USA > Michigan > Michigan official directory and legislative manual for the years 1913-1914 > Part 77
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 | Part 51 | Part 52 | Part 53 | Part 54 | Part 55 | Part 56 | Part 57 | Part 58 | Part 59 | Part 60 | Part 61 | Part 62 | Part 63 | Part 64 | Part 65 | Part 66 | Part 67 | Part 68 | Part 69 | Part 70 | Part 71 | Part 72 | Part 73 | Part 74 | Part 75 | Part 76 | Part 77 | Part 78 | Part 79 | Part 80 | Part 81 | Part 82 | Part 83 | Part 84 | Part 85 | Part 86 | Part 87 | Part 88 | Part 89 | Part 90 | Part 91 | Part 92 | Part 93 | Part 94 | Part 95
ARTHUR U. ODELL,
Representative from the first district of Allegan county, was born in Trowbridge town- ship, Allegan county, June 9, 1868, of American parentage. He was educated in the
?
756
MICHIGAN MANUAL.
district schools, Allegan high school and Hope College. He was united in marriage in 1892 to Ethel O'Brien and they have two children. At the age of eighteen he began teaching school and taught six years, after which he engaged in farming and stock- raising. For several years he has been a director of the Allegan and Ottawa Insurance Company; was school officer ten years and supervisor three years. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature of 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,497 to 1,270 for Albert L. Nichols and 1,307 for Fred E. Carter.
GEORGE PERRY PALMER,
Representative from the first district of Wayne county, was born at Detroit, Michigan, July 13, 1868, of American and English parents. He was educated in the Detroit high school, the Cass public school and the University of Minnesota. He was assistant city attorney of Detroit during the incumbency of Frank A. Rasch, assistant corporation counsel under Hon. John J. Speed, a former member of the Michigan legislature and later judge of Wayne circuit court and corporation counsel. He was also assistant corporation counsel under Hon. Charles Flowers, a member of the present legislature. Mr. Palmer is married. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a plurality of 3,109.
WILLIAM PECKHAM,
Representative from the second district of Jackson county, was born in Parma town- ship, Jackson county, June 9, 1851, and was educated in the district schools and Jackson high school. Mr. Peckham is married and has always resided in Michigan where he has been engaged in farming. He has served as justice of the peace, school director twenty-one years and eight years on board of review. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,964 to 1,479 for J. Russell Fisk, 97 for George Styles and 1,786 for Benton G. Brown.
PAUL PERRIZO,
Representative from Menominee county, was born at Fon du Lac, Wisconsin, January 26, 1865, and received his education in the public schools. He lived on a farm until twelve years of age, after which he worked in saw mills nine years and since then has engaged in lumbering, general store business and farming. He served three years as village president of Daggett and was postmaster two terms. During the past six years he has served as chairman of the Democratic county committee. Mr. Perrizo was married to Mary J. Selma, of Marinette, Wisconsin, August 20, 1895, and they have one son and three girls. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,864 to 1,627 for John E. Tracy, 176 for A. B. Benson and 2 for Charles D. Symonds.
ALBERT EDWARD PETERMANN,
Representative from the first district of Houghton county, was born at Calumet, Mich- igan, March 3, 1877, of German parentage. He was educated in the Buffalo, New York, high school and Cornell university, graduating from the literary course of the latter in 1900. He was admitted to the bar in 1901. He entered the law office of A. W. Kerr at Calumet where he remained until 1911. He is now a member of the law firm of Rees, Robinson and Petermann. Mr. Petermann is married. He is a Repub- lican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,792 to 795 for William J. McCormick, 199 for George H. Gill and 144 for Paul Fromholz. .
BENJAMIN FRANKLIN PLUMLEY,
Representative from Huron county, was born at Park Hill, Ontario, March 21, 1881, of Welsh parentage. He came to Michigan with his parents in 1887. The first nineteen years of his life were spent on a farm. He then spent one year as a sailor on the Great Lakes and has since taught school-six years in the district schools and six years as
.
757
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
superintendent at Kinde and Port Hope. He received his education in the district schools, Bad Axe high school and Ferris Institute. He was married to Mabel S. Walker in 1905 and has two children. He was elected a member of the board of examiners of Huron county in 1908 and reelected in 1910. He also served two terms as vice president of the Huron county teachers' association. Mr. Plumley is a National Pro- gressive and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,621 to 2,256 for Thomas A. Ramsey, 1,326 for William F. Engel and 52 for James F. Wager.
ERNEST GEORGE PRAY,
Representative from Eaton county, was born in Windsor township, Eaton county, Michigan, October 4, 1874, on the farm where, thirty-six years before, his father, Esek Pray, was born, the latter being the first white child born in that township and the third in Eaton county. He acquired his education in the country school and at Olivet College. With the exception of four years at Charlotte he has always resided upon the same farm. He was married October 4, 1893, to Ernestine Gowdy and has one son, Myron Esek. Mr. Pray has always been a Republican, but has never held office except that of county clerk two terms, he having resigned November 2, 1912, to become a candidate for representative. He was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 3,117 to 2,550 for Dwight Backus and 1,431 for Walter W. Sutherland.
ROBERT H. RAYBURN,
Representative from Alpena county, was born in St. Clair county, October 31, 1866, of Scotch and Irish parentage, and received his education in the Alpena high school. Mr. Rayburn is married and has two children,-a boy and a girl. With the exception of two years he has always resided at Alpena, where he is engaged in the manufacturing business, being president and manager of the Island Mill Lumber Company, operating a saw mill, and president of the Michigan Veneer Company, operating an excelsior mill and also a mill for the manufacture of veneers and built-up panels. He is a Demo- crat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,358 to 1,325 for Fred P. Smith and 1 for Herman Besser.
WAYNE REMINGTON RICE,
Representative from Newaygo county, was born on a farm in Plainfield township, Kent county, Michigan, July 26, 1885, of Irish and American parentage. He was educated in the Grand Rapids high school and graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1908. He then located at White Cloud, Newaygo county, where he has since been engaged in the practice of law and in the real estate business. During the year 1910 he served as circuit court commissioner. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,530 to 1,210 for James E. Sharp and 199 for L. W. O'Brian.
CHARLES W. RICHARDSON,
Representative from the first district of Marquette county, was born in Simcoe county, Ontario, Canada, September 17, 1872, of English and Scotch parentage. He received his education in the public schools. He came to Michigan in 1889 and entered the employ of the South Shore & Atlantic Railway in 1892 as a locomotive fireman. He was promoted to engineer in 1900 and is still employed in that capacity. Mr. Richardson was married in 1905 to Miss Jennie Sandie, of Lucknow, Canada, and they have two sons, Earl and Clyde. He is a member of division 94, B. of L. E., Marquette Lodge No. 101 A. F. & A. M., Marquette Chapter No. 43, R. A. M., Lake Superior Commandery No. 3, K. T., and Ahmed Temple A. A. O. N. M. S. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,404 to 1,271 for Timothy T. Hurley, 81 for William McIntosh and 195 for William H. Ronback.
758
MICHIGAN MANUAL
THEODORE CHRISTIAN RUFF,
Representative from the second district of St. Clair county, was born at St. Clair, Mich- igan, June 21, 1871, of German parentage. He was educated in the public and parochial schools. At the age of thirty-six he was elected alderman and two years later was chosen mayor, serving two terms. Mr. Ruff is married and has five children. He is at present extensively engaged in farming in connection with which he operates a large dairy. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,602 to 1,300 for Henry R. Baird, 52 for George Barron and 968 for Sidney C. McLouth.
JOHN R. SANTO,
Representative from Grand Traverse county, was born at London, Ontario, June 29, 1865, of English parents, and received his education in the district and city schools. In May, 1892, he was married at Grand Rapids and in 1894 removed to Traverse City where he now resides. Mr. Santo has served as mayor of Traverse City and during the past thirty years he has been engaged in the fire insurance business. Fraternally, he is a thirty-second degree Mason, member of K. of P. and past exalted ruler of B. P. O. E. He is at present secretary and treasurer of the Traverse City Refrigerator Com- pany. Politically, he is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,275 to 1,116 for Albert P. Gray, 264 for Edward Lautner and 1,134 for Daniel H. McMullen.
GEORGE W. SCHAEFFER,
Representative from St. Joseph county, was born in White Pigeon township, August 31, 1864, and is of English and German descent. He was educated in the district schools and the Sturgis high school. He was supervisor ten years, three years of which time he served as chairman and has also served two years as township treasurer and two years as school director. Mr. Schaeffer is married and has one child. He has resided in Michigan forty-eight years where he has followed the occupation of farming. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,496 to 1,572 for Orlando D. Russell, 328 for Jay G. Wait and 1,929 for William H. Purce.
JOHN SCHMIDT,
Representative from Osceola county, was born in Richmond township, Osceola county, Michigan, March 11, 1865, and is of German descent. He was educated in the district schools and the Reed City high school. At the age of twenty-seven he was married to Miss Mathilde C. Blank and they have two sons and two daughters, one son having died. In 1902 he was elected supervisor and held this office for six consecutive years, being chairman of the board in 1906. He was also treasurer of the school board for nineteen years and secretary of Richmond Grange for a number of years. Mr. Schmidt has always lived on the farm and besides being interested in real estate makes a specialty of shorthorn cattle. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,676 to 914 for James H. Fitts and 74 for A. A. York.
ALBERT A. SHERMAN,
Representative from Branch county, was born in Wayne county, New York, July 2, 1841, and was educated in the country schools. The first eight years of his life were spent in Wayne county, New York. He then accompanied his parents to Noble county Indiana, and in 1871 came to Coldwater, Michigan, where he embarked in the building contracting business. He was married in 1862 to Miss Julia Helman. After her death he married Miss Mary Holland. Mr. Sherman is a Mason, a member of Jacobs Com- mandery number ten, a member of Coldwater lodge I. O. O. F., number 31, and a member of B. P. O. E., Coldwater lodge number 1023. He served as alderman of Coldwater four terms and was mayor four terms. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legis-
759
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
lature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,314 to 2,087 for M. L. Evens and 1,562 for Eben A. Dunton.
ALONZO J. SHERMAN,
Representative from Tuscola county, was born in Canada on May 8, 1857. His educa- tion was acquired in the district schools. In 1859 the family removed to Michigan and located on a farm in Watertown township, Tuscola county, where his father, age seventy- nine, still resides, his mother having died a few years ago. Mr. Sherman was married December 25, 1880, to Hannah L. Summers and they have two boys and two girls. He resides on and owns one of the best 140-acre farms in Tuscola county. He has served as township highway commissioner three years, supervisor for ten years, and member of the school board twenty-four years. During the past sixteen years he has been a director of the Tuscola county mutual fire insurance company. He is a Repub- lican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,966 to 1,240 for James H. Hudson and 2,943 for John W. Lamon.
RUFUS F. SKEELS,
Representative from Oceana county, was born on a farm in Oceana county, Michigan, September 15, 1873, and received his education in the district schools, Flint normal college and Muskegon business college. In 1894 he graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan and went into the law office of F. W. Cook, of Muskegon. He remained there for a year when he was obliged to go onto a farm on account of his health. Mr. Skeels was married on June 26, 1895, to Bertha Millen, also of Oceana county, and they have three children,-Ethel, age fifteen, Corinne, eleven, and Helen, eight. Upon his election as prosecuting attorney in November, 1896, he removed to Hart, where he has since resided. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,509 to 909 for Archie D. Himebaugh, 89 for Francis A. Pitts and 1,129 for Eugene A. Daggett.
CHARLES WALLACE SMITH,
Representative from Lapeer county, was born in Lapeer county April 22, 1864, and was educated in the Lapeer city schools. He was a building contractor for twenty years and has been for six years treasurer and secretary of the Lapeer Gas-Electric Company. His official experience has been chiefly as supervisor for the first district of Lapeer city. He served one year as chairman of the board. He is a Republican and is now president of the Chandler club of Lapeer county. He has served as president of the water board and is now serving his sixth term as secretary-treasurer of the park board of Lapeer. He was elected to the legislature of 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,975 to 1,381 for John P. Egglestone, 124 for R. F. Frary and 1,904 for Frank A. Tinker.
NEWEL SMITH,
Representative from Gratiot county, was born in Trumbull county, Ohio, May 1, 1852, of German parentage and acquired his education in the district schools. At the age of ten years he removed to Gratiot county, Michigan, where he now resides. He studied law at home and in 1889 was admitted to the bar and in 1897 and 1898 held the office of prosecuting attorney. He held the office of supervisor for eleven years and was justice of the peace twenty-two years. He was also city attorney of St. Louis two years and alderman for several terms. Mr. Smith is married. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,288 to 2,122 for Willard D. Tucker and 1,334 for George H. Carl.
WILL J. SPROAT,
Representative from the first district of Kent county, was born of Irish-American parentage near Ashland, Ohio, January 4, 1848. In October, 1851, his parents, Robert and Sarah J. Sproat, came to Michigan and settled in the woods of Dorr township,
760
MICHIGAN MANUAL.
Allegan county. His youth was spent in helping to clear the farm. At the age of ten years he began attending district school and at the age of seventeen began teaching in a neighboring district. He attended the high school at Grand Rapids one term and taught winter terms of district schools until twenty-seven years of age. In Dorr town- ship he held the offices of justice of the peace, township clerk and supervisor. On June 16, 1875, he was married to Gertrude L. Moore, of Byron township, Kent county, and they have two sons and three grand-children. In 1879 he moved to Grand Rapids and a year later entered the newspaper business as a canvasser and collector and has been connected with the papers of that city, as circulator, business manager, reporter and editor for over thirty years. Mr. Sproat is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a plurality of 195.
J. FRANK STEVENS,
Representative from the Missaukee district, comprising the counties of Kalkaska and Missaukee, was born at Ames, Story county, Iowa, September 24, 1872, of English parentage. He was educated in the Ames schools and the Capital City Commercial college. In 1881 he removed from Iowa to Parma, Michigan, and attended school there at the time Senator Townsend was principal. In 1883 he returned to Iowa and resided on a farm continuously with the exception of the time spent at school. In 1903 he removed to Missaukee county, Michigan, and has since resided on his ranch at Star City. He was principal of the Star City school in 1908-1910. He also was postmaster at that place during the years 1910 and 1911. At the present time he is secretary of the Missaukee county farmers' institute association. Mr. Stevens is mar- ried. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,398 to 545 for Herbert E. Nowlin and 1,265 for Nelson Abbott.
DANIEL B. SUTTON,
Representative from the first district of Washtenaw county, was born in Northfield township, Washtenaw county, June 12, 1872, of American parents, receiving his education in the district schools and the Ann Arbor high school. He was married April 25, 1906, to Miss Bessie Meade and they have a daughter and a son,-Thorna, age five years, and D. B., Jr., age three years. Mr. Sutton resides on a farm and deals extensively in live stock. He was for four years sheriff of Washtenaw county. His grandfather and father both served in the legislature,-the former in 1875 and the latter in 1885. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,286 to 1,853 for John Kalmbach, 99 for Edw. J. Koch and 1,360 for Edward B. Man- waring.
THADDEUS BLAKE TAYLOR,
Representative from the third district of Kent county, was born at Middleville, Mich- igan, July 4, 1887, of American parents. He was educated in the Middleville public school, Grand Rapids high school, Ferris institute and graduated in June, 1909, from the law department of the University of Michigan. He was married July 10, 1907, to Miss Hazel Hendrick, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. H. E. Hendrick, of Middleville, Michi- gan. Mr. Taylor was admitted to the bar July 9, 1909, and has been practicing law since then at Cedar Springs. He is a Democrat and was elected to the legislature of 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,500 to 1,499 for Reuben Farnum, 131 for Frank D. Pease and 1,278 for Albert Hyser.
CHARLES TUFTS,
Representative from Mason county, was born in Norfolk county, Canada, in 1856, of Scotch and English parents. He was educated in the public schools. In 1878 he entered the life-saving service and served as surfman at Ludington, Michigan. In 1884 he was appointed keeper, and in 1893 he and the crew were sent in charge of the life-saving station at the World's Fair, Chicago, to give exhibition drills. In 1895 he had charge of the life-saving exhibit at the Cotton States Fair, Atlanta, Georgia. In
761
BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.
1897, on account of poor health, he left the service and went on a farm. Five years later was elected sheriff, serving two terms, after which he returned to the farm where he has since remained. . He is married and has two children. Mr. Tufts is a Republi- can and was elected to the legislature of 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,655 to 1,271 for Jens P. Jensen Krogen and 46 for George Coburn.
G. JOSEPH UNSOELD,
Representative from the first district of Wayne county, was born at Ulm, Germany, April 20, 1845, of German parentage. He received his education in the public schools of Germany and night schools of Detroit. He is married and has resided in Michigan fifty years. Mr. Unsoeld is a molder by trade. Was apprenticed to J. B. Wilson of Detroit and traveled three and one-half years as journeyman. He has been connected with the Detroit Stove Works thirty-eight years, beginning as a journeyman molder, then foundry foreman, and since 1892 superintendent, retiring in 1904. He has always been an active Republican and was elected to the legislatures of 1909-10 and 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a plurality of 2,864. Mr. Unsoeld died at his temporary home at Lansing, February 25, 1913.
DWIGHT G. F. WARNER,
Representative from the Leelanau district, comprising the counties of Benzie and Leelanau, was born on a farm in Gaines township, Orleans county, New York, January 1, 1861, of American parentage. He was educated in the district school, Flushing high school, and was graduated in 1883 from the law department of the University of Michigan. He taught school four terms, working on a farm during vacations, was an officer in the state prison at Jackson from 1884 to 1889, and has practiced law since. He has been a member of the school board three years, was president of the village of Frankfort four years, village attorney fifteen years and prosecuting attorney of Benzie county twelve years. Mr. Warner is married and has six children. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislatures of 1909-10, 1911-12 and reelected November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,613 to 30 for Orpheus Jaquith, 458 for H. Lewis Keeler, 1 for W. L. Case and 3 for W. Wilson.
CHARLES A. WEIDENFELLER,
Representative from Van Buren county, was born on the high seas in 1852 and received his education in the Newark, New Jersey, public schools. Mr. Weidenfeller is married and, with the exception of two years spent in California, has resided in Michigan since 1897. He is a Republican and had never held any public office until elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,315 to 2,299 for Fred L. Simpson, 252 for O. S. McGowan and 2,289 for Fred M. Knolls.
HOMER E. WELLMAN,
Representative from Antrim county, was born at Saranac, Ionia county, Michigan, March 10, 1881, and was educated in the Bellaire high school, Mclachlan business college, at Grand Rapids, and graduated from the law department of the University of Michigan in 1910. Until the age of eight years he lived in Ionia county when the family removed to Montcalm county. They remained there seven years after which they settled on a farm in Antrim county. He taught school one year and was store- house distribution clerk for the Pere Marquette railroad one year. He afterwards entered the practice of law at Mancelona where he is now located. Mr. Wellman is married. He is a National Progressive and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,003 to 969 for Frank H. Lesher.
PETER WENTING,
Representative from Muskegon county, was born at Muskegon, Michigan, January 4, 1887, and is of Holland descent. He was educated in the public schools and at the age of nineteen began to learn the carpenter trade. At twenty-four years of age he
.
762
MICHIGAN MANUAL.
became a contractor which occupation he has followed for the past two years. For the past seven years he has been a member of the U. B. of C. and J. of A., local union No. 100, of Muskegon. Mr. Wenting is a National Progressive and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 3,033 to 2,300 for Charles I. Giles, 2,000 for Norman B. Lawson and 740 for George S. Farwell.
BION WHELAN,
Representative from Hillsdale county, was born at Hillsdale, Michigan, July 13, 1858. He is a graduate of the Hillsdale high school, the Michigan Agricultural College and the University of Michigan. He has practiced medicine at Hillsdale for the past thirty years. Mr. Whelan was married March 1, 1881, to Minnie L. Allen and has four sons. He is a member of the board of education of Hillsdale which office he has held for twenty- four years. He was chairman of the Republican county committee four years and was appointed a member of the state board of medical registration by Governor Pingree. He is a member of the various Masonic and Pythian orders of his city and has served as the presiding officer of most of them. He is a National Progressive and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,405 to 2,131 for William F. Jerome and 2,239 for William W. Mercer.
FREDERICK WIELAND,
Representative from the second district of Oakland county, was born in Oakland county, Michigan, December 24, 1860. He is a member of the bar and has served the county as prosecuting attorney, county clerk and school examiner. Mr. Wieland is married. Politically, he is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 1,988 to 1,731 for Franklin H. Ivory, 125 for Charles Hill and 1,100 for George H. Haddrill.
JAMES M. WILCOX, 1
Representative from the Iron district, comprising the counties of Baraga, Iron, Keweenaw and Ontonagon, was born in Wales, British Isles, July 22, 1850. In 1857 the family removed to a farm in Grant county, Wisconsin, remaining there until 1861, when they removed to Hancock, Michigan. At the age of eleven he began working in the old Quincy mill. Since 1863 Mr. Wilcox has been actively engaged in mining. In 1868 his father was made mining captain of the Schoolcraft mine (now the Centennial Copper Company) under whose employ he worked until twenty-one years of age, at which time he secured employment as timberman for the Calumet and Hecla Mining Company, where he remained for eighteen years, later being successively employed as superintendent of underground operations at the Wolverine, the Tower mine, Minnesota, the Cincinnati mine on the Mesaba range and at the Arcadian Copper Company. In 1901 he was made superintendent and managing director of the Mass Consolidated Mining Company, where he remained for ten years. Mr. Wilcox is married. He has held the office of supervisor of Greenland township, Ontonagon county, and also served as chair- man of the board. He is a Republican and was elected to the legislature November 5, 1912, by a vote of 2,878 to 1,033 for Oscar O. Von Zellen, 309 for Eric Fahle Burman and 1 for John F. Dreiss.
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.