USA > Michigan > Genesee County > History of Genesee County, Michigan, Her People, Industries and Institutions, Volume II > Part 44
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Mr. Bendle is a son of William and Elizabeth (Lake) Bendle. The father was born in Devonshire, England, was reared on a farm in his native locality and attended school there. When twenty-five years of age, and while yet single, he crossed the Atlantic, locating in Stafford, New York, where he met and married Elizabeth Lake, who was a native of Bitteford, England. Her parents had died when she was young, throwing her entirely upon her own resources, and when twelve years of age she immigrated to New York state, where she met and married William Bendle. They came west in 1836, locating in Genesee county, Michigan, among the early settlers, taking up one hundred and ten acres in Burton township, eighty acres of which is now owned by the subject of this sketch. Here the parents developed a good
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MR. AND MRS. JOHN R. BENDLE.
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farm through their industry and spent the rest of their active lives, the father retiring some twelve or fifteen years prior to his death, spending his last years in Flint. His family consisted of the following children: John R., of this sketch; Mary, who married George H. Wicker, is deceased; Etta E., who married Henry Barrett, is deceased; William died when nine years of age; James, who was a soldier in the Civil War, died in the service in 1864; Mrs. Anne Evans Wallin, a widow, is living in Los Angeles, Cali- fornia.
John R. Bendle was reared on the home farm, where he worked hard when a boy, assisting his father develop the same from the virgin state in which the family found it. He received a meager education in the old-time district schools of Burton township. He has spent his life on the homestead with the exception of the years from 1877 to 1883, when he lived on the county farm as superintendent. He has kept the home place well improved and under a high state of cultivation.
Mr. Bendle was married, on November 3, 1863, to Mary Jane Turner, a daughter of Robert and Ann Turner, of Grand Blanc, Michigan. These parents were natives of England, where they spent their earlier years, and in Devonshire Mrs. Bendle was born. She was young in years when the family immigrated to America, locating in Grand Blanc township, Genesee county, Michigan, and hère she grew to womanhood and attended school. Her death occurred on September 3, 1912, and she was buried in Evergreen cemetery.
Politically, Mr. Bendle is a Republican. He was brought up a strict Methodist and has never departed from his raising, having always been faithful in his support of the local church of this denomination. He enjoys an excellent reputation in the township and county where he has spent his entire life.
REV. THOMAS FRANCES LUBY.
The Rev. Thomas Francis Luby, pastor of St. Mary's Catholic church at Mt. Morris and of the Sacred Heart church in the neighboring village of Birch Run, is a native son of Michigan and has lived in this state all his life, with the exception of the time spent away while pursuing his theo- logical studies. He was born at Kalamazoo, this state, May 15, 1875, son of Michael Francis and Mary (McDonald) Luby, the former a native of Ireland and the latter of Michigan, both of whom died in Kalamazoo.
Michael F. Luby was born in the village of Strokestown, Ros-
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common, Province of Connaught, Ireland, in 1833, and when fourteen years old came to the United States with a brother. Almost immediately after landing in New York he took service on a whaling vessel and for years fol- lowed the adventurous life of the sea, eventually locating at Savannah, Georgia, where he was engaged as overseer of slave stevedores when the Civil War broke out. He enlisted in a Georgia regiment for service in the Confederate army and served for four years. At the close of the war he came to Michigan and settled at Kalamazoo, where he engaged in the grocery business and where he spent the remainder of his life. On October 25, 1869, at Kalamazoo, he married Mary McDonald, who was born in that city in 1850, daughter of John and Mary (Kerwin) McDonald, natives of Ireland, and to that union eight children were born, four of whom lived to maturity, the eldest of these being the subject of this sketch, the others being Anna, who died at Mt. Morris; James, who died at Monroe, this state, in 1910, and Margaret, wife of Charles Morford, of Kalamazoo. The mother of these children died in 1883 and the father survived until 1897. They were members of the Catholic church and their children were reared in that faith.
Thomas Francis Luby received his elementary education in the paro- chial and public schools of Kalamazoo and after his graduation from the high school there was sent to Assumption College at Sandwich, Ontario, from which he was graduated in 1895. Having dedicated his life to the service of the church he then entered St. Mary's Seminary at Cincinnati and was graduated from that institution in 1899, his ordination to holy orders following shortly after. Father Luby was ordained by the Rev. Bishop Foley at the cathedral of Sts. Peter and Paul at Detroit on July 2, 1899, and his first charge was at Battle Creek, this state, where for four months he was in charge of a parish during the absence of the pastor. He then was sent as assistant priest to St. Leo's church at Detroit, where he remained four months, at the end of which time he was given charge of the parish of St. Mary's at Mt. Morris, together with the church of the Sacred Heart at Birch Run, and has ever since been pastor there. Not long after taking charge of his parish Father Luby found it necessary to rebuild the church near Birch Run and upon the completion of that work started to build the new St. Mary's church at Mt. Morris, which was completed at a cost of fifty thousand dollars, the edifice being regarded as one of the hand- somest in this part of the state. In 1915 Father Luby started to rebuild his church at Birch Run, changing the location of the same to the village proper. The corner stone was laid in September, 1915, and the work will
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be completed at a cost of about eighteen thousand dollars. Father Luby has a flourishing and prosperous parish and has done a notable work in and about Mt. Morris since he was installed as pastor there.
ROBERT BURNS BROWNE.
Genesee county seems to have attracted many of the enterprising citizens of England, who have come here from an overcrowded island of small dimensions to our broad land of vast opportunities, and here we have given them homes, in return for which they have shown their gratitude by becom- ing loyal and good citizens. Robert Burns Browne, a farmer of Thetford township, is one of this number. He was born in Yorkshire, England, on February 22, 1849, and is a son of William and Jane (Burns) Browne, both natives of England, where they were reared, married and established their home, but immigrated to the United States in 1850, when their son Robert B., was an infant. They lived in Niagara, New York, until 1860, when they moved to Michigan, locating in Thetford township, this county, where they spent the rest of their lives on a farm, the father dying on February 22, 1878, and the mother surviving him a few years. The father was a Demo- crat. He helped build the Evangelical church in Thetford township and was active in the affairs of his community, where he was held in high respect. His family consisted of nine children, two of whom are still living, J. T., a merchant at Bentonville, Arkansas, and Robert B., the subject of this sketch.
Robert B. Browne was reared on the home farm in Thetford township, where he worked hard when a boy assisting his father develop wild land. He received a limited education in the district schools and remained at home until 1876, when he went to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and became a truss- fitter with the Philadelphia Truss Company, which promoted him to the position of shipper. He remained with that firm about twelve years, giving eminent satisfaction, being considered one of the most expert truss-fitters in the country; then returned to Genesee county, locating on the old homestead on which he has remained ever since, becoming sole owner of the place which consists of one hundred and seven and one-fourth acres, in section 33, known as "Maple Grove Farm." He has kept the land well improved and well cultivated.
In 1882 Robert B. Browne was married to Cynthia H. Betts, who was born in Thetford township, this county, where she was reared and attended
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school. Her parents were early settlers here. Ten children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Browne, seven of whom are still living, Elsie G., Charles W., Mabel I., Rhoda O., Everett B., Myrtle J. and Robert B., Jr., the deceased children having been Ada L., Ethel E. and Ray R. Elsie G. Browne married Henry Miller and has two children, Esther A. and Roy H. Charles W. Browne married Iva Brown and has four children, Florence H. and Frances M. (twins), Mildred M. and Irene M. Mabel I. Browne mar- ried Arthur Sines and has four children, Dorothy I .. Ruth B., Charles R. and Eva G. Myrtle J. Browne married Earl Apper and has one child. Bernice Marion. Ada L. Browne, now deceased, married Charles Sinnott and had two children, Leroy D. and Robert A. In his political views Mr. Browne is a Socialist and for three years served the public in the capacity of overseer of Thetford township. He is affiliated with the Grange and takes a warm interest in the affairs of the same.
FRANCIS HENRY CALLOW, M. D.
Dr. Francis Henry Callow, former president of the village of Mt. Morris and for years one of the best-known physicians and most substantial residents of that village, is a native of England, born in the city of London. but has been a resident of the United States since he was seventeen years of age and of Michigan since the year 1876. He was born on July 23, .1853, son of Francis and Mary Ann (Corrick) Callow, natives of England. both born in Devonshire, whose last days were spent in London.
Francis Callow was born in Devonshire, November 9, 1829, son of Francis and Elizabeth (Nethercot) Callow, both born in that same shirc. the latter a daughter of Robert Nethercot, a farmer, who lived to be ninety-four years of age. He was reared on a farm in Devonshire and. remained there until he had reached his majority, when he went to London and learned the baker's trade, later buying a confectionery store and was thus engaged in business the remainder of his life, his death occurring in 1872, he then being forty-three years of age. His widow survived him many years. She was born in Devonshire in 1831, was married at Culin- stock in 1851 and lived to be eighty-two years of age, her death occurring in 1913 in London. Francis and Mary Ann (Corrick) Callow were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the first- horn, the others being as follow: Emily, who married a McGraw and is
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now dead; John, who came to America and died in New York state; Florence, who married John Russell and is still living in London; James, who came to the United States and is now living at Rochester, New York, and Harry, who is in government employ in London.
After finishing his schooling in the grade schools of London, Francis H. Callow was for a time employed as a salesman in that city and when seventeen years old came to the United States, leaving London on March 31, 1871, sailing from Liverpool and arriving at Portland, Maine, on April IO, following. From that port he went to Brockport, New York, where he remained for five years and where, when twenty years of age, he married. For a time after locating at Brockport he was employed in a printing office, but presently engaged in farming near that place and was thus engaged for a little more than four years, at the end of which time, in 1876, he came to Michigan and bought a farm of thirty-seven acres in the vicinity of Paw Paw, where for five years, or until 1881, he was engaged in farming. In the meantime he had been pursuing a private course of study and recog- nizing the need of a more comprehensive educational course entered Hills- dale College and after a course of five years of study was graduated from that institution in 1886, with the degree of Bachelor of Science. He then entered the medical department of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor and was graduated from that institution, with the degree of Doctor of Medicine, in 1889. Thus admirably equipped for the practice of his profession, Doctor Callow, in that same year, located at Mt. Morris and has ever since been engaged in practice there. Doctor Callow has done well in his professional career and in addition to his property interests in Mt. Morris is the owner of a fine farm of one hundred and eighty acres cast of the village. He is a Republican and ever since locating at Mt. Morris has taken an active interest in civic affairs, having served for three terms as president of the village, as a trustee for a number of terms and as a member of the school board for some years. Doctor Callow is a Royal Arch Mason, a member of the blue lodge of that order at Clio and of the chapter at Flint and takes a warm interest in Masonic affairs. He is a member of the Genesee County Medical Society and of the Michigan State Medical Association and takes an interested part in the deliberations of both bodies.
It was on December 25, 1873, that Francis H. Callow was united in marriage to Sarah E. Hendrick, who was born on a farm near Brockport. New York, May 25, 1855, daughter of John A. and Sarah (Wirts) Hen- drick, natives of New York, born in the vicinity of Rochester, of German
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ancestry, who spent all the active years of their life on the farm near Brock- port and who were the parents of twelve children, of whom Mrs. Callow was the ninth in order of birth, the others being Peter, Elizabeth, who mar- ried William Caldwell; Martha, who married Sylvester Edwards and who, together with her husband, is now deceased; Edwin C., John, Rose, who married George Snyder; Adelbert, Elvira, who married William Phillips and is now deceased; George, deceased; William B., who is living in Michi- gan, and Ella, who married Joseph Gillette. To Doctor and Mrs. Callow one child has been born, a daughter, Lulu M., who married Archibald Bray. a well-known stock buyer of Mt. Morris and is the mother of seven chil- dren, Francis A., Sadie B., Merilla C., Donna Dee (deceased), Belma. Gertrude and Clare W. Doctor and Mrs. Callow are members of the Bap- tist church and the Doctor is one of the trustees of the local church.
ALBERT F. ROSKA.
It is a privilege (which, however, all do not fully appreciate) to be able to spend our lives on the old home place. "The roof that heard our earliest cry" is a place hallowed to the memory. Albert F. Roska, a farmer of Mundy township, Genesee county, has been contented to remain at the old home, where he was born on May 23, 1870. He is a son of Ferdinand and Henrietta (Diedrick) Roska, both natives of Germany, where they grew to maturity on farms near the city of Berlin. The mother's parents were landowners, but his were common laborers. The name was originally Race- key, but has been simplified by later generations. Ferdinand Roska and wife were married in their native country and four children were born to them there, two of whom are now living. The family removed to the United States in 1869, coming direct to Flint, Michigan, and in a short time located on the farm of forty acres on Swartz creek, on the Maple Avenue road, on which the subject of this sketch now lives. The father purchased eighty acres where Sam Roska now lives. This being wild land, he set to work clearing it and getting it ready for the plow. He also worked in a saw-mill in Flint for some time. Later he moved his family onto the eighty acres where he spent the rest of his life, dying in 1911. He owned a valu- able farm of one hundred and twenty acres at the time of his death. He and his sons worked together and they accumulated a total of about two hundred acres.
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Albert F. Roska grew up on the home farm, where he worked when a boy, and received his education in the district schools. In April, 1898, he married Emily Adelaide Herrick, a daughter of Wilbur and Emily A. Her- rick, of Flint township, Genesee county. Her mother died when she was a baby, but her father still lives, making his home in Flint. Mrs. Roska's death occurred on January 1, 1911. To Mr. and Mrs. Roska the following children were born: Minnie died when four years old; Ruth is attending high school in Swartz Creek; Grace is also attending high school; Floyd, Alton and Herbert are attending the district school. Politically, Mr. Roska is a Republican, and has been school director in his district for one term.
RALPH C. GILLETT.
Ralph C. Gillett, editor of the Montrose Record, was born at Montrose, this county, September 8, 1895, and was reared and educated in Montrose, and completed a business course in Flint, Michigan. For about ten years he was a correspondent for the Flint Journal, and later was a reporter for the same paper. He was also a reporter on the Flint Evening Press during the life of that paper. He then for some time was employed in the office of the Montrose Record, then under the management of R. L. Ford, and on December 4, 1914, bought the plant from Mr. Ford and has since been the editor and manager of the Record. Mr. Gillett was only nineteen years of age when he assumed the management of the paper and is recog- nized as being the youngest newspaper publisher in Michigan. He is also the publicity manager of the Flint River Valley Agricultural Society and one of the directors of that association.
Charles A. Gillett, father of Ralph C. Gillett, was born in Springville, Lenawee county, Michigan, August 18, 1871. When three weeks old his parents moved to Montrose and he was a resident there until his death, which occurred on October 6, 1908. At the time of his death he was jus- tice of the peace and also town clerk. He was a charter member of the local lodge of the Modern Woodmen at Montrose. He was married in September, 1894, to Jennie Judd, who was born in Mundy township, this county, and was reared and educated in that township, receiving her edu- cation in the district schools. She has been a resident of Montrose town- ship for a period of thirty years. After the death of her first husband she married Burton Johnson, a resident of Montrose.
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The paternal grandfather of Ralph C. Gillett was Horace L. Gillett, who was born in Pittsfield, Ohio, in 1840, and came to Michigan when ten years old, and was thrown entirely upon his own resources for a living. For a period of twenty years he resided in Lenawee county, engaged in farming. In 1870 he moved to what is now the town of Montrose, bought seventy-five acres of land and established his permanent homestead there. This entire acreage has been sold and now makes the town of Montrose. Horace L. Gillett married Mary Feller, August 10, 1862. She was born in New York, November 12, 1844, and came to Michigan at the age of twelve years. Two children were born to that union: Charles, father of the subject of this sketch, and Claude E., born on August 18, 1876, an engi- neer, now living at Saginaw, Michigan. Claude E. Gillett married Maude Squires and to that union two children were born, Violet, born in Mont- rose, November 7, 1906, and Harold, August 10, 1910.
Jennie (Judd) Gillett, mother of Ralph C. Gillett, is the daughter of George J. Judd, who was born in Devonshire, England, April 8, 1848, and who came with his parents to Michigan in 1855 and settled in Flint. George J. Judd remained there until 1876, when he married Frances Eccles and moved to Mundy township. Later, he moved to Vienna township, and then to Mt. Morris township. During the last thirty years of his life he lived on a farm located south of Montrose. He died on January 29, 1915. Besides Mr. Gillett's mother, the children of his family were Walter, LeRoy. Lewis and Mrs. Walter Keyser, of Flushing.
ALONZO J. COVERT.
Alonzo J. Covert, a well-known and substantial farmer and stock raiser of Gaines township, this county, proprietor of "Fairfield Farm," a pleasant place of one hundred and twenty acres in sections 15 and 22, of that town- ship, and who for years has been actively identified with the civic interests of his home community, is a native of that section of the county and has lived in that neighborhood all his life. He was born on section 22 of Gaines township, July 23, 1866, son of John H. and Mary (Jewell) Covert, both natives of New York state, who had been residents of Michigan since the days of their childhood and who spent their last days in this county.
John H. Covert was born in Seneca county, New York, January 31. 1836, son of Burr Covert and wife and was little more than an infant when
ALONZO J. COVERT AND FAMILY.
1
RESIDENCE OF ALONZO J. COVERT.
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his parents and their family came to Michigan in 1837 and settled in Rose township, Oakland county. There Burr Covert made his home until 1844. when he moved up into Genesee county, settling on a farm on the Baldwin road in Gaines township, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring not long after he had located there. On that pioneer farm John H. Covert grew to manhood. On July 4, 1859, he married Mary Jeweil, who was born in Steuben county, New York, and who was but a child when her parents came to this state in 1843 and settled in Rose township, Oak- land county, a short time later coming up into Genesee county, where they established their home. After his marriage John H. Covert established his home on a farm in section 26 of Gaines township, his house being situated on the Baldwin road, where he set up a cooper shop and was thus engaged for years. In 1864 he enlisted for service in one of the Michigan regiments and served as a soldier of the Union until the close of the war, at the end of which term of service he returned to his farnı. Later he moved to a farm of forty acres which he bought in section 22, where he lived until 1897, engaged in carpentering and farming, and then moved to Mecosta county, where he spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on November 27, 1915. He was a Republican in his political views and for years was an active member of Post Attention, Grand Army of the Republic, at Gaines.
John H. Covert was twice married. To his union with Mary Jewell five children were born, of whom the subject of this sketch was the fourth in order of birth, the others being as follow: Jesse, who died in infancy; Alvina, wife of Joseph Harris, of Flint; Martin E., also of Flint, and Claude A., who is now living in Ontario. The mother of these children died in 1870 and on July 24, 1872, Mr. Covert married Phoebe Marble, daughter of David Marble, of Mundy township, this county, and who died on April 18, 1905, in Mecosta county, leaving three children, Lena M., wife of Abner Tibbetts, of Mundy township, this county; Charles H., of Mecosta county, and Mary I., wife of William Brewer, of Flint.
Alonzo J. Covert was but three years old when his mother died. He grew to manhood on the home farm and when twenty-three years old went to Flint, where he worked in the factories there for about seven months and where he was married in the summer of 1890. After his marriage Mr. Covert returned to farming, settling on the G. W. Gilbert farm in his old home township, where he lived two years, at the end of which time he moved to the Barlow farm in Mundy township. After three years there, he bought the place of eighty acres on which he is now living and to which he later
(29a)
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added an adjoining "forty," thus now having a farm of one hundred and twenty acres, to which he has given the very appropriate name of "Fairfield" and where he and his family are very pleasantly and comfortably situated. Mr. Covert is a Republican and has for years taken an active interest in the civic affairs of his home township, having served as constable, as township treasurer for two years, as a member of the board of review for eight years and as treasurer of his school district for twelve years.
On July 24, 1890, Alonzo J. Covert was united in marriage to Jennie Gilbert, who was born in Gaines township, this county, daughter of George W. and Diantha E. (Skinner) Gilbert, both natives of this state and for years well-known and substantial residents of Gaines township, this county. George W. Gilbert was born on a pioneer farm in Troy township, Oakland county, this state, posthumous son of George Gilbert, a native of the state of New York, and grew to manhood in that county. There he married Diantha E. Skinner, who was born in Novi township, in that same county, September 3, 1840, daughter of Harvey and Mary (Fuller) Skinner, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of Massachusetts, who came to Michigan in territorial days and spent their last days here. Harvey Skinner was born at Putney, Vermont, and when a young man went over into New York state, where, on July 20, 1834, at Lima, he married Mary Fuller, who was born at Long Meadow, Massachusetts. In that year Harvey Skinner and his bride came to the territory of Michigan and settled in Novi town- ship, Oakland county, thus having been among the very earliest settlers of that section of Michigan. There they spent the rest of their lives, both liv- ing to ripe old ages, Harvey Skinner dying on May 9, 1892, and his widow surviving him about a year, her death occurring on May 6, 1893. They were the parents of nine children, of whom five still survive, namely : Alfred, born on April 2. 1837, who is now living at Cascade, Iowa; Diantha, who married George W. Gilbert; Lucius, who lives in Elkhart county, Indiana; Henry C., who is now living in California, and Ellen A., wife of W. E. Nash, also of California. After his marriage George W. Gilbert settled on a farm in Gaines township, this county, and there spent the rest of his life, his death occurring on June 6, 1901. His widow survives him. They were the parents of five children, as follow: Henry, born in 1867, who is living on the old home farm in Gaines township; Jennie, who married Mr. Covert ; Frances L., deceased: Bertie Ellen, wife of Dewitt Perry, of Gaines town- ship, and Rutherford B., of Flint.
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