USA > Michigan > Van Buren County > A history of Van Buren County, Michigan a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume II > Part 60
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His success is well merited, as it has been gained through indus- trious, persevering labor and energy that has overcome all obstacles. He has many friends in this part of the county.
Mr. Barker was married December 23, 1891, to Miss Franc C. Burlington, daughter of James and Mary (Rich) Burlington. Mrs. Barker's parents had nine children : Franc C., who married Mr. Barker ; James, of Porter township; Grace, the wife of Charles Mohney, of Porter township; Guy, who is engaged in farming in Porter township; Nellie, who married Claude Miller, of Marcellus, Michigan; Floy and Roy, residents of Marcellus; Jay, of Decatur, Michigan; and George, residing in Porter township. Two chil- dren have been born to Mr. and Mrs Barker, namely : Marshal J., born November 20, 1893, and died November 1, 1908; and Joe Whitney, born December 1, 1895, and died December 7, 1910. Mr. Barker is a Republican, a member of the Maccabees and a Methodist, and he is active in the work of his party, popular in fraternal circles and a consistent attendant of his church.
JOHN H. CORNISH .- Van Buren county is eminently fitted for the raising of general farm products, stock or fruits. The progres- sive farmer of today has learned that he oftentimes secures better results by specializing than if he continued along general lines, and one of the successful agriculturists of Porter township who is farming along these lines is John H. Cornish, the owner of an excellent farm of 140 acres, situated in section 15. Mr. Cornish is a native of County Cornwall, England, the country which has furnished the world's greatest colonizers, and he was born Feb- ruary 25, 1852, being a son of Thomas and Mary (Hayne) Cornish.
The Cornish family came to the United States in 1853, settling first in Orleans county, New York, and after two years removing to Michigan, where Thomas Cornish took up 100 acres of land in section 16, Porter township, and here was engaged in agricultural pursuits up to the time of his death in 1908, his widow surviving him two years. They had a family of six children : Mary A., who is deceased ; John H .; Grace P., deceased; Edward T. and Eliza, twins, deceased ; and Dr. Cornish, of Lawton. The boyhood of John H. Cornish was spent on his father's farm, and he received his education in the district schools, which he attended when he could be spared from the work of clearing and cultivating the home prop- erty. At the age of eighteen years he began farming on his own account, and by 1879, through industry and economy, he had saved enough to purchase seventy-five acres of land. To this he has added from time to time, as his finances would permit, and he now has 140 acres of well-cultivated property. He has become one of the prominent farmers and stock-raisers of his township, and has also specialized extensively in fruit growing. Mr. Cornish's farm is a model of neatness, and the young agriculturists of this township could do no better than to take it as a plan upon which to lay out their own farms.
On October 20, 1880, Mr. Cornish was married to Miss Mary R. Forbes, daughter of James P. and Amanda (Bennett) Forbes, and two children have been born to this union : Mildred G., the wife of
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Jesse M. Kinney, of Kalamazoo county, Michigan; and Stanley R., who married Cleo Ward, lives at home and assists his father. Mr. and Mrs. Stanley R. Cornish have one son, Vaughan Richard, born August 22, 1911. The elder Mr. Cornish is a Republican in politics, and served as township treasurer three years and as supervisor eight years. His religious faith is that of the Methodist church. He is capable to discharge the duties of any office to which he may be called, is a man who stands high in his community, and is a very affable and pleasant gentleman, who, having once given his friend- ship, never recalls it. In addition he is a good citizen and an ex- cellent business man. Such a man has the full confidence of his fellows and is not unlikely to be raised by them to high honors.
FRED FORBES .- One of the progressive and enterprising agri- culturists of Van Buren county, Michigan, who has spent his life on the farm which he now has charge of, in Decatur township, is Fred Forbes, the worthy son of a worthy father and one of his community's prominent public-spirited citizens. Mr. Forbes has noted the various changes that have taken place during his resi- dence here-changes that have affected every kind of work, and he has seen the country grow from a half-developed, unpromising prairie into one of the finest farming sections in the land. Born in Decatur township, Mr. Forbes is a son of John and Charlotte (Lang- don) Forbes, the former a native of Lyons, New York, and the latter of Hillsdale, Michigan.
John Forbes, who is still living and makes his home with his son, came to Michigan in 1856, at the age of twenty-three years, and lived in Constantine for a time, later settling at Hillsdale where he was married. In 1861 he came to Van Buren county and pur- chased fifty acres of farming land in section 13, Decatur township, and here he has resided ever since. A hard and faithful worker, Mr. Forbes put his land in a fine state of cultivation, erected sub- stantial buildings and made his property first class in every respect. His wife died on this farm in 1895, having been the mother of seven children, as follows: Theresa, Elvira, William, Tilla and Harry, all of whom are deceased; Fred; and James, who also re- sides in Decatur township.
Fred Forbes grew to manhood on the home farm, attending the district school when he could be spared from the work of clearing and cultivating the home property. Since his father's retirement he has been in charge of the farm, and has made numerous im- provements both to land and buildings. He is progressive in his methods and modern in ideas, and is a firm believer in the use of power farm machinery. On August 23, 1900, Mr. Forbes was mar- ried to Miss Ida Montania, who died in June, 1901. In October, 1902, he was married to Amanda Keifer, daughter of Samuel and Sarah (Robnolt) Keifer. Mr. and Mrs. Keifer had three children : Amanda, the wife of Mr. Forbes; Ida May, the wife of Allison Gor- butt of Constantine, Michigan; and one child that died in infancy. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Forbes: Samuel, born July 25, 1904; Henry, born January 15, 1907; Joseph, born
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February 18, 1909; and Alvira, born May 9, 1911. Mrs. Forbes has a daughter named Mildred Keifer, born March 17, 1898.
Mr. Forbes is a Democrat in his political views, and while he has never sought public office, being too busy with his extensive farm- ing interests, he has served very acceptably as school director. He and his wife are consistent members of the Methodist church, and are well and favorably known in social circles of Decatur township.
GEORGE HATHAWAY .- Presenting as it does a worthy example to the rising generation, the life of this gentleman, which from early boyhood has been one of assiduous industry, untiring energy and unquestioned integrity, is well deserving of being sketched, how- ever briefly, in the pages of this volume. George Hathaway was born on the farm which he is now operating, in section 16, Porter township, Van Buren county, December 13, 1860, being a son of Anson and Experience (Reynolds) Hathaway, the former a native of Massachusetts and the latter of Ohio. The family was founded here when Michigan was still a territory, by Mr. Hathaway's grand- father, who settled in Kalamazoo county and took up wild land. where he lived for a time then went to Antwerp township, Van Buren county, where he died two years later. Anson Hathaway, son of the pioneer and father of George, was brought up to the life of a farmer, and as a young man located in Porter township on eighty acres of land which as yet had not known the touch of the axe or plow. He built a small house and started in to clear the property, but having only a limited supply of farming implements and no improved machinery, the work of cultivating and improving progressed but slowly. He persevered, however, keeping ever be- fore him the prospect of one day owning a comfortable property which he could call his own. With constant care and industry his land finally was converted into a smiling, productive farm, and the original little buildings were supplanted by modern structures of the best workmanship. Here his wife died July 31, 1879, and he followed her to the grave March 4, 1889. They were the parents of five children : Mary Adell, who died August 15, 1908; Ella. the wife of Charles Wiles of Oxford, Kansas; Frances, the widow of William Hoyt of Lawton; George; and Ida, who died May 17, 1900.
George Hathaway received his education in the district schools of Porter township and the high school at Lawton, from which he was graduated in 1883, for one year after which he was engaged in teaching school. During the next two years he attended Parsons Business College, but eventually returned to the home farm, which he has conducted ever since. Farming and stock raising have oc- cupied his attention, and his energy, economical habits and physical strength have been factors in his success, but his business sagacity and good judgment have also proved of no small value. Honest and trustworthy, he has always enjoyed the confidence of all who have had dealings with him in any way. Politically he is a Demo- crat, and has always been stanch in supporting the principles of his party, but he has never aspired to political honors himself, his own extensive interests demanding the greater share of his time.
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GEORGE W. CORNISHI
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In religious connection he and his wife are members of the Metho- dist church and support it liberally.
On August 14, 1902, Mr. Hathaway was married to Miss Mary Barker, daughter of John and Grace (Hayne), Barker (a sketch of Mr. Barker appears on another page of this work). Four chil- dren were born to Mr. and Mrs. Barker: Ella, who lives in Porter township ; Mary, wife of Mr. Hathaway; Irwin, residing on the old homestead in Porter township; and Joseph, who died February 28, 1889.
CHARLES P. SHELDON, born and reared in Walerton, New York, came to Van Buren county in about 1842. The country at that time was in a most primitive state of advancement, and in Hartford township where he settled, Mr. Sheldon found steady and strenu- ous employment in the improving of the lands he acquired there. He lived in Hartford township until 1855, when he removed to Tipton, Iowa, then in about the same stage of development as he had found Van Buren county twelve years previous. He became the owner of a large farm there, which he improved and developed to a high state of excellence, living upon it for the remainder of his life. He married Laura Mantle, the daughter of Edward and Dolly (Richardson) Mantle, and she died a few years prior to the passing of her husband. They successfully reared a family of seven children.
DR. GEORGE W. CORNISH was born in Porter township, Van Buren county, Michigan, on February 21, 1860, and his life, for the greater part, has been passed as a resident of the state of his nativity. He is the son of Thomas Cornish, born in Cornwall, England, the latter being one of a family of four sons and two daughters, namely : John, Edward, William, Thomas, Ann and Mary. John alone of the family remained in England. All the others came to America, set- tling in Canada, with the exception of Thomas, who remained at home on the farm in Cornwall until 1852, when he came to America with his wife and two children. They came on a sailing vessel and were six weeks in the passage. They settled in New York state until late in 1853, when they removed to Michigan, locating in Porter township, Van Buren county. Here they lived for a time with a widowed sister-in-law, and after looking about a little, Thomas Cornish bought a tract of timbered land in section 16. He set about cleaning up the land, eventually putting the place in a fine state of cultivation. He was always a hard-working, energetic man, and the years of unrelenting toil he expended on his wilder- ness home are everywhere apparent today in the fine, up-to-date place, today one of the best in Van Buren county. He lived there until the time of his death, which occurred when he had reached the age of seventy-nine years. In early life, in fact, previous to his emigration to this country from Cornwall, he married Mary Hayne, also a native of Cornwall. Mrs. Cornish's father was a native and life long resident of Cornwall, and after his death his widow came to America and spent her declining years in Van Buren county with her daughter, Mrs. Cornish. She reared eight
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children: Grace, Jane, John, Mary, Kate, Digory, Marjory and Eliza. Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Cornish reared a family of six chil- dren. They are Mary A., John H., Grace P., Edward T. and Eliza J., the two latter being twins, and George W.
The early schooling of George W. Cornish was obtained in a small log cabin affair in the village wherein he was reared. and by dint of his compelling desire to study and learn, he was able to enter the high school in Lawton, being graduated from that school with the class of 1881. He secured employment as a teacher for a time in order to re-coup his slender fortune suffi- ciently to enable him to continue his studies, and when it was pos- sible for him to do so entered the State Normal at Ypsilanti, gradu- ating with the class of 1889. He again resumed teaching, and after a few terms passed thus he entered the Medical Department of the State University at Ann Arbor. Soon after his entry there, one of his brothers received severe injuries, and in the spirit of self-abnegation which has characterized his entire life, he re- linquished his long cherished desire, surrendering for a time at least, the possibility of finally reaching the goal of his ambitions, and returned to the family home to care for his disabled brother. Soon after his return, he was elected county superintendent of schools, a splendid recognition of his ability on the part of the people who had witnessed his struggles for an education, and he served two terms in that capacity. At the end of that time it was possible for him to resume his studies, and he entered the Detroit College of Medicine, graduating from that splendid insti- tution with the class of 1899, after which he took a post-graduate course in New York City. Following the completion of his studies, in order to be near to his aged parents and his invalid brother, he located in Lawton, where he has remained continuously, and where he has built up a fine practice in Lawton and the surround. ing district.
Dr. Cornish is popular in all circles of his community, and has served his village several terms as its president, also as president of the school board. He is a member of Lawton lodge No. 216 A. F. & A. M., and with his wife, is a member of the Order of the Eastern Star. In October, 1905, Dr. Cornish married Mrs. Catherine (Smith) Robbins, the daughter of Myron and Catherine (Crawford) Smith and the widow of Charles Robbins.
WALTER ALBERT HALL was born in Kalamazoo township, Kala- mazoo county, Michigan, in 1873. He is the son of Frank and Abby A. (Balch) Hall, natives of New York state and Michigan respectively. General Isaac Hall, the father of Frank Hall and the grandfather of Walter Albert Hall, was a native of New York state and an officer in the War of 1812. His entire life was spent in his native state. The maternal grandfather of Walter Albert Hall was Royal T. Balch, a native of Vermont and one of the early settlers of Kalamazoo county. He acquired land in Genesee Prairie, which he improved during his lifetime, the property finally ranking among the best farm land in that part of the state. He spent the remainder of his life on his farm, finally dying there.
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Frank C. Hall was for many years engaged in farming in Kala- mazoo county and later in Pine Grove, but after a life of toil passed in the developing of his property, he has retired and now lives quietly in Gobleville.
Walter Albert Hall attended the village schools of his com- munity as a boy and later attended the Paw Paw high school, fol- lowing up his studies there with a course of instruction in the Bap- tist College at Kalamazoo. He taught school five years in Van Buren county after his college course had been completed, and since his pedagogic experience he has been occupied in farming, and for the last two years has been the proprietor of a hotel at Kendall, which he has conducted with a large measure of success. Mr. Hall has been prominent in local politics for some time, and has served his township in various capacities. He has been town clerk for three years, and is at present township supervisor. He has served two years as a member of the county board of super- visors, and he was one of the original promoters of the plan for the building of state reward roads, now being introduced with splendid success in various states. Mr. Hall is a Republican in his political adherence, but his support locally is ever of an order best calculated to advance the public interests, regardless of par- tisan sentiments. He is a member of the Masonic fraternity and of the Gleaners.
On August 18, 1903, Mr. Hall married Velma Dunnington, born in Paw Paw, and the daughter of Robert and Cynthia (Sherbourne) Dunnington.
ADELBERT FAUSNAUGH .-- Clair Creek township, Fairfield county, Ohio, was the native state of Henry Fausnaugh, who was born August 25, 1832, son of Adam and Mary Decker Fausnaugh, natives of Pennsylvania. They moved to Clair Creek, Ohio, where they spent the remainder of their days. Henry Fausnaugh was reared on the farm and farmed in Ohio until May, 1856, when he moved to Michigan and settled in Geneva on the farm which he still oc- cupies. The mother of Adelbert Fausnaugh was Catherine Yeider, born in Eagle township. Hancock county, Ohio, and who died in February, 1865. She was a daughter of Jacob and Mary Yeider.
To Henry and Catherine (Yeider) Fausnaugh four children were born, whose names are as follows: Lavina, Jackson, Adelbert, and Adolphus, Adolphus and Lavina both being deceased. The mother died when Adelbert was four years of age and the father took as his second wife Elizabeth Rarick. To this union was born Mrs. Mina Warren, Jesse, Mrs. Minnie Webber Frank, and Mrs. Andie Fisher.
Adelbert Fausnaugh was born in Geneva township, Van Buren county, Michigan, December 28, 1861. At the age of twenty-one he became overseer of Evergreen Stock Farm, where he worked for seven years. At the end of this period he went to Illinois for a year and then returned to Bangor and was married to Rebecca Westcott, one of the seven children of William and Huldah (Dean) Westcott. The other sons and daughters of the Westcott family are as follows : Lyman of Hartford and Eugene, Mrs. Lodema Van
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Anken, Mrs. Mary Wood, Mrs. Esther Springett, Mrs. Sarah Sum- mers, all of Bangor.
Mr. and Mrs. Fausnaugh still live on their eighty acre farm on section 22 where they first settled after their marriage. He does general farming and stock-raising, paying special attention to horses. He has been notably successful in this line and has earned a well deserved reputation for his fine stock. In politics, Mr. Fausnaugh is an Independent, though in matters of national policy, he favors the Democratic party's principles. He is influ- ential in local organizations and interested in public concerns. Fraternally, he belongs to the Masons and to the Independent Or- der of Odd Fellows. Also he and his wife are members of the Grange, Farmers Club and Eastern Star.
JACOB D. HOUSEKNECHT .- The substantial and prosperous citizens of Bloomingdale township have no more worthy representa- tive than Jacob D. Houseknecht, who stands high among the industrious, progressive, and business-like farmers who are so ably conducting the extensive agricultural interests of Van Buren county. A son of John Houseknecht, Jr., he was born in Penn township, Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, March 26, 1842.
His grandfather, John Houseknecht, Sr., was born either in Germany or in Pennsylvania of German parentage. Early in life he moved to Lycoming county, Pennsylvania, from his former home, which was near Reading, locating in Penn township when nearly all of the land in that vicinity was owned by the govern- ment, and was covered with a heavy growth of native timber. Pur- chasing seven hundred acres of land, he began the pioneer task of hewing a farm from the wilderness. After putting up the customary log house he built a bank barn eighty-four feet long and forty-five feet wide, putting heavy bars across the windows to keep out the bears and other wild animals, which were plentiful. and oft times very destructive to crops and stock. With the as- sistance of his stalwart sons, he cleared and improved a valuable homestead, on which he and his good wife spent their remaining years. He married Elizabeth Smith, and they reared ten chil- dren, as follows: Betsey, John, Jacob, Benjamin, Daniel, George, Christopher, Katie, Hannah, and Polly. All of the children mar- ried, reared families, and many of their descendants still live in Penn township.
John Houseknecht, Jr., was born in Reading, Pennsylvania. but was reared and educated in Lycoming county, where his par- ents settled when he was a child. Choosing for his life work the independent occupation of his ancestors, he succeeded to the own- ership of the parental acres, and was successfully engaged in farming in Penn township until his death, which occurred in the fifty-sixth year of his age. He was twice married, by his first wife, whose maiden name was Christie Ann Hill, having five children. namely : Julia Ann, George, Charles, Ellis and Frank. He mar- ried second Mrs. Sally Ann (Fox) Houseknecht, who was born in Pennsylvania, of English ancestry, and was the widow of Christopher Houseknecht, by whom she had four children, Charles,
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Philip, John, and Elizabeth. By this second marriage John House- knecht, Jr., became the father of seven children, namely: Christ- opher, Sarah, Jacob D., Albert L., Reuben, Frederick and Hiram S. The mother lived to the venerable age of four score and four years.
At the age of fifteen years, being left fatherless, Jacob D. Houseknecht went to Genesee county, New York, and for two years there lived with his half-brother, in Alabama township. En- listing then in the Nineteenth New York Battery, he went South, and, was with the Army of the Potomac, to which his company was assigned, participated in many of the more important engagements in and around Richmond and Petersburg. At the Battle of Spott- sylvania Court House his battery was charged by two brigades, and the greater number of its members were either killed or wounded. At the close of the conflict, Mr. Houseknecht was honorably dis- charged from the service, and returned to New York state, where, at Indian Falls, he was engaged in farming for a number of years. Migrating to Van Buren county, Michigan, in 1882, he purchased a tract of timbered land in Bloomingdale township, one and one- half miles west of Gobleville, and immediately began felling the huge progeny of the forest, preparatory to placing the ground un- der cultivation. Laboring with a will, he has succeeded well in his undertakings, and has now a finely-improved and highly productive farm of one hundred and forty-two acres, with good buildings, and well stocked.
Mr. Houseknecht married, in 1878, Elizabeth Nighthart, who was born at Honeoye Falls, New York. Her father, Anson Night- hart, was born in Germany, where his parents were life-long resi- dents. With two of his sisters he immigrated to the United States, locating first as a farmer at Honeoye Falls, New York, but after- wards buying land at Indian Falls, in the same state, where he continued as a farmer until his death, at the age of seventy-four years. The maiden name of Anson Nighthart's wife was Susan Sliker. She was born in Germany, and as a girl came with her parents to Indian Falls, New York, where her father bought land, and was thereafter a resident until his death. She died on the home farm at the age of sixty-four years, leaving seven children, namely : Elizabeth, now Mrs. Houseknecht ; Kate; Louis; Enos; Annie; Susan ; and Martha, all of whom were reared in the German Lutheran faith. Mr. and Mrs. Houseknecht have one son, George Hlouseknecht, who is associated with his father in farming. Mr. Houseknecht is an active member of A. Calvin Post, No. 59, Grand Army of the Republic.
JOHN R. COOK .- In Lawrence township, on section 21, is located the attractive and valuable country estate of John R. Cook, one of the most successful farmers and fruit growers in the county. At this place he owns one hundred and twenty acres of land. Ten acres of this is a vineyard. As a viticulturist he has a prominent place in that industry in western Michigan, though he does not produce grapes in such quantities as some other growers in this
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