USA > Michigan > Grand Traverse County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 84
USA > Michigan > Leelanau County > Sprague's history of Grand Traverse and Leelanaw counties, Michigan embracing a concise review of their early settlement, industrial development and present conditions...to which will be appended...life sketches of well-known citizens of the county > Part 84
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RALPH CASE.
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MRS. RALPH CASE.
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Mr. Case was married, September 12, 1878, to Miss Emma Snyder, a native of Pennsylvania and a daughter of George and Elizabeth (Hoover) Snyder. Her sister Ella was married on the same day to Jos- eph O. Crotser, the business partner of Mr. Case. Four children have been born to Mr. and Mrs. Case, viz : Earl J., whose biogra- phy appears on another page of this work; Alta, who died at the age of eight months ; Roy and Carl. Mr. Case is one of the most popular men in Kingsley and devotes a great deal of time to the various public interests. He has served as president of the village board, as a member of the council and as one of the school board and in each capacity has given entire satisfaction. His residence is a model of elegance and convenience and it is at his own fireside that the happiest side of his nature is seen. He is a member of Traverse City Lodge No. 222, Free and Ac- cepted Masons ; Chapter No. 102, Command- ery No. 41, and to Saladin Temple, Nobles of the Mystic Shrine, at Grand Rapids. He also belongs to Otto Lodge No. 324, Inde- pendent Order of Odd Fellows, and is a member of the grand lodge and grand en- campment.
HON. CHARLES W. WILLIAMS.
An enumeration of those men of the pres- ent generation who have won honor and public recognition for themselves and at the same time have honored the state to which they belong would be incomplete were there failure to make prominent reference to the one whose name initiates this review. He is a man of great breadth of wisdom, in-
domitable perseverance and strong individ- uality and yet in his entire life there has not been one esoteric phase, his history being as an open scroll inviting the closest scrutiny. There is, however, in him a weight of char- acter, a native sagacity, farseeing judgment and a fidelity of purpose which commands the respect of all and he has left his impress for good upon the political, business and moral development of the county in which he makes his home.
Mr. Williams resides in section 20, Kas- son township, where he has a farm, but to some extent he has retired from the more active duties of agricultural life. He was born in Mount Morris, Livingston county, New York, on the 21st of April, 1834. His father, Marvin Williams, also a native of the Empire state, was a stone-mason and far- mer, following the dual profession for many years. He wedded Miss Eliza Petit, who was also a native of the Empire state, and they removed from Mount Morris, New York, to Genesee county, Michigan, in 1836, when this state was still in the territorial period of its existence. There the parents of the subject lived until called to the home beyond, the father dying when he had reached the venerable age of eighty years. The mother, however, had passed away some years before, her death occurring when she was fifty-nine years of age. This wor- thy couple were the parents of six children, of whom Charles W. is the eldest and the on- ly son. He was reared amid the refining in- fluences of a good home and was only about two and a half years of age when his par- ents took up their abode in Genesee county, Michigan, amid pioneer environments. They had to endure many of the hardships and trials of pioneer life and in early life the sub-
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ject became inured to the arduous task of de- veloping a new farm. He acquired his edu- cation in the rural district and Union school of the village of Flint and when not engaged with the duties of the schoolroom he as- sisted his father in the cultivation and im- provement of the old home place. As he neared manhood, however, he devoted the winter months to teaching school, while in the summer seasons his attentions were given to agricultural pursuits. In 1857, when he was twenty-three years of age, he went to Minnesota, which was then a territory, spending a year and a half in that locality. his time and energies being devoted to edu- cational work. On the expiration of that period he returned to Genesee county, Mich- igan, having decided that the opportunities of this state were as great as those afforded by districts farther west. He then followed farming in Genesee county and again de- voted the winter months to the task of in- structing the young in the public schools. He was thus engaged until the spring of 1864.
In the fall of 1863 Charles W. Williams made a visit to Leelanaw county and located a claim of one hundred and sixty acres on section 20, Kasson township. When spring again came he took up his abode upon this farm and it has been his home continuously since. He had been married in Genesee county, Michigan, on the 22d of February, 1859, to Miss Betsey E. Rice, who was born in St. Lawrence county, New York, on the J4th of December, 1834, and is a daughter of Leonard and Elsie ( Barber) Rice, both of whom were natives of the Empire state. Her mother died in New York, after which her father came to Leelanaw county to spend his last days and died in Kasson township
at the ripe old age of seventy-nine years. Mrs. Williams is the eldest of their four chil- dren and is a most estimable lady, her culture and refinement and her many excellent traits of character winning for her the esteem and warm friendship of all with whom she has been associated. Unto the Judge and his wife have been born two children, but Emma A. died in Kasson township when twenty- three years of age. Their surviving daugh- ter is Clara J. The family home is upon the farm where Mr. and Mrs. Williams have re- sided since coming to Leelanaw county. At one time the Judge owned four hundred acres of land, having added to his original tract as his financial resources increased. He has since disposed of much of this, however, not caring to be burdened with the responsi- bility of its supervision, and he now owns forty acres, upon which he has made excel- lent improvement and has a good home.
Judge Williams has been elected to a number of positions of public trust, hold- ing township, county and state offices, has served as township clerk, as township su- pervisor and as justice of the peace and also held a number of official positions in connec- tion with the school. For five years he was county treasurer of Leelanaw county and was a most careful custodian of the public exchequer. He filled the office of probate judge in a most acceptable manner for twelve years, from 1876 until 1888, and in the fall of the latter year he was elected to represent his district in the state legislature, where he served for one term, leaving the impress of his individuality upon the legis- lation enacted during that period. To each question which came up for consideration he gave his careful thought and supported with unfaltering purpose every measure in which
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RALPH CASE RESIDENCE.
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he believed. Both the Judge and his wife are active Christian people, holding member- ship in the Methodist Episcopal church. They have been identified with this church for more than a half century and in 1871 Judge Williams was ordained as a deacon of the denomination.
Judge Williams is one of the oldest and best known citizens of Leelanaw county. He is a man of admirable characteristics and his political and business affairs have been con- ducted on a high mental and moral plane. His methods are keen and conservative and his purse is ever at the disposal of well- directed and feasible plans for general im- provement. Honored and respected in every class of society, he has for some time been a leader in thought and action in the public life of the state and his name is inscribed high on the roll of fame, his honorable ca- reer adding lustre to the history of this por- tion of Michigan.
DR. JOHN RUEGSEGGER.
Dr. John Ruegsegger, who resides on section 27, Kasson township, where he is en- gaged in general farming, and who also en- gaged in the practice of medicine, accord- ing to the teachings of the homeopathic school, was born in Mount Eaton, Wayne county, Ohio, on the 18th of May, 1849, and is of Swiss lineage. His parents were Fred- erick and Elizabeth (Suter) Ruegseg- ger, both of whom were natives of Switzerland, but in childhood they left the land of the Alps and with their respective parents came to America. For many years they were residents of Ohio
and their last days were spent in Dundee, Tuscarawas county. In their family were twelve children. Dr. Ruegsegger is the eld- est and he was reared in Ohio, spending his youth chiefly in Tuscarawas county, to which place his parents removed during his early boyhood. He remained at home until he had attained his majority, when he married and soon afterward removed to Wyandot coun- ty, Ohio. There he secured a tract of land and engaged in farming for two and a half years. On the expiration of that period he decided to establish his home in Michigan and removed to Isabella county, where he resided for three years or until March, 1878, when he came to Leelanaw county and pur- chased eighty acres of land in Kasson town- ship. It has since been his place of abode, although the tract which came into his pos- session bore little resemblance to his fine farm of today with its excellent improve- ments. He has about fifty acres under the plow and he has erected commodious and substantial buildings. He has made a close study of the needs of the different cereals, practices the rotation of crops and utilizes many modern methods of farming, which have made his work of value, returning to him a good income. In connection with ag- ricultural pursuits he also practices medicine, being a follower of the homeopathic school, and his services in this direction are practical and valuable.
In Wyandot county, Ohio, Mr. Rueg- segger was united in marriage to Miss Hen- rietta Kuenzli, the wedding taking place on the 8th of January, 1873, so that they have now traveled life's journey together for thir- ty years. The lady was born in Wyandot county and is a daughter of Samuel Kuenzli, a native of Switzerland. Unto Mr. and Mrs.
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GRAND TRAVERSE AND LEELANAW COUNTIES.
Reugsegger have been born eight children : Celia, who is the wife of Frank Newman; Ervin A .; Clara, who is the wife of Fred Lewis; Harvey, Wesley, Grover, Perley and Worthy, all of whom are still with their parents.
For fourteen years Mr. Ruegsegger has held the office of justice of the peace and his decisions have ever been strictly fair and im- partial, based upon the equity and the evi- dence of the case. He has also been school director and highway commissioner, and is interested in whatever tends to benefit the community along material, social, intellectu- al and moral lines. He is a member of the Friends church and the members of the household are widely and favorably known in this locality. Mr. Ruegsegger is a man of sterling worth, whose life history will not only bear the closest investigation and the keenest scrutiny but serves to bring to light characteristics which are worthy of the high- est commendation. He is an intelligent, en- terprising man, thoroughly reliable in busi- ness, and his name is a synonym for honor in all life's relations.
EPHRAIM Y. LINDERMAN.
Ambition is the keynote of success and when guided by practical judgment and hon- orable purpose it forms the basis of all ad- vancement in business life. Possessed of a laudable ambition to make for his family a good home and to gain a fair measure of the · prosperity of life, Mr. Linderman has so labored that he is today the possessor of a good farm on section 13, Long Lake town- ship, Grand Traverse county. Many miles
lie between his present place of residence and his birthplace. He first opened his eyes to the light of day upon a farm in Steuben county, New York, his natal day being De- cember 8, 1832. His father was James H. Linderman, also a native of the Empire state and a representative of a family of Ger- man lineage. After arriving at years of ma- turity he wedded Lucretia Young and when their son Ephraim Y. was but four years of age they left New York for Ohio, settling in Summit county, where the subject was reared to manhood. He then accompanied his par- ents to Macomb county, Michigan, where his mother died. After a few years spent in Macomb county, Ephraim Y. Linderman returned to Summit county, Ohio, where he was married and took up his abode. His father also returned to that county and there spent his remaining days, passing away when about seventy-two years of age. His wife was about fifty-seven years of age when called to her final rest. Of their family of ten children Mr. Linderman of this review was the third.
Farm work in its various departments early became familiar to the subject through practical experience and during the greater part of his life he has carried on farm work, save for a few years during which he has engaged in the lumber business in Grand Traverse county.
Mr. Linderman was first married in Summit county, Ohio, in April, 1861, the lady of his choice being Miss Laura Sheldon, a native of Summit county, where her death occurred. On June 7, 1878, he was again married, his second union being with Mrs. Amelia Dobson Thorpe, the widow of Gren- ville Thorpe and a daughter of John and Ann Rose Dobson, both of whom were na-
E. Y. LINDERMAN.
MRS. E. Y. LINDERMAN.
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GRAND TRAVERSE AND LEELANAW COUNTIES.
tives of England. Mrs. Linderman was the second of the four children born unto her par- ents and her birth occurred in Jackson town- ship, Stark county, Ohio, on the 14th of Feb- ruary, 1845.
On leaving Summit county, Ohio, Mr. Linderman took up his abode in Kent coun- ty, Michigan, but after about a year spent in the state he returned to Summit county, there living until his removal to Grand Trav- erse county in January, 1880. He pur- chased eighty acres of land on section 13 and throughout the intervening years he has devoted his time and attention to the culti- vation and improvement of his farm. As his financial resources have increased he has also added to his landed possessions, which low aggregate three hundred and eighty acres, most of which lies in Long Lake town- ship. Of this about two hundred acres are under cultivation and upon the home farm he has excellent buildings, his property being splendidly developed. His business methods are reliable and in all his work he has ever been practical, his labors being directed by sound common sense-the lack of which quality is often the source of failure which falls to the lot of many business men. In public affairs Mr. Linderman is active and influential and has aided in no small degree in shaping the policy of his township. He has served as supervisor of Long Lake town- ship and also as its treasurer. His identi- fication with the Republican party dates from
· its organization and he has never wavered in his allegiance thereto. Mr. Linderman has now passed the psalmist's span of three score years and ten and yet he is still an active business man. Such a career should put to shame many a man of less energy and resolute spirit who, grown weary of the
burdens and struggles which have to be borne in business life, would relegate to others the work which he should perform. In spirit and interests Mr. Linderman seems yet in his prime and, in fact, his interest in the pub- lic welfare is unabating. He commands uniform confidence and respect and Grand Traverse county numbers him among its valued and representative citizens.
HENRY A. BRODHAGEN.
The ease with which thrifty Germans, who come to America, achieve financial suc- cess here is a matter of astonishment to the average American. It need not, however, be wondered at. The German is more industri- ous and less extravagant than the average American. He realizes the value of money and hoards his earnings. He knows its power and its ability to earn other money for him in the way of interest. The average American is much more of a success at spending money than he is at getting or sav- ing it. When a bargain is offered it is the man with money who is permitted to take advantage of the offer and the thrifty Ger- man is generally the man with the money. The subject of this sketch, Henry A. Brod- hagen, proprietor of a well-equipped livery stable on State street, Traverse City, is a German by birth. He came to America less than a generation ago with little capital ex- cept the brain and muscle with which nature had endowed him, and yet he is possessed of more property and is better situated financi- ally than most men who received a far better start in the business world.
Henry A .. Brodhagen was born in Ger- many, April 25, 1844. His father is Aug-
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ust Brodhagen, a brick manufacturer who has spent his entire life in his native land. The subject's mother was born and reared only a short distance from the city of Ber- lin. There she met August Broadhagen and there they were married. They were the parents of six sons and one daughter, but Henry A. was the only member of the fam- ily to come to America. Ali were living and in good health when the son and brother in Traverse City last heard from them.
In his native land Henry A. Brodhagen was reared and educated. His early life was devoted to acquiring a knowledge of his father's business, that of brick making, and when possessed of sufficient knowledge and capital he entered into business for himself and was gratifyingly successful. At Pearz, Germany, Henry A. Brodhagen was united in marriage to Miss Bertha Blank, a native of Pearz, born April 15, 1841. Her parents were Frederick and Louise (Judske) Blank, both natives of Germany, where all of their lives were passed. Both are now dead .. They were the parents of eight children, ' none of whom, except Mrs. Brodhagen, ever left their native land.
In 1871 Henry A. Brodhagen deter- mined to immigrate to America. Accord- ingly he disposed of his business, settled his affairs and within a few weeks he and his family, consisting of his wife and three chil- dren, were comfortably domiciled in the city of Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. He secured em- ployment at his old business, that of brick making. He is an expert moulder, steady and industrious, and commanded good wages during his stay in Pittsburg. In 1877 he decided to try his fortune in the upper lake region and accordingly took his family and located in Grand Traverse county, where
from the savings of his six years' labor in Pittsburg he purchased a farm four miles from Traverse City. It was in the woods, but he applied himself assiduously to clear- ing and improving it, with the result that at the present time it is what might be consid- ered a veritable garden. Mrs. Brodhagen, strong, industrious and helpful, proved her- self a valuable assistant and did her full share toward improving the fortunes of the family. In 1879 the livery stable of B. J. Morgan, on the south side of State street, between Union and Cass streets, was pur- chased by Mr. Brodhagen, the family was moved to the city and he has conducted this business very successfully since.
To Mr. and Mrs. Henry A. Brodhagen seven children have been born, viz: Amelia is the wife of Frank Norton, a farmer of Blair township, this county, and they are the parents of four children, Urina, Eva, Gilbert and Howard; Henry, a farmer of Garfield township, this county, is the owner of a well- stocked and well-improved farm adjacent to that of his father and in connection with his own he cultivates and manages the parental acres; Albert, who owned the granite works of Traverse City, but owing to ill health was obliged to dispose of it, married Emma Fowle, and they are the parents of one son four months old; Bertha is the wife of Fin- ley Hammond, a farmer of Garfield town- ship, and they are the parents of three chil- dren, Floyde, Mildred and Henry N .; Au- gusta is a skilled modiste and resides with her parents ; Lucile, a milliner, is employed in the Bon Marche, G. E. & C. B. Moore, pro- prietors, Detroit ; Julius was educated in the city schools, took a course in the Traverse City Business College and is now bookkeeper and assistant postmaster at Northport.
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GRAND TRAVERSE AND LEELANAW COUNTIES.
In politics Henry A. Brodhagen is a Re- publican. While he has no aspirations or de- sire to become a politician, he is, neverthe- less, active and zealous in the interest of his party. When he lived in the country he was, for fourteen years, school treasurer, served a number of terms as road supervisor and built more and better roads into Traverse City than had been built in years previous. The mercantile interests of the city owe him much gratitude for what he did in this line. In religion he and his family are members of the German Lutheran church of Traverse City. When the church was in course of con- struction he was one of the most liberal con- tributors toward the payment of the expense of its erection. He belongs to three frater- nal societies, the Woodmen, the Maccabees and the Foresters. Besides his fine farm and his livery business in the city, he is the owner of a pleasant, comfortable residence and five other pieces of property which each month bring in an interesting rental. His record in Grand Traverse county proves him to be a very thorough business man and capable financier.
WILLIAM HOLDSWORTH.
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Many believe that a protracted residence in the lake regions of northern Michigan is conducive of longevity. It is claimed that that region can show more really old people to the square mile than any other section of the country. Be that as it may, it is very certain that there are numerous people resid- ing in that locality whose span of life has ex- tended considerably past the four-score mark. The subject of this review, William Holdsworth, is one of them. He was born
in the city of London, England, June 15, 1816, and hence is now in the eighty-eighth year of his age.
The parents of William Holdsworth were William and Susanna ( Izzard) Holds- worth, both natives of England. He was by trade a carpenter, but spent the years of his early manhood upon the ocean a member of the British navy. One of the ships of the British admiral, Lord Nelson, at the bat- tle of Copenhagen, in 1801, was the "Rus- sell," a powerful man-of-war of eighty-four guns, and William Holdsworth, father of the subject, served on that ship during that bat- tle. That remarkable sea fight did more to establish the reputation of Lord Nelson as a naval commander than all of his other achievements. To William and Susanna Holdsworth three children were born, viz : Susan, born in 1808, became the wife of William Hopkins, emigrated to the United States in the early 'fifties, located near where Traverse City now stands, resided there un- til 1883, when she died and he returned to England, where he expired several years ago; John, was born in 1812, lived to attain the age of fifteen years and died in 1827. The father of the family died in January, 1847, the mother having died several years before.
In the city of London the early years of the life of William Holdsworth were passed. He was educated at a private boarding school and the abilities which were his when he was in the prime of manhood indicate that his instruction was most complete. He later attended an academy, where he pur- sued the ordinary studies until the age of fourteen years, when he was obliged to abate his thirst for knowledge and go to work. At his pleasant home in Traverse City he has
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samples of work done by him when he was a student that are simply wonderful. They disclose the fact that in the use of the pen he was especially gifted. His first employment was for the London Dock Company, as check clerk in the sugar department of the London dock. After pursuing this labor for some time, the better to fit himself for the battle of life, his relatives apprenticed him to a carpenter and builder. In those days cabi- netmaking was recognized as a branch of carpentering and to be a skilled workman it was necessary that all of the branches of the business should be acquired by the ap- prentice. Workmen of the present, in that line, have neither the skill not the knowledge of the calling possessed by their predeces- sors of sixty or seventy years ago. Having completed his apprenticeship, he returned to a position on the London dock, this time in the engineering department.
March 8, 1835, when not yet nineteen years of age, William Holdsworth was uni- ted in marriage to Miss Mary Sanders, at Holloway church, near London. He was still an apprentice and she little more than a school girl. It was a real love match, but whether the immediate relatives of the con- tracting parties were as much in love with the arrangement as the lovers, is not dis- closed. Certain it is that none of them were present to witness the ceremony. The bride was a native of Cornwall, England, the daughter of Richard and Elizabeth Saun- ders. For several years after marriage the subject was employed as a bookkeeper and having accumulated some money engaged for himself in the business of contracting, continuing in that line until August 25, 1858, when he sold out his business and im- migrated to America. The voyage was made
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