USA > Michigan > Ionia County > History of Ionia County, Michigan : her people, industries and institutions, Volume II > Part 20
Note: The text from this book was generated using artificial intelligence so there may be some errors. The full pages can be found on Archive.org (link on the Part 1 page).
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Part 5 | Part 6 | Part 7 | Part 8 | Part 9 | Part 10 | Part 11 | Part 12 | Part 13 | Part 14 | Part 15 | Part 16 | Part 17 | Part 18 | Part 19 | Part 20 | Part 21 | Part 22 | Part 23 | Part 24 | Part 25 | Part 26 | Part 27 | Part 28 | Part 29 | Part 30 | Part 31 | Part 32 | Part 33 | Part 34 | Part 35 | Part 36 | Part 37 | Part 38 | Part 39 | Part 40 | Part 41 | Part 42 | Part 43 | Part 44 | Part 45 | Part 46 | Part 47 | Part 48 | Part 49 | Part 50
Elam E. Branch was three years old when his father died and he was reared in the home of his maternal grandparents, the Nelsons, in Van Buren county. He grew up on the farm and attended the public schools at Law- rence, being graduated from the high school there. He early had determined upon the Gospel ministry as his calling in life and upon leaving the high school diligently pursued his studies with that end in view. Three years later he was ordained a minister of the Baptist church and was installed as pastor of the Baptist church at Jacksonville, lowa, at which place he took his ordination vows. Not long afterward a call was extended to him by the congregation of the Baptist church at Hartford. this state. IFe accepted the call and for two years was stationed at Hartford as pastor of the church at that place. He then was called to Nashville, this state, where he remained for nearly six years and from which place he went to Kalamazoo, where he was stationed for about five years, at the end of which time he accepted the call extended by the congregation of the First Baptist church at Ionia and in 1905 entered upon the duties of pastor of that congregation. During his ministry in Fonia. Mr. Branch has strengthened the church in many ways and has rendered an admirable service, not only in behalf of the people of his church, but in behalf of the community at large. A fluent speaker, a man of scholarly attainments, and deeply interested in all things which per- tain to the deeper and more permanent life of the people, he commands the respect and esteem of the entire community. Mr. Branch is a member of one of the oldest families in the country, the founder of the name in this country having been a Branch who came from the north of England in 1629 and established his family in Massachusetts, nine years after the land- ing of the "Mayflower" pilgrims.
On January 21. 1891. Rev. Elam E. Branch was united in marriage to Jennie M. Gorham, who was born in Van Buren county, this state. dangh- ter of Bradford C. Gorham and wife, the latter of whom was a Shaw, both natives of this state, and the parents of four children, Charles, Will- iam. Adelbert and Jennie. The mother of these children died when her daughter was a child and Mr. Gorham married again, having two children by his second marriage, one of whom, Mrs. Nellie Devine, is now living in
( 14a)
.
210
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
Illinois. Bradford C. Gorham was a veteran of the Civil War and a well- known and substantial citizen of Van Buren county. Mrs. Branch is an admirable helpmeet to her husband in the exacting duties of his pastorate. Both she and Mr. Branch take a warm interest in the social and cultural activities of their home town and are held in high regard throughout the entire county. Mr. Branch is a member of lonia Lodge No. 36, Free and Accepted Masons; of lonia Chapter No. 14. Royal' Arch Masons; of lonia Council No. 14. Royal and Select Masters, and of lonia Commandery No. 11. Knights Templar. He is also a member of . lonia Lodge No. 175. Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and in the affairs of both the Masons and of the Odd Fellows takes a warm interest.
ORSON V. FROST.
Among the painstaking tillers of the soil and stock raisers of Portland township, Ionia county, is Orson V. Frost, who was born in Wayne county, New York, August 22, 1849. He is a son of S. C. and Miriam (Van Anken ) Frost. The father was born in Wayne county. New York, and was of Eng- lish descent, three brothers having come to America from England many generations back, and settled in the state of Connecticut, later removing to the state of New York. S. C. Frost was reared on a farm in his native county and there received his education and married. Miriam Van Auken was a native of Orange county, New York, where her parents lived on a farm, and she was descended from the earliest Dutch settlers, her ancestors having come to this country at the time Hendrick Hudson located a colony along the great river that bears his name. S. C. and Miriam Frost spent their married life on a farm in Wayne county, New York, and died there. To their union six children were born, namely: Manson died when two years old: Orson V., the subject of this sketch; Charles lives in Portland township. lonia county: Levi died in 1861. when eight years old; William lives in Portland township, lonia county, and a son that died in infancy.
Orson V. Frost's father died when he was six years old and four years later he left home and began life for himself, working out as a farm hand during the summer months and attending school in the winter time. When twelve years old he went to Cayuga county, in his native state, where he continued working on farms during the crop seasons and attending school in the winter until he was seventeen years old, when, in the spring of 1867. he came alone to lonia county, Michigan, arriving in Portland township with
211
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
very little money, and here he worked out as a farm hand until his mar- riage on December 22, 1875. to Calista H. Maynard, a daughter of James F. and Martha ( Andrews) Maynard. He purchased the eighty-acre farm where he now lives in 1877, in section 16, Portland township. Here he has resided continuously and has made a comfortable living as a general farmer. His wife was called to her rest, after a lingering illness, on April 11. 1913. Three children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Frost, namely: Franklin S. died when four years of age; George E. died in infancy. and Harry V., who was educated in the local schools, is at home assisting his father on the farm.
Politically, Mr. Frost is a Republican. He served as justice of the peace for seven years consecutively, and gave eminent satisfaction. He has been a director in school district No. 2 for the past thirty years, also a moderator, but is not active at the present time. He has done much to improve the local schools. He and his son are both members of Portland Grange No. 174, the father having been master of the same from 1909 to 1912, inclusive. He has always manifested a lively interest in all move- ments for the general good of his community.
ERNEST A. LASELLE.
Another enterprising farmer of Ionia county who is making a specialty of raising blooded live stock in connection with his general farming is Ernest A. LaSelle. of Orange township. He was born in Ronald township, this county. April 22, 1868, and is a son of Thaddeus and Francis ( Bernard) LaSelle The father was born in Steuben county, New York. The ancestry may be traced back to Elder Brewster, of French-English blood, who came to America in the historic "Mayflower," in 1620. Thaddeus LaSelle lived in his native state until he was eighteen years old, then came with his parents to Michigan. the family locating in Ronald township. Ionia county, where his father. Wyher LaSelle, purchased two hundred and forty-six acres on which he spent the rest of his life. Thaddeus LaSelle first married Emma Warner, who was born near Pewamo, but she survived only a year after their marriage. His second marriage was to Frances Bernard, who was born in Ionia township, this county. Her death occurred in 1874. Three children were born to the second union, namely: Ernest A., the subject of this sketch; Vernelia is the wife of Peter Grieve, of Port-
212
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
land, this county, and Nantie, who died when fourteen years old. Thaddeus LaSelle married Emma Brown for his third wife, and she still survives. His death occurred on December 4, 1915. after a long, honorable and suc- cessful life.
Ernest A. LaSelle received his education in the district schools of Ronald township. He remained at home until he was eighteen years old. then started out in life for himself. He went to Grand Rapids where he secured employment with the street railway company, breaking horses, remaining with the company one year, then returned to Portland and hired out by the month on his uncle's farm where he remained a year, then hired to D. O. Miner one year. On April 22, 1891, he married Bertha Miner, daughter of D. O. and Annis ( DeLap) Miner. John Miner, grandfather of Mrs. LaSelle brought his family from the state of New York to Ionia county, Michigan, in 1837, and entered land from the government in what is now Portland township. His son, D. O. Miner, was born a week after the family arrived in this county. Annis DeLap, mother of Mrs. LaSelle, was born in Portland township, this county, and was a daughter of Dean and Phoebe DeLap. Soon after their marriage. D. O. and Annis ( DeLap) Miner settled on the farm in Portland township, which his father took up from the government and there lived until 1870. To their union five chil- dren were born, namely: Fred lives in Portland; Clara is the wife of Frank Whitcomb, and they live on a farm in Danby township; Lucy died when fourteen months old: Bertha, wife of the subject of this sketch: Grace is the wife of Herbert Tubbs, of Portland, Michigan.
Mrs. LaSelle grew to womanhood on a farm and received her educa- tion in the public schools and the Portland high school, graduating from the latter in 1887, after which she taught in the district schools of Orange and Portland townships for three years.
Ernest A. LaSelle rented a farm north of Portland for a year after their marriage, then for two years he was employed in a lumber yard in Portland, after which he moved on the Griffin farm in Portland township where he remained eleven years, and in the spring of 1909 bought his present farm of ninety-two and one-half acres in section 23. Orange town- ship, and in connection with general farming he is making a specialty of raising purebred Holstein cattle, liis fine herd being headed by "Long Beach Petereja Beets," No. 116102. He keeps good live stock of all kinds except sheep. He is also a stockholder in the Portland Elevator Company.
To Mr. and Mrs. LaSelle three children have been born, namely : Bernard J. died when nine years old; Annis Frances is attending high school
213
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
in Portland : Ruth is also a student in the Portland high school. Fraternally, Mr. LaSelle is a member of Portland Lodge No. 31, Free and Accepted Masons. He is a Republican, and has been a member of the board of review of Orange township two full terms. He and his family belong to the First Baptist church in Portland, of which he is a trustee and he has long been active in church work.
WILLIAM SPITZLEY.
An advocate of twentieth-century methods of general agriculture and stock raising is William Spitzley, of Portland township, Ionia county, and therefore he has been highly successful in his vocation. He was born in Westphalia township. Clinton county, Michigan, December 4. 1864, and is a son of Anthony and Catherine ( Smith) Spitzley. The father was born in Germany and when nine years old he came with his parents to the United States. the family locating in Westphalia township, Clinton county, Mich- igan, near the Ionia county line. They had very little capital, but went to work with a will and established a comfortable home and here the parents spent the rest of their lives. On that farm Anthony Spitzler grew to man- hood, met and married Catherine Smith, who was born in Germany, from which country her parents brought her to America when she was three years old, the father buying a farm in Ionia county, Michigan, near the Clinton county line, and there she grew to womanhood. After his marriage Anthony Spitzley engaged in the saw-mill business with his brother-in-law, William Smith, for a year or two, then bought eighty acres where his son, William Spitzley, now lives, and here resided about sixteen years. He also bought forty acres in section 13. He and wife make their home with their son, Frank Spitzley, in Clinton county. To these parents seven children have been born, named as follow: William, the subject of this sketch; John lives in Ionia; Theresa is the wife of Peter Thelen, of Lowell, Michigan; Clara is the wife of John Hufnagel and they live in Clinton county; Joseph lives in Portland township, this county; Frank lives on his farm in West- phalia township. Clinton county, and Susan who is the wife of Anthony Goodman, of Danby township.
William Spitzley grew to manhood on the home farm and received a common-school education. On October 30, 1888, he married Mary Thelen, a daughter of Peter and Annie ( Pung) Thelen, both natives of Germany,
214
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
from which country their parents brought them to the United States when young and here they grew up and married, and are still living in West- phalia township, Clinton county, Michigan.
To William Spitzley and wife twelve children have been born, namely : Theresa, Catherine, Anthony, Anna, Arnold, Louie, Henry, Ida, Amelia. Rosella, Lorina and Genevieve. These children have been given educational advantages either in the public or parochial schools.
Mr. Spitzley is a Democrat in politics. He and his family belong to the Catholic church in Westphalia. He has been school director in district No. 6, Portland township, for the past three years. He is a stockholder in the Portland Elevator Company.
LAMBERT B. STRUBLE.
Lambert B. Struble, a well-known and well-to-do pioneer farmer of Lyons township, this county, is a native son of lonia county and has lived here all his life, having thus been a witness to all the wonderful develop- ment that has marked this region during the past generation. He was born on a pioneer farm in Portland township. December 27, 1847, son of Sidney and Harriet ( Adams ) Struble, the former a native of the state of New York and the latter of Pennsylvania, who became pioneers of Ionia county and spent their last days here.
Sidney Struble was born in Yates county, New York, in 1816, son of Adam Struble, who was of German parentage, and grew to manhood there. He married Harriet Adams, a young school teacher, who was teaching in the neighborhood of his home. She was born in Bradford county, Penn- sylvania, in 1817. daughter of Gaius and Cynthia ( Kent ) Adams. In 1843 Sidney Struble and wife came to Michigan and became numbered among the earliest settlers on what then was known as the East Plains, in Lyons township, this county. At that time there was but one house on the site of the present town of Muir, the house of Doctor Blanchard, which stood at a point near where the depot at Muir now stands, and the country in that part of the county was just beginning to be settled. Thus the Strubles became numbered among the very earliest settlers in that neighborhood and took a prominent and useful part in the work of developing proper social and economic conditions thereabont. Mrs. Struble taught the first school opened in the vicinity of East Plains, conducting the school in the log cabin
215
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
in which she and her husband began housekeeping. Later they moved to the township of Portland, where they bought a farm and made their home until the spring of 1856. when they moved to a farm near Muir, where they spent the rest of their lives, her death occurring in 1903 and his in 1906. They were the parents of five children, of whom the subject of this sketch was the second in order of birth, the others being Cynthia Mary, now deceased, who married Harland Edwards: Emma Julia, the widow of Burgess N. Hall: Edward S. and Phoebe Jeannette, deceased, who was the wife of George Bennett.
Lambert B. Struble grew up on the home farm and on July 2, 1874, was united in marriage to Corinthia Williams, who was born in Branch county, near Coldwater. this state, who had come to this county when seven- teen years of age with an aunt, with whom she had made her home since she was orphaned at the age of six, locating at Muir. After his marriage Mr. Struble bought a farm of eighty acres in section 8 of Lyons township, two miles northeast of Muir, and there has made his home ever since. His farm is well improved and profitably cultivated and he built a fine house in the fall of 1907. His farm now comprises ninety acres and his only son, Harry, owns a farm of fifty acres adjoining. Mrs. Struble died on May 12, 1908. just four months after the family had got settled in the new home. She was an earnest member of the Disciples church and was ever active in local good works. Mr. Struble is an elder in the church of that denomination at Muir. of which he has been a member for forty-nine years.
Harry Struble, only son of Lambert B. and Corinthia ( Adams ) Struble, was born on April 12, 1876. Hle was graduated from the Muir high school and with the exception of seven years spent as a rural mail carrier from Muir, has devoted his whole life to farming, being recognized as one of the most substantial farmers of that neighborhood. He makes his home with his father in the house on the old home place. Harry Struble was united in marriage to Daisy Mills, daughter of William and Emma Mills, who died on May 12. 1913, leaving a daughter, Ruth, born on March 10, 1902. On June 16. 1915. Harry Struble married Nellie Settle, who was born at Muir, daughter of William and Ellen ( Sullivan) Settle, the former of whom was born in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, son of John and Elizabeth Settle, the former a native of England, who died in Ohio, after which his widow, who was born in Cincinnati, came to Michigan with her children and settled at Muir in 1867. There William Settle grew to manhood and married Ellen Sullivan, who was born at Muir, daughter of Patrick and Bridget ( Wing) Sullivan, both natives of Dublin, Ireland, who were mar-
216
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
ried after their arrival in this country. They came to Michigan during the fifties and settled at Muir, where Mrs. Sullivan kept a boarding house for the construction crew while the railroad was being built through that part of the county. William Settle and wife still make their home in Muir. To them twelve children were born, James, Elizabeth, Otien. Una, Mabel, William, Jennie, Nellie, Louva, Patrick, Don and Chester.
S. A. WATT.
S. A. Watt, veteran merchant at Saranac, who has been actively iden- tified with the business interests of that place since just after the close of the Civil War, during which time he has been prominently concerned in all movements looking to the advancement of the general interests of that thriving little city. is a native of Ohio, having been born in the village of Carrollton, Carroll county, that state. December 13. 1845, son of David A. and Julia .A. ( Gallaher ) Watt, both natives of Pennsylvania, the former of Scottish descent and the latter of Irish descent. The branch of the Watt family with which S. A. Watt is connected was founded in this country by three brothers of that name who came from Scotland many generations ago and settled in Philadelphia.
Not long after their marriage in Pennsylvania David A. Watt and wife moved to Carroll county. Ohio, where Mr. Watt shortly afterward received from the governor of that state the appointment of sheriff of the county in which he lived, that having been in the days when the shrievalty was controlled by executive appointment. He was holding that position when the law making the sheriff an elective officer was enacted and he was elected first sheriff of the county, to which office he was re-elected for three or four successive terms. He then engaged in newspaper work at Mit. Gilead, Ohio, and was there thus engaged for five years, at the end of which time he moved to Mansfield, same state, where he engaged in the agricul- tural implement business with Hall & Allen and was with them for three years. He then moved to Findlay, Ohio, where he established a hardware store and there he spent the remainder of his life. his death occurring in 1861. Ilis widow survived him many years, she living to the great age of eighty-eight years. They were the parents of six children, of whom the subject of this sketch is now the sole survivor. The others were James.
4
S. A. WATT.
.
217
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
John F., Mary Jane, Esther and Scott. James and John F. Watts, brothers of subject, served in the Civil War. James served first in the Twenty-first Regiment. Ohio Volunteer Infantry, under the one hundred days enlistment scheme and he then enlisted in the Forty-ninth Ohio and served until the end of the war. John F. enlisted in the Twenty-first Ohio for three years service, and served to the end of the war. Both are now dead.
During the progress of the Civil War, he then being fifteen years of age, S. A. Watt went to Indianapolis, Indiana, to visit his brother-in-law, who was quartermaster of the Fifth Veteran Reserve Corps in camp in that city, and while there became acquainted with D. F. Frazell, a former Sara- nac merchant, who was serving as suttler of the camp, and he was employed by Frazell to help in the latter's store there and for two years was thus engaged. during which time he made arrangements with Frazell to enter the latter's employ at Saranac at the close of the war. Returning to Find- lay he spent the following winter in school there and in the spring came to Ionia county, entering Frazell's employ, being engaged as timekeeper and bookkeeper in Frazell's stave and heading factory and grist-mill at Saranac, where he was engaged for two years, during which time he learned the tele- graph business and became a competent operator. When Lee & Goodell opened their bank at Saranac, the first bank established in that village. Mr. Watt was employed as bookkeeper and opened the first set of books in that bank. After a year of this service he was employed by G. A. Cotton and in the latter's store also performed the duties of express agent for the Merchant and Union Express, a forwarding company of that day. later absorbed by the American Express Company. He remained with Mr. Cotton until his appointment in 1873 as mail agent over the Pere Marquette. which position he held for ten years. In the meantime he had married a daughter of Mr. Cotton and when that okl merchant died the subject of this sketch bought the store. Three years later he resigned his position in the mail service and took active charge of the store and has been thus engaged ever since, being now the oldest merchant in continuous business in Saranac. Mr. Watt has also been local manager for the Western Union Telegraph Company at Saranac since 1867 and local agent for the American Express Company from 1877 to 1912. He is a Republican and has ever taken a warm interest in local civic affairs, having been president of the village for two terms and township clerk back in the seventies: always ready to assist in any movement designed to advance the interests of his home town.
218
IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN.
On September 6, 1870, S. A. Watt was united in marriage to Alice .1. Cotton, daughter of G. A. Cotton and wife, early residents and prominent pioneers of the Saranac neighborhood, the former of whom for years was one of the leading merchants of the village, and to that union three chil- dren were born, as follow: Dr. C. Laverne Watt, a well-known dentist at Grand Rapids, a graduate of the Saranac high school. of the Columbia Col- lege at Washington, D. C., and of the Detroit Dental College, and, in former days, was an expert telegraph operator; the Hon. J. Clyde Watt, a graduate of the Saranac high school and of the law department of the University of Michigan, a prominent lawyer of this county, who for two or three terms served as a member of the Michigan state Legislature and as clerk of the state Senate for one term, and Stella May, wife of N. J. Oglevie, a well-known dealer in hardware at Saranac, Ionia. The mother of these children died on March 3. 1906. She was prominent in the work of the Episcopal church at Saranac and for years served the congregation of that church as organist. She also took an active part in the affairs of the local lodge of the Daughters of Rebekah, Mr. Watt formerly having been one of the leaders in the local lodge of the Odd Fellows. On October 12. 1014, Mr. Watt married Mrs. Cora Henri, of Grand Rapids, and he and his wife are very comfortably situated in their pleasant home at Saranac. Mr. Watt has the largest store in Saranac and keeps a general line of mer- chandise. He was the first merchant here who established the practice of paying cash for produce.
FRED CUTLER.
Fred Cutler, a well-known and progressive farmer of Lyons township. this county, proprietor of a fine farm of one hundred and sixty acres, situated about two miles northeast of Muir, is a native son of lonia county, born at Smyrna, in Otisco township. February 1, 1865, son of William and Eva- line ( Severcool) Cutler, both natives of this state and both of whom spent their last days in this county.
William Cutler was a son of English parents who came to Michigan at an early day and settled in the southern part of Calhoun county. At an early age William Cutler was left an orphan, and he grew to manhood on his own resources, becoming a farmer. He was twice married. Ilis first wife left four children, one son and three daughters, at her death. By his
Need help finding more records? Try our genealogical records directory which has more than 1 million sources to help you more easily locate the available records.