USA > Michigan > Monroe County > History of Monroe County, Michigan : a narrative account of its historical progress, its people, and its principal interests Volume II > Part 5
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erick, and Daniel. John immigrated to Ohio in the opening years of the nineteenth century and settled in what is now Mahoning county, where he lived to a patriarchal age, and in that section of the Buckeye state, many of his descendants are living at the present time; George, the second son, established his home in Ohio in the year 1832, and others of the brothers likewise became residents of that state. David, however, passed the closing years of his life at Lafayette, Indiana, and Daniel was a resident of Kalamazoo county, Michigan, at the time of his death. Martin Ilgenfritz, a brother of Frederick, the Revolutionary soldier, inherited the grist mill, and the youngest brother, Samuel, who was a blacksmith by trade, passed his entire life at Little York, where he became a citizen of wealth and influence; his eldest son, William, held the office of prothonotary at Little York for a period of about twenty years. The following significant statements have been made concern- ing this sterling family : "The men of the Ilgenfritz family, in the olden time, were noted for their great physical strength, and both men and women were remarkable for their great independence of spirit."
Jacob Ilgenfritz, father of him to whom this memorial is dedicated, was born and reared on the old ancestral homestead in Pennsylvania, and he represented his native state as a valiant soldier in the war of 1812. In recognition of this service he received, a short time prior to his death, a government warrant for a quarter section of land. He con- tinued to reside near Little York until about 1830, when he removed to Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, and settled on a farm near Carlisle. There he continued to be identified with the great basic industry of agriculture until the spring of 1853, when he came to Monroe, Michigan, where he passed the residue of his life and where his death occurred on the 23rd of October, 1863, his cherished and devoted wife having pre- ceded him to the life eternal. They became the parents of six sons and six daughters, all deceased, the subject of this review having been the sixth child and second son.
Israel E. Ilgenfritz was reared to the sturdy discipline of the farm, and his early educational advantages were confined to a desultory attend- ance in the district schools during the winter months, when his services were not in requisition in connection with the work of the home farm. In 1843, when about nineteen years of age, he went to Bellefonte, Center county, Pennsylvania, and engaged in the nursery business. He initiated operations upon a modest scale and with probably slight con- ception of the distinctive success which he was destined to achieve in connection with this line of industrial enterprise. In 1846 he came to Monroe, Michigan, and brought with him a small stock of trees, which he planted on Monroe street, just south of St. John's Catholic church. He became greatly impressed with conditions and advantages here in evidence, and determined to establish his permanent home in Monroe county. In the spring of 1848 he purchased a half interest in the nur- sery of Eliab H. Reynolds, the same having been on the land adjoining St. Mary's church. It is worthy of record that most of the fine old trees and beautiful shrubbery about the present parish residence was planted by Mr. Ilgenfritz, the original nursery office of the firm having been situated on this site. After a brief interval, Mr. Reynolds disposed
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of his interest in the business to Jesse Beardsley, whose identification with the enterprise did not long continue, as in the autumn of 1849, Mr. Ilgenfritz purchased his interest and became the sole owner of the Monroe Nursery. In the following spring, however, he sold a half interest to R. A. Bentley, and the enterprise was thereafter continued under the firm name of Ilgenfritz & Bentley, until about 1856, when Mr. Bentley withdrew from the firm and Mr. Ilgenfritz again became sole proprietor of the business. About the year 1863, Amon Kellogg and Daniel Ilgenfritz were admitted to partnership, each assuming a fourth interest, but Mr. Kellogg retired from the firm about one year later. Daniel Ilgenfritz continued to be associated with his brother in carry- ing forward the now large and flourishing enterpise until 1876, when he also retired. Thereafter the subject of this memoir conducted the busi- ness in an individual way until his sons became members of the newly organized firm, the title of which was I. E. Ilgenfritz & Sons.
When Mr. Ilgenfritz began operations in the nursery business in Monroe county the plant and facilities were of modest order, but the scope of the enterprise was soon expanded by the renting of the Edmonds farm, and by the purchase of about two hundred acres of land. In 1858 Mr. Ilgenfritz purchased what was known as the Railroad farm, of one hundred and sixty-five acres, and in 1872 he acquired title to the Clark farm, of seventy acres. The latter tract was utilized for packing grounds for a period of about one year, and it was then found expedient to secure a more central location for this department of the business. Thus were gradually accumulated, by successive purchases, the present eligible grounds adjoining the station site of the Lake Shore & Michigan Southern Railroad, by which the best of transportation facilities are afforded. The Monroe Nursery, under the able and effective direction of Israel E. Ilgenfritz, forged to the front as one of the largest and best equipped in the entire United States, and for many years its business has ramified throughout the most diverse sections of the country, the while the excellence and reliability of its products and the fair and hon- orable dealings of the concern have maintained for it a reputation that constitutes its best commercial asset. Mr. Ilgenfritz was a close student of the technical and practical phases of his chosen line of enterprise, and brought to bear the most scientific methods in the propagation of his stock in all lines. His knowledge concerning the manifold varieties and types of fruit trees and smaller fruits was incomparable, accurate, and comprehensive, so that he became a recognized authority in regard to the business which so long engrossed his attention and in connection with which he attained to such distinctive precedence and success. Since his death the business has been successfully continued by his sons, and is now operated under the title of The I. E. Ilgenfritz' Sons Company. About 1855 Mr. Ilgenfritz purchased his first home in Monroe, the same having been the now valuable property in Anderson block, No. 1, on Elm avenue, where he continued to reside for thirteen years. The old log house which stood on this lot at the time when the same came into his possession had been used as an Indian trading post in the pioneer days and was one of the lankmarks of this section of the state.
As a citizen, Mr. Ilgenfritz was definitely loyal, progressive and
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public-spirited, and he was ever ready to do his part in the support of measures and enterprises projected for the general good of the com- munity. In politics he gave a stalwart allegiance to the Republican party, though he was reared in the Democratic faith, and the high regard in which he was held in his home community was significantly shown by his having been thrice elected to represent a strongly Dem- ocratic ward, as alderman in the city council. He was first elected to this office, from the Fourth ward, in 1875, and by re-election in 1877 he continued in service for two consecutive terms. In 1889 he was again chosen representative of this ward, which usually gave a Democratic majority of about forty votes, and on this occasion he was elected by a majority of twenty-one votes. He proved a most valuable member of the municipal body in which he thus served, and brought to bear the same careful methods and progressive ideas that had conserved his individual success in business operations. He made his life count for good in all its relations and when he was summoned from the scene of his mortal endeavors, venerable in years, he left a name unsullied and one that shall long be honored in the county to whose development and prosperity he contributed in generous measure. Mr. Ilgenfritz became a member of the Methodist Episcopal church about the year 1851, and thereafter he continued until his death, one of the veritable pillars of the church of this denomination in Monroe, his zeal and earnest devotion having been shown through his service in the offices of class-leader, steward and trustee of the church. Mrs. Ilgenfritz is still living at the advanced age of 84 years. On the 24th of December, 1846, was solemnized the mar- riage of Mr. Ilgenfritz to Miss Mary Fishburn, who was born in Han- over, Dauphin county, Pennsylvania, and who was a daughter of Michael and Margaret (Walters) Fishburn. The names of the children of this union are here entered in respective order of birth: Margaret Elizabeth, Harriet F., Charles A., Albert W., Theodore E., Wilbur F., Edgar C., Frank L., Mary E., Thomas I., Katherine V., and Lilla A. All of the children are living except Albert W., who died on the 2d of May, 1855, and Mary E., who passed away in January, 1901.
GEORGE J. COPPERNOLL. One of the true pioneers of Monroe county was the late George J. Coppernoll, who died at his homestead in Exeter township, April 3, 1911. Over ninety years old at his death, nearly three-quarters of a century had been passed in this county, and prob- ably no other citizen has known so many changes and been the active participant in so much of the real progress of the county. Andrew Jackson was still president of the United States when Mr. Coppernoll, then a lad of sixteen, came into the wilderness of southeastern Michigan in 1836. He knew this region when its woods and prairies were marked only by the blazed trails, when there were no bridges, few fenced fields, hardly anything approaching the dignity of a town, and absolutely none of the modern facilities of transportation and convenience introduced during the subsequent railroad and electric ages.
George J. Coppernoll was born on the 6th of July, 1820, in Otsego county, New York, where he spent his early youth. He had only a few weeks of schooling, but was taught habits of industry and honesty and
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was well equipped for the strenuous duties of pioneering. His uncle was Henry Herkimer, of the Herkimer family so well known in Monroe county, and in 1836 he came out to this part of Michigan and began working for that pioneer. Saving his wages he bought eighty acres of wild land from this uncle, and began making improvements. His days were spent in unremitting toil, and yet at night he found energy to saw most of the lumber for his first house. He later bought another forty acres with the product of his day wages, and thus got well started on a career of prosperity.
The maiden name of his first wife was Hannah Peters, and she died leaving one son, John P., who is now a factory foreman in Toledo. His second wife was Eliza A. Ross, who is still living on the old homestead in Exeter township. She is a native of Iona, Ontario, and was reared and educated there and was a teacher for some years. Her parents were Hugh and Mehitabel (Smith) Ross, both of whom died at Carleton, On- tario. There were five sons and six daughters in the Ross family, and two of the sons were soldiers in the Civil war-William G., now of De- troit, and Eupretus, now of Ypsilanti.
The late Mr. Coppernoll earned ample rewards for his labors, and his later years were spent in the comforts of one of the attractive home- steads of Exeter township. He had built a modern brick residence of nine rooms, and had his place well improved with barns and excellent facilities for farming. Politically, he was a Republican from the organ- ization of that party, and was public-spirited as a citizen, giving his assistance to the promotion of church and education.
Mr. and Mrs. Coppernoll became the parents of four children: Mel- vin A. resides on the old home; Edgar G. is a resident of Toledo; Howard died at the age of twenty, leaving one son, Floyd H., of Toledo, Ohio; and Alvin HI. died at the age of forty-eight, leaving two children, Belle, who lives in Detroit, and George, deceased at the age of five years. Mrs. Coppernoll and her son live on the old homestead. She is now seventy-six, but time has dealt kindly with her, and she is one of the most energetic and cheerful old ladies in the county. She is well con- versant with the old times, and is an entertaining talker about people and affairs of the long ago.
REV. F. C. BEITELSPACHER. This young but ardent laborer in the great field of evangelical work has been the pastor of St. Paul's evan- gelical Lutheran church at Maybee, Monroe county, Michigan, since July 4, 1907, and during his pastorate the congregation has increased in num- bers, has been quickened into greater fervor and zeal in its work, and has grown in influence and power in the community in which its benefi- cent and effective labors are performed and working out their good re- sults.
The congregation was organized on January 4, 1860, by the Rev. F. A. Herzberger, and started with sixteen members. He served it from January 3, 1860, to March 16, 1862, and after him the succeeding pas- tors were as follows: Rev. W. H. Luebkert, from March 16, 1862, to April 15, 1867 ; Rev. T. K. D. Widman, from May 27, 1867, to September
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1, 1868; Rev. L. Krebs, from April 18, 1869, until his death within the same year ; Rev. A. C. Bauer, pastor at Sandy Creek, from July 1, 1869, to December 1, 1879, served the congregation of St. Paul's three-fourths of a mile southeast of Maybee, at the house of Fred Hasley. During a part of this time there also had been preaching at the Stecher's school house, about two miles west of Maybee, by Rev. Robert Graetz, who was pastor from August 8, 1875, to December 5, 1879, supplying this field from Dundee. On that date the two congregations united and all mem- bers of both thereafter attended the church at Maybee. The next pastor after the uniting of the two congregations was Rev. H. Willert, who was in charge from December 1, 1879, to December 10, 1885. From October 1, 1886, to January 15, 1894, Rev. P. Born was in charge, and after him came Rev. C. Lembke, who remained from April 1, 1894 to September 30, 1894, and then resigned because of the state of his health. He was succeeded by Rev. Paul Hensge, who served the con- gregation from November 10, 1894, to June 2, 1898, and was followed by Rev. C. J. L. Benzin, who was in charge from August 10, 1898, to May 15, 1905, after which the church was without a regular pastor until October 1, 1905, when Rev. William Meinecke took charge. He remained until October, 1906, after which the pastorate was again vacant until Rev. Mr. Beitelspacher took charge on July 4, 1907, since which time he has been in active service in the church and has also had control of the school.
A frame church edifice was built in 1879 when both congregations united, one mile west of Maybee on the Blue Bush road, where services were held until the removal of the church to Maybee. The new church at Maybee was erected in 1907 at a cost of $6,500. It is thirty-four by sixty feet in dimensions, and has a seating capacity of three hundred and fifty. The parsonage was built in 1896, while Rev. Paul Hensge was in charge of the congregation. It is an eight room building and is well equipped and furnished as a residence. Its market value as a dwelling is about $1,800, and the cemetery used by the congregation cost $150 without improvements of any sort. The church edifice is located on High street and is a fine modern structure. When the present pastor took charge of the congregation it contained forty voting members and one hundred and twenty-five communicants, representing two hundred persons in their families. At the present writing (1912) there are forty-eight voting members and one hundred and forty-eight communi- cants, representing two hundred and twenty-seven persons. The school is conducted in the basement of the church and has about twenty pupils in regular attendance. The church also conducts a live and progressive Sunday-school of some forty scholars and an energetic Tabitha Ladies' Aid Society.
Rev. F. C. Beitelspacher was born at Struble, Plymouth county, Iowa, not far from the county seat (LeMars) on October 11, 1886. He is the son of Charles and Mary (Eden) Beitelspacher, and the first born of their eight children. His father is a prosperous and progressive farmer, who was born, reared and partially educated in Russia. He came to the United States at the age of twenty-one, and here completed his educa- tion. For some years he lived in South Dakota, then moved to Iowa, his
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present residence. Soon after his arrival in that state he was married to Miss Mary Eden on the farm on which they now reside. Her father was the first settler in that part of the country, moving there from Jones county in the far eastern part of the state, but one line of counties lying between it and the Mississippi.
Rev. Mr. Beitelspacher began his academic education in the public school near his father's residence, continued it at the parochial school in Mammen in the same part of his native county, and completed it with a college course at St. Paul, Minnesota. At the age of fourteen he was confirmed in the church, and after making due preparation for the min- istry, he was ordained June 16th, 1907, in the church at his native home. His first charge as a pastor was the St. Paul's congregation at Maybee, where he has labored with great success for the past six years.
In addition to the church at Maybee, Rev. Beitelspacher serves the congregation of St. Matthews church, located five miles south of Maybee in Raisinville township. This congregation was organized on November 12, 1860, by Rev. F. A. Herzberger, who served it for two years. He was succeeded by Rev. W. H. Luebkert, who had it in charge from March, 1862, to April 15, 1867, and was followed by Rev. T. K. D. Widman, who was its pastor from May 27, 1867, to September 1, 1868. Rev. L. Krebs was the next in order, serving from March 21, 1869, to May 27, 1873, and after him in regular succession came: Rev. A. Z. H. Michaels, from July 1, 1873, to December 25, 1878; Rev. Robert Graetz. from February 2, 1879, to September 21, 1879; Rev. L. Dammann, from September 21, 1879, to April 15, 1882; Rev. C. F. Seitz, from May 15, 1882, to May 21, 1889; Rev. P. Born, who supplied the pulpit from Maybee until towards the close of the year 1893; Rev. C. Lembke took charge early in 1894; he remained until late in that year and was suc- ceeded on November 10, in the same year, by Rev. P. E. Hensge, who remained until June 2, 1898. Then came Rev. C. J. L. Benzin, who remained in charge until the present pastor assumed his duties, preach- ing both at Maybee and this church.
The church at St. Matthew has a parochial school attended by eighteen to twenty pupils, a flourishing Sunday school and an energetic Tabitha Ladies' Aid Society. Rev. Beitelspacher holds services in the church once every two weeks. When he became pastor the congregation numbered twenty-three voting members, seventy communicants and represented one hundred and twenty-six persons. Its roster in 1912 showed thirty voting members, with eighty-four communicants, who represented one hundred and thirty persons.
This energetic, progressive and successful young advocate of the gospel of Christianity is not doing his work alone. On June 28, 1908, he was joined in wedlock with Miss Catherine Johnson, the ceremony being performed in his native county of Plymouth, Iowa. His wife was born, reared and educated in that state, and is a daughter of Richard and Catherine (Pereboom) Johnson, formerly residents of Illinois, but for many years esteemed citizens of Iowa. Two children have been born to Rev. and Mrs. Beitelspacher, Norma and Ruth.
The parents are both zealous laborers in the interests of the work they have in charge, and both are highly esteemed in the community,
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or the several communities, in which their duties are performed. The pastor is a hard worker and success in ever increasing measure is crown- ing his efforts.
BENJAMIN H. SOUTHWORTH. Thoroughly enterprising and progres- sive in his life work of farming and highly successful in it; broadly and intelligently public-spirited with reference to the public affairs of his township and county ; strong in his interest in the welfare of his locality and its residents and zealous in his efforts to promote it; and withal strictly upright, honorable and square in all the relations of life, Ben- jamin H. Southworth, of Ash township, this county, is a fine specimen of Michigan citizenship and elevated American manhood.
His record as a farmer and a man, which would be creditable and give him standing anywhere, is all the more gratifying to the people of Monroe county because he is one of its products in every particular, and has had his career to the present time (1912) wholly among them. He ยท was born on the old Southworth homestead in the township of his present residence on January 3, 1876, and is a son of William and Mary (Hendricks) Southworth, the former born in Seneca county, New York, in 1836, and the latter in Monroe county, Michigan in 1836.
William Southworth, the father of Benjamin H., died in this county on January 20, 1912, at the age of nearly seventy-six years. He was a son of Ezra Southworth, a native of the state of New York, of Welsh and Holland Dutch ancestry. William grew to manhood and obtained his education in his native county, and soon after he attained his ma- jority, came to Michigan and located in Monroe county. Soon after the Civil war began he enlisted in defense of the Union in Company G, Twenty-fourth Michigan Volunteer Infantry, in which he served sixteen months. His regiment was one of the great fighting regiments of the Federal army and saw a great deal of very active field service and took part in many of the renowned battles of the war.
Mr. Southworth's military service was shortened by a serious wound which he received on July 3, 1863, at the battle of Gettysburg, and which rendered his confinement in a hospital for some time necessary and disabled him for further service. As soon as his health was suffi- ciently restored for him to leave the hospital he was honorably dis- charged from the army and returned to his home. Here, after a period devoted to further recuperation, he resumed his farming operations, and in January, 1866, was married to Miss Mary Hendricks at the old homestead of her father, William Hendricks, in this township, which he redeemed from the wilderness. He was a native of Waterloo, New York, and his wife, whose maiden name was Hannah Woodruff, was also born and reared in that state. They were married there and soon afterward moved to this county among the first settlers of Ash town- ship. Both died on the old farm, the mother at the age of fifty and the father when he was fifty-two. They had two children, their son Ben- jamin, who has died, and Mrs. Southworth. The parents were honored members of the Methodist Episcopal church and took an active part in the work of the congregation of their sect at Flatrock for many years.
William Southworth lived at Newport in this county for a number
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of years, then moved to the Hendricks farm, which he cultivated for a period. When he left that farm he located on the one on which his family now lives. He and his wife were the parents of seven children : Letitia, Allie, Bessie Wilmot, Ella Renton, William, Chloe and Ben- jamin. Allie is now the wife of Rev. Fred Smith, pastor of the Meth- odist Episcopal church in Lewiston, Michigan. Before her marriage she was a successful and popular school teacher, as her youngest sister Chloe is now. William is a carpenter, and Benjamin farms the homestead.
The father was a member of Monroe Post, Grand Army of the Republic, for many years. He was also a member of the Masonic order, and in all the relations of life he was true, genuine and high-toned in his manhood, while his devotion to the public welfare of his locality made him one of the most revered and popular men among its residents. Throughout the whole of his life he performed every duty that came to him with the utmost fidelity and the full measure of his ability, and he died crowned with the high esteem of everybody who knew him.
Benjamin H. Southworth was reared to habits of industry, integrity and usefulness on his father's farm, and obtained his education in the public schools, and by judicious reading and study at home. He was employed some years by the Lake Shore Railroad, building bridges in different parts of this state, but for a number of years now has been engaged in farming. He was a good bridge builder, and he is an ex- cellent farmer. Whatever his hand finds to do he does with all his might and ability, and a generous measure of success follows all his efforts.
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