USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume II > Part 17
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Mr. Bray, who is a member of the law firm of Carton, Bray & Stewart. of Flint, was born in Genesee township, this county, May 18, 1864: He is a son of Alexander and Bertha ( Seeley) Bray. When but a lad Alexander Bray came to Genesee county from Springfield, Ohio, with his mother, his father having died in that city. The mother settled on a farm in Genesee township, where the son grew to manhood and there he engaged in farming and the live-stock business for many years. He shipped the first carload of stock from Chicago to the Saginaw valley. In fact, he made the live stock business his principal life work. He and his brother, Benjamin, at one time owned over five hundred acres of good land, which they finally divided, late in the seventies, Alexander retaining as his last piece of land one hundred acres, which he sold about 1885. His wife died in 1878 when about forty- eight years of age. In 1885 he moved to Mt. Morris. During the panic of 1878 he met with reverses, some of his customers failing him for about twenty thousand dollars. However, one hundred acres of his land was saved and put in his wife's name. His family consisted of four children, namely : Irving S., deceased; Lucia G., who married Charles Montague, died in the early nineties; Everett L. of this sketch, and Archie A., of Mt. Morris. The father of these children is still living, now about eighty years of age, making his home in Mt. Morris. His mother, Marilla Chittenden, was a great-grand- daughter of Thomas Chittenden, the first governor of Vermont, of which state both parents of Alexander Bray were natives. The father was a physi- cian and surgeon and for two years practiced in the City of Mexico. . After- ward he settled in Springfield. Ohio, where he was residing during the great cholera epidemic that swept the country in the early days, during which all the doctors, but four, left Springfield, he being one of the number that remained, but he contracted the disease and died there. Soon thereafter his widow moved to Genesee county, Michigan, locating on a farm near her brother, Nelson Chittenden, who induced her to come here. She lived to an
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advanced age. She had been twice married, first to a Mr. Mitchell, by whom she had one son, Ossian, long since deceased. Three children were born of her second marriage, Alexander, Benjamin and Caroline.
It is believed that the founder of the Bray family in America lived in Maine and was a descendant of Sir Thomas Bray, an English divine.
Daniel Hawley Seeley, the maternal grandfather of the subject of this sketch, was a native of Connecticut, where his wife, Julia, was also born. They came to Michigan from the state of New York and settled in Flint, Genesee county, in a very early day, there being at the time only nine families and seven houses in this place. Mr. Seeley was a tailor, using the earnings from this trade to develop the land in Genesee township, which he took up from the government. He finally moved onto his farm and cleared and. improved three hundred and twenty acres, which under his able management became one of the finest farms in the county, and he took the prize on it several years. Here he and his wife spent their last days, his death occurring at the age of eighty-four and hers at about eighty. They were parents of five children, Marvin L., Frank, Theron, Bertha J. and Frances.
Everett L. Bray was reared on the home farm, on which he remained until he was twenty-one years of age. He attended the district schools and was graduated from the Flint high school in 1885; then he studied law in the office of Judge Oscar Adams in Cheboygan and later with Durand & Carton in Flint. He was admitted to the bar on August 17, 1887. After spending a few years in search of a proper location, he returned to Flint in 1891 and formed a partnership with John M. Russell, at that time prosecuting attorney of Genesee county, Mr. Bray becoming assistant in this office. This partnership lasted until in 1893, after which Mr. Bray practiced his profession alone for a period of ten years. Upon the death of Judge Durand he formed a partnership with john J. Carton, under the firm name of Carton & Bray, which existed for some years, when they took William C. Stewart into the firm, which has since been Carton, Bray & Stewart, one of the best known and most successful in the city of Flint.
Mr. Bray was married on January 8, 1902, to Viola E. Swart, a daughter of Menzo and Sallie (Wiggins) Swart. She was born in Flushing, Genesee county, March 5, 1873. Her parents were natives of New York state and both are now deceased. Three children were born to them, Viola E., wife of Mr. Bray; Arzie, who died when about fourteen years of age, and Jennie, who died in early childhood. Mr. Swart engaged in lumbering for a num- ber of years in his earlier career; then for many years was trespass agent for the state land office and devoted the last few years of his active
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life to farming. He served in the Civil War in the Sixteenth Michigan Volunteer Infantry. He was a gallant soldier and for his ability and bravery was commissioned a first lieutenant, being for a time acting captain of his company.
To Mr. and Mrs. Bray one child, a daughter, Bertha Beatrice Bray, has been born. Mrs. Bray is a member of St. Paul's Episcopal church.
Mr. Bray is a stockholder in the General Motors Company, the Chevrolet Company, the Copeman Electric Stove Works and the Genesee County Sav- ings Bank. He is independent in politics and. fraternally, belongs to Genesee Lodge No. 174, Free and Accepted Masons, and Flint Lodge No. 222. Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks.
The first meeting of the board of supervisors after its organization and the first term of the circuit court in Genesee county after the organization of the state were held in a building owned by Mr. Bray's grandfather, Daniel H. Seeley, in Flint.
VICTOR E. GEORGE.
A farmer, when he has raised his crop. has performed only half his duty; the other half is selling, which determines his profit for the year's work. It is just as important for the agricultural producer to know what the markets are as it is for the merchant or manufacturer. Victor E. George, a farmer of Mundy township, Genesee county, not only knows how to raise various crops, but how best to market them.
Mr. George was born in the above named township and county, one-half mile west of where he now lives, December 18, 1853. He is a son of Eugene and Harriet ( Genson) George. The father was a native of Switzerland and was a son of George George, who was a soldier under Napoleon. The mother of the subject was a native of the state of New York. Eugene George spent his boyhood in Switzerland, where he attended school, immi- grating to the United States when twenty years of age. He located in Greene county, Michigan, where he entered land from the government, which he developed into a good farm and on which he spent the rest of his life, having. through his industry and good management, accumulated two hundred acres. His parents came to this country with him. He was married in Genesee county, where his wife had been teaching school. To their union two sons and two daughters were born, one of whom is deceased, namely: Victor is the eldest; Celina, who is the widow of L. T. Curtis, lives in Mundy town-
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ship, Genesee county ; Florence is the wife of George Coggins and they live in Grand Blanc, Michigan.
Victor George was reared on the home farm and received a public school education, also attended the Flint high school. He continued to work on the home place, receiving a share of the crops, until he was thirty years of age. He owns two hundred and eighty acres of well improved and productive land. known as the "Pleasant View Farm," situated five miles south of Flint on the Fenton road. He carried on general farming and stock raising on an extensive scale until recently, when he retired from active labor and is now living at No. 612 West Court street, Flint. He made all his property him- self and is very comfortably fixed in every respect.
Mr. George was married on May 3, 1882, to Margaret Delaney, of Gaines township, Genesee county. She was born in the town of Grand Blanc, this state, and reared in Gaines township, receiving a good public school edu- cation. She is a daughter of Michael Delaney, who was born in Ireland. Three children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. George, namely: Ernest, who was graduated from the Flint high school, spent one year in Sandwich College, and is now a student in the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor; Victor L., who was graduated from the Flint high school, later attended the State Agricultural College: Celina, who is a graduate of Adrian College Sisters Home, is the wife of D. F. Sweeney, of Detroit.
Mr. George is a Democrat and has held minor local offices. He was reared a Catholic and he and his family are members of St. Matthews church.
RANDOLPH H. RANSOM.
Randolph H. Ransom, a successful farmer of Mt. Morris township, was born in Flushing township on October 25, 1870, being the son of Robert William and Roda (French) Ransom. Robert William Ransom was born on a farm three miles southwest of Flushing on July 24, 1848, and lived here until his marriage to Roda French on December 24, 1867. He then purchased a farm three miles northwest of Flushing, and it was here that Randolph H. was born. The family lived here until 1886, when the place was sold, after which Mr. Ransom bought a farm two miles southeast of Flushing, in section 36. In 1910 he moved to the town of Flushing, where he still resides.
Roda ( French) Ransom was born in Flushing township on June 6, 1846. and here grew to manhood and was educated in the schools of the township.
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She was the daughter of Henry French and wife, whose history will be found in the sketch of Bert French. Mrs. Ransom died on November 12, 1912. To her and Robert W. Ransom were born four children: Randolph H .; Elvia, the wife of William Lewis, of Flint; Susie, who died on March 12, 1902, and Mark.
Robert Ransom, the paternal grandfather of Randolph H. Ransom, was a native of the eastern part of the United States and came to Genesee county in an early day. He settled on a farm in Genesee township and here made his home until his death.
Randolph H. Ransom was educated and grew to manhood in Flushing township. He lived at home and assisted his father on the farm until his marriage to Tessie Small, who was born in Flint on June 3, 1870, she being the daughter of Mathew and Mary (Frawley) Small. After his marriage on July 3, 1901, Mr. Ransom rented the Thayer farm, southeast of Flush- ing, for two years, after which he rented the M. R. Freeman farm, of three hundred and ten acres. In 1909 he purchased eighty-four acres on section 32, where he now lives. He did not take up his residence on the farm until 1912. In 1915 he bought an adjoining thirty-two acres. Here he does general farming and stock raising, keeps a large number of hogs and has some fine Durham cattle. He is also interested in horses and has some fine draft horses as well as some good drivers.
Politically, Mr. Ransom is a Republican and takes much interest in local politics, having served for four years on the school board. Fraternally, he is a Free and Accepted Mason and belongs to the lodge at Flushing.
Tessie ( Small ) Ransom was born and educated in Flint and for some years before her marriage lived in Boston, Massachusetts, with an uncle. who was a physician. While there she attended school and finished a course in nursing. She remained in Boston until 1899, when she returned to Michi- gan and was here married. To Randolph H. and Tessie Ransom have been born the following children: Rausler, who was born on October 24, 1903. and died on May 5, 1904; Isabelle, born on June 16, 1905. and Willard. born on August 28, 1906.
Mathew and Mary Small, the parents of Tessie (Small) Ransom, were natives of Scotland and Ireland, respectively. Mary Frawley Small was the daughter of James and Margaret Frawley, natives of Ireland, who came to the United States when Mary was eleven years of age. They settled in Flushing township and here became prosperous farmers. Here they made their home until their death some years later. Mary was later married to
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Mathew Small. After their marriage they located in Flint, where they died many years later. To Mathew and Mary Small were born the following children: William, who lives in the West; Tessie; Julia, the wife of John T. Ackerman, of Flint : Catherine, the wife of Guy Vickery, of Flint, and John Henry, of Flint.
JOHN CHASE.
John Chase, a well-known and substantial retired farmer of Gaines town- ship, this county, and former treasurer of that township, now living in the village of Gaines, is a native son of Genesee county and has lived here all his life. He was born on a farm in Argentine township, June 16, 1874, son of George W. and Sarah T. (Parker) Chase, the former of whom was born in Rochester, New York, and the latter at Sparta, this state. For years they were prominent and influential residents of Argentine township and the latter is still living on the old homestead there at a ripe old age.
George W. Chase was but a boy of sixteen years when he came to this state with his parents, the family settling in Argentine township, this county. among the early settlers of that locality. There George W. Chase grew to manhood and married Sarah T. Parker, who was but two years of age when her parents settled in Genesee county, where she grew to womanhood. After his marriage Mr. Chase established his home on a farm in his home town- ship and there he spent the remainder of his life, a useful member of that community. He died on October 12, 1914, and his widow is still living on the old home place. They were the parents of ten children, six of whom are still living, those besides the subject of this sketch being as follow : Frank H., a traveling salesman, who lives at Grand Rapids; Belle, widow of John D. Collins, of Argentine township, this county; George W., cashier of the Citizens Bank of Gaines and clerk of Gaines township: Robert, who con- tinues to live on the old homestead in AArgentine township, and Otto R., who is connected with the Grand Trunk Railroad at Detroit.
John Chase was reared on the home farm in .Argentine township, receiv- ing his schooling in the district school in the neighborhood of his home and remained at home until he was twenty-one years of age, after which for sey- eral years he was employed elsewhere. He then returned to the old home and for eleven years managed and operated the home place. In the mean- time he had married and five years after his marriage bought a farmi of
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ninety-eight acres in section 30 of Gaines township, where he established his home and where he lived until March, 1916, when he retired from the active labors of the farm and he and his family moved to the village of Gaines, where they are now living and where they are very pleasantly situated. For some time Mr. Chase has been engaged in the drainage contracting business and has done much in that line to improve the drainage of that part of the county. He is a Democrat and for years has given close attention to the political affairs of his county, having served for some time as treasurer ot .Argentine township.
On November 23, 1904, John Chase was united in marriage to Minnie Groom, of Linden, this county, who was born there on April 27, 1878, and who was graduated from the high school there. To this union one child has been born, a daughter, Sarah H., born on September 30, 1905, who is now a student in the Gaines schools. Mrs. Chase is a member of the Methodist Episcopal church at Gaines and both she and Mr. Chase are members of the Ancient Order of Gleaners. Mr. Chase is a member of Byron Lodge No. 80, Free and Accepted Masons, and of the local tent of the Knights of the Maccabees, of which latter order he has been lieutenant commander.
ARAL A. RIKER.
Aral .A. Riker, former alderman from the first ward and a well-known merchant of Flint, grocer and druggist at No. 310 South Saginaw street, is a native son of Michigan, born in the village of Greenville, Montcalm county, April 14, 1866. He is the son of Jackson and Electa ( Lockwood ) Riker, both natives of Pennsylvania, who were the parents of seven children, four sons and three daughters, of whom but two are now living, the subject of this sketch having a brother, Balas S. Riker, also a resident of Flint.
Jackson Riker was the eldest of the seven children born to his parents, Jackson Riker and wife, natives of Germany, who settled in Pennsylvania upon emigrating to this country, and there established their home and reared their family, their other children having been Matthew, John, Charles, Mar- cus, Delia and Annette. Grandfather Riker was a farmer. His wife died in Pennsylvania and he later moved to New York, where his last days were spent. The junior Jackson Riker was reared on a farm in Pennsylvania and upon the outbreak of the Civil War, which found him at Greenville, Michi- gan, he enlisted in the Union army and served for a little more than a year,
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when he was stricken with typhoid fever and was discharged on a physi- cian's certificate of disability. After the war he again located at Greenville, where he engaged in farming and in building contracting. His wife died there. in 1874, at the age of forty-two years. She was a daughter of John and Electa Lockwood, natives of Germany, who settled in Pennsylvania upon emigrating to this country and there spent the rest of their lives. John Lockwood and wife were the parents of nine children, Electa, Lucinda, Philanda, Matilda, Stephen, Enmice, John, Peter and Balas. Jackson Riker died at Grand Rapids in 1905, being then seventy-nine years of age.
Aral A. Riker lived at Greenville until he was ten years of age and then went to the neighboring village of Sheridan, where he lived for nine years, during which time he was variously engaged, working in saw-mills, shingle- mills and stores, presently becoming the manager of the general store of Fargo, Brackett & Company, his former employers in the saw-mill. On Christmas Eve, 1887, he arrived in Flint, with a view to making his home there, and has resided there practically all the time since. For eighteen months after his arrival at Flint he worked in the Flint Wagon Works and then engaged in the grocery business at Bancroft, in the neighboring county of Shiawassee, in partnership with Hiram Beidelman. Ten months later he sold out to his partner and returned to Flint, where he was employed to drive the delivery wagon for the Hamilton grist-mill. Later he was engaged as a bookkeeper for James J. Hurley and after awhile hegan clerking in the W. C. Pierce grocery store and later for Partridge Brothers, wholesale groc- ers. He then engaged in the grocery business on his own account, setting up an establishment at No. 217 South Saginaw street, and was thus engaged for eleven years, at the end of which time he began working for George W. Pethabridge & Company and a little more than three years later brought his present grocery and drug store from Thomas Collins, in partnership with Fred Kelley. Four years later Mr. Riker brought his partner's interest in the store and has continued the business alone since that time. Mr. Riker is a Democrat and for two years served the city as alderman from the first ward.
On October 7, 1885, Aral A. Riker was united in marriage to Catherine Farrell, who was born at Flint, February 27, 1868, second in order of birth of the three children born to her parents, she having an elder sister, Eliza, and a younger brother, Edward. Both her parents, now dead, had been married previously, her father by his first marriage having had seven chil- dren, Dennis, John, Richard, Thomas, Matthew, Mary and Josephine, while to her mother's first marriage five children were born, John, George, James,
(12a)
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Mary and Theresa. To Mr. and Mrs. Riker five children have been born, namely : Edward F., a traveling salesman for the National Biscuit Com- pany; Margaret E., who died at the age of seventeen months; Helen M., who married Carl W. Church, a hardware merchant at Detroit; Aral A., a graduate of the Flint high school, who is at home, and Winifred, who is at- tending St. Mary's College, at Monroe, this state. Mrs. Riker and the chil- dren are members of the Catholic church. Mr. Riker is a member of Gene- see Lodge No. 174. Free and Accepted Masons, and of Flint Lodge No. 222, Benevolent and Protective Order of Elks, in the affairs of both of which orders he take a warm interest.
JOHN P. RANSOM.
At an early period in his life John P. Ransom, a retired farmer of Flushing, Genesee county, mapped out his own career and has never depended upon others. His prosperity may be attributed to his earnest and persistent endeavor as well as to the fact that he has always consistently tried to follow the Golden Rule.
Mr. Ransom was born in the Township of Flushing, Michigan, February 18, 1859, and is a son of Robert C. Ransom, who was born in Genesee county, New York, June 23, 1821. The latter came to Michigan with his parents, Benjamin and Hannah (Persons) Ransom, in the year 1837, the family locating on a farm four miles east of Flushing. In 1845 he mar- ried Angeline Smith, a daughter of Simeon and Elizabeth Smith, pioneers of this locality. Angeline Smith was born in Orleans, Medina county, New York, October 24, 1825, and came to Genesee county, Michigan, with her parents in 1837, the family locating in Flushing. Her death occurred on August 8, 1901. Robert C. Ransom lived on the farm southwest of Finsh- ing on section 33, after he was married, clearing eighty acres there, which he added to until he owned a good farm of one hundred and twenty acres in section 33 at the time of his death, which occurred on November 24. 1800. His family consisted of seven children, namely: Ranselor B. Ransom was born in Flushing, March 6, 1846, and died on September 19, 1915: he spent most of his life farming, but finally locating in the village of Flushing where he engaged in the farm implement business. When seventeen years of age he enlisted for service in the Civil War, joining the Fourth Michigan
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Cavalry, in which he served until the close of the war. He was one of the soldiers who captured Jefferson Davis, the Confederate president. He was a charter member of Ransom Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Flush- ing, also belonged to the Masonic order here. Robert W. Ransom, born July 24, 1848, has devoted his active life to general farming, and is now living in retirement in the village of Flushing. Simeon Ransom, born on October 3, 1851, lives in Rico, Colorado, having been a resident of that sec- tion for the past forty years, and is interested in mining there. Marvin P. Ransom, born August 8, 1853, devoted his active life to general farming, but is now living in retirement in New Lathrop. Albert E. Ransom, born April 23, 1857, has long been editor of Flushing Observer, was formerly a well-known teacher and was the first school commissioner of Genesee county. John P. Ransom, of this sketch, was the next child in order of birth. Charles Ransom, youngest of the children, was born in January, 1867, and died in 1872, at the age of five years.
John P. Ransom was educated in the district schools, which he attended in the winter months, working on the home farm in the summer time. He was a schoolmate of Minnie O. Banning, whom he married on December 23. 1884. She was born at Adams Basin, New York, June 15, 1859, and is a daughter of Frederick G. Banning, who was born in Ogdentown, New York, October 8, 1826, from which country he removed with his family to Genesee county, Michigan, in 1864, locating on a farm in Clayton town- ship, where he lived until his death, which occurred on January 30, 1880. He had a good seventy-acre farm here. During the Civil War he enlisted in the New York Volunteer Infantry, in which he served eighteen months and was discharged for disability. He married Louisa White, who was horn in Stafford township. Genesee county, New York, May 17, 1824: she was married on May 17, 1849, and died March 2, 1915. having reached the advanced age of ninety-one years, lacking two months. She led an active life up to about two years before her death. To Frederick G. Ban- ning and wife four children were born, namely: Frances, born August 1. 1851, married William Brey, both now deceased, her death having occurred on January 5. 1915; George W., born July 7. 1853, is a retired farmer and merchant of Reed City, Michigan; Minnie O., wife of Mr. Ransom of this sketch, and Ora L., born January 16, 1870, died on October 3, 1874.
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