for a short distance and then have to stop again. Several times we made the wrong turns and had to back-track. The first day’s driving got us as far as Stevensville, MI, which is just south of Benton Harbor. Eventually we reached Sunfield. Two days driving for what can be made in about four or five hours today. When we reached Sunfield, the neighbors had everything unloaded from the train and moved to the farm.

The first day at school was an exciting experience for me. The day we were to start in school the road by our place was impossible for cars, due to the mud. I started walking to school with my sisters. Kenyon Peabody came along on horseback and gave me a ride. He dropped me off by Scheels Garage while he went to stable his horse. I had no idea where the school house was and before Kenyon came and rescued me, I nearly panicked. Eventually I got to school and found the primary room. Mrs. Jilbert was my teacher. Harold Hanna, Frances Hough, Lula Mae Flewellen and I went through all twelve grades together. Elmer Van Antwerp joined us in the eighth grade. We graduated in 1936. My three sisters all graduated from Sunfield H. S.

I have many fond memories of my school days. Although we did not have the many fine facilities that the schools have today, I think we have a well-rounded education, for much of which I will give credit to the dedication of the teachers we had back then. In the spring of 1937 my folks moved to a farm near Lake Odessa, but I have kept close ties with my Sunfield friends.
After high school, Elmer Van Antwerp and I attended Davenport Business College in Grand Rapids. After business college, I came back to the farm and farmed with my father until 1943, when I married Beulah Kime of Clarksville. We then purchased a farm of our own and lived there and farmed until we retired in 1984. END.

THE VanHOUTENS OF SEBEWA by Grayden Slowins

The family begins with John Henry VanHouten, born December 27, 1813, died in Sebewa, January 23, 1897, buried in West Cemetery. He married Betsey Ann Ryder, born in Shenango County, NY, January 19, 1828, died in Sebewa December 18, 1902, daughter of Stephen Ryder, who died in Sebewa, February 3, 1880, & Elsia E. Ryder, born 1804, who died in Sebewa April 24, 1876, all buried in West Cemetery. John & Betsey lived at Salem, Washtenaw County, MI, until 1854, and their first four children were born there. Then they moved to Sebewa Township, Ionia County, and lived on the Alleman farm on Tupper Lake Road. In 1875 Stephen & Elsia Ryder owned the 80 acres at W1/2 SW1/4 Sec 29, but the buildings faced on Tupper Lake Road. In 1891 their daughter, Betsey VanHouten, had inherited this land and her son Charles owned the north 40, where he built his home. By 1906 Charles had sold the whole 80 to Grover H. Cook and moved to E60Ac NE ¼ Sec 32 Portland.

JOHN H. & BETSEY A. VanHOUTEN’S CHILDREN were:
1. Henry VanHouten, January 26, 1847 –
2. Stephen VanHouten, November 5, 1848-July 9, 1851.
3. Susan VanHouten, February 21, 1851-
4. Elsia VanHouten, April 15, 1853-
5. John Jacob VanHouten, August 1, 1855-
6. Charles VanHouten, November 18, 1857-May 25, 1944.
7. George W. E. VanHouten, November 18, 1860.
8. Daniel (Chub) VanHouten, August 9, 1863.
9. Reuben Edwin VanHouten, December 14, 1865.
10. Frank E. VanHouten, October 17, 1869.

HENRY VANHOUTEN married Martha (Mattie) Crapo and their children were:
1. Stanley VanHouten
2. Harry VanHouten
3. Edna VanHouten

SUSAN VanHOUTEN married Luther Murdock, Joshua S. Henry, and Martin Beaver.
Susan & Luther Murdock’s child was:
1. Mary Della Murdock Rolls – mother of Cecil Lorea (Buster) Rolls. When Susan married Joshua (John) S. Henry, he already had:
2. Cora Henry Showerman (Mrs. Frank) Shepherd (Mrs. Dan)-mother of Louise
3. Lydia Henry Showerman (Mrs. Elmer Jay)-mother of Flossie Kelly
4. Edith Henry Leigh
Susan & J. S. Henry’s child was:
5. Lula Henry Holcomb (Mrs. George) – mother of Pauline H. Gierman
When Susan married Martin Beaver, he already had:
6. Hermine (Hermie) Beaver Hunt (Mrs. John) – mother of Walter.

ELSIA VanHOUTEN married Charles Kelly and their children were:
1. Nettie Kelly Alberts (Mrs. William)- mo. Of Marjorie Gilden, Lyle & Dempster Alberts.
2. Rhyde Kelly Dawdy (Mrs. Roy) – mother of Douglas & Richard.

JOHN JACOB VanHOUTEN married Amanda Braden and their children were:
1. Bernie VanHouten – married Pearl Sawdy Bennett.
2. Dorr VanHouten – died age 22.
3. Cleo Wayne VanHouten – married Alma Martenies and had:
Gordon – February 29, 1932 – father Of Deborah & Stephen.
C. Wayne then married Ruth Hopkins and adopted her children:
Ruth Ann VanHouten
David VanHouten – married Patricia Piercefield.
4. Clifford Clifton VanHouten
5. William Glenn VanHouten – 1881-1969 – m. Clara Hough and had:
Clarence – died young.
Chalmer
Gerald F. – 1910-1992.
Theo
Geneva – married Harry Denny.
Paul – died 1979.
Keith – married Dortha McQuillen.
6. Clyde VanHouten – married Ruby Smith.
7. Beulah VanHouten – married Clarence Ashbaugh.
8. Greta VanHouten – married Lewellyn Smalley.

CHARLES VanHOUTEN married Cora Ella Rogers, born in Sebewa, December 10, 1860, died in Portland, November 20, 1955, daughter of Henry W. Rogers – 1834-1900 & Anna Marie Beck – 1835-1902, who lived at W ½ NW ¼ Sec 36 Sebewa and are buried in East Cemetery.
Charles and Cora’s children were:
1. Fern VanHouten – 1882-1972, married Glenn Olry.
2. Ethel Bell VanHouten – 1884-1974, married J. Almer Gibbs, mother of Maynard, Dean & Max.
3. Floy VanHouten – 1887-1975, married Guy McLeod, mother of Velva Dunning, Roswell, Coralane Boyes & Verland.
Coralane & Hary Boyes’ children were:
1. Dawn Boyes Huhn (Mrs. Ronald)
2. Charmaine Ann Boyes Miller (Mrs. Robert)
3. Charlene Jan Boyes (Mrs. Jim English)
4. Geoffrey F. G. Boyes – m. Joy Ingvartsen.
5. Margo Lana Boyes McCord (Mrs. Stephen).
4. Arlo VanHouten – 1890-1954, married Marian Hamlin (sister of Hermine Smith (Mrs. Laban), and had:
Margaret VanHouten Kelley (Mrs. John)
5. Weir VanHouten – 1895- still living in Colorado.
6. Cloyce Henry VanHouten – 1898-1979, married Alma Rademacher. Their children were:
Neil – 1-2-1931.
John Charles – 3-17-1941.
7. Ilah Lucille VanHouten – 1902-1988, married Ernest Farmer.
Their children were:
Betty Lou Pohl, Robert & Roger.

GEORGE W. E. VanHOUTEN married Kate Anne Rogers, daughter of Henry W. Rogers and Anna Marie Beck, and sister to Cora E. Rogers VanHouten.
Their children were:
1. Ralph – 1883-1886.
2. Mabel – married Oren Robinson & Mr. Huff.
3. Howard – married Lettie.
4. John – married Erma.
5. Minnie – married Ira White & Ralph Brown.
6. Vanchie – married Orlo Houghton.
Daniel (Chub) VanHouten married Anna Kimball and lived first on SE corner and then SW corner of Tupper Lake Road & South State Road. They had two daughters who died as teenagers.
Reubin Edwin VanHouten married Anna Bippley Arnold, born November 16, 1867, died May 26, 1951, and lived on High Street in Ionia, up the hill from the livery barn. Their children were:
1. Clare
2. Marie
Then he was married to Nora Catermole – no children.
Frank E. VanHouten married Blanche Arnold. Their children were:
1. Forest
2. Grace
3. Lelah

Coralane McLeod Boyes gave us much of the information on the above VanHoutens, for which we are very grateful. Max McWhorter gave us information on the VanHoutens that once lived southeast of Sunfield and were no known retation to the Sebewa families. Their founding father was Peter Vanhouten, who had a son John, who had a son Neil, who had a son Zene, whose widow Edna lives in Portland, and whose son Arlo lives in California.

Max VanHouten gave us information on his family, which lives in Sebewa but is no known relation to either of the above. His great-grandfather, D. H. VanHouten, came from the Hastings area and settled on 100 Ac at NE3/4 NE1/4 Sec 30 Odessa Twp, of which Gaylia VanHouten Rathbun owns the E60Ac today. His buildings were on the west 40Ac. His sons were Archie and LeRoy. Roy was Gaylia’s father and he got the portion she owns. Archie owned 95Ac at NW3/4 SE1/4 Sec 24 Odessa. His children were LaVern, Merle & Frieda. LaVern VanHouten married Lula McNeil, daughter of Milo, and they were parents of Max.

MEMORIES by Fred Wiselogle (continued)

In the twenties radio suddenly became a fad – and the “in” thing to do was to build your own; commercial sets just weren’t available……slid along the wire to locate the station. Then there was a galena “crystal” about the size of a pea – connected into the circuit by a “catwhisker” – a fine wire that was used to tickle the galena until a critical position was found – at which time music came in through the earphones. Why, we’d reached KDKA of Pittsburgh – the goal of every radio hobbyist. Of course the sound was very weak – after all, there were no batteries or electrical power; there was no amplification; every bit of the sound energy coming through the earphones was carried by the radio waves originating in Pennsylvania. And each of us in the house had to be directly quiet while my father was wrapped up in the radio – else he would miss some priceless word from the announcer.

Later on, when radio truly became commercial, Amos and Andy dominated the evenings; not a single toilet was flushed while they were on the air. Then there were Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, Father Coughlin’s sermons and Jack Benny and Fred Allen to entertain us.

My father’s job as passenger agent in Detroit gave him an opportunity to meet a lot of Detroit’s top automobile executives – from the older Henry Ford on down. Every winter, Henry Ford senior went down to Florida traveling in his own private railroad car attached to the end of an ordinary passenger train. Henry always insisted that the top railroad man, i. e., my father, escord him through the depot to his private car before the rest of the passengers were put aboard – and my father once proudly told my mother and me that he had carried young Henry Ford II, on his shoulders as he escorted the old man down to the train. This sort of contact proved invaluable for me as I’ll detail later on.

I went to College during a terrible depression during which time my father had to lay off many of his clerks and associates. It was sad for him and my mother to agonize over their prospects. The University of Michigan was now building a medical school right across from our house and I recall selling apples, cadged from my grandfather Wiselogle, to the workers there. I tried to get 10 cents per apple. But the smart workers usually bartered my price down to 5 cents.

When I graduated in 1936, with a Sc. D. diploma still wet from the ink, I was lucky to have a choice between two job offers: one in industry by DuPont to work in Wilmington, Delaware @ $2,100 a year; the other to teach organic chemistry to undergraduates in the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, @$1,400 for the year. But because I had no teaching experience – only a fresh Doctor’s degree, they couldn’t offer me a title of Instructor; I would have to settle for the title “Assistant”.

Indeed, I recall that most generous contract offer from the then new president, Isaiah Bowman. It read: “This is to offer you the position of “Assistant” in the Chemistry Department for the academic year 1936-1937 at a salary of $1,400 unless other arrangements are made by me”.

Didn’t appear that the University was willing to take much of a risk on me! (To be continued)

ELECTION RESULTS – SEBEWA TOWNSHIP – November 3, 1992

Registered – 665. Voted – 539. Percentage – 81%
President & Vice President:
Bush – 233, Perot – 149, Clinton – 144, Marrou – 2
Congress – 3rd District
Henry – 286, Fooistra – 148, Whitelock – 9, Normandin – 3
State Legislature – 86th District: Cropsey – 273, Sloan – 197
State Board of Education – Vote for 2
Beardmore – 263, Greenleaf – 219, Straus – 163, Bochenek – 115
Kaufman – 6, Roundtree – 3, Schneider -2, Ruwart – 2, List -2
Regents of University of Michigan – Vote for 2
Nielsen – 233, Laro – 226, McGowan – 150, Deitch – 117,
MacGillivray – 10, Sanger – 6, Hamel – 5, Hudler – 3
Trustees of Michigan State University – Vote for 2
Reinhold – 250, Pridgeon – 227, Traxler – 144, Gonzales – 141
Ancona – 6, LaBash – 4
Governors of Wayne State University – Vote for 2
Fobbs – 231, Bashara – 216, Lewis – 148, Schribner – 117
Kaufman – 11, Carey – 7, Jones – 2
Prosecuting Attorney: Voet – 276, McFadden – 147
Sheriff – Jungel – 330
County Clerk: Trierweiler – 314
County Treasurer: Beattie – 286, Amos – 155
Register of Deeds: Adams – 313
Drain Commissioner: Bush – 326
County Commissioner – 7th District: Willems – 311
Township Supervisor: Stank – 340
Township Clerk: Slowins – 358
Township Treasurer: Carr – 301
Township Trustiis – Vote for 2
Pinkston – 282, Guy – 262, Thorp – 223
State Supreme Court – 8 year term: Riley – 239, Kelly – 73, Roddis – 31
State Supreme Court–2 year term: Talbot–146, Mallet-107, Kaufman-62
Court of Appeals – 3rd District – Vote for 2: Sawyer-208, Weaver-204
Circuit Court – 8th District: Simon – 246

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
FEBRUARY 1993, Volume 28, Number 4.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: WILLIAMS, BRODBECK, CUSACK, COOK, GOODEMOOT, FENDER, BURGER, ELLIOTT, SHERWOOD, COPPESS, BLIZZARD, FOSTER, DOWNING, BITTERMAN, ESTEP, GROSS, VESSELLS, SENTERS, LASS, SLOWINSKI, KIRKENDALL, SWITZER, WAGONER, SAWDY, LANG, CASSEL, RAIRIGH, EVEREST, JOHNSON, WISELOGLE

RECENT DEATHS:
LEONARD G. WILLIAMS, 56, father of Terry & Steven, brother of Marie Brodbeck, Ann Cusack & Dale Williams, son of Ruby Goodemoot & Gerald Williams, son of Leon Williams & Mable Cook, daughter of Emily & Charles P. Cook, son of Ursula & Pierce G. Cook. Leonard was also grandson of Allyn Goodemoot, son of George Goodemoot, son of John & Mary J. Goodemoot, who was the great-granddaughter of Oliver Wolcott Sr., signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut.

RAY ELLIOTT, 82, father of Lynda Hamill of Grand Ledge, brother of Sadie, Myrtle, Isabel & Harry, husband of Ethelyn and then Margaret Sherwood Coppess. He was a grocer in Sunfield for 30 years, and longtime member of Sebewa Center Association. Ethelyn and Ray are buried in East Sebewa Cemetery.

KIMBERLY BLIZZARD, 34, daughter of Gail Foster & stepdaughter of Duane Foster, stepson of Evelyn Downing Bitterman Foster, daughter of Maude & Ezekiel Downing, children of Rebecca & William Estep and Sarah & Samuel W. Downing Sr. Kimberly will be buried in West Sebewa.

OMA IRENE FENDER, 96, widow of Ray Fender, daughter of Henry & Lelia Rose Clark Gross, mother of Ray Fender Jr. & Norma Vessells. Ray Fender Sr.’s garage in Lake Odessa was the same one operated by Orr Caswell, before Carl Senters and Conrad Lane. Zerfas Brothers may also have used this building for their International Harvester Dealership, after they burned out on the west side of Fourth Avenue.

ADAM FENDER by Grayden Slowins

Recently Ariel Morris loaned us a book that had been presented to Ionia County Historical Society. The title is “SHAKE MY HAND” and it’s by Louisa M. Burger. We have no information as to any connection with the Lloyd Burger family of Lyons or Flossie Burger of Portland. The book is about Adam Fender, who homesteaded after his discharge from the Civil War on what is now the Hample farm of 61 acres at the west side of Sec. 30 Sebewa Township on South Side Rd. Louisa (long “I”), his granddaughter, is a retired school teacher from Flint, Michigan, who now lives in Point Reyes Station, California, and writes the book for Fifth Grade readers.

Adam Fender enlisted in the 185th Ohio Infantry Regiment at age 19, on February 24, 1865, near the end of the Civil War. He was stationed near the nation’s Capital at Washington, DC, to guard the Capitol Building. The enemy campfires could be seen at night across the Potomac. He was wounded in the leg and hospitalized near the Capitol. Presidnet Abraham Lincoln often came to visit the wounded and stopped to visit and shake hands with each man. For the rest of his life, Adam Fender offered people the chance to shake the hand that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln.

Adam was discharged on June 29, 1865, and came back home to Ohio. Soon his parents moved to Sec. 13, Woodland Township, Barry County, Michigan, and Adam helped his father establish his farm. The father died in 1871 and Adam came on to Sebewa Township, Ionia County, in the spring of 1873 at age 27, on his “Soldier’s Patent” land. The book tells about the tasks and joys of a pioneer family. First he built a lean-to, and then a five-room log house where his children were born, then an eleven-room farmhouse which still stands in good condition.

The author is the daughter of his daughter, Dora, and being born soon after 1900, remembers Adam & wife Louisa well. Adam Fender was Supervisor of Sebewa Township in 1897-1917, and twice chairman of the Ionia County Board of Supervisors. We have a photo of him and our great-grandpa Chris Slowinski & great-great-uncle Mike Slowinski of Berlin Township, on the Court House steps with other County officials about 1897. Adam was also Justice of the Peace, a stockholder in the Farmers & Merchants Bank of Lake Odessa, and a member of Samuel Grinell GAR Post in Sunfield and West Sebewa IOOF Lodge.
Some of Louisa M. Burger’s stories on home-crafts read like THE FOXFIRE BOOKS, her illustrations of hand-tools are like Eric Sloane books, and we will print them from-time-to-time, as we have permission on her copyright. Meanwhile, she continues to offer the hand that shook the hand that shook the hand of Abraham Lincoln!

Jacob Fender, born in Germany, died in Woodland Township, Barry County, March or April, 1871, was married to Rebecca Kirkendall, born in Columbiana County, Ohio. He was trained as a blacksmith in his native land, and after three years in the German military came to Ohio at age 23. After marriage they farmed in Putnam County, Ohio, until moving to a farm they purchased in Sec. 13 Woodland Township, Barry County, MI, in 1865.

THEY HAD EIGHT CHILDREN, of whom six grew up:
1. Adam Fender – Sebewa Township.
2. Daniel Fender – Odessa Township.
3. Elias D. Fender – Putnam County, Ohio.
4. Peter Fender – Sunfield Township.
5. Van Fender – Sunfield Township.
6. Louis P. Fender – Mecosta County, Michigan.

1) ADAM FENDER, born in Putnam County, Ohio, October 9, 1845, married June 9, 1874, to Louisa Switzer, born in Wyandot County, Ohio, whose family settled at SW ¼ Sec. 31, Sebewa Township, in 1866.
THEY HAD EIGHT CHILDREN, of whom four grew up:
1. Warren P. Fender – Odessa & Sebewa Townships.
2. Dora M. Fender – Sebewa & Odessa Townships.
3. N. E. Fender – Odessa Township.
4. Ray Fender – unmarried, lived with parents; later lived at Woodbury.

2) DANIEL FENDER, born in Putnam County, Ohio, came with his parents to their new farm in Woodland Township Sec. 13, in 1865. Later he farmed at E1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 25 Odessa Township, across from his brother Adam, on what was later the Byron Schneider and then Harold Funk farm.

4) PETER FENDER, born in Putnam County, Ohio, married Effie Wagoner and lived on a farm in Sunfield Township. Their daughter was:
1. Cleo Fender – married Sawdy and was mother of David Sawdy, Melvin Sawdy, & Phyllis Lang.

5) VAN FENDER, born in Putnam County, Ohio, lived on a farm on Ionia Road in Sunfield Township, near the Benedicts. His son was:
1. Melvin Fender – married Jennie Cassel and farmed here for Glenn Olry and had sons Glenn Franklin Fender & Richard Van Fender.

1) WARREN P. FENDER, son of Adam Fender & Louisa Switzer, lived on the Karl Eckhardt farm, then owned by Warren’s in-laws, Mr. & Mrs. Joseph Statsick, first place north of the railroad at Woodbury, on west side, at SE ¼ NE ¼ Sec. 1 Woodland Township, Barry County. His son Harold was born there and attended Goddard & Bretz Schools. Then they moved to the George Fletcher farm, south of West Sebewa Store on east side, S1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 8 Sebewa, where Clyde Avery later lived. Warren died January 6, 1925, when the family lived on the Allison Knapp farm, S ½ NE ¼, Sec. 25 Odessa, later owned by Roy Winey and still later a part of the Gerald Williams farm. George Schneider was Supervisor of Odessa when Adam Fender was Supervisor of Sebewa. Later Leon Williams was Odessa Supervisor, 1922-1930, and still later Gerald Williams, 1957-1974.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Harold J. Fender, born 1906 – married Coral Rairigh, daughter of John Rairigh the thresher, sister of Glenn Rairigh the sawyer and preacher, and lived at Muskegon Heights.
2. Girl Fender.
3. Iva Fender, born 1917.

2)DORA M. FENDER, born 1880, daughter of Adam Fender & Louisa Switzer, married Harry B. Everest in 1901. They lived in Sebewa & Lake Odessa. Dora taught school in Sebewa and helped her father with the Assessment Rolls of Sebewa Township.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Charles Everest, born in 1903, died young of meningitis.
2. Louisa M. Everest, born March 27, 1909, married Burger.
3. Thelma Everest – married Robert S. Johnson, son of Royal (Sam) Johnson, and lived in Belding.
3) N. E. FENDER, son of Adam Fender & Louisa Switzer, married Laura and lived at W ½ SE ¼ Sec. 26 Odessa, later owned by George Schneider and now by Berton McCaul.

4) RAY FENDER, son of Adam Fender & Louisa Switzer, worked on the home farm, then ran a garage at Woodbury and Lake Odesssa on the south end of Fourth Avenue, where Senters, Lass, and others ran the garage before it became a grocery store and pharmacy. END

MEMORIES by Fred Wiselogle (continued)

Isn’t it ironic that to be qualified to teach “children” one has to pursue a college degree in the University’s Department of Education, take dozens of “how to teach” courses and then get a certificate? Yet to teach undergraduate College students in a top university all one needs is a Doctor’s degree in some Science subject and a published research dissertation? Not a singe teaching course required!

........Johns Hopkins University.
By 1940 I had accumulated enough capital to feel that I could finance an automobile of my own – and after visiting the Ford dealers in Baltimore – settled on a new red ford Convertible with radio and heater, @ $750 plus shipping. Now the destination charges for delivery of a new car from Detroit to Baltimore were something like $50. Why should I pay all that money? Why not take the train to Michigan during spring vacation, visit my folks in Ann Arbor, buy the car in Lake Odessa, save the transportation charges and enjoy the car in Lake Odessa, and enjoy the drive back to Baltimore? So I called Doris Hand, who worked for the local Ford Agency here in Lake Odess and ordered the car. Some of you may recall her as Doris Yager; she later became my aunt by marrying Chet Yager, my mother’s younger brother.

I got on the train – arrived in Ann Arbor, met my mother and called Doris to learn when I could pick up my new car. “Alas”, she replied, “we’ve contacted every Ford dealer in central Michigan and we just can’t locate a red convertible with radio and heater. You’ll have to settle for something else”. I was crushed – and when my father arrived home that night I spilled out all my outrage and disappointment to him. But I sensed that he didn’t appear nearly as distressed as I thought he should at this major disaster in his son’s career. All he said was: “don’t worry about it”.

The next day, back at work, my father telephoned the Director of Transportation of the Ford Motor Company, a man with whom he had a long and excellent business association. Remember that in those days executives traveled exclusively by train. And my father always saw that these important Ford people were assigned either compartments or lower berths in the center of the Pullman car away from the wheels.

My father said to the Ford executive: “sorry to tell you this, but we’re having scheduling problems and all of your executives will be assigned to upper berths on their trips to New York from now on”.

The Ford executive gasped – but quickly recovered and said: “Just what the H--- is it that you want, Andy?” And without hesitation, my father replied “Why, a new Red Ford Convertible with radio and heater for my son. Our Lake O. dealer can’t locate one in the state”.

“Well, Andy, why didn’t you say so in the first place!” And two days later, to the utter astonishment of Doris Hand, there was dropped off at the Ford Agency in Lake Odessa a new red Ford Convertible with radio and heater. I’m not sure that business is done that way any more.

World War II clouds were now threatening……We set up our quarters in a magnificent ball room, a part of the Hopkins medical library in downtown Baltimore; this meant soliciting candidate chemicals (drugs) from chemists all over the United States and our allies: cataloging them, forwarding them, collecting testing results of tests for the control of malaria…… (To be continued)

MEMBERSHIP DUES FOR 1992-1993: The year runs from July 1 – June 30, and entitles you the THE RECOLLECTOR issued every two months, in August, October, December, February, April & June. Cost - $5.00. Send to: Wallace Sears, Secretary/Treasurer, 11501 S. Sunfield Hwy., Portland, MI 48875. A complete set of back issues for 28 years can be had for $42.00 by calling ahead and picking them up from Editor.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
APRIL 1993, Volume 28, Number 5.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
STRONG, HOWLAND, MATTSON, MORGAN, EVANS, SNITGEN, LAY, HUFNAGEL, SPITZLEY, SCHMITT, KLOECKNER, McDOWELL, GOODEMOOT, ROBINSON, FAULKNER, FOX, GOODEMOOT, WOLCOTT, SLOWINSKI, LIVINGSTON, RUSH, PRESTON, JACKSON, LIND, BRAKE, COSENS, BETZNER, BREAK, SHERK, BRECH, MILLER, GOODCHILD, PARKS, SNYDER, SHON-E-KAY-ZHICK, DAVID, FISHER, DeCLERG, McDONALD, RICHARDSON, CATT, HERRON,WISELOGLE, HALLADAY, SEARS, FRIEND, MERRILL, CARPENTER, THOMPSON, GATES, McCORNACK, LOVELL, FENDER, EVEREST, BURGER, BEEBE

RECENT DEATHS:
ELMOND STRONG, 82, son of Ernest Strong, stepson of Katherine Howland Strong, husband of Agnes Mattson Strong, father of Ernest, Richard & Betsey. Graduated from PHS in 1927, clerked for Roy Dawdy & Steketee’s, farmed on Morgan-Strong-Evans farm on Bippley Road, delivered gas & oil at Wayland. They retired to Messa, Arizona, and had recently moved to Hermitage, Tenn.

ANNETTE K. SNITGEN, 61, wife of Eugene, mother of Lois, David, Russell & Eric, sister of Ivan Lay, daughter of Norman Lay & Mary K. Spitzley, daughter of Katherine Hufnagel & Joseph Spitzley, son of Mary Catherine Schmitt & Anton Spitzley, son of Anna Marie Kloeckner & Johann Jakob Spitzley, who emigrated from Prussia to Westphalia, MI, in 1846. She graduated from PHS Class of 1950.

MARIAN E. McDOWELL, 78, widow of John, mother of Ford, Robert, James, Russell & Joel McDowell, sister of Myron, Rex & Donald Goodemoot, and of Helen Robinson & Arlene (Peg) Faulkner, and of the late Frances & Ford Goodemoot. She was the daughter of Sarah (Sadie) Fox & Donald Goodemoot, son of Russell Goodemoot, son of Mary Goodemoot, and thereby was great-great-great-great-granddaughter of Oliver Wolcott Sr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut. She had farmed for many years on the Roman Slowinski portion of the Christopher Slowinski homestead.

BURDETTE W. LIVINGSTON, 84, husband of Mildren Rush & Alice Preston Jackson, father of Martha Lind and David, Paul & Lyle, brother of Karyl and the late Forrest & Frank Livingston. He was son of Walter Livingston & Ida Brake, daughter of Caroline Cosens & Abraham Brake, son of Catherine Betzner & John Break, son of Christina Magdalene Sherk & John Brech, son of Hannes Brech. Caroline was daughter of Ann Miller & Charles Cosens, son of Ann Goodchild & Charles Cosens Sr.

VERTIE FAY McDONALD, 108, widow of Frank McDonald, aunt of Hazel Richardson & LeRoy Catt, daughter of Nancy Jane Herron & George Catt, sister of the late Orvin Catt & Ida Catt. She was born February 13, 1884, during the Presidency of Chester Allen Arthur, in SE ¼ Sec. 18 Odessa Township. Vertie & Frank farmed on the A. C. Green-Reverend Hoffman-Kyle Stambaugh farm on Musgrove Hwy. Sec. 23 Sebewa, and then on their own place on State Road Sec. 19 Sebewa, for over 50 years total.
She also made her rounds with horse & buggy giving piano lessons. Retired to Thornapple Manor, she was one of the oldest people in America and had a better chance statistically of reaching her 109th birthday than any of the rest of us. She was 108 years, 10 months, and 26 days, dying on January 9. Her father’s brother, Robert, fought in the Civil War, and we helped mark his grave at Lakeside Cemetery with a bronze plaque.

MEMORIES by Fred Wiselogle (continued)
Dr. Shannon, who had been one of my bosses in the antimalarial program, had left Goldwater Hospital to head up research in the Squibb Institute for Medical Research in New Brunswick, New Jersey and asked me to join him – and I went to the Squibb Institute in August, 1946………the accomplishment of these two drug companies in marketing a drug that could be taken orally and was effective and non toxic in the treatment of TB lead to their receiving the prestigious Lasker award for their contributions to medical health…
(to be continued)

HALLADAY UPDATES: (See Vol 27, No 1, August 1991, for story)

ELIHU HALLADAY, born 1797, died 1858, married Amanda, born 1818, died 1899, and they lived at S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa, where Larry Brown lives now. Their son was:

1) CHARLES LINCOLN HALLADAY married Mildred Eliza Sears and also lived at S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa Township.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Edith
2. Arthur
3. Ernest
4. Lucy A.
5. Walter
6. Ruth

4) LUCY ALFREDA HALLADAY, 1877-1958, daughter of Charles L. & Mildred Sears Halladay, married Ralph Eldred Friend, 1874-1940.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Lawrence Friend.
2. Evelyn Friend – married Dale Courser.
3. Beatrice Friend – married Kenneth Curtiss.
4. Lucille Friend – married Todd.
5. Mildred L. Friend – married Royce Merrill.
6. George H. Friend – married Esther Thompson & Vida Curtis.

5) MILDRED LEONE FRIEND, daughter of Ralph E. & Lucy A. Halladay Friend, married her third cousin, Royce, Halladay Merrill, son of Roscoe & G. Lillian Halladay Merrill, and they lived at SE 10Ac S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa, which their son, Gary, still owns.

DAVID HALADAY, born 1799, died 1859, brother of Elihu, married Nancy Carpenter, born 1799, died 1880, daughter of Abel Carpenter & J. Martin, and they lived at NE1/4 Sec. 36 Sebewa, which is still owned by great-granddaughter Ethelynd Thompson.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Roxanna Halladay – married Jasper Clark.
2. Elmira (Myra) Halladay – married Elisha Green.
3. Anna Halladay – married Berten Ruggles.
4. Malvina N. Halladay – married Daniel W. Halladay.
5. Daniel C. Halladay – married Susan Spooner.
6. Abel C. Halladay – married Rosabella Gates.
7. Monroe D. Halladay – married Celia Halladay.
8. Sarah Halladay.

4) MALVINA N. HALLADAY, 1836-1913, daughter of David & Nancy Carpenter Halladay, married her first cousin, Daniel W. Halladay, 1829-1890, son of Apollos & Annie Halladay, and they lived at SE ¼ Sec. 25 Sebewa.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. George D. Halladay – married Mary Dravenstatt.
2. Anna Halladay – married Oscar Dravenstatt.

6) Abel Carpenter Halladay, 1829-1905, born in New Hampshire, son of David & Nancy Carpenter Halladay, was married in Vermont to Rosebella Ingall Gates, 1833-1908, daughter of Ezra Gates & Elizabeth Ingall Gates, daughter of Jonathan Ingall, 1762-1843, Sebewa’s Soldier of the Revolution, and lived at SE 10Ac S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. George (Edgar) Halladay – married Ethelynd Lena McCormack.
2. Anna Jane Halladay – married Wilmont Hale Sears.
3. Lennie Victoria Halladay – married Herbert Bingham.
4. Alice Rosebella Halladay – married Charles Evans Gardner.
5. Grace Lillian Halladay – married Roscoe (Ross) Merrill.

1)GEORGE (EDGAR) HALLADAY, 1851-1930, son of Abel C. & Rosabella Gates Halladay, married Ethelynd Lena McCormack, 1861-1948, and they lived at NE1/4 Sec. 36 Sebewa, on his grandfather’s farm.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Blanche Effie Halladay – married John Lippencott.
2. A. C. (Abel C.?) (Midge) Halladay.

2)ANNA JANE HALLADAY, 1854-1929, daughter of Abel C. & Rosabella Gates Halladay, married Wilmont Hale Sears, 1848-1912, and they are buried in Danby Cemetery.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Roy Sears, 1878-1948 – married Edna L.
2. Ollie Sears.
3. Etha Sears – married Allen Amon.

5) GRACE LILLIAN HALLADAY, 1866-1959, daughter of Abel C. & Rosabella Gates Halladay, married Roscoe (Ross) W. Merrill, 1879-1927, and they lived at SE 10Ac S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Monroe Merrill.
2. Royce Halladay Merrill – married Mildred L. Friend.
3. Olive Merrill.

7)MONROE D. HALLADAY, son of David & Nancy Carpenter Halladay, married Celia Halladay, whose connection is not noted.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Daniel S. Halladay.
2. William Halladay.
3. Harlow Halladay.
4. Gary Halladay.

APOLLOS HALLADAY, born 1801, died 1882, another brother of Elihu & David Halladay, married Annis, born 1804, died 1875, and they were the first of the family to live at SE 10Ac S1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa. They sold this home to Ed Ruggles, son of Anna Halladay & Berten Ruggles. Abel C. & Rosabella Halladay and Lillian & Roscoe Merrill got it back by caring for Ed, their nephew & cousin.
APOLLOS & ANNIS’ son was:
1. Daniel W. Halladay – married Malvina N. Halladay.

ABEL LOVELL HALLADAY, a fourth brother of Elihu, David & Apollos Halladay, never came to Sebewa. He is thought to be father of Henry Halladay, 1819-1881. Henry & wife Catherine, who died in 1890, lived at W1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 31 Danby, where Walter Brown lives now, and ran a hotel in their home. They also owned SW1/4 SW1/4 Sec. 30 Danby, where their daughter, Helen Blanchard, later lived.
HENRY 7 CATHERINE’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. Helen Halladay, 1859-1919, married Elmer Blanchard, 1851-1903
2. Eugene Halladay, 1861-1932, married Anna, 1859-1932.
3. Boy Halladay, married Lovina or Lavina, became parents of Rev. Will Halladay, longtime United Brethren Minister.

FENDER UPDATES:
DORA M. FENDER & HARRY B. EVEREST’S children were not listed in our last issue. They were:
1. Charles Everest, born 1903, died 1906.
2. Louisa M. Everest, born 1909, married Burger, lives in California.
3. Martha I. Everest, born 1911, died 1933.
4. Vera M. Everest, born 1916, married Beebe, lived in Grand Rapids.
5. Thelma M. Everest, born 1918, married Robert Johnson, Belding.
6. Raymond E. Everest, born 1925, lives in Alpena.

PETER PARKS 1836-1901 BECAME INDIAN CHIEF

This story taken from a talk by Janet Snyder of St. Johns, MI, begins with a kidnapping that took place in central Michigan sometime before 1840. Silas Leonard Parks and his wife Elizabeth were among 13 families that migrated from Rochester, NY, in 1836 and settled near St. Johns, in Duplain Township, Clinton Co, MI. One day Elizabeth was called away to care for a sick neighbor. She left her two year old son Peter in the care of his older brother William, since Silas was asleep. On her return Elizabeth could not find Peter.

He had evidently slipped out of the house unnoticed and attempted to follow his mother. Family and friends joined in the search for many days without success. Unbeknown to them, the wife of Indian Chief Jim Fisher found Peter in the woods and took him back to the nearby Indian village. To avoid his being discovered, the squaw dyed his skin and hair with walnut oil.

For years Peter’s parents never gave up the hope that he would be found. There were rumors in the neighborhood that Silas had killed his son and buried him. This turned him into a sad, silent, remote person who rarely spoke. It was not until after his death that Peter was discovered.

This young Parks boy grew up as any other lad in the Indian village, developing the various skills needed to exist. The bows and arrows he made were of high quality. Many of these he sold to the white boys in the area. Peter was given the Indian name Shon-e-kay-zhick, although he later acquired the name of the Chief in whose home he lived. The name Jim or James and other Christian names used by the Indians are believed to be an offshoot of their conversion to Christianity.

Later he was sent off to a school in Canada, perhaps run by the Methodist Church, for he later became a devoted follower of that sect. He was a manly boy who usually wore an old felt hat, the crown of which was adorned with a long black feather. Boys in Owosso found him a good friend. He was skilled at all games and sports and was a fine horseback rider.

Records show that Peter served in the Civil War on the side of the Union. On his return he married an Indian maiden, Julia David. They had three sons, Archie, Layton & John; also three daughters Jeanette, Emily, and Frances. Jim Fisher (for this is the name by which he was known) built a church and school in Indiantown where the tribe lived – some 6 miles north & east of St. Charles. He preached the word of God and gained many converts by his untiring efforts. At times he also resided in a settlement on the Flint River.

On the death of the Chief, Jim took on that responsibility. The tribe was fearful of losing its strength and wanted a white man as chief, a white man who could plead their cause with other white men. Everyone had known there was something different about Jim, for he was not like other Indians. He built his own sauna and bathed every day!

Word finally reached the Parks family in 1876 that he was alive; his parents now both dead. His brother William was living in New Have, Macomb County, some 80 miles east of Indiantown. Jim made him a visit to talk about the possibility of receiving a portion of his father’s estate. The Parks family was now prosperous and willing to share with their new-found brother Jim (Peter).

William encouraged him to come back into the white man’s world. Jim told the family that his ways were more Indian and that his place was with his family and the tribe for which he was the leader. For this reason he never made a claim nor took back the name Peter. Thus he remained until his death about 1901, teaching, preaching, and pleading the tribe’s cause in Lansing. END.
(Mrs. Maurice DeClerg of Portland is from the Parks family. She is the great-granddaughter of William Parks.)

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
JUNE 1993, Volume 28, Number 6.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
PRYER, HEINTZLEMAN, CARR, INGLIS, RIPER, ANDRESSEN, STEINMETS, COUCH, PHILLIPS, VanBUREN, McCRUMB, WOODIN, BARNARD, STOCKWELL, CODDINGS, TOWNER, SAXTON, BALDWIN, FRIEND, MAY, ELLISON, BAUCHMAN, PARKS, SELDEN, DUTCHER, BUCKLEY, STOLL, BROOKS, HOWE, STRONG, PEAKE, LAKIN, MORIARTY, COREY, STAUBION, CASSIN, POTTER, PRESSEL, GEE, BAINES, WOOD, SUNYOG, CABLE, ASBURY, BOND, LIETZKE.

LAST WILL & TESTAMENT OF THOMAS & CORNELIA PRYER

We want William H. Pryer to be Administrator of all our Property. (Editor’s Note: All spelling & punctuation is as in original.)
“EMILY is to have the work table up stairs and the Table in our room A Dresser A Chair in the parlor A rocking Chair one Feather-bed pillows and some of the beding Pa Bible that Aunt Hanah gave to him and the Server that was his Mother’s My Pasley Shall and some of my Clothes my little Chair A Temperance picture that Libbie gave to me in our room.

WILLIAM is to have the Book Case and all the Books except the two Bibles his Fathers picture and the Easel the three Graces A picture Pa Grange Deploma and the Declaration of Independence our Marridge Certific and the frame with the family in it Dick Nickerson family Picture.

CHARLIE is to have the Table in the parlor one of the Dressers Mannie and Laura picture that is framed his Father Upholster Chair that he sets in the piece of work that my Mother worked that is framed the yarn Rug that Aunt Frank made for me in the parlor the two pictures of the fuit the Cottn Mattress and the one in the front room. I want Alelia to have part of my Clothes and some of the beding.

SYLVESTER is to have the Rocking Chair in the parlor and the Beaura that Pa made Libbie Picture that is framed Mr. Fishell family picture that is framed and the half Dossen Chair in the Parlor.

FRANK is to have the Upholstered Rocking Chair in the Parlor and the Looking Glass his and Mannie Picture belong to him Pa and mine and little Mannie I gave to him when they were taken his and Mannie that is framed together My Bible I want Frank to have the Pickel Factory is for Frank it is framed. Stell is to have the Referator and my willow chair.

MANNIE (MARY) is to have one of the Feather-beds and pillows some of the beding my work Box and the Red Stool and Cushon on it. Welter (Wellington) wants his house that is framed I told him he could have it

TOMMY is to have the table that Pa gave to him A long time ago that little knife of Pa the large picture of Jackson that is framed up stairs and Washington Tomb that is framed.

BLANCH is to have the organ her Father and Mother and hers and Tommys picture that is framed and our family picture that is framed my Silver Cake dish and Butter dish there is two Silver Teas Spoons and two Knifes and Forks give them to Blanch.

RAY is to have that little Stooll that Pa made for me before we were married in the parlor and the Banner that his Aunt Marry painted for me.

Pa said Vet & Frank must not be hurry up to pay what they owe must give them time.
If any of the family wants our house when we are done with it they are to have it for 12 Hundred.
The Carpets and Rugs and the Dishes divide Among you all the Silver Knieves and forks the same and Tea spoons and Table spoons the rest of the Chairs to Frank and Charlie what ever else there is each A share Pa and I have talked it over and made up our minds that each one of Libbie Boyes are to have one hundred Dol A piece.
Signed: Thos Pryer & Cornelia Pryer
Witnessed: Herbert Tubbs & Grace Tubbs.

THOMAS PRYER, born in New York City, #1 Cherry St, corner of Peach St, at end of present Brooklyn Bridge, September 23, 1820, died in Portland, MI, January 28, 1906, son of Mary Inglis & Merselus Pryer, born in New York 1779, died in New York, 1781, son of Sarah Andressen & Casparus Pryer, born 1691, died 1755, son of Johanna Steinmets & Andreas Pryer, born in Holland, 1669, died in New Jersey, 1698, son of Margaret & Thomas Preyer, who emigrated from The Netherlands to Constaples Hook, Bergen County, New Jersey, prior to 1674, having descended from Thomas Pryer, an officer in Queen Elizabeth I’s army, who fought in Holland in 1586-1587, and whose family had originally gone to England from the Normandy Province of France with William The Conqueror in 1066.

MARY INGLIS, mother of Thomas Pryer, was born in New York, February 18, 1786, daughter of Hudson Inglis & Hannah Couch, who were married September 23, 1779. Their children were: Joseph, 1780, Sarah, 1784, Mary, 1786, Rachel, 1787, Archable, 1790, Thomas, 1792, Nancy & Hanna (twins) 1794, James, 1797 & Hudson, 1800.

THOMAS PRYER was married November 16, 1843, to Cornelia Ann Phillips, born in New York City, June 23, 1824, died in Portland, December 30, 1910, daughter of Sylvester & Margaret Phillips. They located their farm in 1846 at NE3/4 NW1/4 Sec. 23 Danby, where William S. Pryer lives today, returned to New York in 1848, then they returned and finally settled in 1850.

The original deed from the United States Government was obtained in the name of his brother John of New York in 1835, at which time Thomas was only 15 years old.

Thomas had gone to Canada at age 13 and learned the cabinet-maker’s trade, which he followed along with farming. He was a Grange member, Republican, Danby Township Treasurer, and Highway Commissioner.

In retirement they lived in the house on the west side of Quarterline Street at the head of North Street, long occupied by Mrs. Edith VanSickle and more recently by Harold (Bud) Ward. They are buried in Portland Cemetery.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Emily L. Pryer, 1844-1936.
2. Elizabeth A. Pryer, 1847-1887.
3. William H. Pryer, 1849-1936.
4. Charles H. Pryer, 1852-1944.
5. Sylvester Pryer, 1856-1933.
6. Mary C. Pryer, 1858-1898.
7. Frank Wilson Pryer, 1862-1921.

SECOND GENERATION
Emily L. Pryer, born Aug. 10, 1844, died Feb. 9, 1936, was married June 18, 1862, to George W. VanBuren, who died Dec. 11, 1910. Her family all lived in Detroit area and she died there. They are buried in Danby Cemetery.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Willie VanBuren, 1863-1879.
2. Orren A. VanBuren, born March 19, 1866, died Nov. 22, 1928.
3. Anna Elizabeth VanBuren, born Jan. 1, 1868.
4. Frank P. VanBuren, born Nov. 25, 1871.
5. Elbert B. VanBuren, born Aug. 16, 1874.

ELIZABETH A. (LIBBIE) PRYER, born Jan. 4, 1847, died July 15, 1887, was married Oct. 1, 1973, to Lester C. McCrumb, who died May 1, 1908 in Danby. They farmed at W1/2 NW 1/3 Sec. 24 Danby Township, on McCrumb Road.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Emmet McCrumb, born April 12, 1874, died Sept. 29, 1943.
2. Frank McCrumb, born Oct. 11, 1875, died Dec. 8, 1941.
3. Vernon McCrumb, born Feb. 9, 1878, died May 29, 1937.
4. Glenn McCrumb, born Dec. 1, 1886, died Jan. 3, 1980.

WILLIAM H. PRYER, born Feb. 26, 1849, died in Danby, Sept. 26, 1936, was married Jan. 1, 1874, to Margaret E. Woodin, who died in Danby, Jan. 27, 1918. He was a Danby farmer at SE3/4 SW1/4 Sec. 14, just north of his father, built the big house before birth of Pearl.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Infant daughter born & died May 15, 1875.
2. Sarah Blanche Pryer, born May 1, 1877, died May 15, 1947.
3. Thomas C. Pryer, born Aug. 4, 1879, died Dec. 4, 1934.
4. Roy Webster Pryer, born Aug. 9, 1885, died Nov. 30, 1936.
5. Pearl Pryer, born Dec. 21, 1890, died March 31, 1929.

CHARLES H. PRYER, born Dec. 16, 1852, died Nov. 1, 1944, was married March 12, 1878, to Acelia Barnard, who died in Danby, Aug. 24, 1919, daughter of Mary A. Page & Levi Barnard Jr. He married Mrs. Stockwell & they were divorced. He married Ella Coddings, who died May 30, 1940. He farmed at E1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 23 & W1/2 SW1/4 Sec. 24 Danby.
CHARLES & ACELIA HAD ONE CHILD:
1. Ray Hudson Pryer, born Aug. 6, 1889, died 1961.

SYLVESTER (VET) PRYER, born April 24, 1856, died July 3, 1933, was married March 9, 1881, to Sarah B. Towner, who died in March, 1932. He succeeded his father in farming the old homestead, and later on Butler Road. They had no children.

MARY C. PRYER, born June 27, 1858, died May 1, 1898, was married Sept. 3, 1887, to Wellington Saxton, born Feb. 11, 1860, died Nov. 7, 1946. They farmed east of Frost Corners, are buried in Portland & had no children.

FRAND WILSON PRYER, born Aug. 1, 1862, died July 3, 1921, was married Nov. 20, 1895, to Estella E. Baldwin, born Dec. 15, 1876, died Feb. 16, 1909, daughter of Rush Baldwin & Phebe Marie Friend. He later married Evangeline Abbey March 8, 1911. They were divorced and she died October 4, 1949. He married Ethel Friend Coman, sister to Phoebe, on Feb. 27, 1915. He farmed in Sec. 3 Danby.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Marian Addie Pryer, born March 17, 1900.
2. Margaret Morna Pryer, born Nov. 2, 1902, died 1974.

THIRD GENERATION:
ORREN VanBUREN married Nina May, who died of T.B., then he married her sister, Eliza May, who became mother of his children.
THEIR CHILDREN:
1. Orie VanBuren, born July 3, 1889, died June, 1937.
2. Mina May VanBuren, born March 28, 1892.
3. Fred VanBuren, born March 27, 1895.
4. ella VanBuren.

ANNA ELIZABETH VanBUREN married William A. Ellison Sept. 18, 1889.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Raymond A. Ellison, born Aug. 9, 1890.
2. Agnes E. Ellison, born Jan. 9, 1893.
3. Harold D. Ellison, born Jan. 29, 1895.
4. Mary C. Ellison, born Feb. 16, 1902.
5. Beatrice E. Ellison, born Aug. 12, 1905.
6. Edna M. Ellison, born Feb. 21, 1908.

FRANK P. VanBUREN married Emma Bauchman in 1897 or 1899.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Violet VanBuren.
2. Reva VanBuren, born August, 1910.

ELBERT B. VANBUREN married Laura Parks. The families of Frank P. and Elbert B. VanBuren lived in Blackberry, Minn.

EMMETT McCRUMB married Hattie Selden Oct. 18, 1900. She and infant child died Feb. 10, 1903. He married Sadie Lehman Dutcher, sister to Leo Lehman, Jan. 25, 1905, and they farmed on Clintonia Road, Sec. 18 Eagle Township.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Agnes McCrumb, born May 31, 1906, died Mar. 6, 1982.
2. Helen McCrumb, born Oct. 15, 1908.
3. Mary McCrumb, born April 18, 1911.
4. Lester McCrumb, born Sept. 1, 1918, died Jan. 2, 1925.

FRANK (BOB) McCRUMB married Myrtle Buckley Jan. 16, 1901. She died in May 1947. They farmed on the south side of the tracks in Eagle.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Stanley McCrumb, born Feb. 10, 1903, died Mar. 3, 1970.
2. Lola McCrumb, born 1904, died of diphtheria June 18, 1910.
3. Stewart McCrumb, born 1906, died of diphtheria June 18, 1910.
4. Dudley E. McCrumb, born Dec. 22, 1908, died Mar 14, 1984.
5. Clare McCrumb, born Jan. 18, 1911.
5. Marvin McCrumb, born May 12, 1913.

VERNON McCRUMB married Helen Stoll Aug. 13, 1901. They lived at Ann Arbor and ran a grocery store.
THEIR CHILD WAS:
1. Harold McCrumb, born April 9, 1909.

GLENN McCRUMB married Marie. They lived in Grand Rapids, where he had a small farm on Leonard St., and was a feed salesman. They had no children and are buried in Grand Rapids.

SARAH BLANCHE PRYER married Robert C. Brooks June 16, 1897. They farmed at W1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 10, later lived in Portland and he worked at Smith Hardware.
THEIR CHILD:
1. Infant daughter died Sept. 1, 1898. They are buried in Portland.

THOMAS C. PRYER married Bertha Howe in 1902, in California. She died Sept 6, 1930. They farmed for a few years with his father and lived in the old house.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Lloyd Pryer, born Dec. 31, 1902, lived at Mt. Clemens, MI.
2. Clyde Pryer, born Jan. 3, 1904.
3. Merlin Pryer, born Dec. 25, 1904.
4. Vernon Pryer, born Dec. 21, 1914, lived at Santa Anna, CA.
5. Donald Pryer, born Aug. 3, lived at Copemish, MI.
6. Maxine Pryer, born Sept. 4, 1921, lived at Washington, DC.

ROY W. PRYER married Lucile Strong Dec. 22, 1914. He was a Doctor at Michigan Department of Health and she was a teacher at Okemos and Principal at Palo. After his death she married LeRoy W. Blaker of Alvordton, OH. Buried in Danby Cemetery.
ROY & LUCILE’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. Margretta Pryer.
2. William S. Pryer.

PEARL PRYER married Guy Peake Feb. 26, 1919. They farmed with Will, and after her death Rob & Blanche Brooks lived there too, until Guy married Maude Bradfield Starr Aug. 15, 1934.
PEARL & GUY’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. Wilbur H. Peake.
2. Forrest W. Peake.
3. Margy Eva Peake.
4. Lynn Alden Peake.

RAY HUDSON PRYER married Belle Peake Beard Dec. 10, 1919.
THEIR CHILD WAS:
1. Elizabeth Pryer.

MARIAN ADDIE PRYER was married March 27, 1923, to Elon D. Lakin, born August 5, 1900, died October 20, 1978. They lived in Ionia, then on the Frank Pryer farm in Danby.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Lois Ann Lakin
2. Ann Lois Lakin
3. Phyllis Marian Lakin

MARGARET MORNA PRYER married Dan Moriarty Dec. 27, 1921. They were divorced and she married William Corey of Grand Rapids. They were divorced and she married Hugh J. Jacques. She had two children with Dan, and both died as infants.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
AUGUST 1993, Volume 29, Number 1.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
VROMAN, IVES, BEECHLER, GIRDWOOD, KENYON, CAMPBELL, COOK, SPEAS, LAKE, HOUGH, KIRTLAND, TAYOR, GUNN, GOULD, COLE, BAKE, BASS, STRANGE, STRANG, EVANS, ADAMS, GIBBS, LEAK, LINDERMAN, SHERRARD, BULLING, DAY, WOODS, MAHON, CASSEL, COPE, HODGES, WHEELER, WISELOGLE, FENDER, EDDY, LEPARD, DODDS, BURGER, INGALLS, SCHRADER, PRYER, STIFFLER, GILBERT, WENGER, WINGER, WANGER, MAPES, NEWMAN, COOL, BRAKE, GIERMAN, DENNY, HUFNAGEL, FRYOVER, GIBBS, ROOSE, VERLINDE, PRENTICE, WHITECRAFT, BALL, EDGAR, LEGGETT, MOYER, SNYDER, BENSCHOTER, DOWNING, HALLADAY, DEXTER

RECENT DEATHS:
MILDRED G. IVES, 77, wife of A Winston Ives, mother of Denise Beechler & Patricia Girdwood, sister of Edward & Henry Kenyon, daughter of Roxanna Campbell & Nathan Kenyon, son of Henry Kenyon, who emigrated from the Netherlands.

VIVERNE COOK, 84, husband of Frances, father of Nadine Speas, Marcia Lake & Jerald Cook, brother of Vera, Betty, Verrsal, Adren & Kenneth, son of Hennrietta Hough & Carlton R. Cook, son of Emily & Charles Pl Cook, son of Ursula & Pierce G. Cook, who commenced farming in W1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 19 Sebewa in 1853. Viverne also farmed and ran a gas station & radiator repair shop in Lake Odessa.

LOSIA E. KIRTLAND, 98, widow of Clare Kirtland, mother of Susan Tayor & Evelyn Gunn, sister of June Gould & Ruth Cole, daughter of Lena Bake & Leon Bass, born in Caledonia, operated drugstore in Sunfield.

JOHN F. STRANGE, 80, of Grand Ledge. His grandfather, also named John (or Joseph?), was a brother to James Jesse Strang, king of the Beaver Island splinter goup of the Morman Church. John Sr. settled on a farm in Eaton County and Strange Hwy is names for him. Young John was a long-time farmer on that same farm, retired school employee, and member of Delta Presbyterian Church. Clement J. Strang, son of James Jesse, was the early publisher of The Gospel Sun in Sunfield. Apparently one branch used Strang and one Strange.

FLOYD N. EVANS, 84, husband of Angela Adams Evans, father of Gordon, grandfather of Scott; son of Anna Gibbs & George Evans, son of Susan & Jacob W. Evans, who settled in Sec. 11 Sebewa before 1875. Floyd was a farmer, a shepherd. He became Justice of the Peace in Danby Township in 1944. At that time Justices also sat on the Township board in the seats now occupied by Trustees. In 1947 he was elected Township Supervisor and served continuously for 45 years, retiring in 1992. He was the longest-serving Supervisor in Danby Township history and probably Ionia County, although not the State of Michigan. Prior to January 1, 1969, Township Supervisors also served on the County Board of Commissioners. See Volume 24, Issues 1-5 for his life story as he told it. Ashes to be buried in Danby Cemetery.

JAMES D. LEAK, 56, husband of Carol Linderman Leak, father of Deborah and James Jr. (Jake) Leak; son of Doris Sherrard & Zeno Leak, son of Hermine Bulling & Edwin Leak, son of Mary Ann Day & David Leak, son of Mary Woods & Christopher Leak, a pioneer family in Sebewa. See Volumne 28, Issue No. 1 for the Leak History. Jim was a member of the Lake Odessa Cooperative Elevator Board and the Sebewa Township Board of Review. He farmed all his life on the Leak land. He was buried in the midst of it, in West Sebewa Cemetery.

ERNESTINE N. MAHON, 76, mother of Larry Cassel, grandmother of Cheryl Cope; daughter of Edythe Hodges & Herbert Wheeler. She was first married to Kenneth Cassel, son of Asa Cassel, and her mother was married to Vernie Cassel, brother of Asa. She owned the Cassel Centennial Farm in Sebewa, but lived and ran the beauty shop in Muir. Buried in East Sebewa Cemetery.

REGGIE DENNY, the truck driver who was dragged from his rig in Los Angeles riots last year and shown on national TV as he was being beaten by four blacks thru no fault of his, was an Ionia County boy. His father, Reginald Denny Sr., and his aunt Audrey were one year behind us at Portland High School. Their father, uncle & grandfather, Bert, Harry & Ernest, ran Denny’s Auto Parts east of Portland on US-16 near Hudson Rd, Sec. 13 Danby. Later they lived in the north part of the county and Reggie Jr. grew up in the Ionia-Palo area.

KAREN FRYOVER HUFNAGEL, 46, wife of Leon; mother of Herman, Samuel, Joseph & Thomas; sister of Thomas, Luanne & Anna Belle; daughter of Samuel Fryover & Kathleen Gibbs, daughter of Elizabeth & Thomas Gibbs, son of Mary E. & Norman Gibbs Sr., son of Robert Gibbs, pioneer farmers on Knoll Road, NW1/4 SW1/4 & S1/2 SW1/4 NW1/4 Section 3 Sebewa Township, where Cleo & Gordon Piercefield are now, prior to 1875. Her mother, Kathleen Gibbs, was a cousin to Floyd Evans, whose obituary also appears in this issue.

PHOTO ON FRONT PAGE OF THIS ISSUE FROM LAKEWOOD NEWS PHOTO, titled JOSEPH A. VROMAN: “Joe Vroman holds his Certificate of Naturalization and an America flag given to him by the judge who issued his citizenship papers on February 10, 1927. “No one could get this away from me for a million bucks”, says Joe of his American citizenship. He holds dual citizenship, also being a citizen of King Albert of Belgium by birth.

VROMAN FAMILY IN AMERICA by Grayden Slowins:

Our Cover Story this issue begins with Joseph A. Vroman, born in West Flanders, Belgium, February 24, 1902, son of Metchie & Henry Vroman. Joe recently celebrated his 91st birthday at Woodland, MI. He grew up on his grandparents’ farm in Flanders. His father left to go to America when Joe was 4. When his father had saved enough money, he sent for his wife and then for the three boys. Maurice, born September 17, 1903, and Mitchell, born in 1904, were allowed to go. But Joe had to stay behind and help his grandparents on the farm.

He did not have an opportunity to come to America until 1919, when World War I was over and he was out of school and working as a blacksmith. He arrived in New York on August 9, 1919, and without a word of English, made his way to his father’s home in Detroit. He had to work and turn over his pay to his father for the voyage.

Then, since his parents were separated, he went to Janesville, Wisconsin, to visit his mother and brothers. His mother remembered him as a little boy, not a grown man. She remarried, to Leon Roose, and had another son, Albert Roose, also of Lakewood area. Henry Vroman returned to Belgium during World War I and served in their army, since he never became an American citizen. The Belgian government paid his ticket over and back. After the war he mined gold in Alaska, then bought a farm in Canada, made a living as a shoemaker, and died there at age 90.

Joe Vroman came to Lansing to work and attended night school to learn English & American Government and got his citizenship papers on February 10, 1927. After working in Lansing & Battle Creek, he bought a feed grinder and served the Lake Odessa area. When his son, Joe Jr. returned from World War II with an English bride, Joe sold him the grinder and moved to Woodland. He retired from Spartan Engineering at age 80, and built a small home workshop with drill press, lathe & welder.
Besides Joe Jr., who recently died and whose son is a partner in HSV Gravel & Redimix, Joe had a son Gilbert, who had a feed grinder in Saranac and 9 or 10 kids. Pam Vroman, Circuit Court Administrator, is Gilbert’s daughter-in-law. Joe Sr. also had a daughter who lives in Livonia, an adopted son, and another daughter. He and his second wife have 21 grandchildren, 35 great-grandchildren, and 7 great-great-grandchildren. They are members of Zion Lutheran Church.

Mitchell (Hap) Vroman was in charge of Lakewood School bus repair and died younger than his father & brothrs, from Lou Gehrig’s Disease. He and his wife had no children.

Maurice Vroman married Zelma Verlinde and farmed on Ionia Road, Portland Township, just outside the city. He also had a feed grinder, which he later sold to his son Leo. He also operated a gravel pit on the family farm and sold it to his son Albert, who got into redimix, and eventually into pre-cast septic tanks and manure storage facilities. Maurice is still going strong on the riding lawn mower at almost age 90.

MAURICE AND ZELMA’S Children Were:
1) Leo Vroman, married Margery Prentice July 3, 1943.
THEY HAD CHILDREN:
1. Robert.
2. Rosalie Ann.
3. Charles.
4. Kathy.

2) Albert Vroman, married Patricia Whitcraft
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Pamela.
2. Daniel.
3. Gwen.
4. Rod.
5. Shelby.

3) ROSAMOND VROMAN married Harold Ball.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Cynthia.
2. Coleen.
3. James.
4. Gregory.
5. Patrick.

4) GEORGE VROMAN to Nancy Ann Edgar, daughter of Helen Leggett & George Edgar.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Val Vroman Tissue.
2. Marcia Vroman Simon Spear.
3. Steve Vroman.
4. Kristie Vroman Brezizinski.
5. Michael Vroman.

MOYER FAMILY OF SEBEWA & EAGLE:

LEON MOYER came from his family’s farm in Eaton County in the triangle area of Mulliken Road & M-50. He married Fannie Snyder, daughter of our Civil War Veteran Dr. George Snyder, sister to Henry Snyder – Winnie Benschoter’s father, and to George Snyder Jr. – Mamie Downing’s stepfather. They farmed on the Elihu & Charles Halladay farm at S 130Ac NE1/4 Sec. 25 Sebewa, where Larry Brown is now, and owned it in 1906. Then they moved to Grand River Avenue near Eagle.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Russell Moyer, who farmed with Leon at Eagle.
2. Theron Moyer, village marshall in Portland.
3. Bruce Moyer, father of Betty & Bill, father of Mark of Sebewa.
4. Thelma Moyer Knox, mother of Kendall Knox.
5. Myrtle Moyer Wilcox, no children.
6. Maude Moyer Jansen, mother of Yvonne, Brenda, Joyce Scheurer.
7. Herb Moyer, father of Mary & Susan.

RUSSELL MOYER & wife had 15 children, of whom 12 grew up, and the approximate order is as follows: Eleanor, Elizabeth, Beverly, Robert, Elon, John, John’s twin who died, Barry, Norma who lives on Musgrove, Margaret, Gene, Jack, Jim, and two more who died. Jim Moyer who lives on the Raymond Kenyon farm, N1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 13 Sebewa, is son of Robert.

MEMORIES BY FRED WISELOGLE (conclusion)
…………the first time, ever, that the Lasker award had been given to a pharmaceutical company……
Just 20 years ago in May, I returned to work from a quick trip to California. We were planning to attend a convention in Copenhagen the following week. I came home, mowed my lawn and set down to read the evening paper. But I couldn’t see one half of the page! Something had changed. A quick call to a friend and optometrist resulted in an eye exam that evening. This led to a call to an ophthalmologist for an appointment the next morning and that resulted in an immediate trip to Columbia Presbyterian Hospital for eye surgery the next da. Prompt attention and brilliant skill by the surgeon reattached the retina that had pulled away from my optic nerve and restored the sight of my right eye.

But, mentally, I was shattered. I was 60 years old and while I knew I could return to my position within Squibb, still I had no confidence that my eyes would remain serviceable through all the stress of my work. So I resigned from my hospital bed and never returned. My company offered me a generous settlement and so Charlotte and I retired to Lake Odessa, built a home just off Jordan Lake and have enjoyed immensely the last twenty years spent in retirement.

Early in retirement, I couldn’t forget how I used to do calculations with logarithms. And I determined that I was going to master this new Personal Computer that appeared to excite so many youngsters. I wanted to see if it could offer a retiree anything new and exciting. So I bought my first little black box in 1981.

And for the last eleven years I’ve been following with deep interest the incredible year-to-year developments in this exciting technology, where things simply un-dreamed-of earlier are now commonplace in the home. Why, I now can write a letter in my computer, check the spelling and grammar automatically, and then have it printed out. I have in my computer the entire King James Bible and can almost instantly locate any verse with a few taps on my keyboard. I have equal access to all of the information contained in a 27-volume encyclopedia – stored on a single 3 ½” compact disk; identify a street address and city anywhere in the United States. And I can tell you the exact Zip Code. And that’s just the beginning! I give thanks to God and I express my grateful appreciation to you people of the Lake Odessa Area Community for allowing Charlotte and me to lead lives that have been filled with delightful surprises. We must never fear change; it is the normal fate of every one of us. Together, let’s enjoy every new turn of events. Remember: The Only Constant Thing in Life is Constant Change.

FENDER UPDATES: Debra Stadel Eddy writes that Hale Lepard married Grace Fender, daughter of Daniel Fender. Also that Anslem G. Dodds married Ellen Fender as his second wife in 1923. We don’t know where she fits into the Fender family. Louisa Everest Burger has located a couple cousins from the N. E. Fender family thru the Hastings Banner.

INGALLS UPDATE: Arlene Ingalls Schrader writes to correct us on the “s” on the end of Ingalls. Jonathan Ingalls’ tombstone says Ingalls. We stand corrected. However the Halladay Genealogy refers to Elizabeth Ingall Gates as his daughter. THE INGALLS INQUIRER relates to Ingalls, Ingall, Ingell, Ingles, Inglies, Ingle, Engel, etc. The name Mary Inglis appeared as the mother of Thomas Pryer in his story. Charles Ingalls platted part of the City of Ionia, and M. (Manley?) Charles Ingalls (his son?) owned the family homestead at Shimnecon well into this century.

Marian (Mrs. Guy) Stiffler was his daughter, born & raised there. She was a life-long friend of Marian Pryer Lakin. Arlene is daughter of Herbert D., son of Charles S., son of John D., son of John C., son of Jonathan Ingalis, our only veteran of the Revolutionary War buried in Sebewa. Herbert D. Ingalls was a well-driller from DeWitt, and his partner, Mr. Gilbert, was also descended from Sebewa families.

One thing I have learned in Genealogy is that different spellings do not mean not related, we just may not have established the connection yet. My name is Slowins, from Slowinski, from Slovinski, from Slavinski, all related. My mother’s name was Brake, from Break, from Brech, all related. Her mother’s name was Wenger, also spelled Winger & Wanger. I certainly would not dis-own Debra Winger, movie actress and my sixth cousin twice removed, just because she uses Winger and we use Wenger! In fact Wenger is often pronounced Winger, just as Sebewa is properly pronounced Sibewa.

NOTE FROM THE CEMETERY: One hundred twenty years after his death, Henry J. Mapes finally got his Civil War Monument in the East Cemetery and becomes the 42 person so recognized. This is thanks to the efforts of his great-grandson, Rev. Byron L. Gibbs Jr. We poured a foundation and set it on the grave under the same tree where Polly Baker is buried. Polly is our earliest-born resident of the cemetery, born in 1770, died in 1861. Henry was born in 1830 and died in 1873. Johathan Ingalls was born in 1762 and died in 1843, but he isn’t in the cemetery. He died before there was a cemetery and his stone is along the roadside, a quarter mile south of Musgrove Hwy. on Keefer Hwy, Sec. 25. Mary Probasco was born in 1795 and Diana Benschoter in 1797. Elihu Halladay was also born in 1797.

ONE HUNDRED FIFTY YEARS AGO:
Almeron & James Newman enclosed their new flouring mill on the Looking Glass River in Portland and began grinding in September, 1843. On February 9, 1893, it burned to the ground. Rebuilt and remodeled many times, it was called Valley City Milling Company when it burned to the ground again in February, 1950.

Central Soya Company grinds & mixes animal feed concentrates on that same site even today. John Waterman put in a mill race north across the Looking Glass from the Newman mill and proposed to wash, card & spin wool. But the next spring he got soaked & chillied while cleaning the limbs & trash from his race, caught pneumonia & died. His daughter, Mattie, married Jack Cool of Campbell Township, and their daughter, Nadia, married Elwood Brake Sr. Someone continued the Portland Woolen Mill after about 1870.

WASHINGTON TRIP: Robert Wilfred Gierman & his friend from India, Elias Peter, did indeed make that trip to our nation’s capital on Sunday, May 2. Elias arrived here Saturday night, and the next morning they were off with Hartzler tour bus. They enjoyed the museums, Washington monument, Lincoln memorial, Mt. Vernon, the cherry blossoms, etc. Imagine all those trips around the world and Wilfred just now got to our capital!

JUDGE SAMUEL WILLIAM DEXTER, founder of Dexter, MI, was NOT the same Judge Samuel Dexter who founded Ionia, that’s final, we hope. Samuel William was the son of a lawyer, also named Samuel, who was Secretary of State under John Adams, served in the Massachusetts Senate and the United States Senate. Samuel William moved from Boston, MA, to Detroit, MI, in 1824, and founded the town of Byron in the southeast corner of Shiawassee County. He expected Byron to become the county seat, but when Corunna got it, and his wife died at the birth of their second child, he sold Byron to his wife’s brother and traveled back to Ohio to find a second wife.

With his new wife he founded Dexter in Washtenaw County and built a large house which still stands. It has great white pillars, twenty-two rooms, 9 fireplaces, 55 windows with inside shutters, a beautiful walnut banister, and is called Gordon Hall. He owned a 629 acre farm which straddled the corners of Dexter, Webster & Scio Townships. He saw this as a perfect junction for a barge canal to connect the Huron River at Ann Arbor with the Grand River at Jackson. This scheme did not pan out either, but he practiced law and was Circuit Court Judge for Washtenaw County when he died in 1863.

What makes the story more confusing is the fact that our Ionia Sam Dexter had two brothers, Steven & George Washington Dexter, who settled at Whitmore Lake, in Washtenaw County, before coming to Ionia. And Samuel William Dexter’s settlement at Byron was very close to our Samuel’s Dexter Trail as it cut across Shiawassee County on his trip from Herkimer, NY.

ED MORGAN IS A SEBEWA DESCENDANT who lives in Kent City, MI, and sends us TYRONE GLEANINGS, newsletter of the Kent City Historical Society. He includes a story about the last old-fashioned barn raising in that area. The men were nailing rafters above the purline plate on a hot day. They called down to a little girl on the ground “Some lemonade sure would taste good”. So she went into the house and asked her mother to make lemonade. A few minutes later they heard the girl say “Here’s your lemonade”, as she came walking across the purline, 50 ft above the ground, juggling a pitcher of lemonade in one hand and some glasses in the other!

ELECTION RESULTS: At the Annual Meeting and Potluck on Memorial Day, May 31, Mike Smith did an excellent job with his slide story of his canoe trip across the Midwest. Janet Gierman Rudd was elected President and LaVern Carr was re-elected Trustee. They join Wesley Meyers Jr. – Vice President 1994, Wallace Sears – Secretary/Treasurer 1995, and Duane Meyers – Trustee 1995. Wilbur Gierman will hold down the Past President seat in the absence of Raymond Heintzleman. Congratulations Janet, we are pleased to see younger people taking on the leadership.

In the June 2 Special Election on Proposal A, Sebewa cast 161 Yes votes and 114 No votes, following the pattern of Ionia County and 67 other counties. But 15 counties, many of them more populous, such as Wayne, Oakland & Macomb, where able to offset our votes. After the initial disappointment of those who had worked so hard on this compromise package of tax reforms, it’s back to the drawing-board for another try at equitable school funding and equitable taxation by way of income, Sales, and Single Business Taxes in place of Property Tax.

GUEST ARTICLES for THE RECOLLECTOR are welcome. We reserve the right to edit for space & content. Articles longer than one or two paragraphs are more likely to get used if typed & made photo-copier ready on a computer or word-processor. Most should have some connection to Sebewa – no matter how remote. We include Danby, Portland, Orange, Ionia, Berlin, Boston, Campbell, Odessa & Sunfield Townships in this circle because of the intertwining of our histories & herstories.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
OCTOBER 1993, Volume 29, Number 2.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
BULLING, HANSON, LAKE, MONTGOMERY, FROST, ROGERS, SHAY, KRAUSE, HATH, LAPO, WORTLEY, GOSCH, SLOWINSKI, SCHAIBLY, VanBROCKLIN,
SWITZER, BOWER, WILLIAMS, GOODEMOOT, CUSACK, BRODBECK, READ, BIPPLEY, CHILDS, INGALL, COOK, MEYERS, KENYON, BARNER, LANE, ALLEN, WARD, BAILIFF, SHIPMAN, DARLING, TODD, BAIRD, KROSKIE, NEWLIN, HALE, ELDRIDGE, TICE, STAIR, WESTER, METTERNICK, HOFFMAN, ANDERSON, HILL, SALINE, ADAMS LINEBAUGH, YORK, SCHUG, CHASE, MAPES, GIBBS, FENDER, DODDS, Van FENDER, CREIGHTON, SAXTON, HAZZARD, BECKHOLD, VALENTINE, BALDWIN, DEMARAY, SMITH, SLOWINS

RECENT DEATHS:
KEITH F. BULLING, 80, husband of Bernice Williams Bulling, father of Joan Hanson, Susan Lake, Marjorie Montgomery, Barbara Frost & Bill Bulling, brother of the late Theo & Kenneth Bulling, son of Mary Rogers & Fred Bulling. Born at E1/2 SW1/4 & W1/2 SE1/4, Sec. 20 Sebewa, Musgrove Hwy., he farmed in Sec. 2 & 3 Odessa, Ainsworth Rd., on land settled by Robert Ainsworth Sr. in 1848. Fred Bulling’s land was two 80s settled by Charles Estep & Rush P. Baldwin right after the Civil War. Keith was employed at Lake Odessa Cooperative Elevator, where his father was manager, and later Keith was its treasurer for many years.

MARIE H. SHAY, 93, widow of John Shay, daughter of Alice Krause & William Hath. She was a retired teacher in Portland and they farmed at W ½ NE ¼ Sec. 29 & W1/4 NW1/4 Sec. 28 Sebewa, Musgrove Hwy., on land settled by Reuben Lapo before 1875.

ROY J. WORTLEY, 80, husband of Helen Gosch Wortley, father of Joe & Melvin Wortley, brother of Ray & Gailen Wortley and the late Orpha Slowinski & Mable Schaibly, son of Maude VanBrocklin & William Wortley, son of Joseph Wortley. He farmed at E3/4 SW1/4 Sec. 31 Sebewa Eaton Hwy., on land settled by F. & W. H. Switzer in 1866. He worked for MSU Forstry, Mich School for the Blind & Dept. of Public Health.

LAWRENCE J. BOWER, 83, brother of Lucille, John & Louis Bower, son of Agnes & George Bower. He farmed at W1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 2 & N12 NE1/4 Sec. 3 Sebewa, and lived at SE1/4 SE1/4 Sec. 34 Orange, on Sunfield Road.

GERALD W. WILLIAMS, 76, husband of Ruby Goodemoot Williams, father of Ann Cusack, Marie Brodbeck, Dale Williams & the late Leonard Williams, brother of Iva Reed, Edith Bippley, Bernice Bulling & the late Myrtle Childs, Mildred Ingall & Claude Williams, son of Leon Williams & Mabel Cook Williams, daughter of Emily & Charles P. Cook, son of Ursula & Pierce G. Cook, who commenced farming at W ½ SE ¼ Sec. 19 Sebewa, Musgrove Hwy., in 1853. He farmed at NE ¼ Sec. 25 Odessa, Musgrove Hwy., was Odessa Township Supervisor and Ionia County Drain Commissioner.

HOWARD E. MEYERS, 71, husband of Leona Ward Meyers, father of Sandra Kenyon, Jill Barner, Martha Lane, Howard A. Meyers & the late Patricia Meyers, brother of Harold & Wesley Meyers, Elinor Allen & Lydia Shipman & Albert W. Meyers, son of Amey & Rev. Daniel Meyers. He farmed at W1/2 NW1/4 & W1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 23 Sebewa, Sunfield Hwy., drove Greyhound buses, semis & straight trucks.

WELLMAN ROY (BILL) DARLING, JR., 43, husband of Sandy K. Todd Darling, father of Nikki, Brett, Eric & Josh Darling, Cheryl Baird & Regina Kroskie, brother of Charles & Benjamin Darling, Barbara Todd & Susan Meyers, son of Barbara J. Newlin & Wellman Darling, son of Bernice Hale & LeRoy Darling. He lived at Lowell.

HEDVIG A. ELDRIDGE, 80, widow of Lewis Eldridge, mother of Lyle, Gordon & Carroll Eldridge, Roseleen Tice & Ruth Stair, sister of Helga Wester, Gladys Metternick, Vivian Hoffman & Arthur Anderson, daughter of Lydia & John Anderson. They farmed near Mulliken and she worked at Holly Carburetor & Keeler Brass.

GLADYS M. HILL, 93, widow of Charles J. (Jack) Hill, mother of Jack Hill, sister of Irma Saline, daughter of Ina Adams & Frank Linebaugh, son of Polly & William J. Linebaugh. They farmed and ran an orchard at SW ¼ Sec. 8 Danby, Emery Rd., and she played piano for silent movies, organ for Portland United Methodist Church for 43 years, and for Neller Funeral Home.

ELEANOR YORK, wife of Zack York, mother of Joel York & Sarah Schug. Born Eleanor Sarah Chase in Boyne City, Michigan, she taught high school & college, directed children’s theatre, was Director of national Children’s Theatre Conference.

MAPES UPDATE: Henry J. Mapes, Civil War Veteran who was mentioned in our last issue, operated a blacksmith shop on his 20 acre farm on Knoll Road at E1/2 NW1/4 SE1/4 Sec. 3 Sebewa until his death at age 43 in 1873. Byron Gibbs, his great-grandson, things he may also have owned 10 acres running east of this along Knoll Rd., but the old plat books do not record this. Incidentally, Byron is not a Reverend, and chooses not to be called Jr., since Byron Gibbs Sr. was his grandfather and is long gone. Byron Sr. owned the 40 acres at E1/4 SW 1/4 Sec. 2 Sebewa, owned by Louis Bower in recent years. He also owned approximately 8 acres surrounding the Travis School and Christian Reformed Church, which passed to his son, Albert Bruce Gibbs and was sold in recent years by Byron Jr.

FENDER UPDATE: Ellen Fender, who married Anslem G. Dodds, was the divorced wife of Van Fender, mother of Melvin & Lewis. She was also an aunt to Effa Creighton, sister of Elfa’s mother.

BALDWIN UPDATE: Zella Saxton Hazzard Beckhold & Jim Valentine are in the news. Zella celebrates her 100th birthday October 2 at Tendercare Home in Hastings. Jim is a police officer in Lowell and recently resigned from the Lake Odessa Village Council. Zella is daughter of Mary Baldwin Saxton Leak, daughter of George Baldwin, who settled on E1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 20 Sebewa, Musgrove Hwy., right after the Civil War and before Ed Demaray, where Wm. Nurenbergs live now. Jim’s grandmother Valentine was a sister to Zella.

MIKE SMITH UPDATE: Mike Smith has continued his canoeing adventures this summer. He entered the Finlandia Clean Water Challenge, a 1,000 mile canoe race from Chicago to New York City. His biggest problem was battling the blisters he developed on his hands from switching to the double-bladed paddle used with kayaks. He also lost time when he got caught in the surf on Lake Michigan, flipped over, and had to bail out in order to breathe. They portaged from Lake Erie to Hamilton, Ontario, where they spent several days competing in sprint competitions on Lake Ontario. They had to portage 24 locks on the Erie Canal, between Buffalo on Lake Erie and Albany on the Hudson River. The race ended at the Statue of Liberty, with Mike coming in seventh against Olympic gold medalist Michael Harbold in first place.

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND by Grayden Slowins
Friday, August 20, 1993, 6:10 PM, we flew out of Grand Rapids Airport on a DC-10, nine seats wide, Northwest Airlines Flight 107 to Minneapolis-Saint Paul, arriving 6:35 local time, flying time 1 hour 25 minutes………the Los Angeles-to-Sydney leg was all darkness and we did not sleep well, but watched four full-length movies back-to-back………Monday, August 23, our tour package begins with an all-day tour of Sydney……

At Mittagong we see our first sheep. Also Hereford, Charlais & Angus beef cattle; Holstein, Jersey & Guernsey dairy cattle. Most dairy are Holsteins and their milking parlors are pipe-framed double herring bone style, right outdoors with just a flat metal roof and cement floor. Soft maples here, with their leaves off. Morning tea & scones at Old Bank Café in Mittagong, an interesting Victorian building with elegant fireplaces. The next town is Bowral, which has an annual tulip festival and ships bulbs like Holland, MI.

First photo of new lambs. A little black one is just born. Road-signs: “Wombat Crossing”. Wombats, Koalas & Kangaroos are all marsupials, all eat eucalyptus leaves, and all are nocturnal feeders, so they are in real danger of being hit on the roads at night.
Red Durham & Belted Galloway cattle. An old cemetery out in the sheep pasture. All sheep are fenced in 40, 80, perhaps 100 acre pastures. Soil is less than one meter deep, clay or sand over sandstone. Dead “Roo” by the roadside. Merino rams penned in separate pasture. Suffolk ewes being loaded in semi for move to another pasture. Ryegrass irrigated with sewage lagoon liquid for winter pasture. Hay bales under roof.

Goulburn has more baby lambs in planted winter pastures, some are Dorsets. Miles & miles of lambs, thousands of them! Lake George is controlled by a dam & varies in size by seasons. So sheep fences extend far out into the shallow lake and sheep pasture to the water’s edge. Blacktop Merino sheep, black swans, black ducks, all in same field………we enter Canberra Territory.

Before entering the city we visit Gold Creek Farm. John & Bev run this sheep station. Sheep are raised strictly for the wool. They sell no lambs. No Australian lamb comes to U.S. Even wethers go to the tough pasture to raise wool, and then go to slaughter first if the pasture gets short. But everything goes to market as old sheep, at $22 per head in good times, for free these days, and they count themselves lucky not to shoot them.

Good breeding ewes sold for $60 in good times. But with the 1989 breakup of the Soviet Union and Tiannemen Square in China, they lost their two best customers for wool & wheat. So wheat farmers kept their ewes another breeding season – usually they sell at age 5 before the wool grade falls. So 150 million ewes jumped to 200 million & wool dropped from $18.50 to $4.80 AU per kilogram, grease weight, skirted. The usual 8% deduction for the support fund went to 25% and the floor dropped from $8.50 to $7.00 & still there was a glut.

So the government program was dropped completely. At $4.80 per kilo, or $2.18 per pound, and averaging 8# per ewe, they are grossing only about $17.50 AU per ewe!

……John shears in February and lambs in March & April, which is Fall there and off-season. He is a former wool grader and demonstrated grades, after shearing one for us. Grades are based on fineness & crimp & any stress breaks. Poor feed doesn’t stress, but going back on lush pasture does it. They feed oats in times of poor pasture to lessen the stress. They treat for stomach worms twice or more a year and if any tapeworms it gets them too. They have corriedales & crosses, including some Drysdales for carpet wool. They serve us a beefsteak & lamb-sausage barbecue lunch with all the trimmings. Also help us try our hand with a boomerang and let us pet kangaroos.

………Seventy percent of Australian sheep are Merinos and they call everything else a cross. We see Dorsets close to the road, lambs of all ages. Wheat fields 8 inches tall & recently top-dressed. Follow the Goulburn River with Pelicans, Spoonbill birds, and Mulberry trees that were planted when they tried silkworms. To Talbilk Winery, founded in 1860, the oldest in State of Victoria. Visit the wine cellars and have option to taste (and hopefully purchase) wines.

Really flat fields here along the Goulburn, with shallow ditches for irrigation. Border Leichester sheep with their white Roman noses. Arrive in Melbourne, Capital of Victoria, at Bryson Hotel. Walking tour of the Bourke Street Mall & Collins Arcade on our own at night, perfectly safe. (Nest issue we visit the Penguins)

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
DECEMBER 1993, Volume 29, Number 3.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAME:
KNEALE, WHITLOCK, FIRST, HARWOOD, REED, HEINTZELMAN, NASH, SLATER, GRIFFIN, LAPO, HORN, SHAY, ELDRIDGE, JENSON, ROLLS, BRINK, MIDDAUGH, TUSING, NOTT, FOREMAN, MACKEY, GOODENOUGH, HOUSERMAN, SPITZLEY, FOX, ARENS, SIMON, KLOECKNER, GIERMAN, JOYNT, GREEN, WALSH, SAYER, SLOWINSKI

RECENT DEATHS:
HOWARD J. KNEALE, 89, husband of Geneva Whitlock Kneale, father of LaVerne, Lyle & Gary, brother of late Riley Kneale & Mrs. Glenn First, son of William H. Kneale & Iva Harwood. He farmed at W1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 18 Sebewa on Henderson Road, and favored Herford cattle, as did his cousins, Harold Harwood and Walter Reed, who mother was Clara Harwood.

HOWARD A. HEINTZELMAN, 82, husband of Nancy Rosanna Nash & Helen, brother of Robert Heintzleman & Olive Slater, son of Grace & Harry Heintzleman, son of William E. Heintzleman, who settled in SW1/4 SE1/4 & NE1/4 SW1/4 Sec. 17 Sebewa on Bippley Road before 1891. He was a tool & die maker, Presbyterian, buried at Balcom Cemetery.

IVAH M. GRIFFIN, 100, widow of Dale Griffin, mother of Mark Griffin, sister of late Roy Lapo, daughter of Emma Horn & Ora Lapo, son of Reuben Lapo. Reuben Lapo settled in NE1/4 Sec. 29 Sebewa before the Civil War, on what became the John Shay farm on Musgrove Hwy. Ora Lapo owned the east half in 1891, and John Griffin owned directly behind on Tupper Lake Road. Buried at Lakeside Cemetery.

GERALDINE E. ELDRIDGE, 70, wife of LaVern Eldridge, mother of Larry, Eddie, John & Joan, sister of Zoa Jenson and the late Eleanor Rolls, Irene Brink & Estia Middaugh, daughter of Rebecca Tusing & Alonzo Nott. The W. Nott family owned 80 acres at center of N1/2 Sec. 33 Sebewa on Tupper Lake Road in 1891 and after, but we are not sure of the connection. Geraldine’s parents lived on the Robert Musgrove farm, where Musgrove hits Jordan Lake Road. Geraldine & LaVern farmed there one year, and then joined his parents on the Behler farms, which they eventually bought and added to on Portland Road. Buried at Lakeside Cemetery.

JOYCE E. KNEALE, 60, wife of Lyle Kneale, mother of Kenneth Kneale & Kathleen Foreman, sister of Jean Mackey, daughter of Mary Goodenough & Karl Houserman. They farmed at E1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 8 & SE3/4 SE1/4 Sec. 5 Sebewa, on Clarksville Road and she drove Lakewood school bus. Buried in Saranac Cemetery.

LEO A. SPITZLEY, 94, widower of Theresa Fox Spitzley, father of Leo M., Robert S., Harold S., Philip J., Joan J., David E., Wilma I., Roy C., Jerome P, Alvin R., Alice I., brother of Michael J., Edwin, Hildegard, Pauline, Josephine, Laurine, Adelaide, son of Josephine Arens & Michael Kloeckner & Johann Jakob Spitzley, who emigrated from Prussia to Westphalia, MI, in 1846. He farmed on Ainsworth Road in Berlin Township and on Divine Hwy. in Portland Township.

ELMER R. GIERMAN, 93, widower of Muriel Joynt Gierman, father of Joanne Green, Karl & Michael Gierman, brother of the late Robert, George & Carl Gierman, Cora Walsh, Edna Sayer & Nettie Nash, son of Christina & Charles Gierman, son of Frederick Gierman, who settled at W3/4 NE1/4 Sec. 21 Sebewa on Bippley road, where Ilene Carr lives now, between 1875 and 1891. He was an appraiser & loan supervisor for Farmer’s Home Administration.

AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND – Continued by Grayden Slowins
Saturday, August 28, 1993, we leave Bryson Hotel in Melbourne for a trip thru the Blue Dandenong Mountains. We pass thru a suburban area.......After lunch across from Town Hall in downtown Melbourne, we re-board the bus for our trip to see the Penguins……then into flat open country with lush vegetable crops. We see a few Border Leicester sheep, but mostly beef & dairy cattle, because the land is so flat & wet there is a problem with hoof-rot in sheep……

The Penguins live in the ocean by day and come ashore every night of the year. For three weeks during molting they are not waterproof, so they stay ashore. They have oil glands that coat the feathers. These Fairy Penguins are the smallest variety in the world. They live in little burrows in the sand dunes, where they hatch two eggs and raise their young. Their main enemies are foxes, dogs, cats, and humans with flash cameras. The light blinds their delicate eyes, so a phot is forbidden by Park rules. They crouch and slowly, hesitantly, walk up the path past the tourists to their homes.

Thursday, September 2, we board the Airport Express Bus to catch Quantas Flight 43 to Auckland, New Zeeland……seated next to a forester, raised in Central Africa, who has lived in Rotorua, NZ, for 25 years. He says New Zealand lambs are grass-finished smaller than ours for sale to export. Local people eat hogget, a yearling, considered better tasting than lamb or aged ewe. New Zealand destroyed the Finnish Landrace breed, because they though it brought Scrapie, a disease which they aren’t sure even exists……

We leave Auckland Province and enter Waikato Province……Some farms have root crops (turnips) ready for the sheep to pasture in this season of short grass, and other vegetables are just starting to grow…we see large Holstein dairy herds. The driver says the small milk & cheese plants were all closed in 1965 and consolidated into a few large plants, losing a lot of local jobs. All power stations have been converted from coal to gas, or use water power. We follow the Waikato River a while. Beautiful Calla Lilies are growing wild. White geese are pasturing with the sheep. Several ewes have twins. The land is rolling green hill pastures, with Barberry hedge fences neatly trimmed flat at 48 inches high, with metal gates……Golf courses have electric fences to keep sheep off, but some are pasturing anyway. A black Suffolk-cross ewe has a nice whit Cheviot lamb. The dairy cow is the symbol of Waikato Province and in Hamilton, a city of 120,000 we see a large dairy processing plant with a statue of a cow out front. There are 980,000 cows in the province, average farm has 240 acres and 250 cows. Land is worth $8000NZ per acre. We see one of few fields of corn stuble. Corn is used for silage. Also some grass silage in plastic tubes. No upright silos, few trench silos, no storage for dry shelled corn. What little silage and hay is grown is fed to cattle, not sheep. All farm subsidies were ended overnight two years ago, when European Common Market did the same……. Border Leicester sheep, some lambs two months old, and some new-born. Deer farms are common here for export trade. Freshly plowed ground ready for spring crops……we see a brand new New Holland square baler in a dealership, along with assorted small tools. No big tractors, tillage tools, corn planters, or combines in New Zealand……To the Agrodome for a demonstration of all the breeds of sheep, a bit about each one’s history and strong points, and some demonstrations of shearing, est. Breeds shown included Texel, Lincoln, Perendale, Cheviot, Romney, Merino, Corriedale, Border Leicester, English Leicester, Coopworth, Polled Dorset, Black Romney, South Suffolk, Suffolk, Drysdale, Dorset Horn, Hampshire, Southdown, Dorset Down. Merino has long fine wool which is in demand for clothing, and is favorite for Australian sparse pastures. Corriedale is a Merino cross with Lincoln or English Leicester ram, and is used on drier hills & plains on New Zealand’s South Island. Romney has coarse carpet wool and is favorite in New Zealand, although Drysdale is very best for this. Coopworth, which is Romney crossed with Border Leicester, and Perendale, which is Romney crossed with Cheviot, are for similar use. South Suffolk, Black Romney & Dorset Down are for black-wool spinners as well as meat. Dorset Horn is oldest breed known to man. Dutch Texel & Polled Dorset are nicest for meat lambs. Southdown is smaller and also for same purpose. Suffolk & Hampshire are for the same purpose but larger.

Sheep are crutched before lambing or shearing, so a good shearer can shear 250-300 in a 9-hour day and a top person can do 400. The record is 664. Some women are in the top contests today too. This man sheared a Romney for us. Carpet wool is worth $2.50 NZ/kilo or $1.15 NZ/pound. The sheep yield 5 kilo or 10 pounds per year. Back outside, the shepherd demonstrated herding with dogs. There are noisy dogs & quiet dogs. Noisy dogs are sent out to round up the sheep out of the hill pastures. Then the noisy dog is sent to sit on the truck. The quiet dog herds, cuts, divides, and pens the sheep without barking or snapping at them. He just crouches here, crouches there, and stares them into going where he wishes. If necessary he can run over their backs to start the lead animal……New Zealanders value their dogs for the work they do, but never forget it is sheep & not dogs that feed & clothe the world.

Their ewes are Romneys as are some rams. Some ewes are bred to Suffolk rams as “terminal sires”, meaning all lambs go for meat, none kept for replacement ewes. They have also used Dorsets for this purpose. They get 2000 live lambs yearly, of which about 1400 are marketed and 600 are kept as hoggets (yearlings). They still sell by the head, as we did 100 years ago. They get $38.50 NZ per head for lambs. Converted to American dollars, that is $22.00 US/head. They apparently pay more Income Tax, Health Care Tax & Social Security Tax than we do, but little or no Property Tax. They have little farm machinery investment; just a small tractor with loader bucket, a bush-hog, a disc plow, a whirl-wind seeder, some sorting gates but no barn, a pickup truck & a car. Their biggest expense would appear to be interest & principal on their mortgage……

Lynn Hughes is a farm girl who attended a ten-student rural school, and a Boarding High School & College for kids from outlying farms. Julian did not grow up on the farm, and while they appear to be well-educated, it is not specified what they worked at to earn a grub-stake for farming. They are about 39-40 years old and must have done something profitable before they started a farm & family.

Lynn is a remarkable shepherd, who can drench (worm) or palpate udders on 2000 ewes in 3 days with a child strapped to her back and has done it with one in front too (when pregnant). Palpating means to feel, for lumps or lack of filling udder. Those with problems are sorted out just before lambing. The rest are divided into flocks of 30-150 to fit the size of pasture they will lamb in. Flocks are checked daily with pickup truck and assistance given where necessary. All ewes have ear tags, but records are just on whether lambed, not production & growth rates as we do……

We pass Huka Falls on the Wairakai River and see beautiful glacier-blue Lake Taupo, a 740 ft. deep volcano crater, and largest lane in Austro-asia. Now we see sheep again and these resemble Border Leicesters but are what they call Cheviots, what we call North Country Cheviots because they are as large as any breed.
(To be continued)

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
FEBRUARY 1994, Volume 29, Number 4.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
SANDBORN, BANDFIELD, MILES, VROMAN, VERLINDE, KIRKHAM, ERDMAN, CASSEL, MULHOLLAND, MILLER, KOON, WILDEBOOR, PETERS, SLOWINS

RECENT DEATHS:

MERIDITH SANDBORN, 82, widow of Allen Sr, mother of Allen Jr, Patricia, Bruce, Robert & James, sister of Vivian COE, Marian CROEL & Richard MILES, daughter of Myrtle BANDFIELD & Charles MILES. They farmed numerous places, including the LINDSLEY-RISCHOW farm, Charles BROOKS farm, west half William CARBAUGH farm, Charles CORTNEY-Larry BOWER farm, a farm east of Clarksville, and a farm with brick house on M-43 near Mulliken. Then he went to work at Ionia prisons and she served as Easton Township Clerk for about 30 years. Buried in Easton Cemetery.

MAURICE H. VROMAN, 90, widower of Zelma VERLINDE, husband of Jean KIRKHAM, father of Leo, Albert, Rosamond BALL, George, son of Metchie & Henry VROMAN. See Volume 29, No. 1, August 1993, for more on VROMAN family. Buried in Portland Cemetery.

GARY LEE ERDMAN, 42, former husband of Jackie Cassel ERDMAN MULHOLLAND, father of Kylie & Amy ERDMAN, brother of Jody CASSEL, Molly CASSEL, Diane ANTHONY, Gordon PETRIE, John PETRIE, Bill ERDMAN & Richard ERDMAN, son of Ruth MILLER & Fred Hugh ERDMAN. Buried in East Sebewa Cemetery.

ERDMAN FAMILY GENEALOGY:

The ERDMAN story begins with Sophie & Christian FREDERICK ERDMAN in Posen, East Prussia. Their two sons were C. William ERDMAN & Michael F. ERDMAN. C. William ERDMAN (EARTHMAN) was born in Posen in 1849, married Lottie KOON, and they came to E1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 19 Danby on Musgrove Hwy. at northwest corner of ERDMAN Road sometime after 1875. Ruth still owns that land today.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Frederick W.
2. John
3. William Jr.
4. Mary
5. Clara

FREDERICK W. ERDMAN married Mary WILDEBOOR.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Agnes
2. Lottie
3. Grace
Agnes was a teacher at Sebewa High School. She & Lottie never married. Grace married Farrel DEATSMAN. Fred W. & Mary lived at W1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 30 Danby, on the south side of Mussgrove Hwy., which became the Russell HALLADAY farm and is now part of Weldon BROWN farm. Grace and Farrel followed them on this farm.

MICHAEL F. ERDMAN (EARTHMAN) came to Sebewa about 1870 and settled on what was later known as the William PETRIE farm at E1/2 NE1/4 Sec. 26. He tilled the soil for his first crop of wheat with a shovel and would have gone barefoot to cut it with a cradle scythe if neighbors hadn’t warned him of rattlesnakes. He built the house that still stands on the Petrie farm, and barn that was taken down just a couple years ago. His wife was Hanna Peters.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Charles ERDMAN – married Viola Mary BLOOD.
2. Sharlotta (Lottie) ERDMAN – married Peter KNAPP.
3. Minnie ERDMAN – married Jacob LUSCHER Jr.
4. Augusta ERDMAN – married her cousin John ERDMAN.
5. John Frederick ERDMAN – married Ada BROWN.
6. Mary ERDMAN – married Melvin PALMER.
7. Rose ERDMAN – married Fred BROWN.
8. Frank Peter ERDMAN – married Florence BORTON, Elizabeth COE & Gertrude DORAN.
9. Lena Mae ERDMAN – married Hayden MARTINDALE.
10. George ERDMAN – married Millie.

MINNIE ERDMAN & JACOB LUSCHER JR. had children:
1. Alma LUSCHER – married Lawrence (Lon) SANDBORN.
2. Nora LUSCHER – married Harry TUSSING.
3. Emma LUSCHER – married Norman GIBBS Jr.
4. Edna LUSCHER – married Bert McNeil, J. Peter LICH, Rob WENGER.
5. Ada LUSCHER – married Johnson & went to Utah with Mormons.
6. Homer LUSCHER – died age 21 unmarried.
7. Walter LUSCHER – died as infant.
8. John LUSCHER – died age 28 unmarried.

AUGUSTA & WILLIAM ERDMAN JR. WERE PARENTS OF:
1. Clarence
2. Charles
3. Wilfred
They also went west to Utah with the Mormons.

ROSE & FRED BROWN lived at W1/2 SE1/4 Sec. 19 Danby, where Howard SANDBORN lives today.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Harry
2. Bert
3. Ted
4. Inez
5. Walter
6. Ruth

GEORGE & MILLIE ERDMAN lived on south side of Musgrove at W1/2 NW1/4 Sec. 29 Danby, now part of Weldon BROWN farm also, buildings gone now. Later they lived on Ionia Road in Portland Township, just west of Maurice VROMAN.
THEIR DAUGHTER:
1. Mae LaBARGE

MAE’S DAUGHTER:
1. Jean – married Lawrence PEABODY.

FRANK PETER ERDMAN & FLORENCE lived on north east corner of ERDMAN Road & Musgrove Hwy. at S3/4 W1/2 W1/2 Sec. 20 Danby.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Flora ERDMAN – married James DILLEY & still living past 90.
2. Fred ERDMAN – died young.
3. Floyd Erdman – married Lillian GETTINGS, Ethel LOVE & Cecil GOODEMOOT.

FLOYD ERDMAN’S CHILD WITH LILLIAN WAS:
1. Donald

FLOYD ERDMAN’S CHILDREN WITH CECIL WERE:
1. Charlene
2. Mildred
3. Donna
4. Florence
5. Frederick Hugh
They lived on the C. William ERDMAN farm on west side of road. Frederick HUGH followed on same farm

FREDERICK HUGH ERDMAN’S SON WAS:
1. Gary.

NEW ZEALAND conclusion by Grayden Slowins:

Fly-fishermen are trying for trout on a stream entering Lake Taupo. Brown & rainbow trout were imported from California in 1884. Radial pine & Australian Blue Gum trees, which were used to manufacture photo-copy paper. Lots of brand-new lambs, not licked off yet, on flats by the lake. In the distance it is snowing in the Kaimanawa mountains and a sign says “Desert Road Closed”. We will take the windy road instead. We see some very pregnant Romneys. Freshly worked ground for potatoes and freshly dug carrots. English Leicester sheep with long stringy wool over their eyes like a Lincoln, not clean face & Roman nose like a Border Leicester. Ohakune has a carrot statue to its main product here on the mountain plateau. We drive thru sleet at 3600 ft above sea level, and see a 2500 acre sheep farm in Rengitiki Province.

To Nelson for the night. Nelson is named for Lord Nelson, a navigator; Lord Rutherford, splitter of the atom & inventor of fluorescent light was born here. Sawmills here for shipping squared logs to Japan. Also meat processing plant. We see Kiwi-fruit, developed by hybridizing Chinese Gooseberry. Fruit is high in vitamin C, skins are fed to cattle & sheep in winter. An Allis-Chalmers WD tractor. First trench silo we have seen, no upright silos.

Wednesday, September 8, sheep on the flats, sheep on the hills, sheep everywhere, a shepherd’s dream tour! Daffodils grow wild in the sheep pastures. Hope river valley contains Little Hope, Big Hope, Some Hope & No Hope Rivers……Too wet for sheep along the west coast of South Island, so dairy & deer & water buffalo……

We do see lots of Jersey & Ayrshire dairy cattle, and outdoor milking parlor on the flats by Tasman Sea……The area is subtropical forest due to the rains, yet not humid. It rains a little every day, so they can’t make hay, but some silage in plastic bags for cattle, never for sheep.

We head inland up the Haast River Valley to the plateau……Here they have imported Merino sheep from Australia to live on the dry hill pastures. This time of the year they are down in the valley along Lake Wanaka to have their lambs. We travel for miles & miles along beautiful Lake Wanaka. Apricot blossoms, peach, pear, nectarine orchards & grape vineyards. Little lambs blossoming everywhere. Some ewes are getting hay. At Roaring Meg Power Station we cross the 45th Parallel South, equivalent to Gaylord, MI, in northern latitudes……

At dusk we ride on cruise ship Earnslaw across the lake past mountain range called The Remarkables, to Walter Peak Sheep Station. Walter Peak is a mountain, not a man. The sheep station, formerly owned by the McKenzie family, has 64,000 acres and 28,000 sheep. Marinos are raised on the mountains for their fine wool. Corriedales are raised on the flatlands for nice lambs. After dinner at the sheep station, we enjoy a nighttime cruise back to Queenstown and a walk on the docks back to our luxurious hotel.

Sunday, September 12, out of town past small town called Frankton on a peninsula, where a few lambs are just born this morning. This is Southland Province and the English Down breeds such as Dorset & Suffolk are common here. Shepherds are out with their pickups checking on lambing. Elk farms. Kingston is settled by Irish miners……Athol is a town settled by Scottish shepherds, like Athol McNeil of Sebewa, I suspect.

These sheep have many more twins than the breeds raised in other parts of the country and shepherds check them carefully. They can be walked up to when freshly lambed. Problem cases can be located & taken to a shed. It appears to be the first day of lambing season. Good grass pasture & turnips. Very flat & fertile land. More hay & tool sheds here. Some lambs all black, some with black feet & head. Intensive care here, not on-their-own like range sheep. Mossburn is another town settled by Scottish shepherds. Then we see some Tussock grass which grows as a weed and must be closely grazed & clipped, because plowing or burning will not destroy it. In 1904 President Theodore Roosevelt gave deer to New Zealand and today there are 2700 deer farms for meat & hides……

New Zealand has correspondence courses in agriculture thru the Ag College at Hamilton in North Island. Students have a ten-year apprenticeship with annual three-week study on campus. After passing the exams and acquiring $80,000, 200 sheep or 100 cattle & necessary machinery, their name goes in a lottery to purchase 1000 acres sheep land or 200 acres dairy at reduced prices. The large government-owned sheep stations are being split up to do this……

We pass Blackmouth forest……cross Waiau River to Tautapere. Sheep are pasturing turnips. A shepherd is helping twin lambs in process of birthing. The pasture fields are smaller here on the flatlands, 20-40 acres in size, with larger fields on the hills behind for summer pasture. Large ducks are Paradise Ducks, and the white-headed one is the male. At Tautapere the town lots of one or two acres have a few sheep pasturing among the daffodils. Town had largest sausage factory in New Zealand. Also a sawmill with lumber banded on shipping skids.

We pass by Foveaux Strait……….Invercargill is the sixth-largest city in New Zealand and southernmost in United Kingdom……Bluff Harbor is famous for Bluff oysters……Mataura has a paper recycling mill……Mosgiel has a woolen mill and a Ferguson tractor dealership……Pacific Ocean……Dunedin……Palmerston……Waitaki dam & power station……Cook Strait………we see sheep mowing in the cemetery and a gren Deutz-Allis farm tractor……Merino sheep again create a traffic jam……Tekapo River Valley……The flat sheep pastures suddenly change to “a little bit rolling!” Then flat again as we enter Geraldine, formerly called Fitzgerald. They raised flax for linen here until end of WWII, now garden crops, grain & sheep. We bought a Swiss Army Knife made by our cousins, the Wengers, of Delemont, Switzerland, Confederation of Helvetica. We also purchased one in Wengen, Switzerland in 1989.

We are crossing the Canterbury Plains, famous for Canterbury Lambs. The land is flat & irrigated and the lambs have spotted faces, indicating they are crossbred with meat sires. Farmers are preparing to plant the rich soil to spring wheat, barley & oats…….

New Zealand’s two islands have about the same land area as Michigan’s two peninsulas, a total length over 1000 miles (Michigan’s is 600), 3 million population (Michigan’s is 9 million), and 60 million sheep!

We leave Christchurch on Quantas Flight 46 at 6:00 PM, Wednesday, September 15, arriving back in Sydney at 7:15 PM……
We depart from Los Angeles on Northwest Flight 338, a DC-10……arrive in Detroit,,,,,Actual flying time on return trip is 17 hours 45 minutes compared to 20 hours 55 minutes going over. Only a handful of people on this milk run and we can follow our path all the way, mostly along I-96. We spot U of M stadium & Ann Arbor, Lansing, Eagle, Bruce WALKINGTON’S big dairy barn & blue silos, and then quickly looking back we see our Sebewa Sheep Farm!

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
APRIL 1994, Volume 29, Number 5.
Submitted with written permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES:
HOLTON, KENYON, VELCHECK, HOWLAND, PROUDFOOT, BARBER, MEYERS, MILLER, THRAMS, JONES, KNEALE, HOUSERMAN, WHITLOCK, HARWOOD, HEINTZELMAN, LEIK, LEAK, HICKEY, APSEY, TRASK, YAGER, MOUNT, OKEMOS, CONKRITE, INGALLS, PRYER

RECENT DEATHS:

MELVIN C. HOLTON, 94, husband of Ina L. Barnum HOLTON, father of Richard, Neil, Melvin & Lynn HOLTON, Joan HURLBURT, Joyce ENGLAND, Christine VanDEVENTER & Eleanor BAILIFF. He was a tractor mechanic in Sunfield and a farmer in Sebewa, SE1/4 Sec. 34 on Eaton Hwy. Buried in Sunfield Cemetery.

NORMAN E. KENYON, 78, husband of Rachel, father of Lynda & Lisa, brother of Katherine Hobner Kaumeyer Velcheck, son of Edna Howland & Raymond Kenyon. Edna was daughter of William Howland. Raymond was son of Henry KENYON, who emigrated from Holland. Norman was a journalist with Portland Review, Ionia Sentinel, Pontiac Daily Press, Detroit Free Press and Michigan Consolidated Gas Co. Retired to St. Petersburg, FL. Buried in Portland Cemetery.

RUTH AGNES PROUDFOOT, 99, widow of Samuel, mother of Gerald, Ronald, Mary & Lois (GEEGH), sister of Amey (Mrs. Fred RUSSMAN Sr.), daughter of Truman H. BARBER & Mary Alice MEYERS BARBER, daughter of Rev. Daniel & Amey MILLER MEYERS of Sebewa. Born in Saranac, moved with her parents to north edge of Lake Odessa at age 2, after eighth grade she worked as housekeeper, dressmaker, telephone operator, chair canner at Reed Furniture. Lived in Ionia, Grand Rapids, Lowell, Kalamazoo, Lakeland, FL. Buried Kalamazoo.

WAYNE C. THRAMS, 83, husband of Zella, brother of Eloise JONES & late Clifton THRAMS, son of Carl & Ida THRAMS. Retired meat cutter and farmer in Sec. 25 & 36 Sebewa on Tupper Lake Rd. Ashes to be buried in East Sebewa Cemetery.

LYLE W. KNEALE, 61, widower of Joyce HOUSERMAN KNEALE, father of Kathleen FORMAN & Kenneth, brother of LaVerne & Gerald, son of Geneva WHITLOCK & Howard KNEALE, son of Iva HARWOOD & William H. KNEALE. Farmed in Sebewa all his life. Buried at Saranac.

FRED APSEY, 62, husband of Vanola May EASTMAN APSEY, father of Sandy VEITH, Tammy MOREHOUSE, Gary & Allen, brother of Margaret WILLETT, Vivian LEIK, Beatrice MOSHER & Helen, son of Frederick & Velma APSEY. He worked at Diamond Reo & Spartan Motors and farmed all his life. Buried in Sunfield Cemetery.

MERLE W. TRASK, 81, husband of Bernice YAGER TRASK, father of Tish WONDERGEM, Edward & Larry, brother of Edward, son of Guy & Kittie MOUNT TRASK. He ran the Sunfield Fix-It-Shop Garage and was a member of the Sunfield Fire Department. Buried at Lakeside Cemetery.

SAVE SHIMNECON! By Grayden Slowins:

Attention! Emergency Alert! The Chief OKEMOS Council of Boy Scouts of America proposes to log-off and then sell their twenty-acre portion of Meshimneconning in Danby Township just east of Sebewa for private development! Shimnecon is a site of historic and pre-historic importance perhaps equal to Manassas and Gettysburg Battlefields, or at least Little Big Horn Battlefield!

Shimnecon is a Native American campsite and was last occupied by them about 1830-1860. It was the home of the Shiawassee Band of Ottawa, Chippewa (Ojibwa) & Potawatomi Indians, all a part of the Algonquian Nation. Their leader was Chief OKEMOS. Born an Ottawa in Shiawassee County, he was a scout for the British in the War of 1812, at the age of 64. They followed the seasons for fish, game, fruit & syrup; to DeWitt on the Lookingglass River, to the village named after him on the Red Cedar River, and to the ancient campsite and burial ground at Shimnecon in the oxbow of the Grand, during a time of frequent smallpox epidemics. In the spring of 1839, 600 people lived there among their apple trees and small farm plots. By the fall of 1841, they were reduced to 150 people and the dead were buried at random throughout their fields. Chief OKEMOS himself died in 1858 at age 110, was buried by Hall J. and Charles M. Ingalls, and is the only one with a monument, placed by the D. A. R.

Shimnecon consisted of almost 200 acres when the white man came. The whites built a mission church & school to convert & teach the Indians, with only mixed success. Later the Indian school was used as Danby Town Hall and services continued to be held in the old Methodist Church. Charles W. INGALLS came with the first colony of settlers to Sebewa & Danby in 1838, and his sons Hall J. INGALLS & Charles M. INGALLS played with the Indians as children. Charles M. INGALLS was given an Indian name which was approx. “Bou’edi”. Their grandfather, Jonathan INGALLS, soldier of the Revolution, 1762-1843, also came and died here as our only Revolutionary Veteran.

CHARLES W. INGALLS later lived at Ionia for several years, served in the State Legislature from Ionia County in 1853, and platted INGALLS addition to the village of Ionia. He died in Harbor Springs in 1889 at age 76.

SHIMNECON was farmed by Charles M. INGALLS well into the 1930s, and now belongs to the Carl SMITH family. Another portion was purchased by Samuel WAINWRIGHT and passed to his sons Joseph & James. Some of this was later owned & farmed by the ANTHONY family. Twenty acres of the WAINWRIGHT farm was purchased by Charles GILDEN Jr. about 1930 and given to the Lansing Optimists Club. They gave it to the Boy Scouts and this is the part with the Chief Okemos monument. All the rest of the land is part of the State Game Area, including the former river ford to Musgrove Highway & Sebewa.

Fern CONKRITE was born a stone’s throw from Shimnecon on MORRIS Road on March 3, 1895, daughter of Charles CONKRITE & Emma WAINWRIGHT. Samuel WAINWRIGHT was her grandfather. Let’s all help her celebrate her 100th Birthday in 1995 by saving Shimnecon.

DANBY TOWNSHIP INDIAN SETTLEMENTS From THE HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES by J. S. SCHENCK 1881:

“When the whites began to settle in Danby, they found on the south riverbank in Sec. 22 an Indian village of considerable pretensions as to size and fashion, peopled by perhaps 150 Ottawa and Chippewas. Their village was known variously as Mishiminecon, Chiminecon, or Peshimnecon, but meaning, according to English interpretation, “sour apple tree” or “apple orchard”.

These Indians seemed to have chosen the place as a permanent habitation, or at all events as a locality where they remained steadily for some months each year. They raised corn and were particularly busy in the spring at sugar-making time. Getting drunk and indulging in wild tom-tom dances seemed to be their chief delight, and they found it no trouble to procure whiskey from the Indian traders.

As the ceremonies progressed, their white neighbors used to get a little nervous for fear the drunken orgies might result in a desire for a quarrel with the settlers. Happily, the savages confined their demonstrations to the limits of their village, and at no time manifested an inclination to harm their pale-faced neighbors. There was a graveyard at the village and until a few years ago traces of the burial-places could be seen, but no sign marked the spot.

About 1846 Manasseh HICKEY, a Methodist missionary, ventured among them in the hope that he might do something towards converting them to Christianity. At the time of his coming, the savages were passing through one of the periodical drunken carousals, and were at first inclined to resent his appearance with violence. Seeing that it would not be good policy to press himself upon them at this time, Hickey retired, leaving his interpreters with them. The interpreters so mollified the Indians that they consented to have Hickey preach to them, and he delivered, through his interpreters, a sermon that pleased his dusky auditors so well they besought him to come again.

Thus the missionary work among the Indians was begun with a promis of encouragement. John COMPTON, a lay-preacher living in Sec. 33, took a hand also in the work and assisted Hickey in preaching, while the interpreters, Mary and Joseph, inaugurated school-teaching among them. Not a few had been converted either by Hickey or at a camp-meeting at Charlotte, to which quite a number had repaired in 1846 or 1847.

They therefore empowered Hickey to buy land for them, and he made at once a purchase of Mr. FITCH of Portland, of 108 (180?) acres in the bend of the river in Sec. 21, the property now known as the Ingalls farm. The land was laid out into twenty lots and the Indians applied themselves forthwith to the business of making clearings, building log houses, and tilling the soil. The village took on the name of Mishiminecon, in remembrance of the old village on Sec. 22. As time passed the savages gravitated slowly into a civilized existence, dressed and lived like white folks, and followed the pursuits of agriculture with considerable zeal and remarkable industry.

Shortly after locating them in their new village, HICKEY obtained some financial assistance from a benevolent lady in New York for the purpose of erecting a mission-house. For this house, John Compton selected the logs and hauled the first load of lumber, the sawing being done at the Sebewa mill. The house was divided into two parts, in one of which school and church services were held, while the other served as the residence of the teacher or missionary. The first school in this building was taught by John Compton, who also was their preacher from time to time and eventually came to be regarded as their spiritual leader.
COMPTON taught them in early spring, and although he had to cross the river each day to teach, even once when the river was full of running ice, he was so faithful in his attendance that the Indians bestowed upon him the name TE-CUM-A-GAW-SHEE, meaning “wades through the river”. After a while Manasseh Hickey being called to new fields of labor, he was succeeded as a missionary by Rev. Mr. White, who during his residence there lived in the mission-house. While there his wife died, and he married a young lady who was engaged as Indian teacher.

Presently there was more demand for church and school room, and so a new school-building and church-edifice were erected. Rev. Mr. SHAW preached the dedicatory sermon in the new church, and of that circumstance it is related that, in the glow of enthusiasm, he made too wide a swing with his left arm and knocked one of the pulpit lamps from its place to the floor. Preaching was, of course, delivered through an interpreter, and the interpreter on the occasion in question is said to have so closely followed the minister, both in tome and gesture, that his reproduction was wonderfully faithful and needed but the knocking off by him of the right-hand lamp to have rounded the picture to perfection. The old church-building still stands, and until within the last year or so has been used as a Town Hall.

The Indians remained in Mishiminecon and prospered until about 1856, when, under act of Congress, they were removed, along with other bands, to the reservations of Northern Michigan. Beyond the presence of the old church, there is only an old burial-ground to bear testimony of the existence in the town years ago of the little community of Methodist Indians.

OKEMOS THE WARRIOR From a paper read to THE MICHIGAN PIONEER SOCIETY, by O. A. JENISON - 1879:

I present you with an ambrotype likeness of the old Indian Chief OKEMOS. In doing which, I wish to say that I know it to be genuine; it is not a copy, neither does it come to you second-handed. Okemos sat for this very picture to my certain knowledge, in 1857, and it has never been out of my possession from that date to this.

Within the last year, since having concluded to present you with this likeness, I have thought it not inappropriate to compile and rewrite a few incidents in his life, in the undertaking of which I was not unmindful of the fact that sketches of his life had already been written by much abler biographers than myself, and to them I am somewhat indebted for portions of the life and character of this noted Indian Chief; but the principal part of this biography I obtained from gentlemen who were personally acquainted with him, could speak his language, and who traded and bought furs of the tribe for many years.

I wish to say right here, that in writing up the biography of this man, I have carefully read his history as portrayed by Campbell in his POLITICAL HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, Tuttle’s HISTORY OF MICHIGAN, F. J. LITTLEJOHN’S LEGENDS OF MICHIGAN AND THE OLD NORTHWEST, together with many newspaper accounts of his heroism and bravery.

The date of the birth of OKEMOS is shrouded in mystery, but our research discloses the fact that he was born at or near Knaggs Station on the Shiawassee River, where the Port Huron & Lansing Railroad now crosses said river. OKEMOS, at the time of his death, was said to be a centenarian, but a century contains a number of years that but a few out of the many are permitted to see. In a sketch of his life given in the Lansing Republican under date of April 6, 1871, is said he probably took to the war path in 1791; this is the earliest account I find of him in any written history. Judge LITTLEJOHN, in his LEGENDS, introduces him to the reader in 1803, and expressly says “In our data, local delineations, and topographical outlines, the reader may trust to our general accuracy”!

The Battle of Sandusky, in which OKEMOS took such an active part, was the great event of his life, and this it was that gave him his chieftainship and caused him to be revered by his tribe. For a detailed description of that memorable and bloody fight, I am indebted to B. O. WILLIAMS, Esq., of Owosso, who for many years was an Indian trader, spoke the Indian language, and received the story direct from the lips of the old Chief.

In relating the story OKEMOS says “Myself and cousin Man-ato-corb-way with sixteen other braves enlisted under the British flag, formed a scouting or war party, and leaving the upper Raisin (River) made our rendezvous at Sandusky, where one morning while lying in ambush near a road lately cut for the passage of the American army and supply wagons, we observed twenty cavalrymen approaching us.

We immediately decided to attack the Americans although outnumbered, concluding we could effectively cripple them at the first fire, which followed by a dash with the tomahawk would accomplish our design. Accordingly we waited until they had approached so near that we could count the buttons on their coats, when we commenced firing at close quarters”.

The cavalrymen with drawn sabers immediately charged upon OKEMOS and his followers, and then commenced the bloodiest and most decisive battle in which OKEMOS ever engaged. In fact, from all that I can learn, it was his last battle.
OKEMOS says that he and his cousin fought side by side through this conflict, and their experience was about the same throughout the engagement; each one firing from two to three times while dodging fire of the Indians, the sound of the bugle was heard, and casting their eyes in the direction of the sound, they saw the road and woods filled with cavalry, in describing which OKEMOS says “The plumes on their hats looked like a flock of thousands of pigeons just hovering for a flight”. The small party of Indians was immediately surrounded and cut down to a man; not one escaped the sabers of this dashing charge, and all were left for dead on the field.

OKEMOS and his cousin each had his skull cloven and their body gashed in a fearful manner, and as a finale, in order to be sure that life was extinct upon leaving the field, the cavalrymen would lean forward from their horses and with their sabers pierce the chests of the Indians even into their lungs. Thus they were left prostrate upon their backs, entirely unconscious from the first heavy blows that crushed through their skulls. The last that Okemos remembered was after emptying one saddle and springing toward another with clubbed rifle raised in the act of striking, his head felt as if being pierced with a red hot iron, and he went down from a heavy saber cut. All knowledge ceased from this time until many moons afterward, when he found himself being nursed by squaws of their friends, who, with others, had found them some two or three days after the battle.

The squaws thought all were dead, but upon being moved, signs of life were discovered in Okemos and his cousin, who were at once taken on litters to a place of safety, and by careful and untiring nursing, finally restored to a partial health. The cousin always remained a cripple, his suffering having induced chronic rheumatism which distorted the joints of his hands and feet.

The iron constitution with which OKEMOS was endowed by nature, restored him to comparative health; but he never took an active part in another battle, this last one having satisfied him that “White man was a heap powerful”, and shortly afterward he solicited Colonel Godfrey to intercede with General Cass, and he, with other chiefs, executed a treaty with the Americans, faithfully adhered to the remainder of their days.

OKEMOS did not obtain his chieftainship by hereditary descent, but this honor was conferred upon him after having passed through the battle just described---for his bravery and endurance his tribe considered him a favorite of the Great Spirit who had preserved his life through such a terrible and trying ordeal. The next we hear of Okemos, he had settled with his tribe on the banks of the Shiawassee, near his place of birth, where for many years, up to 1837-38, he was engaged in the peaceful avocation of hunting, fishing, and trading with white men. About this time the smallpox broke out in his tribe, which together with the influx of white settlers, destroyed their hunting grounds and scattered the bands.

The plaintive, soft notes of wooing young hunters’ flute, made of red alder wood, and the sound of the tom-tom at council fires and village feasts was heard no more along the banks of our inland streams; for years before the tomahawk had been effectively buried, and upon the final breaking up and scattering of the bands, Okemos became a mendicant, and many a hearty meal has the old man received from the old settlers of Lansing with a grateful heart.

In his young days, I should think his greatest height never exceeded five feet four inches; he was lithe, wiry, active, intelligent, and possessed of undoubted bravery; he was not, however, an eloquent speaker, either in council or private conversation, always mumbling his words and speaking with some hesitation. Previous to the breaking up of his band in 1837-38, his usual dress consisted of a blanket coat with belt, steel pipe hatchet or tomahawk, and heavy long English hunting or scalping knife stuck in his belt in front with a very large bone handle prominent outside the sheath. His face painted with vermillion, on his cheeks and forehead and over his eyes, a shawl wound around his head turban fashion, together with the leggings usually worn by Indians, completed his outfit, which during his lifetime he never discarded.

None of his biographers have ever fixed the date of his birth, contenting themselves with the general conviction that he was 100 years old. In this I respectfully disagree with them for the following reasons: Physically endowed with a strong constitution, naturally brave and impetuous, and inured to the hardships of an Indian life, he took to the warpath early in life and our first notice of him is in 1791.

I reason from this that he was born about 1775, in which case he lived about 83 years; again the old settlers of Lansing well remember that up to the last of his life, his step was short, quick & elastic, to a degree seldom seen in men even of that age. He died at his wigwam a few miles from this city, and was buried December 6, 1858, at Shimnecon, Ionia County, his coffin rude in the extreme, and in it were placed a pipe, tobacco, hunting knife, birds’ wings, provisions, etc. He had surrendered his chieftainship a few years previous to his son, John, but he never forgot that he was OKEMOS, once chief of a powerful tribe of Chippewas, and nephew of Pontiac.

Please forward any ideas for saving Shimnecon to: NAN SIMONS, EDITOR, PORTLAND REVIEW & OBSERVER, 1138 EAST GRAND RIVER AVENUE, PORTLAND, MI 48875.

HEINTZELMAN UPDATE: The descendents of Harry HEINTZELMAN prefer this spelling, but some of Walter’s family use HEINTZLEMAN. The old Sebewa records show it both ways, as well as HINTZELMAN for William.

LEIK UPDATE:
HENRY LEIK and now his sons are owners of Sunfield Post Office, not George. Charles did not negotiate the Russian wheat deal in 1970s, Commodity Credit Corporation did that. The Export-Import Bank, for which he works, deals more in factories, industrial equipment, and other new businesses in struggling countries.

LEAK UPDATE:
WILSON LEAK, of Lansing, son of Merton G., son of John Francis, brings info on the Elijah Leak family. See August 1992 for Leak story.
ELIJAH & SARAH ANN LEAK’S CHILDREN WERE:
1. James LEAK, born 1849, died 1850.
2. John Francis LEAK, born 1851, died 1939, m. Elizabeth BELL.
3. Zereane LEAK, born 1853, died 1915, m. George COLLIER.
4. Eli LEAK, born 1856.
5. Herman LEAK, born 1859, died 1952 Flint, m. Lizette LATHROP.
6. Sarah Ann LEAK, born 1861, died 1938, m. James BRADEN.
7. Geraldo James LEAK, born 1863, married Mary DONALDSON.
8. Martha Jean LEAK, born 1866, died 1868.
9. Elvira Edith LEAK, born 1872, died 1934, m. Burley BRADEN.

PRYER UPDATES: FIFTH GENERATION:
Loyd’s family:
MARILEE ANN (not Irma) PRYER.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. David Loyd NAGEL.
2. Michael William NAGEL.

ALICE MAY PRYER, born May 2, 1935
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Lance Gerald LODES.
2. Randy LODES.

CLYDE PRYER, born January 3, 1904, died December 27, 1972, unmarried.

MERLIN WILLIAM PRYER, born December 25, 1904, died February 16, 1960, unmarried.

VERNON’S FAMILY: Vernon married Mary Jane PLUMER.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Patricia Ann PRYER.
2. Thomas Warren PRYER.
3. Ronald Plumer PRYER.
4. Terry Robert PRYER.

DONALD was born August 3, 1915, married Josephine WHITE. They lived in Copemish, MI. He died April 15, 1986.
THEIR FAMILY:
1. Shirley Pryer.

MAXINE PRYER, born September 4, 1921, married Robert FREITAG in 1941 and lived at Washington, DC.
THEIR CHILDREN WERE:
1. Nancy FREITAG.
2. Janet FREITAG.
3. Fred John FREITAG.
4. Paul Robert FREITAG.

THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association;
JUNE 1994, Volume 29, Number 6.
Submitted with permission of current Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: SLOWINSKI, SLOWINS, GREGIE, CREIGHTON, CAMPBELL, WOLCOTT, WEIPPERT, LEIK, OKEMOS, FRONSWAY, INGALLS

RECENT DEATHS:

FRANK H. SLOWINSKI, 78, husband of Barbara, father of William & Michael, brother of Frances, Florence, Donald, Marguerite, Herbert, Louise, Eugene, John, Clarence, & Wilson, son of Wilhelmina LEHMAN & Daniel SLOWINSKI, son of Mary GREGIE & Christopher SLOWINSKI, son of Anna SCHNABEL & Daniel SLOWINSKI, son of Casmer SLOWINSKI. Donald SLOWINS is the only surviving sibling. Frank worked 40 years as Superintendent of Michigan Prison Industries. He is remembered by older Sebewa residents for frequent attendance at West Sebewa dances when he was home on the farm.

ROMAN J. SLOWINSKI, 88, husband of Loretta, father of Marilyn RANSON & Roman Hugh (deceased), brother of George, Arthur, Gertrude, Krieger & Roman SLOWINSKI, son of Mary GREGIE & Christopher SLOWINSKI, son of Anna SCHNABEL & Daniel SLOWINSKI, son of Casmer SLOWINSKI. Josephine is the only surviving sibling. Roman was farm manager for over 30 years at Ionia State Hospital.

HAROLD CREIGHTON, 78, brother of Elmer CREIGHTON & Helen S. ROBINSON, son of Addie CAMPBELL & Peter CREIGHTON, son of Elmira & James H. CREIGHTON, son of Mary CREIGHTON, who was great-granddaughter of Oliver WOLCOTT, Sr., a signer of the Declaration of Independence and Governor of Connecticut. Harold was a WWII Veteran and retired in 1977 after 30 years at GR Oldsmobile in Lansing. He is buried in West Sebewa Cemetery.

WEIPPERT’S MILL – Photo by Charles Leik

WEIPPERT’S MILL REVISITED (Ionia County, Michigan)(Reprinted by author’s permission); By E. A. STONE
More than 100 years ago, farmers drove their wagons hauling grain down the narrow dirt road towards WEIPPERT’S Mill. Today, a weed infested trail blocked by an old wire gate marks the entrance to the mill. Sometimes a visitor might catch a tantalizing glimpse of the barn-red building through the trees along KEIFFER Road, but it is difficult to locate the entrance after turning west on BIPPLEY Road.

The entrance is just past the Sebewa Cemetery sign. A fitting location for a mill that appears forsaken and forgotten among the weeds. It is difficult to believe that such an isolated and neglected property was once a thriving business only a few miles south of what is now I-96 near Portland, MI.

During Sebewa’s prosperous boom days in the 1870s, 18 businesses, including two mills, served the 1,551 township residents. Talk that the CM & M Railroad was coming brought new businesses and settlers to the heart of the community located only five miles south and three miles west of Portland. By 1873, however, the railroad announced that it had sold out to another line and the latter company abandoned plans for a route through Sebewa. Most of the merchants and settlers followed to the new location.

Not everyone deserted the area. The Nov. 28, 1876, issue of the PORTLAND OBSERVER announced construction had begun on a new water powered gristmill on Sebewa Creek. Andrew WEIPPERT opened his grist mill with two run of stone and offered local farmers a chance to pass up the trip to the Newman mill at Portland, a journey which sometimes required two days. It has been reported that this mill was built on the site of a former mill built by Malvin ROGERS in 1872.

Other events recorded in back issues of the PORTLAND OBSERVER include the overhaul and repair of the mill in June 1878, including the addition of another run of stone. In December 1885, a portion of the dam went out, leaving a hole of about 15 feet. Although the dam was repaired in January 1886, it again washed out in February 1886. At that point, WEIPPERT again repaired the breach and began grinding in April 1886. WEIPPERT successfully operated the mill until 1903, grinding corn, some flour, buckwheat, and feed for local farmers. WEIPPERT died in April 1903 at the age of 69.

Conflicting reports indicate that WEIPPERT’S sons Tom and Griff ran the mill for a short time, then sold it to Harry GIBSON. But another report states that John Benedict was the miller before Harry GIBSON bought the mill. It is sufficient to note that the mill was resold and then stood empty and unused for a number of years until it was purchased by Frank O’BRIEN of Battle Creek. The mill ceased operations in the 1930s and sometime during this period the concrete dam again washed out. It was never rebuilt and the millpond quickly disappeared as vegetation reclaimed the area.

In 1876 the owner of the record for the mill property was the Cadillac Ferndale Corp. of Warren, MI. The mill property again changed hands without any improvements and the most recent owner listed is David M. SCHROEDER of Dearborn, MI.
Attempts to contact Schroeder regarding his plans for the mill have been unsuccessful. It is interesting to note, however, that WEIPPERT’S Mill was designated a state historical site in 1979. In the application, the mill is described as “the only building remaining of two grist mills and two sawmills which once were located on Sebewa Creek. Constructed in 1876-77, the two-story wooden frame, combination board and batten/clapboard building is an interesting example of 19th Century mill design. Although deteriorated and overgrown with vegetation, the present owner is interested in restoring the mill for use as a home.”
According to additional records, WEIPPERT’S Mill was indeed one of two mills built along the creek. It is remarkable that the smaller and less active mill remains a monument to the past, while the other mill (LOWE) has been destroyed and only traces of the dam still remain on Sebewa Creek. The LOWE Mill site is marked by the stone channeling of the creek at Howard KNAPP’S residence on Musgrove Highway.

A tout of the WEIPPERT Mill property revealed that some of the equipment is still in place, although the building is deteriorating. Turbines can be seen under the mill. The dam, which combined concrete and rocks, was washed out. Before any type of restoration project could begin, a thorough environmental impact study would probably be required by Michigan’s Department of Natural Resources. Thus, rebuilding the dam and restoring the mill might be a challenging task. According to a local historian, however, the stones were still there and he believed they were French-buhr stones.

The only activity seen at the mill in recent years has been its use as a backdrop for a Shakesperian play in a movie production by Michigan State University students. For their play, the roof was thatched and the building was made to look like old English architecture. It was around this time that WEIPPERT’S Mill appeared on SPOOM’S Michigan mill list, accounting for the mention of a thatched roof on the mill. The thatch and other dramatic props have since been removed.

The future of WEIPPERT’S Mill is uncertain. Restoration does not appear to be completely out of the question, but the longer it remains in its current state, the less likely a restoration project will become.

NOTE: Hall J. INGALLS, who grew up near the Indians in SHIMNECON, long lived on the farm surrounding WEIPPERT’S Mill in cover story.

OLD MILL NEWS - GREAT HARVEST BREAD CO. by Fred BEALS:
Something entirely new has entered into the milling and baking business. Historically, flour was milled at a mill, and then transported to another location where it was made into bread. Now, in the lat 20th century, all this is beginning to change. A modern chain of franchise outlets not only bake the bread, the flour is stone-ground right on the premises, within sight of the customer.

Thanks to the foresight and expertise of a group of people in Dillon, MT, a selection of fine bread products and cookies are now being produced in Great Harvest stores throughout the United States. Most of these bakeries are in typical store-front locations in malls and shopping centers in heavily populated areas.

CHIEF OKEMOS – From LANSING AND ITS YESTERDAYS, THE LANSING STATE JOURNAL, 75th Anniversary Edition. Reprinted by permission.

The man in charge of the baggage car stood on a box, stretched up, and lighted the old lantern which swayed from its hook in a beam overhead. The sun had set only shortly before, leaving the chuffing Detroit and Milwaukee train to rumble on, through early Michigan dusk, in the fall of 1858. As the cheery, pale light of the lantern warmed the scene inside the jolting car partly filled with heavy boxes, dunnage and packages, the conductor of the train stepped into the small circle of privileged passengers who were riding there, bade them all a “Good evening, gentlemen”, and proceeding to collect their passes. Only those who had acquired standing in a community were able to secure passes, and they were allowed to ride wherever they pleased.

“Nice trip, Mister HOSMER?” said the man with the brass buttons to the first one who proferred his pass. Rufus HOSMER, editor of The State Republican, best known Republican newspaper in central Michigan, smiled, as did Albert E. COWLES, later the author of a famous history of Ingham County. Both had passes. The center man in the group seated under the light was a weazened, bent and shriveled little Indian. He was easily a centenarian. Wrapped in a blanket, he was noticeable for his stern, severe, high-cheek-boned face, almost black, as he sat silently offering his pass, which the conductor took decently enough. “Are you an editor too?” inquired the conductor, smilingly.

The old Indian didn’t understand the question. He looked up quizzically, surveyed the bystanders. They smiled and nudged each other. Up stood the Indian, his blanket wrapped about him with a fierce gesture. He was almost ridiculously small, standing not more than a shade over five feet. But his eyes glowed with resentment as he faced the somewhat embarrassed conductor. The beleaguered Indian knew only that he was being made the butt of a joke, and no man living could ever be allowed to poke fun at Chief John OKEMOS, the greatest fighter of any color who ever lived in the territory of Michigan. “Me big chief—fight plenty once!” the old man said in bitterly spoken words, deeply and sternly intoned.

The scene was passed off shortly, the conductor smoothed the ruffled feathers of the “big chief” whose fighting days were over before the conductor had been born. And the sun, which was setting then, was symbolical of the fast nearing end of Chief OKEMOS, leader of the Ottawas, once the terror of every American who heard his name on the warpath or battlefield. The last 20 or so years of his incredibly long life were spent in Lansing and the surrounding territory; a peaceful era which had started before the first white men had arrived here. The earliest of Lansing pioneers knew his measure as a man.

Quick in his resentment, insistent on being accorded respect, fiercely determined to enforce his strong personality and influence on anyone who attempted familiarity, something he would not brook, Chief OKEMOS was pugnacious to the end of his life. The challenge which the weakened old red man flung in the teeth of the affable conductor, which ended the amused glance in his direction, makes the best possible epitaph for this man, celebrated in the history of central Michigan: “Me big chief – fight plenty once!” No editor could possibly tell the life story of Okemos in so few words.

John OKEMOS proved his tremendous courage, and his terribly great stamina, and won his recognition as a chief, in a fight in which he survived three wounds, any one of which would kill an ordinary man. A rifle shot in the side, at close range, a terrific saber cut in the head, and another stroke with a broad-bladed sword which laid his back open, from his hips to his shoulder, cutting one shoulder blade cleanly in two pieces, failed to kill OKEMOS, who, left for dead, recovered to fight again, nine months later.

OKEMOS, tiger-like fighter, and some lesser leaders, with a band of Indian braves, had attacked a British (?) cavalry detachment in the battle of Sandusky, early in 1813, when the leader sustained his wounds. He, his brother and one warrior, were the only Indians to survive. Though the British horsemen apparently completed their job by passing a saber through the chest of every wounded Indian, these three were not so stabbed, for they were believed dead. There certainly could seem to be no doubt concerning OKEMOS, who received deadly blows from two men on horseback, attacking from the rear.

The story of how these three Indians came back to Grand River, near the site of the village of OKEMOS, is one of the great pathos, telling as it does, that the extermination of the red man was seemingly a foreordained fact of history, regardless of their fighting qualities. The fight was only one of many in the life of the chief.

John OKEMOS was born in the camp of his father, which was located at or near a point which was later marked by a railway station, KNAGG’S Crossing, now long disappeared. The Grand Trunk Railway line which runs between Lansing and Flint crosses the Shiawassee River at this point. As to when OKEMOS was born, the estimates run all the way from 1739 to 1775, a gap of 36 years, making for disparity in the computations of his age at death.

OKEMOS, chief of the Ottawas, powerful ally of the famed TECUMSEH, and a cousin of the battle-scarred PONTIAC, was by comparison with these Indians, almost a sub-chief. Perhaps he is remembered largely because he was a familiar figure in the very earliest days of Lansing; perhaps because of his being a leader and chief of the Indians of this section of the country. But his position in the history of Central Michigan, because of his fighting ability and almost insane insensibility to the emotion of fear, and because of his judgment and wisdom in battle, would undoubtedly be greater today, if more of his exploits were definitely known.
The battles in which Chief John OKEMOS took part cover a period of 22 years. This is the compressed military history of the old Indian chief, showing the battles in which he and his Ottawa warriors engaged:

1791, Nov. 4 – OKEMOS lead his braves to defeat Gen. Arthur St. CLAIR on the Miami River, northern Ohio, near the shores of Lake Erie. President George WASHINGTON was greatly troubled by the news of these reverses.

1794, Aug. 20 – OKEMOS and his tribesmen were defeated and routed by Maj. Gen. “Mad” Anthony WAYNE, commander of the American Armies in the Northwest, sat the Battle of Fallen Timbers, or Battle of Maumee River, northern Ohio.

Later, about 1800 – OKEMOS and his Ottawas, in fusion with Potawatomies, defeated the Shawnee Indians, near the site of Three Rivers, Michigan.

Slightly later – OKEMOS and his tribe aided in the repulse of Chippewas who sought to invade Michigan from Wisconsin and the northwest.

1811, Nov. 7 – Battle of Tippecanoe, Tippecanoe Country, IN. OKEMOS was not the Indian leader; a brother of the famed TECUMSEH, called “The Prophet”, led the red men to a defeat at the hands of Maj. Gen. William Henry HARRISON, on the Wabash River, north of the site of Lafayette, IN. OKEMOS and his band escaped. He joined the British forces, to fight in the War of 1812, with a colonel’s commission.

1813, January – Battle of Sandusky, fought on Seneca Plains, in northeast Ohio. This was the high point in the life of OKEMOS, leader of Indian forces slaughtered by a cavalry detachment. The chief, one of three survivors, received terrible wounds which had not left him when he died, 45 years later.

1813, Later – Siege of Fort Meigs, northern Ohio. All biographers do not mention this engagement; two do, including Albert E. COWLES & Rufus HOSMER, who had placed “three of our fingers” in a hole in the chief’s skull, sustained at Fort Meigs.

1813, Oct. 5 – Battle of the Thames; Maj. Gen. W. H. HARRISON, American, defeated General Proctor and his Indian allies, on the Thames River, 30 miles north of Chatham, Ont., Canada; TECUMSEH, great Indian chief, was killed, OKEMOS wounded. This was his last battle.

The decline of the Indian, in numbers and importance, was being heralded after the War of 1812; OKEMOS wounded for the third time at the Thames, retired as a war chief, made peace with the Americans he had fought so bitterly, and the way was paved for his actual retirement and eventual decline from even titular chieftainship, to bask in the light of reflected glory once his, for the almost half century of his life which descended to the plain of harmless old age.

In the spring of 1814, OKEMOS presented himself at Fort Wayne, Detroit, sought out Colonel GODFREY, and said simply, “Now I make peace and fight no more. CHEMOKEMON too much for Indians. Me fight plenty enough”. Through OKEMOS, and Gen. Lewis CASS, governor of the Michigan Territory, a peace pact, never broken, was effected between the Ottawas and the United States. The life of OKEMOS lapsed into its peaceful era for the next 44 years.

OKEMOS died on Sunday, December 5, 1858, at an advanced age. Estimates of his age at death vary, with biographers, from 83 to 119 years. So also do the account of his death; Albert E. COWLES in his PAST AND PRESENT INGHAM COUNTY, gives the death & burial as follows: “On a bleak sixth day of December, 1858, a small train of Indians entered DeWitt, a small village of Clinton County, Michigan, having with them, drawn on a hand sled, the remains of an old chief of the tribe of Ottawas. The corpse was that of OKEMOS, and they who accompanied it were his only kindred. They had brought the body from a favorite hunting ground of the deceased, upon the Looking Glass River, five miles northeast from DeWitt, where the chief had died on the previous day. They brought tobacco, and filled the pouch, powder for the horn, and bullets for the bag. They bought also, contrary to the usual custom of their race, a coffin in which they placed the remains; and then, under the winter sky, took up their silent march toward the Indian village of Shmnecon, on the Grand River, 24 miles below Lansing, there to commit him to his final resting place, until he should be called to roam in the happy hunting grounds.”

COWLES says “OKEMOS usually traveled with a gang of papooses, whom he called his children”. Whether all were or not is questionable, but he did have at least two sons, John & Jim, and a daughter, Mary. Mary died in the summer of 1852, while some Indians were camped on the south bank of the Red Cedar River, about 80 rods east of where the college buildings now stand. A long, narrow, rough board box was prepared as a coffin. The body was placed in it and then put in a canoe made of elm bark, and in company with two other canoes, proceded down the river to SHIMNECON, an Indian burial ground near Portland.” When the old chief died, December 5, 1858, he was buried by the side of his daughter.

Sometime before his death, OKEMOS passed on the chieftainship to his son John, who was dubbed “Chief JOHNNY” by his few and reduced followers. John had a son who became a farmer. Jim, son of OKEMOS, became a respected farmer in Montcalm County. He was last seen in Lansing when the Capitol was dedicated, January 1, 1879. John was seen in Mason that year or the next. The grandson visited the village of OKEMOS in 1880, and was royally received by the pioneers.

Whether OKEMOS died at SHIMNECON or was taken there after death, whether he was 83 or 110 or 119 when he died, whether he had three children or 13, whether he stood 5 feet or 5 feet 7 inches – none of these things is important. OKEMOS will be remembered as the man whose body could withstand terrific wounds, whose proud spirit recoiled at the slightest hint of condescension from those whose ancestry was no more exalted than his own.

CONTESTANT TO SHIMNECON LANDS SAYS HE WILL TAKE POSSESSION SOON – From the PORTLAND OBSERVER, September 25, 1913.

John FRONSWAY, The Ottawa Indian, who was in Danby last week investigating the present occupation of lands once included in the old Indian settlement, known all over this part of the State as SHIMNECON, is back on the farm of his son near Mt. Pleasant. If his intentions as expressed to the OBSERVER last week are carried out, he will return in a few weeks and build his tepee on the parcel of land his father once owned and it will then be up to the present occupants to prove their right of possession. At least this is the old Indian’s view of the case, whether it holds good in law or not. (Editor’s note: Some things never change.)

FRONSWAY is remembered by some of the older residents of Danby. He lived in the Indian village and his uncle was chief, his father being one of the councilors. In 1854 the Indians moved to a new reservation, which the government had provided for them in Isabella County. It was the relinquishment of their claims to SHIMNECON that John FRONSWAY, now grown old and nearly blind, sees a scheme to get possession of the valuable tract along Grand River by illegal means and he says he has been advised that the titles that passed then were irregular. He and eight other Ottawa, now living near Mt. Pleasant, have pooled their interests and want to get at the bottom of thing.

The Indian pitched his tent in Charles INGALL’S yard, for the two were fast friends in the days when the Indians were more numerous in Danby than the whites. When he called on Mr. INGALLS, he readily got his consent to camp there. His wife was with him and it was said she doctors the sick Indians around Mt. Pleasant, employing nature’s remedies, the roots and herbs gathered in forests and streams. She took back with her considerable of this sort of medicine, gathered along the banks of the Grand. Meanwhile, those who own the flats where the Indian village stood are not losing sleep over threatened litigation. They are positive that the men who bought the land of the Indians, back in the 50s, did so in a regular way and they are of the opinion that John FRONSWAY, old and blind as he is, is the victim of a delusion, possibly inspired by someone younger than he and with a purpose in view.

FRONSWAY talked entertainingly of the days when he hunted and fished along the picturesque Grand, occasionally following the trail to Portland, which led along the bank of the river and came into this village on the west side, past what is now known as the PICK place. He remembered when E. PERRIN’S hut stood on the bank near the PRINGLE place and spoke of Martin COMPTON, W. W. BOGUE, Wm. CHURCHILL, and others that he knew in the early days.

He is 77 now and the Happy Hunting Grounds are within a short journey for him; but he wants to pass the balance of his life where he roamed the woods as a young man. He has no property of his own, except that existing in his mind, that little strip in SHIMNECON. SHIMNECON lies west of Centerline Bridge and south of the Section School in Danby and 178 acres are involved in the Indians’ claim. It is still a sort of fisherman’s Paradise and people go there from miles around. END

SHIMNECON UPDATES:
Some readers questioned our quotation from John S. SCHENCK in the April issue, which said the Indians were camping on the south side of the river in Sec. 22 Danby when the whites arrived.

This story has been re-printed several times, so we went back and read the author’s original text. The wording is open to interpretation as to whether the Indians were on the south side of the river, which is where the first whites settled. But the statement is made three times that the Indians were in Sec. 22, referring to a village, an apple orchard, a graveyard, and cultivated river-bottom land. So this can hardly be a misprint and is probably what was meant. If they were on the north side of the river, this would put them on the flats near the intersection of Sandborn & VanBuren Roads.

The SHIMNECON Preservation Association continues to meet on a monthly basis. The group seeks to secure and preserve SHIMNECON as a wilderness area accessible to Danby Township residents and the general public. Members value not only the property’s wooded terrain and spectacular river view, but also its irreplaceable Indian heritage. On Portland State Game Area land adjacent stands the stone marker for Chief Okemos’ grave, placed by Stevens Thomson Mason Chapter of Daughters of the American Revolution in 1921. Also, on the very northwest corner of the State land, just over the fence from the Scout land, on what appears to be the foundation of the Indian Mission school & church, stands a second stone, engraved as follows: “1845 MESHIMENCONING 1918, Ladies Literary Society of Danby”.

The Michigan Department of Natural Resources, Wildlife Unit, Real Estate Division, has initiated the process to complete a fully documented appraisal of the 19.2 acre tract. An independent state certified appraiser will be contracted to do the appraisal of the land and the timber on it, in relation to location and market value. Then “Fair Market Value” will be offered to the present owners. Hope is that this will come to a compromise with the Chief OKEMOS Scouts and all of Shimnecon will be united in the State Game Area.

This brings another concern. The State land receives very little attention by the DNR. So the Association is pressing for stewardship of about 40-50 acres of the most historic Shimnecon area under the care of Danby Township. Possibilities include reconstruction of the Mission school, church, & village, or at least restoring the foundations and providing walking tour maps of the grounds, farms, & orchards, such as is done at other national monuments.

A museum could be set up in Danby Township Hall, where artifacts and historical writings would be protected. Committees of the SHIMNECON Preservation Association have been established to gather written and oral history of the site. Financial contributions toward development of the area and museum, and gathering, sent to Dan Spitzley, Danby Township Treasurer, 10899 Frost Road, Portland, MI 498875. The next meeting of the Association will be June 7, 1994, at Danby Town Hall, Charlotte Hwy.

NOTE: Hall J. INGALLS, who grew up near the Indians in SHIMNECON, long lived on the farm surrounding WEIPPERT’S Mill in cover story.