USA > Michigan > Lenawee County > History and biographical record of Lenawee County, Michigan, Volume II > Part 31
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E LVIN C. COLE was born in Hector, Tompkins county, N. Y., December 4, 1812. His father, Lewis Cole, was born in Dutchess county, N. Y., about the year 1785, and was always a farmer. He owned a farm in Covert, Seneca coun- ty, N. Y., where he lived at the time of his death, which occurred in 1854. He was twice married, first in 1805, to Hannah Rog- ers, by whom he had six children, Elvin C. being the fifth child and third son. Mrs. Hannah Cole died in 1813. His second marriage occurred in 1822, when he married Fanny Hazen, by whom he had three children. Elvin C. Cole lived with his father until he was about twenty years old, and was brought up a farmer. In 1822 he went to Princeton, Monroe county, and followed farm- ing by the month for about five years, when he purchased a farm, and lived there until 1834. He came to Michigan in June, 1834, and located 160 acres of land on section 8, in Bollin, where he now resides. The land was covered with heavy timber, mostly oak. He has cleared 120 acres, built good buildings, has a choice young orchard of twelve acres, consisting of apples, pears, peaches, and small fruits. When he started for Michigan he had but $200, which he paid for his land. He then went back to New York and resided until 1848, when he returned to Michigan to settle,
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
and clear up his farm. During the interval he had ten acres chopped over. Mr. Cole has never taken any active part in public affairs, more than any person would do who exercised his privi- leges, and attended to his own affairs. He has no taste or desire to engage in anything but farming, and has never attempted any- thing else. March 7, 1837, Elvin C. Cole married Lydia Tuni- son, daughter of Philip and Magdaline Tunison, of Covert, Sen- eca county, N. Y., by whom he had one child, Amos R., born in Covert, Mav 19, 1839, now a farmer of Rollin. Mrs. Lydia Cole was born in Covert, JJanuary 21, 1821, and died there December 17, 1843. April 5, 1848, Mr. Cole married Mrs. Mary Ann Cole, widow of Darius Cole, and daughter of Spencer and Sophia Allen, of Macedon, Wayne county, N. Y., by whom he had one son, Allen, born in Rollin, this county, August 14, 1849, now a resi- dent of Wheatland, Hillsdale county. Mrs. Mary Ann Cole was born in Macedon, in 1820, and died in Rollin, September 17, 1849. May 2, 1852, Mr. Cole was married to Elvira L. Dayton, daughter of Azor and Amanda Dayton, by whom he has had two children, as follows: Emma C., born in Rollin, July 21, 1853, now the wife of John C. Schneider, of Rollin; Elvin D., born same place, February 28, 1861, at home. Mrs. Elvira L. Cole was born in Van Buren, Onondaga county, N. Y., June 2, 1826. Her parents were natives of Middletown, Rutland county, Vermont. Her mother died July 21, 1837, in Van Buren, N. Y. Her father died in Rollin, this county, October 1, 1869, aged 63.
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ILLIAM H. GRANDY was born in Charleston, Mont- gomery county, N. Y., March 27, 1821. He lived in Montgomery county until he was twenty-one years old, and was brought up a farmer. In 1842 he went to Schoharie county, and followed farming about five years, and in 1848 lie came to Michigan, arriving in Adrian July 7th. His father, Ed- mond Grandy, was born in New Hampshire, March 1, 1782, but when he was a boy his father, Parker Grandy, who came from England, moved to Warren county, N. Y., and settled on the banks of Lake George, where he followed his trade of weaving. When Edmond Grandy was twenty-one, he went to Glen's Falls and followed farming, where he was married to Dorcas Dean,
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HISTORY AND BIOGRAPHICAL RECORD
daughter of James and Phebe Dean, of that place, February 19, 1804. He soon after moved to Charleston, Montgomery county, and purchased a farm. He resided in Montgomery county until 1847, when he sold out and moved to Macedon, Wayne county, where he stayed one year, when he came to Michigan and settled in Raisin, this county, in 1848. He raised a family of fifteen chil- dren, eleven sons and four daughters, fourteen of whom lived to become men and women. He died in Raisin, February 2, 1856, and his wife died in the same place, June 21, 1858. William H. Grandy was the tenth child of his parents, and had been inured to hard work. He came to Michigan solely for the purpose of securing a home, and in 1849 he purchased a farm of Jacob Ar- nold, on section 24, in Adrian township. In 1850-1 he worked with his ox team on the Adrian and Bean Creek plank road, for one dollar per day and board. There were no buildings on his farm when he purchased it, and in the spring of 1853 he built a small frame house, and has resided there ever since. Mr. Grandy has never paid any attention to politics, except to exercise the great prerogative of casting his ballot at elections, hence he has never held office, or been very prominent in public affairs. He has always attended to his own business, and endeavored to let. other people's alone. In 1870 he built a fine residence, and has a large and well selected fruit orchard. April 28, 1850, William H. Grandy married Harriet Elizabeth Taylor, daughter of Woos- ter and Ursula Taylor, of Woodstock, this county, by whom he has had two children, as follows: Ettie Jane, born in Adrian, March 11, 1858, died August 21, 1864; Frank J., born in Adrian, August 24, 1860, at home. Mrs. Harriet E. Grandy was born near Towner's Corners, Putnam county, N. Y., August 14, 1831, and came to Michigan with her parents in October, 1834, and the following year her father took up a farm in Rome. Wooster Tay- lor was born in Newtown, Coun., May 26, 1804, where he lived until he was eight years old, when he went with an uncle to Whitehal), N. Y., and lived until he was sixteen, when he went back to Newtown and learned the shoemaker's trade. He followed his trade in Newtown for several years, and in 1828 he moved to Putnam and Dutchess counties, where he resided until 1834, when he came to Michigan for the purpose of purchasing a farm, and giving up his trade, which injured his health. He died in the city of Adrian, March 7, 1876. January 4, 1825, Wooster Tavlor was married to Ursula Blackman, daughter of Zera H. and Laurena (Judson) Blackman, of Newtown, Conn., by whom he had five child- ren, as follows: Emily Ann, born in Newtown, Conn., October 11, 1827, now the wife of Thomas Marshall, of Hudson; Louisa Jane,
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
born in Dutchess county, N. Y., May 7, 1834, now the wife of John M. De Parino Reese, of Portland, Oregon; Oliver B., born in Rome, this county, August 10, 1836, of Sherman, Wexford county, Mich .; Phebe Adelaide, born in Rome, November 27, 1838, now the wife of Nathaniel M. Hester, of Walla Walla, Washington Territory. Mrs. Ursula Taylor was born in Newtown, Conn., July 12, 1807, and now lives with her daughter, Mrs. Grandy, in Adrian township.
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ILLIAM BARKER was born in Boothby, Lincolnshire, England, December 13, 1809. His father, Francis Barker, was born in Ingoldsby, Lincolnshire, England, January 3, 1787. He passed the most of his life in Lincoln- shire, was brought up a shepherd, and followed it until he be- came too old to look after stock. About the year 1868 he came to America, and lived with his son William, in Ogden, until his death, which occurred December 4, 1873. About the year 1806, Francis Barker was married to Miss Helener Bailey, daughter of Thomas Bailey, of Londonthorp, Lincolnshire, by whom he had six chil- dren, William being the second child and oldest son. Mrs. Hel- ener Barker was born in Londonthorp, in 1788, and died about the year 1820. William Barker lived with his father until he was about thirteen years old, when he commenced working on a farm. He followed farming in Lincolnshire until he was about twenty-one, when he came to America, sailing from Liverpool in the ship Florida, landing in New York, January 3, 1831, after a voyage of sixty-three days. The morning following his landing, he started on foot with a pack on his back, and walked as far as Fishkill Plaies, in Dutchess county, where he found employment with a farmer named Daniel Grant, but after working there about six weeks, he went on to Dryden, Tompkins county, where his unele, William Bailey, resided. He made it his home with his uncle for about two years, but in the fall of 1831, his uncle owned a threshing machine, and William assisted him in running it. This machine was then known as the English threshing machine, and was constructed by three Englishmen named Matthew, Mark and John Keightly. They built two of these machines about the
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year 1829, and they were then said to be the first portable thresh- ing machines in America. But there have been great improvements in threshers since that time, for these machines did not separate the grain from the chaff, and the straw was thrown out at the feeder's feet. They would thresh about 300 bushels per day, and four horses furnished the motive power. In the fall of 1832 Mr. Barker went to Seneca county, with a machine, where he resided until the spring of 1837, when he came to Michigan. Before he left Seneca county he had traded half of a threshing machine, which he owned, for fifty acres of land in Fairfield, but when he got here he discovered that he had been swindled, and that he had no land. He had no money to help himself with, and went into Ogden to find employment. The first land he owned in Michigan consisted of one acre, on section 4, in Ogden, which he paid for by giving his wife's silk dress, and one dollar in money. He after- ward leased a farm for three years, and soon after traded and worked for a yoke of steers, and in the spring of 1839 he traded his steers and acre of land for ten acres of good sugar maple land, . on the same section. He saw many hardships during the first few years of his residence here. His family consisted of a wife and one child, who were often reduced to actual hunger, and many meals consisted solely of potatoes or turnips, and salt. He raised some corn, but had no way of getting it to mill, as he had no team, and the roads were almost impassable. During one fall he was obliged to resort to a jack-plane, with which he shaved the ears of corn, suc- ceeding in cutting it fine enough to wet up and make into a cake. Those were trying times, but Mr. and Mrs. Barker were young and determined to secure a farm and home, and finally suc- ceeded, after all manner of privations and discomforts. In the fall of 1843 he purchased forty acres on the school section in Og- den, and erected himself, a log house in the woods. Since that time he has added to it, until he now owns 120 acres, with nearly 100 acres cleared, and it is a very valuable and productive farm. He has erected a good frame house, with barns, etc., and has a good orchard of choice fruit. He resided there until the fall of 1879, when he leased his farm to his son, and moved to Fairfield village, where he now resides. March 30, 1834, William Barker married Ann Teeple, daughter of Peter and Mary Teeple, of Co- vert, Seneca county, N. Y., by whom he has had seven children, as follows: Mary Helener, born in Covert, Seneca county, N. Y., November 6, 1836, died September 2, 1840; Francis M., born in Ogden, February 4, 1839, died March 6, 1841; Elizabeth, born same place, June 30, 1841, now the wife of Ruel N. Lee, of Od- den ; Catharine Ellen, born same place, April 13, 1844, now the
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
wife of Henry Young, of Ogden; Lucy Ann, born same place, December 13, 1848, at home; Norman B., born same place, March 12, 1854, a farmer of Ogden. One child died in infancy. Mrs. Ann Barker was born in Ovid, Seneca county, N. Y., January 26, 1815, and is still living, to relate her pioneer experience in Michi- gan, and feels that she has endured as much, and worked as hard to make Lenawee county what it is, as any woman now living in the county.
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M ATTHEW H. KERR was born in Crankill, Antrim county, Ireland, November 18, 1829. His father, Robert Kerr, was born in the same place, May 10, 1798, and was the son of John and Mcaugh Kerr, who lived and died on the same farm. Robert Kerr inherited the lease of his father's farm; and lived on it sixty-two years, where he died in 1860. He was a descendant of the Scotch Puritans. In 1826 Robert Kerr married Mary Henry, daughter of Matthew and Martha M. Henry, of Ballynaloob, Antrim county, by whom he had six children, Mat- thew H. being the second child. Mrs. Mary Kerr was born in Ballynaloob, in 1804, and died in Crankill, in 1852. Her father and mother were natives of Antrim county, and descendants of the Scotch Puritans, who settled in Antrim county in 1679. Her mother was the daughter of Robert Templeton, who lived in Money Cannon, Antrim county. Matthew H. Kerr lived with his parents on the farm until he was twenty years old, when he came to America, arriving in New York, April 28, 1848. He had no friends or acquaintances in this country except Joseph Herbison, of Tecumseh, and had no particular destination. He had a little money, and thought he would see the country. He went to Phil- adelphia, thence to Harrisburgh and Pittsburgh, and down the Ohio and Mississippi rivers to New Orleans, where he found em- ployment in a warehouse on the river for about one year, when he came north and arrived in Tecumseh, August 16, 1849. In the spring of 1850 he commenced the carpenter's trade, and afterward worked for James Berry and Daniel A. Loomis, in Adrian, at times, for about five years. In 1853 he purchased eighty acres of new land on section 13, in Palmyra, but sold it the next year and purchased 120 acres on sections 3 and 4, in Dover, where he re-
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sided until 1870, when he purchased eighty acres opposite, on sec- tion 9, where he now resides, and now owns two hundred acres of land, 150 of which is under improvement, with good buildings and conveniences. All the money he had when he arrived in Tecum- seh, in 1849, was $25, which he afterward loaned to a man and never got his pay. Whatever he has now of property he has made wholly since that time, with his own hands, and by the exercise of frugality and economy, and feels that he made no mistake when he , chose Lenawee county for an abiding place, in preference to any other part of this vast country. March 14, 1852, Matthew H. Kerr married Susan Lang, daughter of John and Mary Lang, of Fieugh, County Fermannah, Ireland, by whom he has had six children, as follows: William J., born in Palmyra, this county, February 14, 1853, a resident of Kansas City, Mo .; John R., born in Dover, March 28, 1856, at home; David H., born same place, July 14, 1858, a farmer of Dover; George A., born same place, May 4, 1862, at home; Matthew H., born same place, September 19, 1865, at home; Mary E., born same place, January 22, 1868, at home. Mrs. Susan Kerr was born in Fieugh, County Fermannah, Ireland, May 18, 1831, came to America with her parents in 1847, and landed in Quebec. She was eight weeks on the voyage; during the last four weeks the ship fever raged, and not a day passed without one or more deaths. Soon after landing, Mrs. Kerr's parents, one sister, her brother-in-law and five chil- dren died. Mrs. Kerr was sick about one year with the fever, but finally recovering she, with her remaining brothers and sisters, went to Londonderry, N. H., and in 1851 the family came to Michigan and settled in Adrian. Her ancestors came from Scot- land during the reign of Lauderdale and his persecution of the non-conformists.
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OHN MAIN was born in Westberry, near Wells, Somerset- shire, England, May 30, 1803. His father, Robert Main, was born in the same place, in 1777, and was a farmer and land-holder. He died there in 1857. He married Hannah Sper- rin, daughter of Thomas and Rachel Sperrin, of Westberry, by whom he had eleven children, John being the oldest. Mrs. Han- nah Main was born in Westberry, in 1782, and died there in 1871. John Main lived with his parents until he was twenty-one years
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
old, and was brought up a farmer. In April, 1830, he sailed with his wife from Bristol, on the ship Cosma, for America, and after a voyage of six weeks landed in New York, June 5th. He went to Sennett, Cayuga county, N. Y., where he worked at farming until the fall of 1836, when he came to Michigan. He arrived at Toledo and came as far as Whiteford (now Sylvania), on the Eric and Kalamazoo railroad, that being as far as the road was finished. They stayed in Whiteford over night, and in the morning started very carly for Blissfield, where they were informed they could ride to Palmyra on the dirt cars. They walked from Whiteford to Blissfield, a distance of eleven miles, before breakfast. They had two small children to carry, besides other burdens. They intended to settle in the town of Franklin, this county, near friends and acquaintances, who had previously come from England. Mr. Main purchased a farm on section 5, where he now lives. There were some ten English families that settled in this locality, and during the past forty or fifty years the neighborhood has been known in the township as "Little England." Mr. Main has cleared up his farm, built good builings, and has always been an industrious, enterprising citizen. He came to America poor, hav .- ing never had any advantages in boyhood for an education, and seeing no prospect for bettering his condition there, he found a wife who was willing to forego parents, home and girlhood pleasures, and come to America with him, in the hopes, if life and health were spared them, to gain a home and comfort, and win the respect and confidence of their neighbors. Just married, full of hope and confidence, they came, without the faintest idea of the country, or its magnitude and future, trusting in a Providence that helps those who are willing to help themselves, they landed on American soil without destination or money. How well they have succeeded can easily be seen by the comfort and happiness they now enjoy about their pleasant home. March 22, 1830, John Main married Frances Card, daughter of William and Martha (Rowley) Card, by whom he has had five children, all of whoni died in infancy. Not having any children of their own, they have brought up three children, as follows: James R. Pawson, born December 2, 1844, a farmer of Franklin, and married Polly Main, daughter of James and Mary Main ; Mary Ann Card, daughter of Charles and Hau- nah Card, married John Bunn, of Franklin; Martha A. Pawson, daughter of John and Charlotte Pawson, and sister of James R., married Selah H. Raymond, a farmer of Rollin. Mrs. Frances . Main was born in Westberry, near Wells, England, September 21, 1804. Her father was born in Westberry, Somerset, Jan- uary 6, 1776, and her mother was born at Mear, in Somerset,
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December 1, 1775. In 1835 William Card and family came to America and settled on section 9, in Franklin, on a new farm. William Card died on his farm, December 1, 1845. His wife died April 26, 1843. Mr. and Mrs. Main have been members of the Franklin M. E. church for forty-two years, having united with the church in 1838. March 22, 1880, was the anniversary of their fiftieth wedding day, and it was duly observed by the relatives and friends, who surprised them with "golden wedding" festivities, when many choice and valuable presents were made, and a most enjoyable time was had.
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ILLIAM B. VANNATTER was born in Oakland county, Mich., June 2, 1830. He lived there with his parents until 1832, when his father, John Vannatter, moved to Bethiel, Branch county, Mich., where he carried on a farm. William B. lived in Bethel until 1839, when he left home and came to this county with Edwin Holloway, and lived with him in Fairfield until 1844. He then worked by the month for different farmers in Fairfield until 1848, when he commenced work with Alfred Fletcher, and learned the blacksmith's trade, serving three years. In 1852 he opened a shop of his own in Fairfield village, and carried it on about ten years; in 1861 he sold his prop- erty to Dr. Cutshaw. In the spring of 1862 he purchased a farm of forty acres in Madison, and in the spring of 1864 purchased a sixty-acre farm on section 22, in Fairfield, but only lived there about one year, when he sold out and opened a blacksmith shop at Randolph's Corners, in Madison. He carried on this shop until 1868, when he went to Adrian, in the employ of the Low Manu- facturing company, remaining there several months. Since that time he has followed blacksmithing most of the time in Adrian, either for himself or in the employ of other parties. He is now carrying on a shop on West Maumee street, in Adrian. In the spring of 1856 he went to California by the Panama route, and returned the following year after an absence of about eighteen months. Mr. Vannatter has passed most of his life in Michigan, being "to the manor born," and has lived in Lenawee county over forty years. He has grown up with the State, and has seen many hardships and privations in his earlier days. His parents were poor, and brought up a family of six children, at a time when
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OF LENAWEE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Michigan was hardly tenable for anybody but Indians. There was no profitable employment for a laboring man in those days, and but very little money to do business with. There were scarcely any schools, churches or social advantages, and life consisted of trials and hardships of the gravest kind. It was often the case that provisions were so scarce that children cried with hunger, and the anxious and sympathising mothers could only give potatoes and salt. Mr. Vannatter is a pioneer in the truest sense. He has never known a parent's care and attention since he was seven years old. At that age he was cast among strangers in a wilderness country. He knows the feelings of a boy lost in the woods while hunting for cows, when the wolves are howling and terrifying him with their wild and furious ravings. He can fully realize the great change that has taken place in Michigan during the past forty-five years, growing as he grew and developing into a grand commonwealth, as he has grown into manhood. His father was John Vannatter, who married Miss Abigail Olmstead, of Oakland county. There is no record of the family, and, as it was broken up when the children were all young, very little is known of its his- tory. March 28, 1852, William B. Vannatter married Miss Alletta Livesay, daughter of Charles and Hannah Livesay, of Fair- field. They have never had any children. Mrs. Alletta Van- natter was born in Horseheads, Chemung county, N. Y., November 15, 1830, came to Michigan with her parents in 1836, and settled on section 22, in Fairfield, this county. Her father, Charles Live- say, was born in the same place, December 15, 1797, and died in Fairfield, this county, March 6, 1868. December 28, 1829, Charles Livesay married Miss Hannah Lowe, of Big Flats, Chemung county, N. Y., by whom he had five children, Mrs. Van- natter being the oldest. Mrs. Hannah Livesay was born in Big Flats, N. Y., July 2, 1806, and is still living at the old home- stead in Fairfield, where she settled with her husband forty-four years ago.
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ARIUS CROSS was born in Roe, Franklin county, Mass., June 5, 1814. He was brought up a farmer, and lived with his father, Jude Cross, until he was twenty years old. In the fall of 1835 he went to Shelburne Falls, Mass., and worked two years in Lamson's scythe-snath works. In September, 1837, (39)
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he came to Michigan and landed in Adrian, on the 19th. In 1834 he saved one hundred dollars, which he sent by Aaron Baker (who then lived in Adrian township), to locate eighty acres of land. Mr. Baker finally located the land on the State line, twenty acres of which was in the township of Medina, and the balance was in Fulton county, Ohio. In the spring of 1838 Mr. Cross settled on this land, but he soon discovered that he was forty-four rods from any road, and could not get a road without buying it, and after about six weeks he left the land and purchased eighty acres in Medina, three miles north, where he resided two years. In 1840 he made a trade with William C. Lowe, for a farm four miles south of Adrian. He owned this farm ten years. In 1850 he sold out to George Griffith, and purchased twenty-five acres of land at Mudge's Corners, three miles south of Adrian. In 1853 he sold out to Benjamin Carpenter, and moved to Adrian. That fall he purchased a farm in Palmyra, of Mr. Fisher. In 1859 he sold to Christopher Treadway, when he purchased twelve acres and a half of Benjamin Carpenter, at Mudge's Corners, and erected a good frame house, barns, etc., set out an orchard, made all the improvements, and still resides there. For twenty years he sold confectionery at wholesale, for Smith & Kinzel and John Kinzel, of Adrian. He owned one horse for thirteen years, and drove him over 90,000 miles. In 1877 he purchased the Brooks farm, on section 15, in Madison. This was the first farm located and set- tled upon in the present town of Madison. William Brooks in 1827 took up the land and lived on it a little over forty-eight years, when he died. Since Mr. Cross purchased the farm he has built a new barn, with other out buildings, repaired the house, and generally improved the place. In 1879 Mr. Cross erected a large building at Mudge's Corners, the upper story of which is used for public purposes. Darius Cross' father, Jude Cross, was born in Buckland, Franklin county, Mass., in 1773, where he lived and owned his father's farm for several years. He finally sold it and moved to Roe, in the same county, where he purchased a farm and died in 1852. He married Mary Ware, who was born in Buck- land, Mass., by whom he had thirteen children, nine daughters and four sons, Darius being the twelfth child. Mrs. Mary Cross died in Roe, Mass., in 1819. August 24, 1837, Darius Cross was mar- ried to Lucretia Ranny, daughter of Jesse and Ruth (Flowers) Ranny, by whom he has had six children, as follows: Edwin, born in Madison, this county, July 20, 1840, a farmer of Madison ; Ruth Ann, born in Madison, March 3, 1842, now the wife of George Cross, of Rutland, Barry county, Mich .; Ellah Amanda, born May 25, 1846, and died September 16, 1851; Orpha Eulany,
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