USA > Michigan > Shiawassee County > Past and present of Shiawassee County, Michigan, historically; with biographical sketches > Part 60
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Before removing from Ohio Mr. Runyan killed one hundred deer and after coming to Michigan he added one hundred to this record, besides fourteen bears. Of course, this may look like a big story, but it is sacredly vouched for by Nimrod Runyan. He killed thirty deer the first winter he lived in Michigan. He re- lates that he carried on his back fifty pounds of meal from Owosso to his home, a distance of ten miles. He split twenty thousand rails for different persons within the first five years after removing to Michigan. Mr. Runyan has always been an indefatigable worker, and though he has now passed the span of three score years and ten he can still dig post holes as well as almost anyone. He owns eighty acres of land, well drained and under a high state of cultivation, with fine buildings. The timbers in the house are eight by eight inches in dimensions, Mr. Runyan having cut them himself and had them sawed. It is, therefore,
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safe in saying that this is one of the most sub- stantial houses in the township.
Mr. Runyan and his brother John were twins, being seventh in a family of nine. The others are: James, William, Deneen, Sarah, Matilda, Josephus and David. His mother, Elizabeth (Clark) Runyan, was born in Penn- sylvania, and died in Michigan, at the age of sixty-three years.
Mr. Runyan was married in Ohio, October 2, 1861, to Sophia Frank, a native of Pennsyl- vania, where she was born November 14, 1842. She is a daughter of Daniel Frank, a native of Pennsylvania, who died in Ohio; and her mother, Elizabeth (Morton) Frank, was born in Pennsylvania and died at the age of sixty- eight years. The father of Mrs. Runyan was a farmer, and settled in Ohio in 1849. Mrs. Runyan was the fifth of eleven children, four of whom are still living. Delinda is a maiden lady; Zachariah lives in Nebraska; William H., Pricilla and Jacob are deceased; Sarah lives in New Baltimore, Michigan ; and George, Almira, Josiah and Viola are deceased.
An "even dozen" of children have been born unto Mr. and Mrs. Runyan. The size of this family would undoubtedly make the heart of President Roosevelt glad, as this seems to be one of his cherished hobbies, and, by the way, it is a commendable one at that. Here is the roll call of the Runyan children: Lola is now Mrs. Tattersall, of Rush township; Willie lives in Owosso; George lives in Owosso; Anna Mary; John Henry resides in Jackson; Min- nie is a resident of Oakley, Saginaw county ; Perry lives in Rush township; Thomas is at the parental home ; Alvida is deceased ; Oliver is still with his parents ; Sylvester lives in Lin- den, Michigan ; and Rosa is Mrs. James Hows, of Monarch, Michigan.
Mr. Runyan has always been a Republican but has never held office, nor is he a member of any church. Although in his seventy-second year he can read as well as ever, never having used glasses. It may truly be said of lıim that well has he run life's race, nearly to the
last mile-stone, and been glorified as few have been !
FRANK H. RUSH
Frank H. Rush, of section 35, Owosso town- ship, is a native of Bennington township, Shi- awassee county, where he was born January 20, 1858. He is a son of Ira W. and Ange- line' (Hall) Rush, both of whom were born near Rochester, New York. They were mar- ried in Owosso, Michigan. Ira W. Rush was among the earliest settlers of Rush township, coming there with his father, Henry Rush, at an early day. In fact, it was nothing but a wilderness, just such a place as the poet Cow- per must have had in mind when he penned the words :
O for a lodge in some vast wilderness, Some boundless contiguity of shade, Where rumor of oppression and deceit, Of unsuccessful and successful war, Might never reach me more.
The Rush family resolved to stay here, and secured from the government a quarter section of land. There were no roads, of course, nothing but Indian trails leading to the spot selected for their future home. They did not have a team nor could they get one to their land even if they had had one. Finally, how- ever, they bought an ox team and in course of time, by dint of hard work and persistence, succeeded in leveling the forest and making for themselves a fine farm. Meanwhile, Henry Rush, grandfather of Frank, took jobs of clearing land for others, and had consider- able to do with the regulating of the channel of the Shiawassee river, so as to better accommo- date boating on the stream. Rush township was named in honor of this gentleman, thus making him an important factor in its early history and giving him a monument that will endure as long as time shall last. When his son, Ira W. Rush, father of Frank H., started on his business career he bought eighty acres
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of virgin forest in Rush township, in 1833. He afterward exchanged for a like number of acres in Bennington township. It is evident that the region was then wild, when we recall that there was but one house between this place and Owosso, and that house was inside the city limits. But nothing daunted, Mr. Rush went to work with a will, with strong hands and a cheerful, hopeful heart. He not only im- proved the eighty acres, but also added to his farm, owning a quarter section at the time of his death. In the '50s he went to California for his health, going with a company organized by the Williams, of Owosso. The object of this company was to seek "gold, gold, yellow and cold," the gold excitement in California being then at fever heat. Mr. Rush remained there but two years, however, having regained what he went after, good health, which is far better than great riches-a fact forcibly exemplified in the history of John D. Rockefeller, said to be the wealthiest man in the world, but one who would give all he possesses for a healthy, new stomach. Mr. Rush served as supervisor of his township and also as justice of the peace and highway commissioner. Ira W. Rush died March 29, 1878, at his home in Owosso town- ship, aged fifty-four years. His wife, Angeline A. Rush, died June 23, 1888, at the same place, aged sixty-one years.
Frank H. Rush, the subject of this sketch, was educated in the district schools of his township and the Owosso high school. He be- gan work on the old farm after his father's death, when he and his brother worked it on shares, having bought the interest of the other heirs. In 1895 he sold his interest in the old homestead to his brother, and bought eighty- five acres on section 35, where he now lives. This was mostly improved, but Mr. Rush has since cleared twelve acres. He has also added all the buildings now on the farm, excepting part of the house.
On September 28, 1881, Frank H. Rush mar- ried Cora F. Matlock, who was born at Jordan, Canada, and who came with her parents to
Owosso thirty years ago. Her father, Josiah Matlock, there worked at his trade, that of tanner, for several years, but retired later in life. He died January 19, 1888, aged seventy- two years and seven months. He was a Re- publican and was an Episcopalian, as was also his wife. But Mrs. Rush's mother, Mary J. (Morse) Matlock, was born in Chippewa, Canada, and now lives in Owosso. Mrs. Rush was the fourth of ten children. Maurice, who lives in Canada, married Belle Raferg, and after her death married Martha Mann. John is deceased. Herbert is living and is married. Nettie is the wife of John Van Camp, of Greenville; they have no children. Laura is single and is living in Owosso. Lyman resides in Montana, being a bachelor.
Frank H. Rush is the fourth in a family of eight children, as follows : Rhoda A., who lives ir Owosso, married William Getchell, and they have six children. Malinda, who also lives in Owosso, married J. W. Angel, and they have three children. Mary is the wife of Frank Payne, of Owosso, and they have two chil- dren. George, who lives in Owosso township, was married first to Nellie Stone, now de- ceased. They had three children, all dying in infancy. As his second wife he married Mrs. Ella Weidman. Fannie died young. Will- iam died in infancy. Lena lives in Detroit, un- married.
Mr. and Mrs. Rush have three children : Nettie, who was born February 19, 1883, is a graduate of the Owosso high school and is now attending school at Ypsilanti. Ernest, who was born October 10, 1884, is a graduate of the Owosso high school, and is now a stu- dent in the University of Michigan, in Ann Arbor. Florence, born May 12, 1889, remains' at home and is attending school.
Mr. Rush is a Republican and has been hon- ored with the office of supervisor, for eight years ; clerk, two years ; treasurer, three terms, and school inspector, two years. The mention of this fact alone is sufficient to show the great esteem in which he is held by his fellow citi-
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zens and also indicates that as a public official he has proven faithful to the trusts reposed in him.
· JOHN SCHNEIDER
This gentleman is native of the canton of Zurich, Switzerland, as were also his father and mother. He was born March 18, 1844, and when nineteen years old he decided to come to America. He set sail from Havre, France, leaving his parents behind, among the mountains of the beautiful and interesting lit- tle republic of Switzerland. It may not be amiss to say in this connection that the name of Switzerland is derived from Schwytz, one of the twenty-two cantons of the confedera- tion. Switzerland is the very pinnacle of Europe, nestling in the Alpine crags, protected from France, Germany, Austria and Italy by mountain barriers. With an area of fifteen thousand nine hundred and eighty-four square miles and a population about as large as Mich- igan, only sixty-nine per cent. of the land can be called productive and not much of that is really good soil. The stupendous mountain ranges are peculiarly valuable, as they attract tourists, thousands of whom go there yearly from all parts of the world. The first real tri- umph over the Alps was achieved when the Mount Cenis tunnel was completed. That grand work of engineering is one of the won- ders of the world. It was begun in August 1857, and completed in December, 1870. It was thrown open to the public the following September. It lacks only thirty yards of being eight miles long and it cost fifteen million dol- lars. Trains run through it in about thirty minutes and it connects Italy and France. The swiss are a very simple-minded people. Their one prominent native name, aside from the mythical Tell, is Zwingle, one of the illustrious names of the religious reformation. The na- tional hero of Switzerland was William Tell, whose very existence, though, has been ques- tioned, and certain it is that all that is known
of him is more legendary than historical. An Austrian bailiff raised a cap on a pole in the market place of Altorf, and before this every one was ordered to bow down, in token of sub- mission to the government. Tell belonged to an organization formed for the purpose of throwing off the yoke of oppression, that of the Hapsburg, which claimed sovereignty over Switzerland. Tell was condemned to death, but was reprieved on condition that he shoot an apple from the head of his own son. Being a remarkable bowman, he ventured the shot, however, and hit the apple without harming the boy. The tyrannical bailiff noticed that Tell had two arrows and asked him why he had more than one, to which Tell replied "If I had hit my son I should have shot you !"
Our subject received his early education in his native land, and was thirty-three days on the trip across the ocean. He finally landed in New York, however, but was in the harbor three days before being permitted to come ashore. He then proceeded to Canada and worked on a farm, for seven dollars a month, near Markham. This was in 1864. He re- mained there but one and one-half years, when he found his way to Michigan, Canada being then too much like Europe. He worked in Bennington township four years, for twelve dollars to sixteen dollars per month. He spent three months in the lumber woods north of Greenville, and passed one and one-half years in all at lumbering. He then returned to Shiawassee county, and worked eight months on a farm, for a Mr. Harding, of Owosso. His next important move was to take unto himself a wife, in the person of Mary Wenchell, a native of the Empire state. She is still living. She is a daughter of Frederick Wenchell, an early pioneer of Saginaw county. Mrs. Schneider was one of four children by her father's first marriage. His second mar- riage resulted in eight children. Those were days when men and women believed implicitly in "multiplying and replenishing the earth." One of these children is a resident of Shi-
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awassee county-Mrs. Elizabeth Purves, who lives in Fairfield township.
In 1873 Mr. Schneider came to Shiawassee county a second time, and bought eighty acres of virgin forest, in Rush township. He first erected a frame house on this property, and the building is still standing. This was fol- lowed in due time by barns and other build- ings and he continued to live there until five years ago, when he erected a large new house on fifty-two acres of land, adjoining his orig- inal eighty, having bought the property nine years previously. He made a beautiful farm of this original purchase and his son now lives on it and works the place on shares. Our sub- ject thus rents out his farm and takes life easy. Mr. and Mrs. Schneider have seven children, all living: Louise is the wife of Henry S. Northrup, of Owosso, where he works in the Bentley factory ; they 'have no children. Eliz- abeth married Calvin Willoughby, of Middle- bury, and they have one child, Myrtle. John, who lives on the old farm, married Maude Loomis and they have five children. Gertrude, now Mrs. Jones, is a twin sister of John and lives in Brant township, Saginaw county. Rose is single and lives in Owosso. Henry lives on a farm in Rush township ; he is married and has two children. William, who is a farmer in Rush township, is married and has one - child.
Our subject has always been a Republican. He is treasurer of his school district but has never held any other office. He was brought up in the Lutheran church but is not now a member. He was formerly an Odd Fellow but is not now affiliated with the order.
Eighteen years ago he visited Switzerland, a few years before the death of his parents. He did not find many changes there, however, the people not being so progressive as in this country. He greatly enjoyed his trip but would not like to stay in his native land. His father was a blacksmith by trade, but he was a farmer most of the time. He died at the age of seventy-four years, and his wife, Rachel
(Fretche) Schneider, was seventy-eight years of age when she died. They became the par- ents of five children, four of whom are living ; Anna, who lives in Zurich, Switzerland, mar- ried a man named Folcott, now dead; Susan married John Demuth and they live in Switzer- land; our subject, John Schneider, was the third child; Jacob, who died at the age of fifty- one, in Switzerland, married a Miss Haugarn- ter; Henry lives in Fairfield township, Shi- awassee county.
Mr. Schneider is an excellent farmer and a good citizen and has the respect of all his neighbors.
CHAUNCEY D. SEARL
Chauncey D. Searl, of Fairfield township, was born in Brooklyn, Ohio (now Cleveland), December 10, 1831. His father, Phineas Searl, was a native of Vermont, where he was born in 1804, and he died in Fairfield township December 25, 1874. Julia Ann (Brainard) Searl, mother of our subject, was born in Connecticut, November 10, 1810, and died at Elsie, Michigan, in April, 1891. Mr. Searl's maternal grandfather, Warren Brainard, was born in Hudson, Connecticut, and died at Strongsville, Ohio, in 1856, at the age of sixty- six years, and his grandmother, Sally Brain- ard, was born in Haddam, Connecticut, in 1784, and died in Fairfield township, Shiawassee county, Michigan, in 1874. She located in Ohio in 1814, and after her husband's death came to Fairfield, in 1858, where she remained until her death. Our subject's father was a millwright and worked at the business for many years. He owned several grist and saw mills in Ohio, where he located in 1823, and where he learned his trade. In 1865 he came to Fairfield, where he followed his old business and also that of a carpenter and joiner until a year before his death, which was the result of a stroke of paralysis. Mr. Searl's mother bought thirty-four acres of unimproved land in 1860, but subsequently sold it and pur-
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chased a home in Elsie, where she lived until her death.
Mr. Searl is a carpenter and joiner by trade, having mastered the trade in Ohio, where he worked one year afterward. Then he removed to Michigan and in 1855 bought forty acres of wild land and commenced clearing it. Mean- while he worked at his trade at the same time and hired the land chopped and logged. The farm was all cleared thirty years ago and was one of the first in the township to be in this condition. While thus engaged Mr. Searl lived with his brother-in-law, William Oakes. In March, 1856, he returned to Ohio, and April 23 of the same year was married to Har- riet E. Kelley, a native of Aurora, New York, where she was born July 24, 1833. He re- turned to Michigan with his bride and lived with his brother-in-law while he completed the building of a log house. This was effected in March, 1857, and he then removed into the new dwelling. He built a frame house in 1889 and a frame barn in 1876. His wife was a daughter of Stephen Kelley, who was born in Aurora, New York, and who died in Ohio; her mother was Ruth (Blackmor) Kelley, a native of New York state. She died in El- sie. Mr. and Mrs. Searl have three children : Franklin, born in Fairfield, July 26, 1857, lives in Gratiot county ; he married Lucinda Lewis, December 5, 1881, and their one child died at birth. Kelley S., born February 4, 1862, lives at Ithaca, Michigan; he is an attorney and was elected judge of the twenty-ninth ju- dicial circuit in the spring of 1905. He at- tended school at Elsie and Ovid, taught school one term when sixteen years old, was graduated in a school at Valparaiso, Indiana, and also in the law department of the Michi- gan University. He commenced the practice of law at Ashley, Michigan. He married Mar- garet Smith in 1885, and they have three chil- dren-Ethel, 1891; Hazel, 1894, and William C., 1897. Annie M., who was born October 30, 1868, lives in Bay City ; August 4, 1892, she married James W. Haley, a machinist, and
they had three children,-Clara, Glenn and a baby.
On December 13, 1892, Mr. Searl married a second wife, in the person of Corintha West, widow of Calvin West, by whom she had four children : Byron M., born August 1, 1858, lives at Elk Rapids ; he is a carpenter and is not married. Everett W., born March 19, 1860, lives at Laingsburg and is single. James J., born November 19, 1870, lives at St. Louis, Missouri, where he is superintendent of gas works ; he married Edna Wade and they have two children-Theodore, born August 11, 1902, and Delos, born December 10, 1903. Milton B., born November 7, 1880, lives at Flushing; he graduated from Toronto, On- tario, Veterinary College, and is now practic- ing his profession. He married Maude Pierce.
In 1882 Mr. Searl went to Ann Arbor with his first wife for treatment, she being an in- valid. The facilities there for an education were so fine that he concluded to remain for five years to afford his two younger children the great advantages thus offered. His first wife died October 6, 1890, aged fifty-two years, two months and twelve days.
Mr. Searl was the first in a family of four children, as follows: Mary Jane, born Oc- tober 30, 1839, lives in Detroit; she married August Buell, now dead, and had two chil- dren-Charles E. and Lottie. Sara, born in 1841, died in Fairfield when about thirty years old ; she married Almond Bennett, a civil war soldier in the First Michigan Cavalry. They had no children. Charles W., born in 1843, died in Brooklyn, Ohio, June 7, 1860.
Mr. Searl is a professor of religion and a believer in the Universalist faith. At Elsie he is one of the charter members of Maple River Lodge, No. 76, Independent Order of Odd Fellows, being the only charter member left. He first joined the order at Corunna in 1855. He has passed all the chairs and also held many appointive offices. Indeed, he has offici- ated in all the appointive places. He is a char- ter member of the encampment at Elsie and
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has attended the sovereign grand lodge and encampment several times. He is a pro- nounced Republican, and has the entire con- fidence of the people of his township, a fact that is evidenced by his election to the office of supervisor for three terms, clerk for six years, and justice of the peace for fourteen years. He was chosen last spring for another term as justice of the peace, and he has been a school official almost continuously since he came to Michigan. Verily, to be thus trusted is a great compliment.
HENRY SEELHOFF
Henry Seelhoff was born in the dominion of Canada, April 27, 1866. His father, Fred- erick Seelhoff, was born in Germany, Novem- ber 22, 1836, and is now living with his son, Frederick, Jr., in Rush township, being eighty years of age. His wife, Augusta (Brant) Seelhoff, was born in Germany, March 1, 1836, and died June 5, 1890, while visiting a sister at Bancroft, Michigan.
Our subject's father came to America at the age of twenty-seven years and located in the dominion of Canada, where he was married. He was a mason by trade and followed that occupation in Canada and afterward in the city of Detroit. He finally located in Rush township, where he purchased forty acres of partly improved land. To this he afterward added eighty acres, making him a farm of one hundred and twenty acres. Here he resided until about ten years ago, when he went to live with his son.
The subject of this sketch is the sixth of a family of eleven children. The first, Alvira, is now the wife of Jacob Raff, of Owosso. The second, Rosa, is the wife of Edgar Hughes, of Rush township. The third, Fred, Jr., re- sides in Rush township. The fourth is Al- bert, of Rush township. The fifth, Katie, is now Mrs. Kester, of Owosso. The sixth is the subject of this sketch. The seventh, William,
who lived on the old farm, died at the age of about thirty years. The eighth, Charles, a minister of the Methodist Episcopal church, is residing in Laporte, Michigan. The ninth is John, of Rush township. The tenth, Harvey, died in infancy. The eleventh is Frank, of Rush township.
Henry Seelhoff was educated in the district schools of Rush township. He lived with his parents until the year 1891, when he and his brother William purchased eighty acres of his father's land, on section 10. About eight years ago he bought his brother's interest in the farm, and two years thereafter he pur- chased the Harshburger eighty, adjoining the old farm, and has since resided there. The Harshburger farm is all improved and has very fine buildings.
On the 3d of February, 1894, Mr. Seel- hoff was united in marriage to Helen Bier- wirth. She was born in Detroit, April 9, 1876, being a daughter of Henry Bierwirth, who was born in Germany, and who died in Detroit sev- eral years ago. He was a wagonmaker by trade: Mr. and Mrs. Seelhoff have two chil- dren : Sadie, who was born November 3, 1895, and Richard, born February 23, 1897.
Mr. Seelhoff politically is a Republican. He and his wife are both members of the Ger- man Lutheran church, the church of the sub- ject's father and mother. Our subject is one of the young, energetic farmers of his com- munity, keeping up with the times and avail- ing himself of the improved conditions in general farming. His farm buildings are large and substantial and are kept in splendid re- pair. His farm, of which he is justly proud, is very productive and is excelled by but few in the county. He has, by good management and business ability, made himself practically inde- pendent at an early age.
JAMES SHAFT
It is the custom of historians to record the events which make and unmake nations. They
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speak of the men who by fate have been des- tined to be leaders, but they neglect those who furnish the power by which achievement is wrought. It is the purpose of this work to preserve the record of lives that have been spent in building up the great state of Michi- gan and this the greatest of all nations.
James Shaft was born in Woodhull town- ship on the 31st of July, 1866. He is a son of John M. Shaft, a merchant and farmer of Woodhull township, and a man who took part in the affairs of the township when it was in its infancy.
Our subject received his early education in the district schools of Woodhull township, this being before the village of Shaftsburg was incorporated. At the age of nineteen he discontinued his school work and took up the business of telegraphy, serving his apprentice- ship in the office of the Grand Trunk Railroad in the village of Shaftsburg and working for three years as relief operator. At the end of that time he started on his business career, as a clerk in a store at Shaftsburg. He remained there for a period of two years and then accept- ed a position at Perry, where he remained the same length of time. He then worked in a store at Ovid, Michigan, for one year and at Williamston about six months.
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