USA > Michigan > Genesee County > Biographical history of Genesee County, Michigan > Part 11
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From the present union of Mr. and Mrs. Hilton there has resulted the birth of one daughter, Gertrude E., who is the wife of E. Edwards, of Flint. In their home life Mr. and Mrs. Hilton have not permitted the religious atmos- phere to be lacking, but have identified themselves actively with the interests of the Baptist church, of Flint. Mr. Hilton is a member of the General Crapo Post, Grand Army of the Republic, and has done much toward the success and support of that organization. He is past commander of the post, and is at present junior vice-commander. Mrs. Hilton is a staunch worker in the Woman's Relief Corps, having held such offices as senior vice and chaplain for a term of years. Both are interested in perpetuating the principles of righteousness and citizenship in the hearts of the growing generation, and thus contributing their portion toward keeping intact that heritage won for our land by the heroes of the republic.
WILLIAM PAINE.
New York, the "Empire state," has given to Michigan and other states of the middle west many of her early settlers and brave pioneer citizens. The Mohawk valley of that state formed a convenient opening toward the west, while the Great Lakes offered a route of travel and turned the tide of emi- gration into this section of our great commonwealth. As the eastern states became more thickly populated people began to turn their eyes toward the inviting areas beyond the mountains, and family after family soon bade fare- well to the home of their youth to try the realities of life in the forest and on the prairies. Among others were the parents of the subject of this sketch, Mr. William Paine. His father, Samuel H. Paine, was born in what was then Tompkins county, New York. He was united in marriage to Miss Susan Crippen, also a native of that state. They removed to Michigan in 1844, making their home in the village of Flushing. Here he followed for some years his trade as blacksmith, soon gaining a good reputation for hon- est workmanship. Later he engaged in farming, following this chiefly till his death, although his last days were spent in retirement at Flushing. He reached the unusual and grand old age of almost ninety-one years. His wife having died at the age of sixty. Their children were Arminda, wife of Hiram P. Ransom; William and Decatur, who now reside in Detroit. William was
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born in Tompkins county, New York, on November 22, 1836, coming west with his parents in 1844. He assisted his father in the shop till twenty-one years of age, thereby gaining invaluable experience, which has been good capi- tal for him in the later contests of life. Following this he spent three years in salt mining, after which he purchased a farm in Clayton township. Here he found opportunity to carry out his own ideas, and soon made marked changes and improvements in the homestead. In 1896 he disposed of the farm, and since then has made his home in Flushing. He was married in Clayton town- ship on March 20, 1867, to Ruey Richardson. Her father, Alfred Richard- son, and her mother, Ruey Persons, were natives of New York state, and came to Genesee county about 1836. Mr. Richardson was born October 18, 1812, and lived till May 20, 1895, having gone beyond his allotted four- score years. Mrs. Richardson was born April 6, 1813, and attained to the magnificent age of ninety years, departing this life on August 6, 1903. Mr. and Mrs. Richardson were indeed people of good standing in the community, known to every one as kind-hearted, upright and reliable people. Their union was blessed with three children, two of whom, Henry and Lucy, having answered to the summons of death, Lucy dying while still a child.
Mr. and Mrs. Paine have been blessed with a generous and robust family, a fact that is becoming more and more rare in these days. One of the daughters, Mary A., is the wife of Samuel Jones, of Clayton township; an- other. Emeline, was married to Frank Holser and has her home in Flushing township. The other daughters are Harriet, Alice, and Nellie. Their son, Willard, has made his home in Detroit; another son, Frank, died in infancy.
Mr. Paine has been for many years a member of the Independent Order of Odd Fellows, and during this time has faithfully lived up to the princi- ples of brotherhood that are so nobly promulgated by this worthy order. It is the hope of his many friends that he yet be spared for many years in which to realize the ideals that have been his constant aim in life.
ELBERT L. BEECHER.
The subject of this chronicle, Mr. Elbert L. Beecher, is the descendant of a worthy ancestry in the state of New York. His father, Norman A. Beecher, was a native of Owego, Tioga county, and his mother of Albion, Orleans county, New York. She was a sister of the Hon. Simeon R. Billings, who was a noted member of his community.
After due deliberation Mr. and Mrs. Beecher decided to try the experi- ence of life farther west, and consequently we find them coming to Genesee county, Michigan, in 1857. They took possession of a farm in Clayton town- ship, and on this farm they spent the remainder of their days. Mrs. Beecher departed this life in 1872, having attained the age of forty-four years. Mr. Beecher lived until 1892, reaching more than the allotted three-score years, and going two years beyond.
One of their sons, Calvin I., is living on a farm in Clayton township. The other, whose name is at the head of this biography, was born in Clayton township on February 18, 1860. He spent his growing years on his father's farm, thereby getting first-hand experience at manual labor in the needful in- dustry of farm life. He attended the district schools of the neighborhood, and as a boy industriously applied himself to his studies, making himself familiar with the rudiments of knowledge, realizing their necessity as tools in working
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out problems of life. He also was privileged to attend the Flushing schools, continuing his studies as far as circumstances would permit. He remained on the home place until twenty-two years of age, at which time he decided to launch out on his own responsibility. As a result of sturdy effort and untiring energy he now has control of one hundred and seventy acres of good land in Clayton township, most of which is well improved.
On March 3, 1881, he was married to Miss Ada Penoyer, of Flushing township, the daughter of one of the sturdy pioneers of the county, Mr. Wil- liam D. Penoyer. The latter came to this vicinity in an early day and he drove the first team of horses driven into Flushing by a white person, being eleven years old at the time. He has had many exciting experiences in grow- ing up with the country, all of which, if put together, would make interesting chapters in local history.
Mr. Beecher's grasp on local affairs has resulted in tokens of confidence by the fellow members of the community. He has served as township super- visor for several years and has also held official connection with other affairs. He is an esteemed member of the Masonic fraternity, being always ready to discharge his full duty and carry out to full completion any obligations that may devolve upon him. As a further appreciation of his worth as a citizen mention may be made of the fact that he has been chosen also one of the directors of the People's State Bank of Flushing.
It is the hope of his many friends that it may be his privilege to reach the full fruition of a life so well begun.
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JAMES E. OTTAWAY.
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Mr. James E. Ottway was born October 17, 1835, at Maidstone, Kent county, England. His parents, Stephen and Mary (Ralph) Ottaway, came to America in 1839 and emigrated directly to Flint, arriving there some time in May. The father and older sons went immediately to work in the forest in Clayton township, built a log house and began clearing a farm. Several other families joined them, and a younger brother, who had been here a year or two, assisted in the work. This original tract became the Ottaway home- stead and is still in the family. The father died February 10, 1850, aged fifty- two years. The mother lived till January 29, 1884, having reached the noble age of eighty-three years.
In all there were thirteen children in the family, nine of whom reached maturity, and of these three are still surviving. They are Stephen H., of Flint ; Charles, now at Alamosa, Colorado, and Maria, wife of William C. Gillette, at Grand Rapids.
After the father's death James remained for a number of years with his mother, assisting in taking care of the four younger children. He was married January 1, 1866, to Miss Eliza A. Ryno, daughter of Stiles and Mary (Van Lieu) Ryno, who came hither from New York state in 1835.
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Eliza was born in Flint May 15, 1845, her parents moving to Clayton town- ship four years later.
James was a hard worker and a successful farmer and in due time ob- tained possession of the old homestead, together with considerable additional land. He was an active Democrat and served as township clerk for twenty- five successive years.
In 1889 he removed to Flushing, built a grain elevator and operated it in company with Hiram Ainsworth. In conjunction with this he retained the management of his farm, and he continued to do so until his death, which occurred May 12, 1895. At this time he was also the owner of several nice residences in Flushing. He and his wife were both Methodists, and he was a loyal class leader in his church. Mr. Ottaway was also a member of the Maccabee fraternity. Mrs. Ottaway still occupies the home in Flushing.
The children are Fred R., Winifred Irene, wife of H. H. Prosser; and Claude V., who is assistant cashier at the People's State Bank in Flushing.
GEORGE PACKARD.
George Packard, born in Lebanon, Grafton county, New Hampshire, January 11, 1836, was the son of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Packard, pioneers in that county. His ancestors were of the sterling English stock, coming to the colonies in 1638, just eighteen years after the Pilgrims "moored their bark on the wild New England shore." His grandfather, Ichabod Packard, was a soldier of the Revolutionary war.
Two years before leaving their New England home George's parents had arranged to purchase some land just south of Flushing, and there made their home when arriving in 1841. George and his brother, Carlos, operated in partnership as long as his father lived. Carlos was a younger brother, and after his marriage to Florinda Stowell lived on the farm adjoining the old homestead on the south. Carlos, who was born April 18, 1838, died in March, 1895, leaving no children, but is survived by his widow, now living in Detroit. The other brother, Warren, was born in September, 1804, and died on Independence day, 1875, at the age of seventy-one years. His wife was Parmela Hartshorn, who survived him till 1888, aged seventy-eight years.
Of the three sisters one, Emeline, is deceased. She was married to Henry P. Richardson and died in her sixty-first year in 1901, her husband having preceded her by nine years.
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Eliza, the widow of George Cronk, is now living at Flushing, as is also the other sister, Caroline, and her husband, James M. Greenfield.
Mr. Packard continued in partnership with his father until the latter's death, managing the financial part of the business. By means of vigor, tact and energy Mr. Packard succeeded in accumulating wealth, and in time bought the interests of the other heirs in the home place. His financial powers soon led him to look into the banking business, and in 1882 he entered into part- nership with others and established the First National Bank of Flushing.
He was chosen its first cashier, and, although it has now been changed into a state bank, Mr. Packard was largely responsible for its financial stand- ing and enviable reputation, having the full confidence of all with whom he did business.
Although a Republican on national issues Mr. Packard stood first of all for clean and honest service. He was calm and self-contained, not given to much argument, preferring rather to attend strictly to business. In 1883 Mr. Packard was united in marriage to Miss Ida O'Dell, daughter of Charles and Jane (Whitmore) O'Dell, of Mundy township. She taught school at one time. She, with her two sons, Marion and George, survive her husband, who departed this life on Thursday, June 14, 1906. He was buried in the village cemetery, attended by the Masonic fraternity and a host of devoted relatives and friends, all realizing that the community had lost one of its most valued citizens.
ORSON W. TOCK, M. D.
Dr. Orson W. Tock, retired, of Flushing, Michigan, was born at Enfield, Tompkins county, New York. He accompanied his parents to Michigan in 1856. His parents were Alfred W., a farmer, and Lydia A. (Naumer) Tock, of New York. They located at Plymouth, Wayne county, but removed to Livingston county in 1863 and lived there till the mother's death. The father died at the age of seventy-nine. The doctor was the only one of a large family to survive, and he removed to Genesee county.
He remained at home until 1862, and then enlisted in Oakland county on August 9, 1862, in Company H, Twenty-second Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He served until discharged, June 30, 1865, four weeks before regimental dis- charge. He had left the hospital after an exchange of prisoners for eight months, having been at Pemberton and Danville, Virginia. He was cap- tured at Chickamaugua on Snodgrass Hill, the Twenty-second having been placed there to hold this hill. His company went in with fifty-four men, and but seventeen survived. All were captured and twelve of the seventeen died, leaving five to be exchanged. These were alive at the reunion of the ex- prisoners of the war of the Twenty-second Regiment at Pontiac in 1906, four being in attendance at that time.
One has since died and the doctor is the only one left in Genesee county.
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The reunion for 1907 will be held the 19th and 20th of September at Flushing with the doctor and George W. Button, of Flushing, lieutenant of Company A.
The Twenty-second Regiment went into action with about five hundred strong and were terribly slaughtered. All that were not killed were captured. Of these nearly all died, so that in 1906 at Pontiac but nineteen were present at the reunion. It was one of the greatest sacrifices of the war and there is now a monument at Snodgrass Hill, where they suffered so heavily.
Orson Tock, with health shattered while in prison, returned to his par- ents in Livingston county. He attended school at Ypsilanti Seminary. Later he graduated in medicine from the State University in 1870. He taught dur- ing his vacations and began his practice at Hartland, Livingston county. He also practiced at Gaines and New Lothrop. When the latter place was started he built the first dwelling.
The doctor took a post-graduate course at Bellevue, New York, and Rush Medical College. Chicago. From a wide practice at New Lothrop he went to Flushing, where he was active for twenty years. He refused the position of assistant demonstrator at Ann Arbor, preferring to engage in active practice, which has covered about thirty years.
Dr. Tock has dealt in city and farm real estate, and has now about five hundred acres of land in Michigan. Altogether he has several thousand acres of land, most of which is improved. He has city real estate and additions to Great Falls, Montana, and interests in Pierre, South Dakota. He spends his winters in Mobile, Alabama, where he has erected several houses.
Although he has been a member of many medical societies-local, state and national-he has confined his attention to his practice. He does not write on medical subjects and has held aloof from public matters. He has been a Republican for years.
The doctor was married at Hartland, Michigan, February 27, 1872, to Miss Ella M. Crouse, daughter of Hon. Robert Crouse, of Hartland, ex- member of the legislature, and a leading man of Livingston county. She was born at Hartland, and a twin sister lives at Cleveland. She moves in local societies, but is a home-loving body.
The family includes two children, Clarence and Mary L. Clarence R. Tock lives in Marlboro, Massachusetts, having a responsible position with the electric lamp factory, the largest in the country. He is a graduate of Stevens' Institute of Technology at Hoboken, New Jersey, having taken a course in
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mechanical engineering. He married Miss Verna Parrish, of Flushing, daughter of George W. Parrish.
Mary L. Tock married T. K. Darrough, a merchant at Mobile, Alabama. She is a high school graduate. Her two children are Orson T. and Ella Barbara.
JAMES M. GREENFIELD.
The interesting and worthy subject of this sketch was born in Detroit, Michigan, on July 30, 1841. On the side of his paternal ancestry we find him descended from the hardy Scotch race, his father, John Greenfield, having been a native of Scotland. His mother, Miss Mary Davenport, a native of New York state, with her husband came to Michigan in an early day to cast their lot in the vigorous and robust "lake state." His father was an engineer by profession and died at Ontonagon, Michigan, on March 6, 1861. His mother met an untimely death in a tragic way in August, 1865. She was on board the steamer "Pewabic," which was then crossing Thunday bay. Even in our own day, although the greatest precaution is being exercised on every hand. fatal as well as sometimes horrible accidents are of daily occur- rence, and hundreds of precious lives are snuffed out like a candle, and this without a moment's notice. Such was the sad fate of Mrs. Greenfield. The steamer on which she was journeying suddenly collided with another, the "Meteor." and the chapter of many lives was brought to an unexpected close.
Their family consisted of five children, of which James was the third. They left Detroit when James was about eight years of age. He remained at home until eighteen, at which time he took up the trade of a machinist at the Detroit Seminary, and then later served two years as an apprentice. After
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this he returned to the Upper Peninsula, Houghton, Michigan, and was there engaged in a mercantile establishment until the breaking out of the Civil war.
The fires of patriotism were burning strongly within his breast, and when the great crisis came on the sons of Michigan responded to the call in a way that has brought endless honor to that noble state. The call for vol- unteers was heralded throughout the land and no one responded more eagerly than James M. Greenfield. He enlisted in the Seventh Michigan Volun- teer Infantry in the summer of 1861, and started out, leaving friends and kindred ties, to do battle for the grand old flag. He was discharged on ac- count of wounds in December, 1864, and the record of his valiant service, his unselfish devotion to the cause, and the long and weary years of exposure to the elements and privations of war would make a volume worthy of the noblest patriot of any land.
Time and space forbids the giving of the details of this interesting period of Mr. Greenfield's career, but mention must be made of one or two inci- dents. One of the fiercest and most hotly contested battles of the whole re- bellion was that of Antietam. The fearful carnage of war found here full sway, and in the midst of this bitter conflict a bullet of the enemy found its way into the breast of our friend. It sometimes happens that men get wounded in the back, but not so in this case. His face was always to the front. He survived this shock, however, and as soon as able, again joined the ranks. Another battle of note was on the hard-fought field of Fredericksburg. This was a time when brave men met brave men. Here Mr. Greenfield again was called upon to shed blood for the cause, having received another ugly wound in the right limb December 13, 1862. Recovering from this he again plunged into the fray, doing valiant service until 1864, when he was again shot at Cold Harbor. This time in the left arm, and so severe was the wound that he was totally disabled for further service, and was compelled, though un- willingly, to return to his home.
After following different occupations until 1870 he engaged as captain and in other capacities on lake steamers plying Lake Superior. In 1875 he came to Genesee county, Michigan, and purchased a farm in Flushing town- ship and occupied this for ten years. In the spring of 1885 he was given the clerkship in the office of the state land commissioner, holding this appoint- ment for five years, at the close of which he returned to Flushing, where he has since resided.
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He was married in 1874 to Miss Caroline Packard, who was born in Flushing April 5, 1850, and was the daughter of Thomas and Parmelia Packard. Mr. and Mrs. Greenfield are the parents of two living children- Sadie and James B. Mary E. died in her twenty-second year, and another daughter, Millie, was called away at the promising age of eighteen, as was also the case of Carrie A., another daughter. Mr. Greenfield has taken an able part in the activities of the Republican party, having served as delegate in many of their important conventions. He is one of the directors of the State Bank of Flushing, and has in many ways participated in the general activities of the community.
One would naturally expect to find him vitally connected with the Grand Army of the Republic, and in this we are not mistaken. He is a charter mem- ber of the Ransom Post, No. 89, and has served at different times as com- mander of the post. Furthermore, he has not only attended all the state and national encampments since 1882, but has been called upon to serve in these departments at different times. Mention must also be made of his notable work as a member of the Masonic fraternity. He has not stopped with mem- bership in the Blue Lodge, No. 223, but has gone forward and up until he has reached the Mystic Shrine. More words are not needed to make further comment on the record Mr. Greenfield has made. His life speaks for itself. It is in this instance certainly true that his record is his life's best commentary.
ROBERT J. WHALEY.
Keen business insight and acute powers as a financier are some of the traits of one of Flint's representative citizens, Mr. Robert J. Whaley. He was born in Castile, Wyoming county, New York, December 8, 1840, and the first ten years of his life were spent at Pike in the same county. His mother died when he was eight years old and two years later his father, Jeremiah M. Whaley, removed to Hudson, Wisconsin. He had followed the mer- cantile trade in New York, and upon his arrival in Wisconsin opened up a general store, later becoming postmaster during President Pierce's administration. He continued more or less actively in business until his death at the advanced age of eighty years. He was intimately connected with the growth of the commonwealth, and was at one time a candidate for the legisla- ture from a district which comprised the west side of Wisconsin up to Lake Superior. Robert remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, at which time it fell to his lot, at the death of an uncle, to return to New York state to care for his grandmother. Here he remained until his grandmother's death, which occurred in 1865. After settling up the estate and coming back to Wisconsin, he was married in 1867 to Miss Mary McFarlan, of Flint, whom he had previously met in New York, where she had been visiting. Coming to Flint in the autumn of 1867 he went into the employ of his father-in-law,
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Mr. Alexander McFarlan, remaining there until the latter's death in 1881. Mr. McFarlan had extensive business interests, being engaged on a large scale in lumbering and manufacturing, employing from fifty to sixty men. Mr. Whaley soon evinced able business traits, and was shortly given the supervision of important departments in the planing and saw mills. They got out their own logs and worked up from six to eight million feet annually. This busi- ness eventually declined with the approaching scarcity of timber.
Upon the organization of the Citizens' Bank, Mr. Whaley became one of the directors, being the youngest one on the board. Sterling merit, con- scientious effort, and a comprehensive grasp of business situations generally, soon won for him the confidence and esteem of all with whom he came in contact. Mr. McFarlan was a heavy stockholder in the bank, and he encour- aged Mr. Whaley to make himself thoroughly familiar with all the phases of the bank's business. He became bookkeeper and attended to all the collections. Ere long he was made president and has continued in that capacity until the present, although the bank was reorganized in the meantime and became the Citizens' Commercial and Savings Bank. Mr. Whaley has been a bank presi- dent for over twenty-seven years, which exceeds the time of any other similar officer in this section of the state.
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