USA > Michigan > Gratiot County > Biographical memoirs of Gratiot County, Michigan : compendium of biography of celebrated Americans > Part 16
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Mr. Young is a director of the First State Savings Bank of Breckenridge, and of the Breckenridge Canning Company. For one year Mr. Young was clerk of Wheeler township. He is very prominent fraternally, being a member of the Masonic order, Breckenridge Lodge, No. 406; St. Louis Chapter, No. 87; St. Louis Council, No. 68; and Ithaca Commandery, Knights Templar, No. 40; Bay City Consistory, to the eighteenth degree, and the Detroit Con- sistory to the thirty-second degree; and the Detroit Mystic Shriners. He also belongs to the Knights of the Modern Maccabees.
On January 6, 1881, Mr. Young was married in Brooklyn, Michigan, to Miss Mary Boneman, who was born in New York and reared in the Wolverine State. Mrs. Young was a daughter of Henry and Anna Boneman, and she and her husband have had 'three children : Guy S., Glenn B. and one son that died in infancy.
D UNCAN MCKENZIE, who is high- way commissioner of Emerson town- ship, where he is successfully engaged in the cultivation of his farm of one hundred and twenty acres in Section 12 and forty acres in Section II, was born in Ross-shire, Scotland, January 1, 1851, and is one of the most highly esteemed agriculturists of the county, where he has resided over thirty years. He is a son of John and Jessie (Mc- Donald) Mckenzie, who had six children and died in Scotland-the father in 1894,
at the age of eighty-four, and the mother in 1898, aged eighty-two. Duncan was the second of their children, the others being : Jessie, Mrs. Rodrick McKinzie, resides in Ross-shire, Scotland; Mary, deceased, was. the wife of John McGregor; Alexander is a farmer of Bethany township, Gratiot county ; Martha and Donald, both unmar- ried, live on a farm in Ross-shire, Scotland.
Duncan Mckenzie was reared in Scot- land, where he received his education and engaged in farming. At the age of twenty- one years he emigrated to America and on landing came to Gratiot county, since which time he has been a resident of Emerson town- ship. He was united in marriage in Emer- son township, February 28, 1879, to Miss Mary Edgar, who was born in County El- gin, Ontario, April 15, 1860, daughter of Stewart and Margaret (Dunn) Edgar, na- tives of Scotland, who migrated from County Elgin, Ontario, to Gratiot county, Michigan, in the fall of 1865, and settled on Section 2, Emerson township, where they spent the remainder of their lives. Mrs. Mckenzie's father died October 12, 1889, aged seventy-six years, while her mother passed away in February, 1898, when sev- enty years of age. Of a family of seven children Mrs. McKenzie was the sixth child.
After marriage Mr. and Mrs. Mckenzie settled on Section 12, Emerson township, where he had purchased forty acres of land, which, by his industry, has since been added to until he now has one hundred and sixty acres, forty acres of which are in Section II, and all is under cultivation. He has at present one of the best improved farms in the township; the farm buildings are very substantial and his dwelling is attractive and homelike. To himself and wife have been
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born these children : John, William, Mar- garet V., Elsie R. and Ernest E. Mr. Mc- Kenzie has been a member of the board of review of Emerson township for several years, as well as a school director. In April, 1905, he was elected highway commissioner. His estimable wife is a member of the First Presbyterian Church. He is a man of high standing in his locality, both personally and in a financial way.
T SHERIDAN SOMERVILLE is one of the prominent men of Emerson township, being identified with its agricul- tural interests to a large degree. He was born May 14, 1865, in Cambria county, Pennsylvania, son of David and Rebecca (McKee) Somerville.
David Somerville was a native of the Keystone State, born in 1833, and he and his wife removed from Indiana county, Pennsyl- vania, to DeKalb county, Indiana, and thence to Gratiot county, Michigan, where they set- tled in the spring of 1884. Mr. Somerville died in Emerson township, July 4, 1896, aged sixty-three, his wife surviving him until December II, 1904, when she followed him at the age of seventy-four. They were the parents of seven children, viz. : Crissie, wife of Edmon Loughery; Martha, widow of John Strong; Stella, Mrs. Charles Coston ; Thomas Sheridan; William S .; Mary, who married R. N. Miller; and Ella, widow of William Purdy.
Mr. Somerville came with his parents to Gratiot county in 1884, and lived at home until his marriage, when he settled on the farm upon which he now resides. On No- vember 24, 1891, he was united in marriage to Miss Emma Wiles, born October 11, 1864, in Shelby county, Ohio, daughter of James
and Penina E. (Emerich) Wiles, natives of Ohio. The parents of Mrs. Somerville came to Gratiot county in 1883, and settled in Emerson township, where the mother died in the fall of 1891, leaving these children : Mary, Mrs. Richard Benham; Emma, Mrs. Somerville ; Martha, Mrs. Melvern Sanders ; Clinton; and Franklin. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Somerville : Nellie, Edith and Cecil.
Mr. Somerville has always engaged in farming and has been very successful. He owns 160 acres of land, of which 143 are under cultivation, and improved with good buildings. His land is very productive and under his attentive management has brought him large returns. His reputation in his neighborhood is that of one of the progress- ive farmers, as well as reliable citizens of Emerson township. Fraternally he affiliates with Emerson Lodge, No. 375, Independent Order of Odd Fellows.
F RANK E. HOLTON, a well-to-do agri- culturist of Bethany township, Gratiot county, has been a resident of that section for nearly forty years. He was born in Jackson county, Michigan, May 25, 1857, son of Joseph and Elizabeth ( Barnes) Holton, be- ing the seventh child in their family of eleven children.
Mr. Holton came to Gratiot county with his parents in the spring of 1866, and here grew to manhood and attended the district schools. He has always followed farming, and owns a fine 160-acre tract, upon which he is successfully carrying on general agri- cultural pursuits. His buildings are large and conveniently situated and his farm well kept and highly improved.
Frank E. Holton was married in Tomp-
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kins Center, Jackson county, Michigan, in December, 1878, to Miss Sarah Jane Lewis, a native of England, who died in Bethany township, May 23, 1891. She was the mother of four children: Frankie, Edgar M., Sarah E. and Lynn H., the last named dying on Thanksgiving Day, November 26, 1896, aged seven years. Mr. Holton's sec- ond marriage, to Miss Hattie L. Webster, took place on October 27, 1896, in Ovid, Michigan. Mrs. Holton was born in Gene- see county, Michigan, November 12, 1867, daughter of Albert J. and Eveline (Perry) Webster.
Politically Mr. Holton is a Republican. He has served as school treasurer of his dis- trict for six years. As a man of sterling character, progressive and public-spirited, he is much esteemed by his fellow citizens.
JOHN S. DOYLE. Among those who have been identified for a number of years with the agricultural interests of this section of the country may be mentioned John S. Doyle, of Lafayette township, Grat- iot county. Mr. Doyle's birth occurred April 21, 1851, at Sodus Point, Wayne county, New York, and he is a son of Francis and Sallie M. (Phelps) Doyle, the former a na- tive of Ireland, and the latter of New Eng- land parentage. James Doyle, the paternal grandfather, was also born in the Emerald Isle, but emigrated to America and died in New York City. Francis Doyle died at Sodus Point, New York, in January, 1862, when about forty-two years of age, while his widow passed away in Ingham county, Michigan, in March, 1901, aged seventy- eight years. They had a family of eleven children, of whom John S. was the fifth member, the others being as follows, named
in the order of their birth: Catherine died in infancy ; James died in 1861, while a soldier in the Civil war; Rose, who died in 1893, married Milton Wortman; Eunice died when two years old; Lewis is a Wheatfield ( Michi- gan) farmer; Freeman is an agriculturist of Muskegon county, Michigan; Ward C., a farmer, lives at Alpena, Michigan ; George and Mary both died in infancy; Frances is now Mrs. James Carpenter, of Alpena.
John S. Doyle spent the early years of his life at Sodus Point, New York, and at the age of fifteen years came with his mother's family-his father having died when John was eleven years old-to Ing- ham county, Michigan, where they settled on a farm. He was reared to the life of an agriculturist, and here he married April 9, 1879, Miss Lucelle Frost, who was born in Wheatfield, Ingham county, Michigan, Janu- ary 19, 1857, daughter of James B. and Ly- dia (Austin) Frost. James B. Frost was born in Cambridgeshire, England, and died in April, 1899, in his sixty-fourth year, while his wife was born in Livingston county, Michigan, and passed away aged fifty-two. They had nine children, of whom Mrs. Doyle was the eldest.
Mr. and Mrs. Doyle lived in Ingham county until November, 1881, when they came to Gratiot county, and, settling in La- fayette township, purchased forty acres of land in Section 16, which he cleared from the timber, and upon which he lived until the spring of 1904. In that year Mr. Doyle sold a part of his land, and purchased eighty acres in Section 7, where he now resides. He is the owner of 120 acres, of which he has eighty-five under cultivation.
To Mr. and Mrs. John S. Doyle have been born these children: J. Frank; Alice
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J., the wife of Archie Walter; Edna A .; J. Ward and Della L., twins; Minnie F .; Ge- nevieve M .; Madge L., and Erma I.
Mr. Doyle held the office of supervisor of Lafayette township for two years, from 1899 to 1901. He was treasurer of Lafay- ette township in 1900 and township clerk in 1887-88-89-90, and appears to have been well qualified. He was township treasurer of Alaiedon township, Ingham county, for one term, and school director of that county. Since coming to Lafayette township he has been school trustee for many years. He takes a great deal of interest in county and township affairs and is a stanch Democrat. He was nominated on the Democratic ticket, in August, 1904, for county treasurer. He and his estimable wife are members of the M. E. Church, in which he has held the offices of treasurer and steward. Fraternally he affiliates with Breckenridge Lodge, No. 406, Free and Accepted Masons.
W ILLIAM C. SULLIVAN, a sub- stantial citizen of Pine River township, Gratiot county, Michigan, and the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, is a member of a prominent Michigan family, and was born on Section 33, Pine River township, December 25, 1866, the eldest son of the late Daniel R. Sullivan, and brother of J. D. Sullivan, whose sketch appears elsewhere.
Daniel R. Sullivan was born in New- port, Rhode Island, June 8, 1830, son of Cornelius and Margaret (Murphy) Sulli- van, natives of Ireland. In 1829, soon after their marriage in the Emerald Isle, they emigrated to America, first locating in Bos- ton for one year, and then removing to Newport, Rhode Island, where, as stated,
Daniel R. was born. In 1836 they moved to Michigan, settling in Washtenaw county, and in 1842 went to Jackson county, where they both died. When his parents first set- tled in Michigan Daniel R. Sullivan was six years of age, and he remained at home much of the time until he was thirty-two years old. He received a common school education, and at the age of eighteen years wen't to New Orleans, Louisiana, where for thirteen years he was chiefly engaged in steamboating. In August, 1854, he lo- cated one hundred and sixty acres of wild land in Pine River township, Gratiot county, and in the fall of 1861, on his return from New Orleans, he settled on the tract named. He first built a frame house, but in 1877 he completed a fine brick residence, which he first occupied on the day before Christ- mas of that year. There Mr. Sullivan died on the 19th of January, 1895. In Decem- ber, 1862, in Arcada township, Daniel R. Sullivan married Miss Jeannette Adams, daughter of Emery and Maria (Lewis) Adams, and four children were born to this union : William C., who is mentioned be- low; John D .; Mary, who died in infancy ; and Margaret, deceased wife of Dr. Nelson F. McClinton, of Alma, the son of a vet- eran practitioner, and himself a young prac- titioner of thorough education and great promise. Mr. Sullivan was repeatedly hon- ored with public office, serving for one year as supervisor and for several terms as highway commissioner. In the spring of 1883 he was elected treasurer of his town- ship. He was a Democrat and a Mason- in good standing with both his party and his fraternity-and he was universally es- teemed in the community of which he had been a valued member for more than thirty
Wm le Sullivan van
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years. Mrs. Sullivan, who is identified with the Episcopal Church, is still a resident of Alma.
William C. Sullivan was reared in Pine River township, the place of his birth, and has always resided there, with the excep- tion of two years spent in Jackson county, Michigan. He received his education in the common schools and was early trained to the occupation he has made his life work. Mr. Sullivan was married in Alma, Mich- igan, July 3, 1887, to Miss Annette Kate Pontine, born May 29, 1871, in Port Bur- well, Dominion of Canada, daughter of Al- bert and Rosa (Millard) Pontine. Her pa- ternal grandfather, George Pontine, who was a Canadian ship carpenter, at an early date removed to Port Huron, Michigan, where he died in 1905, and where his widow still resides. Albert Pontine, her father, was born February 17, 1849, and her moth- er, August 16, 1854. Their marriage took place in Canada. Mr. Pontine was a car- penter and builder, and in 1875, when An- nette was four years of age, migrated to the United States, locating one mile north of Ithaca, Gratiot county. After being em- ployed there as a mill hand for about a year, he resumed his trade as a carpenter and builder, removing for that purpose to the village of Alma. He is still thus engaged, he and his wife being respected residents of that place. Besides Mrs. Sullivan, who is the eldest of their children, they were the parents of Miss Minnie Florence, at home ; and Ida May, wife of George Farrough, a farmer of Arcada township, Gratiot county.
Mr. and Mrs. William C. Sullivan have been blessed with two children, Maude Pauline and Rowena Belle. They are so- cially popular, and especially identified with
the religious and charitable work of the Christian Church. Fraternally Mr. Sulli- van has affiliated himself with Forest Hill Tent, No. 526, Knights of the Modern Maccabees, and has filled most of its chairs. He has been a prominent participant in township affairs, being now an incumbent of the position of township treasurer for his second term, his last election being in April, 1905. As he is also the prosperous pro- prietor of a one-hundred-and-sixty-acre farm, ninety acres of which are under thor- ough cultivation and improved by substan- tial and modern buildings, there is abundant reason for placing Mr. Sullivan among the best representatives of Pine River township and Gratiot county.
C HARLES AUGUST SCHOLTZ, of Wheeler township, Gratiot county, has for a number of years been engaged in cultivating his fine farm in Section 32. He was born October 3, 1858, in the city of Saginaw, Michigan, being the eldest son of Johann Joseph and Henrietta (Ecarius) Scholtz. His parents were born in Lippehne, Prussia, Johann Joseph Scholtz on March 3, 1832, and his wife on June 3, 1831, and there they were married. They came to America in 1857, with their daughter Bertha, and settled in the city of Saginaw, Michigan, where Mr. Scholtz established himself as, perhaps, the leading carpenter, builder and contractor in that growing burg. He became very prominent, especially as the framer of large buildings, and during his twenty years of residence and energetic work erected a large portion of the structures in Saginaw, and the surrounding country. In 1877 he abandoned these lines and repaired to a farm in Thomastown township, about four miles
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from the city, and there, with his wife, he still remains. Both are faithful members of the Lutheran Church. On August 24, 1904, they had the gratification of celebrating their golden wedding at the Thomastown home- stead. Five children were born to them: Bertha, who died in Saginaw; Charles Au- gust ; Matilda, wife of Ferdinand Molden- hauer, of San Jose, California; Louis, who died in Thomastown; and Otto, living in Saginaw, Michigan. The parents of Johann Joseph Scholtz (the grandparents of Charles A.) were Johann Joseph and Amelia (Noak) Scholtz, who lived and died in the Father- land.
Charles A. Scholtz was reared in the city of Saginaw, and received his education in the city and parochial schools and by private instruction, making a special study of civil engineering. After leaving school Mr. Scholtz mastered telegraphy, being employed by the Michigan Central, Flint & Pere Mar- quette, and the Saginaw Valley & St. Louis railroads. He pursued that calling for eight or ten years, afterward engaging with his father in carpentry and contracting. Mr. Scholtz then gave his time and attention to farming in Saginaw county, where he re- mained until 1882. In 1890 he located in Gratiot county, and settled on Section 32, Wheeler township, where he had purchased eighty acres, all woodland, two years pre- viously. Since that time he has resided in Wheeler township, has cleared his original farm of timber, bought forty acres adjoin- ing, and erected most creditable buildings, supplied with modern arrangements, both for domestic use and heating.
Mr. Scholtz was married August 22, 1886, in Saginaw, Michigan, to Miss Wil- helmina Maas, who was born in Kempen-
dorf, Pomerania, Germany, January 17, 1865. To this union the following named children have been born : Louis, Julius and Joseph J., of whom Julius died in infancy. Since locating in Gratiot county Mr. Scholtz has engaged in civil engineering and survey- ing in connection with farming operations. He has been prominent in town affairs, in which he has taken an active and practical interest. While in Thomastown township, Saginaw county, he served as school direc- tor and justice of the peace, and since be- coming a resident of Wheeler township he has been school director for many years, drain commissioner of Gratiot county for two years, and of Wheeler township for four years. Politically he is a Republican, and both he and his wife are members of the German Lutheran Church. Mr. Scholtz is fraternally identified with the Masonic Lodge of Breckenridge, Michigan, Blue Lodge, No. 406, and with the Maccabees, Peterman Tent No. 290, of Breckenridge.
SETH J. CURTIS is influential in the field of politics, business and agricul- ture in Hamilton township, Gratiot county. He served in the capacity of township treas- urer, an office he filled very efficiently. Mr. Curtis was born on his father's farm in Ham- ilton township, January 12, 1859, and has made this locality his home, with the excep- tion of three years when he was engaged in a mercantile business at Sickels.
The late Daniel Curtis, the father of Seth J., was born near London, Ontario, and was one of the first settlers of Hamilton town- ship. He and his wife, Eliza Golden, who was born in Illinois, came to Gratiot county at an early day and settled on Section 3, Hamilton township, where they spent the re-
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mainder of their lives, Mr. Curtis dying in Carthage, New York, while on a visit to that place, in 1882, at the age of fifty-six years. The mother died in 1875, aged forty-five. In the order of their birth, their children were as follows : Mrs. Eli Jump, deceased ; Henry, a resident of Ithaca, Michigan; Seth J., whose biography follows; Elam and Cora, both deceased; Melvin Curtis, of Idaho; and Edith, married to Alfred Spear, and resid- ing in Lafayette township.
Seth J. Curtis was reared in Hamilton township. Farming has been his life work, and he is the owner of 120 acres of good land, about eighty-five of which are under cultivation. Mr. Curtis has been twice mar- ried, his first wife being Helen Leona Corn- well, the daughter of Rev. William Cornwell. To this union two children were born, Mil- ton A. and Ruth, the latter of whom died aged two years. Mrs. Helen L. Curtis died in Hamilton township in November, 1899, and Mr. Curtis married December 23, 1900, Mrs. Mina Derry, a daughter of Abraham Weaver, and the widow of Frank A. Derry. To Mr. Curtis and his second wife one child has been born, Carl A.
Seth J. Curtis has held the office of school inspector for several terms, served as town- ship treasurer from 1903 to 1905, and was elected supervisor April 2, 1906. He is a prominent member of the Ancient Order of Gleaners.
FRANK EDWIN COWDREY, of New-
ark township, is a representative type of the intelligent, thrifty and prosperous agriculturists, who make up the community in which he lives. By his systematic and progressive management he has produced admirable results and his farm, which, while
not one of the large properties of the county, is nevertheless above the average because of its high state of cultivation. With the ex- ception of a few years Mr. Cowdrey has been a lifelong resident of the township, where he was born on the very farm he now owns, December 16, 1865.
The parents of Frank E. Cowdrey were William P. and Frances (Greer) Cowdrey. The earlier years of their married life were passed in Seneca county, Ohio, where Mr. Cowdrey was, as always, engaged in agri- cultural pursuits. At the time they moved to Gratiot county, Michigan, the country was but sparsely settled, and they were among the earlier residents of Newark township. Their farm was located in section 35 and there they continued to reside for a number of years, although later they removed to North Star township, and were living there at the time they died. Mr. and Mrs. Cow- drey had a family of eight children, of whom the son, Frank E., was the fifth in order of birth. They were worthy and estimable people and were highly regarded by the peo- ple of the various communities in which they made their home at different times.
Frank E. Cowdrey has all his life been engaged in farming, for as a boy, even while attending school, he did much at home to assist his father, and as he grew older he naturally became even more and more con- versant with the details of farm life and bet- ter able to cope with the various problems which confront the farmer. During one period of about eight years he lived in North Star township, but for the rest of the time he has always resided in Newark township on the farm which his father first purchased there. He has been a close student of mod- ern agricultural methods, and has given close
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attention to the operations of his own prop- erty. His farm comprises one hundred acres and about eighty-five of these are under cul- tivation. There are a number of good build- ings on the place, which Mr. Cowdrey him- self has put up as need arose.
It is still less than ten years since Mr. Cowdrey entered the married estate. His wife was Miss Effie B. Minaker, who became the partner of his joys and sorrows, October 18, 1896. Mrs. Cowdrey was born in Can- ada, in Prince Edward county, Ontario, September 18, 1874, and was a daughter of George and Rosabella (Martin) Minaker, the oldest child in a family of seven. Mr. and Mrs. Cowdrey are the parents of two children, Frieda and Clifford.
Frank E. Cowdrey is one of the residents of Newark township who has never shirked his responsibilities as a citizen of this great country, but has always manifested an inter- est in public affairs and taken a part in local politics, supporting the Republican side. Not only is his ability a matter of public knowl- edge, but his honesty and general upright- ness of character have also been so fully recognized by his fellow townsmen that they have shown their confidence in him both as a man and as an official, who would conserve their interests as his own, by electing him to the office of township treasurer, a position which he is filling now for the second term.
F RANK M. VANDERCOOK, editor and publisher of the St. Louis Inde- pendent, of St. Louis, Michigan, was born June 27, 1853, in the village of Fulton, Ful- ton county, New York. When two years of age he was brought by his parents to Ingham county, Michigan, the family locat- ing on a farm four miles north of Mason,
where they resided until 1857, in that year removing to the city. When ten years of age Mr. Vandercook became the "devil" in the office of the Ingham County News, with which he remained until he finished his trade, attending school three years there- after. On April 7, 1870, Mr. Vandercook was married to Elvira Near, and in Febru- ary, 1877, removed with his family to St. Louis, Gratiot county, where his wife died April 7, 1884, leaving three daughters : Ethel, now Mrs. Floyd Butler, of Wayne, Michigan; Maud, wife of Charles Vanden- bergh, of St. Louis, Michigan; and Hattie, Mrs. S. J. Bole, superintendent of schools at Durand, Michigan. In May, 1885, Mr. Vandercook was married (second) to Miss Elsie Livingstone, of Saginaw.
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