USA > Michigan > Montcalm County > History of Montcalm County, Michigan its people, industries and institutions...with biographical sketches of representative citizens and genealogical records of many of the old families Volume II > Part 33
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To Harrison and Harriet ( Monroe) Pierce four children have been born. as follow: Aria A .. wife of George Poppeywell, of Greenville; Martha, wife of George Perry, of Greenville; Effie, deceased, and Edson R .. who still makes his home on the old home place. Mr. and Mrs. Pierce are members of the Methodist church and their children have been reared in that faith. The family ever has taken a proper part in the general social activities of the community and all are held in high esteem thereabout.
At the time of its greatest activity back in the seventies, Harrison Pierce was an ardent member of the Greenback party, but after that party declined and ceased to be, he became quite independent in his political views and has
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so continned. He was prominent in the local councils of the old Greenback party and had served as a delegate to state conventions of the same. Ile has taken an interested part in local civic affairs and has served as highway over- seer of Eureka township. He also has been an officer of his school district for more than forty years and has done much to advance the cause of edu- cation there during that time. Mr. Pierce is a member of Tent No. 458. Knights of the Maccabees, and for years has taken a warm interest in the affairs of that organization.
ORSON BOGERT.
Orson Bogert, who is one of the successful farmers of Bloomer town- ship, Montcalm county, was born in 1861, on the southern edge of the township in which he now resides, and is the son of Richard and Emma (Decker) Bogert. Richard Bogert, the father of the subject of this sketch, was born in the state of New York, and at an early age was left an orphan. He was reared in an orphan asylum and in 1858. after he had begun an independent career, settled in Michigan. One of his purposes in coming to this state was that he might marry Ruhe Ann Decker, whom he had known in former years. When he arrived here he found that she had just been married to a rival, so he turned his attention to her sister, Emma Decker, who consented to become his wife. Both Emma and Ruhe Ann Decker were the daughters of John S. Decker, who settled in Bloomer township, Montcalm county, during the fifties. They were pioneers in the agricultural life of this community where they spent the greater part of their lives.
Richard Bogert gave his service to the Union during the Civil War, and enlisted as a volunteer in a Michigan regiment for a term of three years. At the close of the war Mr. Bogert lost his wife, who was survived by her husband and one son, who is the subject of this sketch, another son. William, having died. In 1867 Mr. Bogart married Ruhe Decker, who has been spoken of before as the sister of his first wife. The couple lived in Bloomer town- ship where Mr. Bogert followed the occupation of farming until his death.
Reared to the sturdy discipline of farm life, the subject of this sketch was well qualified to cope with the agricultural problems that confronted him when he began an mdependent career. After his marriage Mr. Bogert bought a farm of one hundred and twenty acres in the southern part of
MR. AND MRS. ORSON BOGERT.
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Bloomer township, where he continues to reside. He has managed the farm along modern methods of improvement and as a result owns one of the best cultivated places in the community.
In 1893 the marriage of Orson Bogert to Emma Gooby, the daughter of Matthew Gooby, took place. Mrs. Bogert, who was born in Euclid, Ohio, came to Michigan with her parents when she was a child. She is a woman of unusual business ability and for a number of years had full management of the extensive business carried on by her father, of whom a full account appears on another page of this volume. To Mr. and Mrs. Bogert two children have been born: Ney, who is now twenty years old, and Hattie. Ney helps his father on the farm.
JAMES W. URIE.
James W. Urie, one of the best-known farmers of Bloomer township. this county, former fish and game warden and a skilled gunsmith, who for years has been actively identified with the affairs of this county, is a native of Montcalm county, having been born on a pioneer woodland tract in Bloomer township, one mile south of the present town of Butternut, on February 28, 1859, son of Thomas S. and Matilda (Norris) Urie, who were among the earliest settlers of that section.
Thomas S. Urie was born in Ashland county, Ohio, and grew to man- hood there. He married Matilda Norris, who was a native of that same county, and came to this county about the year 1854, settling in Bloomer township. where they bought a tract of timber land, and there the subject of this sketch was born. Soon thereafter Thomas S. Urie and his little family removed to Hillsdale county, remaining for four years, at the end of which time they came back to Montcalm county and made a permanent home in Bloomer township, buying a timber tract two and one-half miles south of the present site of Carson City, where Mr. and Mrs. Urie spent the remainder of their lives. At that time there were no roads through the forests in that section, the pioneers following the old Indian trails, and Thomas S. Urie did much toward preparing the land for its present high state of development. The town of Lyons then was the nearest trading point for the settlers in that part of the country and the elder Urie used to walk to that point for supplies, carrying meal and other provisions back on his back. Thomas S. Urie. in addition to being a robust and stalwart
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farmer, was a skilled blacksmith and gunsmith, and his son, James W., early learned this form of craftsmanship, being of much assistance to his father both at the forge and at the bench at such times as the demand for their labors in this direction became too pressing. The Indians were good cus- tomers of these pioneer gunsmiths and it was nothing unusual in those early days for fifty or seventy-five redskins to be waiting at the door of the little shop of the Uries in the woods to have their firearms fixed, the smith and his son often working until midnight to get the tasks completed. As a farrier the elder Urie's services also were in great demand. He made his own horseshoes and nails and received six dollars a span for shoeing horses.
It was thus that the youth of James W: Urie was spent, his early years being devoted to the strenuous toil necessary to the clearing of the forest about the pioneer home and in helping his father in the smithy. He has worked as a gunsmith ever since he was old enough to stand at the bench and can make any part of a gun, today doing all kinds of up-to-date work in that line. After the death of his father he bought the old home place and continues to make his home there, having thus lived there ever since he was five years old. Mr. Urie has ever taken an active part in local public affairs and for twelve years gave very acceptable service as school director of his district. Ile also was for some years the fish and game warden for this district, during which term of service he ever gave studious and faithful attention to the interests of the state, always making sure of his cases before beginning proceedings, thus avoiding careless prosecutions.
On January 19. 1884, James W. Urie was united in marriage to Emma Wright, who was born in the neighboring county of Gratiot, daughter of John S. and Anginette (Garner ) Wright, the former of whom was born in Suffolk county, England. on January 4. 1837, and died at the home of his son, John, at Maple Rapids, this state, on January 5, 1915, at the age of seventy-eight years. In 1853 John S. Wright came to America with his parents, the family settling at Wellington. in Lorraine county, Ohio, where they lived for a couple of years, at the end of which time they came to Michigan, locating at North Shade, in Gratiot county, in March, 1855, and there the elder Wrights spent the remainder of their lives. On July 3. 1859. John S. Wright was united in marriage to Anginette Garner, who was born in Summerhill, Courtland county. New York, February 23, 1837, and in the spring of 1860 settled on a forty-acre farm in section 10, Fulton township, Gratiot county, where they spent the remainder of their lives, and there their daughter Emma was born and there she made her home until her marriage to Mr. Urie.
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To James W. and Emma ( Wright) Urie five children have been born, namely: John S., who was born on December 31, 1884, in Gratiot county and started farming for himself in 1904, the next year buying a farm one- half mile south of the home farm in Bloomer township and there has been farming ever since, at the same time being actively engaged as an auctioneer, having been most of the time associated with C. E. Chandler, one of the best-known auctioneers in Michigan, and for the past five years has also been engaged in managing a threshing outfit; in 1914 was married to Win- nie Davis, daughter of William Davis, a prominent resident of this county, a history of which family is set out in the biographical sketch of Mr. Davis, presented elsewhere in this volume; Frances, who married Neff Brown, liv- ing in the southeast part of Bloomer township, this county, and has two chil- dren, Paul and Iralorene, living, and one, Gladys, who died at the age of six weeks; Minnie, who married Albert Bennett, living in the northwest part of the neighboring county of Clinton, and has three children, James Warren, Ruth and Hazel; Myrtle, who is at home with her parents, and Carrie Belle, also at home.
MRS. EMMA C. SHERWOOD.
Emma C. Sherwood is one of the competent women who ably manage their affairs after they have been deprived, through death, of those who have sheltered and protected them. She was born on May 2, 1865, in Bush- nell township, Montcalm county, Michigan, just one mile east of her present home. She is the daughter of George W. and Sarah E. (Winegar) Collins. George W. Collins was born in the southern part of Michigan and was the son of George W. Collins, Sr. Shortly after the birth of George W. Col- lins, Jr., the family removed to Washtenaw county, Michigan, where they remained until death.
George W. Collins, Jr., was reared on the home place and remained at home until he was thirty years of age, at which time he purchased a farm in Montcalm county, Michigan. He had married while a resident of Wash- tenaw county and his wife had borne him two children. Her death had occurred previous to his removal to Montcalm county, Michigan, and the children had been left to the care of her parents. Each winter he returned to visit them until his second marriage, which was solemnized six years after
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the death of his first wife. Two years later the children died. By his second marriage Mr. Collins had one child, Emma C.
On March 26. 1882, Emma C. Collins was united in marriage to Charles F. Sherwood, son of Solomon and Christina Sherwood, and to them one child was born, Frank C., who died in infancy. Solomon and Christina Sherwood were natives of Jackson county, Michigan, and removed to Mont- calm county, Michigan, when their son. Charles F., was six months old. After the death of their own child, Charles F. and Emma C. Sherwood adopted a boy named Ted R. and he is now with his foster mother. Charles F. Sherwood was a member of the Bushnell Grange, as is also his widow. He was one of the charter members of the organization.
On November 16. 1915. Mrs. Sherwood removed to Palo. Tonia county. where she purchased a handsome brick residence, having sold her farms. She was possessed of two farms consisting of fifty acres and one hundred acres respectively, both of which she sold.
Charles F. Sherwood was taken sick in March, 1915. and died on June 18. 1915. and was buried in the Palo cemetery. He at one time was a mem- ber of the Maccabees. He was well liked and during his lifetime had the confidence and esteem of all who knew him. He was at the time of his death, treasurer of the Bushnell Grange. In politics he was a Republican.
M. JAY MINER.
M. Jay Miner, prosperous farmer and well-known citizen of Bloomer township, Montcalm county, Michigan, was born one mile east of Bloomer Center, this county, on August 9, 1880, a son of George H. and Martha Annette ( Yates) Miner, the former born in Lyons, Michigan, on November 20, 1853. a son of Martin J. and Lucinda ( Hawley) Miner; the latter born at Chili. Monroe county, New York, a daughter of William and Margaret (Vandenburgh) Yates.
Martin J. Miner. the grandfather, was a son of Anderson and Delilah Miner, the former of whom was one of the first settlers in the southeast part of Montcalm county. Michigan, a United States government deed, dated September 1. 1851. granting to Anderson Miner one hundred and sixty acres in the northeast quarter of section 28. in Bloomer township, the grant being made by virtue of a land warrant given him as an artificer in Captain Partridge's company of United States Artificers. in the War of 1812.
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Anderson Miner came from the state of New York to Montcalm county, Michigan, among the first of those to reach Bloomer township, they finding it necessary to cut roads through the timber and brush in order to reach their land in this community. As an early citizen Anderson Miner took an important part in the advancement of the interests of the carly settlers, the first township meeting, at which the township was organized, being held in the home of Mr. Miner.
Martin J. Miner spent the greater part of life on the home farm in Bloomer township, although for some years he was engaged in business at Carson City, Montcalm county, as a furniture dealer, later as the operator of an elevator business, while at one time he was a builder. having superin- tended the erection of the building in which the State Bank of Carson City is now located.
Martin J. Miner was married to Lucinda Hawley, who was born in 1837. in Geneva county. New York, a daughter of Alpheus C. and Lucena ( Emerson ) Hawley, a sketch of whose lives is presented elsewhere in this volume under the name of George II. Lester, Mrs. Miner having been a sister of Mrs. O. L. Burdge, formerly the wife of George H. Lester. Mrs. Miner came to Montcalm county, Michigan, with her parents, where she grew to maturity and was married to Martin J. Miner, to them being born two children : George H .. and Lucena, deceased, who was the wife of T. C. Frushour.
George H. Miner grew to maturity on the home farm in Bloomer town- ship. Montcalm county, after completing his education in the public schools of the locality becoming a farmer, a vocation which he followed on one hun- dred and fifty-seven acres of land near the present Bloomer Center church for the whole of his life, with the exception of a few years when he was engaged in agricultural pursuits on eighty acres of land nearby, which farm he left and moved to his later place in 1881, living there until his death on August 26. 1908.
Martha Annette. the wife of George H. Miner, spent her early years at the home of her parents, William and Margaret ( Vandenburgh ) Yates, natives of Schaghticoke. Rensselaer county, New York. Later her parents moved to Monroe county, New York, living there until the death of Mrs. Yates, which occurred when Martha Annette was a child. Following the death of his wife. William Yates was married. a second time, the family moving, in the early seventies, to Montcalm county. Michigan, where, after living in several localities, they finally settled in Bloomer township, where William Yates spent his last days.
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To the marriage of George II. and Martha Annette Miner, which occurred on March 18. 1874. were born two children: . M. Jay, and one daughter who died in infancy. Mrs. Miner now lives on a farm near Bloomer Center, Montcalm county, Michigan.
M. Jay Miner was about one year of age when he came with his parents to Bloomer Center, where he was reared on the home farm. receiving his early education in the common schools of the locality, after which he became a student at the Carson City high school. Following his school days Mr. Miner spent some time at Chicago, Illinois, at Saginaw, Michigan, and other places, later returning to Bloomer township, this county, where he was married and then became a farmer on the old Miner farm. Mr. Miner first lived near the Bloomer Center church and then. in November. 1910. moved to his present home near the southwest corner of Bloomer Center, where he lives and cares for the cultivation of two hundred and forty acres of excel- lently improved and highly cultivated farm land.
On April 18, 1906, M. Jay Miner was married to Ola Thayer, who was born at Carson City, Montcalm county, Michigan, and to this marriage have been born five children: Martha Louise. Veneva Leone, Velma Eliza- beth, George William, and Irma Lucille, who died when seven weeks old.
Mrs. Miner is a daughter of William Henry and Martha Jane ( Luther) Thayer, the former born on December 27. 1840, in Erie county, New York, a son of John G. and Mary ( Davis) Thayer ; the latter born in Erie county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of J. B. and Julia Ann ( Washburne) Luther.
William II. Thayer spent his boyhood days on the home farm and when twenty-three years of age went to the oil regions of Pennsylvania, where he was engaged in dressing tools for oil-drilling apparatus, for eleven years. In 1874. Mr. Thayer moved to Carson City, Montcalm county, Mich- igan. where he lived and engaged in the drug business until March, 1907, when he went to Greenville, this county, and for four and one-half years was an employee of the Sprague & Company drug store. Mr. Thayer then went to Mt. Pleasant and followed the same line of work until April 11, 1914. when he moved to Bloomer Center. where he now resides.
As a citizen and political worker William H. Thayer has taken an important place in Montcalm county, while a resident of Carson City having served as township clerk for several years, was township treasurer two years, village treasurer one term, and was a school official for many years.
On March 15, 1870, William IT. Thayer was married to Martha Jane Luther, who after the death of her mother. Julia Ann Luther, and the second
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marriage of her father. J. B. Luther, lived with the parents of her step- mother until she was fourteen years of age, at that time going to Venango county, Pennsylvania, where she lived until her marriage. To the marriage of William H. and Martha Jane Thayer have been born six children: Grace E .. William Earl. Ola M., George B., Roene L. and Everell D.
Ola Thayer, who is the wife of M. Jay Miner, was educated in the public schools of Carson City, graduating from the local high school in 1900. after which she became the deputy to Mr. Beemis, postmaster of Car- son City. Montcalm county, remaining in that position for one year.
M. Jay Miner is one of the favorably known men of Bloomer township, Montcalm county, being foremost in those things having for their object the advancement of the community's interest and being a citizen who lends freely of his time and effort for the promotion of various projects dealing with scientific agriculture and the betterment of general local conditions. Fraternally, Mr. Miner is a prominent member of the Free and Accepted Masons, of Montcalm county.
CHARLES A. MABIE.
Charles A. Mabie, well-known farmer and highly-respected citizen of Bushnell township. Montcalm county, Michigan, was born in Fairplain town- ship, Montcalm county, July 22, 1868, a son of Joel W. and Rachael S. ( Koutz) Mabie, the former born in New York state, a son of Jeremiah and Lois ( Evans) Mabie, who were of Holland-Dutch descent, the latter born in Mifflin township, Cumberland county, Pennsylvania, a daughter of Jacob Koutz and wife, who were of German descent.
When a boy, Joel W. Mabie came to the state of Michigan with his father and located in lonia county, where Joel W. Mabie was married to Rachael S. Koutz, who came to Ionia county, Michigan, with her parents, after which Mr. Mabie and his wife moved to Fairplain township, Mont- calm county, living there for some time and then moved to Bushnell township, a place which was the home of the ekler Mabie for about forty years, during that time he being employed as a miller and working as a farmer on his farm of forty acres. Joel W. and Rachael S. Mabie were the parents of nine children, I.elias J., Marian A .. Florence A., Luella J., Sarah E .. Charles A. Sylvia I. Angie I. and William.
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Charles A. Mabie lived on the home farm and contributed to the sup- port of the home during the years of his early manhood and then, having married, Mr. Mabie took charge of the farm, which he improved and on which he is now successfully engaged in general farming.
On June 26. 1912, Charles A. Mabie was married to Nellie Borden, a daughter of Wilburt H. and Aramantha MI. ( McCrady ) Borden, who moved to Ionia county from Oakland county, Michigan, Mrs. Borden originally having come from Canada, where she was born, of Scotch parentage. To the marriage of Charles A. and Nellie Mabie have been born two children, Rachael Aramantha. born on May 20, 1913, and Ronald Norman, April 22, 1915.
Charles A. Mabie is a member of Sheridan Lodge No. 7312, Modern Woodmen of America, and is a member of Sheridan Lodge No. 50, Knights of the Maccabees. In politics, Mr. Mabie is an ardent Republican, and although he has taken no especial part in the political life of the community. not aspiring to public office, he is known as a man of intelligence in party matters and is a citizen who is valued and appreciated for his part in the promotion of the general welfare of the township and county.
JOSEPH HANCHETT.
Prominently listed among the well-known veterans of the Civil War and substantial farmers of Montcalm coanty is found Joseph Hanchett, of Bushnell township, whose place on rural route No. 1, out of Sheridan, is one of the most productive farms thereabout. Joseph, Hanchett was born in the town of Pompey, Onondaga county, New York, on May 16, 1834, son of Isaac P. and Lucina ( Grimes) Hanchett, both natives of that same place, who came to Michigan in 1869 and located for a time in Palo, lonia county, after which they came to Montcalm county, where they spent the remainder of their lives. They were the parents of ten children, four sons and six daughters. These four sons all enlisted for service in the Union army during the Civil War and fought bravely for the preservation of the nation's unity. Of these ten children, five are still living: Joseph, the subject of this sketch: E. J. Hanchett, a prosperous retired farmer living at Long Beach, California; A. C. Hanchett, of Clare county, this state ; Nancy, widow of Edward Drake; Lottie, wife of Theodore Baxter, of
MR. AND MRS. JOSEPH HANCHETT.
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Palo, this state; Grimes, who was a soldier in the Civil War and was killed in service, and Becky, deceased, who married James Westcott.
Joseph Hanchett was reared on the home farm in New York state and after reaching manhood came to Michigan and began farming. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Company D, Ninth Regiment, Mich- igan Volunteer Infantry, the date of his enlistment being August 5, 1861. He served in this regiment until the close of the war, participating in many of the hardest-fought battles of the war during a period of four years and thirty-five days, during which time he never was off duty, and never received a wound. He received his honorable discharge on September 15, 1865. The Ninth Michigan was in the army commanded by Gen. George H. Thomas and from the time that famous general took command of the corps, Joseph Hanchett was attached to the general's service as body guard and was with General Thomas until the close of the war. He was mustered out on September 15, 1865, at Nashville, Tennessee.
After the close of the war Joseph Hanchett returned to his home in this county and resumed his farming operations. He began with a small farm of eighty acres of cheap land, the country being "new" thereabout at that time, and gradually established a comfortable home; but not until he had overcome some rather discouraging setbacks, for twice he lost his farm, only to regain it again, and he has added to his original holdings until he now has a fine place of one hundred and sixty acres of well-tilled and productive land and is quite well circumstanced.
On March 4, 1856, Joseph Hanchett was united in marriage to Angeline Husker, who was born in Lenawee county, this state, on September 23, 1839, daughter of William and Mabel (Wallid) Husker, who has been a valuable and competent helpmate to him all these years since. Mr. and Mrs. Hanchett are quiet, unassuming people, who have the respect and regard of their many friends. Mr. Hanchett is a Republican and has served the public as treasurer of the highway commission. He is a member of James Corel Post, Grand Army of the Republic, at Palo, and is held in high regard by the comrades of that post. as well as by all who know him throughout this part of the state, in which for so many years he has been a substantial factor.
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