St. Joseph County MI

Biography of William N. Smelser

William N. Smelser has been a member of the Emporia bar for twenty-five years. His had been an enviable record both as a lawyer and as a citizen, and his ability, industry and his conscientious care have brought him a high position among Kansas lawyers. His family have resided in Emporia more than thirty years, and William N. Smelser was about fourteen years old when brought to that city. He was born in Sturgis, in Southern Michigan, February 2, 1870. The Smelsers came originally from Germany, but have been Americans since about the time of the Revolutionary war. The first … Read more

Bowman, William Levi – Obituary

William Levi Bowman, 28, living with his parents, Mr. and Mrs. Edson R. Bowman, a mile and a half southwest of Nottawa, died this morning from an injury received in 1927 while he was in the U.S. Army. Mr. Bowman enlisted in the army I 1920 and served at Fort David in the Canal Zone until 1923 when he was discharged. He re-enlisted two years later at Grand Rapids. In 1927, while at Fort Sheridan, he fell 41 feet when washing windows and struck on some concrete steps. He sustained a fractured skull and injured ankle. He was taken to … Read more

Dwight Imnah Todd of Williston ND

Dwight Imnah Todd9, (James A.8, Alfred7, Caleb6, Caleb5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Dec. 19, 1877, in Burr Oak, Mich., married June 24, 1903, Jessie Valentine, daughter of Henry Edmund and Elizabeth C. Willard, who was born Feb. 14, 1897, in Fort Wayne, Ind. She attended the Angola Normal School, after which, she taught school several years in Fort Wayne, Ind., and neighboring towns. She studied vocal music in Chicago, Ill., and Meadville, Penn.; was later a soprano soloist. He graduated from the High School in Burr Oak, Mich., and later attended the Normal School in Angola, Ind. At one … Read more

Biography of Col. Perry M. Hoisington

Col. Perry M. Hoisington, of Newton, is one of the big men of Kansas today. For over a quarter of a century he had been closely identified with the state military organization, at first with the old Kansas Militia and now with the Kansas National Guard. At the head of his fine regiment, the Second, he gave some good service on the Texas border in 1916 and is now ready for the call to duty in France. His business career had been equally successful and progressive. Colonel Hoisington is president of the First National Bank of Newton and had been … Read more

Biography of David Bailey

David Bailey. In the latter part of 1854 or the early part of 1855 Mr. Bailey moved to Monticello, Illinois. After a short sojourn there he came to Urbana, and in March or April, 1856, moved to Champaign, where for a number of years, in connection with W. B. Bailey, he conducted a small country store in a frame building that he erected on the site now occupied by the Robeson Department Store. David Bailey was one of the thirteen men who founded the First National Bank of Champaign, in 1865. Application for organization was made to the government in … Read more

Falkenstein, Frank – Obituary

Frank Falkenstein, 70, life-long resident of Sturgis and vicinity, died Sunday morning [March 21] at his home 103 South Orange Street. He had been in poor health for the past five years. Mr. Falkenstein was born in Sturgis Township, March 14, 1866, a son of John and Mary [Kielkopf] Falkenstein. He was married in April 1902 [1904] to Mrs. Ida Waterstraut Lampe in Sturgis. Mr. Falkenstein engaged as a farmer in Sturgis Township until 1816 when he moved to Sturgis where he was employed for 15 years at the C. A. Miller Company factory. Five years ago he retied because … Read more

Bowman, Dorcas Tabitha Simonton – Obituary

Mrs. Dorcas Bowman, 83, passed away this morning at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Edith Barnell, 504 North Prospect Street, after being ill for a period of seven weeks. She was born in LaGro, Ind., on August 3, 1856, the child of John R. and Mary Simonton. In 1876 [May 12, 1877} she was married to Sylvester Bowman in Shydler, Ind. For the past 30 years, however, she has made her home in Sturgis, where she was a member of the Gospel Hall. She is survived by her husband, who is living with a son in LeRoy, Mich.; five … Read more

Bowman, Edson Ross – Obituary

Edson R. Bowman, 64, who had lived in Sturgis and vicinity for the past 40 years, was the victim of a heart attack last night [August 7, 1944] on the Charles Seeb farm. Death, which occurred at eight o’clock, came after Mr. Bowman had desperately worked to prevent a grass fire from spreading on his farm two miles from Sturgis on South Nottawa Road. Mr. Bowman had decided to burn off a dried-up pasturage area near his home which got beyond his control. Even with his wife giving assistance by carrying water it became evident that fire apparatus would have … Read more

Hubert Grey Todd of New Orleans LA

Hubert Grey Todd9, (James A.8, Alfred7, Caleb6, Caleb5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Sept. 1, 1872, in Sherman, Mich., married Jan. 16, 1907, Annie Lee, daughter of Frederick A. and Lee J. (Guice) Dicks, who was born Oct. 30, 1876, in Natchez, Miss., her father having been born in Mississippi and her mother in Minnesota. He went with his parents in 1874, to Burr Oak, Mich., where he attended school and graduated from the High School there in 1888. He took a commercial course in 1892. He began learning the printing business in March 1888, when he secured a position … Read more

Early Native American Gardening

Grand River Michigan Ancient Garden Beds - Plate 6

What proportion of the prairies of the West may be assigned as falling under the inference of having been abandoned fields, may constitute a subject of general speculation. It appears to be clear that the great area of the prairies proper is independent of that cause. Fire is the evident cause of the denudation of trees and shrubs in a large part of the area between the Rocky and the Allegheny mountains. Water comes in for a share of the denudation in valleys and moist prairies, which may be supposed to be the result of a more recent emergence from its former … Read more

Purkes, Lena Floy Tozer Bowman – Obituary

Mrs. Lena F. Purkes, 92, of 800 Mechanic St., died at 5:35 P.M. Thursday in Fairview Medical Facility in Centerville where she had been a patient since January, 1972. She was born in LeRoy, Mich., July 26, 1880, to Mailand and Olive (Simonton) Tozer. She was married to Edson R. Bowman on April 18, 1902 in LeRoy. He died Aug. 7, 1944. On Oct. 12, 1951, she was married to Thomas Purkes in Angola, Ind. He died July 29, 1960. Mrs. Purkes was a member of the First Baptist Church. Surviving are a son, Virgil Bowman, of Sturgis; three daughters, … Read more

Oliver Julian Todd of California

Oliver Julian Todd9, (Oliver H.8, Alfred7, Caleb6, Caleb5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Nov. 1, 1880, in Colon, Mich., married May 15, 1910, Rheta Lorraine Kahn, of Almeda, Calif. He graduated from the University of Michigan, Engineering Dept., June 1908, in which department his distant kinsman, Prof. George W. Patterson is an instructor. In 1913 he was assistant to the San Francisco, Calif., city engineer and has been located at Lake Eleanor, Hetchy-Hetchy Valley, Calif. Child: 2572. Robert Manson, b. May 10, 1917.

Bowman, Carrie Lampe – Obituary

Carrie (Lampe) Bowman, 91, of 114 Cynthia St., died Sept. 3, 1984, at Froh Community Home, Sturgis, following a four-year illness. She was born Nov. 3, 1892 in Burr Oak Township, a daughter of Helmuth Henry and Ida (Waterstraut) Lampe. On Sept. 3, 1912, she married Frank Athol Bowman in Sturgis. He died in 1951. She was a Bronson resident since 1931. She was of the Evangelical Lutheran faith and attended the Bronson Baptist Church for many years. She was employed by the Sturgis Journal from age 16-20, when the owner was E. A. Ferrier. During World War II she … Read more

Hoffman, Ward John – Obituary

FREMONT–Ward J. Hoffman, 86, of Fremont, died Friday, March 2, 1990 at the Mahaska Manor in Oskaloosa. He was born Dec. 3, 1903 in Constantine, Mich., the son of John Luther and Carrie Bishop Hoffman. He moved to Iowa in 1913 and attended Fremont High School. He married Merle Phillippe on July 5, 1929 in Oskaloosa; she died April 23, 1989. He had been a farmer and his farm is recognized as a Century Farm. He was a member of the Fremont United Methodist Church, and had been a member of the Fremont Lions Club. He is survived by one … Read more

Falkenstein, Ida Edith Waterstraut – Obituary

Mrs. Ida Falkenstein, 72, life-long resident of Sturgis and vicinity, died suddenly of a heart attack this morning at 8:15 o’clock at her home, 103 South Orange Street. She had been in poor health for some time and had been under care of a physician, but early this morning Mrs. Falkenstein felt well enough to have breakfast. She went into the yard for a few moments, then returned to the house to rest when the fatal heart attack occurred. Born in Sturgis on Oct. 7, 1867, she was a daughter of Charles and Caroline Waterstraut. She was first married to … Read more

Biography of Rev. B. L. Baldridge

Rev. B. L. Baldridge was born in Adams County, Ohio, February 9, 1821. His father, Rev. William Baldridge, was born in Pennsylvania, in 1760. He served in the Revolutionary war at the age of sixteen years, and for many years after its close was an active minister in the United Presbyterian Church. He graduated from college in 1790, was licensed to preach in 1792, was ordained in 1793, and died October 31, 1830. The subject of this biographical sketch was educated at Miami University and subsequently studied theology at Oxford. He was ordained January 10, 1851, at Centerville, Michigan, by … Read more

1894 Michigan State Census – St. Joseph County

United States Soldiers of the Civil War Residing in Michigan, June 1, 1894 [ Names within brackets are reported in letters. ] Burr Oak Township – Roswell Wilcox, Orrin M. Brooks, Stephen Gilkerson, Henry Kiser, William H. Wells, Alfred Sargent, James Billman, George Hackman, John J. Van Vorst, Leonard 0. Green, John Botzner, Henry W. Fretter, Harlow C. Gilson, Abner G. Van Vorst, John W. Green, Philip Rusher, Erwin Tisdal, George Skimp, James Prouty. Village of Burr Oak – George Sheffield, David H. Carter, Anton Miller, John C. Rollman, James Downs, Seymour H. Hogle, Albert Slingerland, George Robinson, Leander B. … Read more

Biography of Judge Columbia Lancaster

JUDGE COLUMBIA LANCASTER. – Judge Lancaster, one of our earliest and most eminent judges, was born at New Milford, Litchfield county, Connecticut, on the 26th of August, 1893. His father was of Quaker descent, and settled in Ohio at an early date. Columbia read law under Whittlesy & Newton in Ohio. The Whittlesy of the firm was the honorable Elisha who was a long time in Congress, and afterwards held office in the auditor’s department under both Whig and Democratic administrations with no charge of his political sentiments. He though almost as much of his student Lancaster as of his … Read more

Alfred Todd of Portland OR

Alfred Todd9, (Oliver H.8, Alfred7, Caleb6, Caleb5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Dec. 24, 1878, in Colon, Mich., married Oct. 10, 1907, Myrtle Biddleman, of Thornberg, Iowa. He graduated from the University of Michigan, June 20, 1906, after which he practised law in Lamar, Colo., for about six years. They moved later to Portland, Ore. Children: 2569. Oliver Elwyn, b. May 24, 1909. 2570. Rebecca Biddleman, b. April 29, 1911. 2571. Priscilla Fredericka, b. Jan. 6, 1913.

Laurence Todd of Washington D.C.

Laurence Todd9, (Oliver H.8, Alfred7, Caleb6, Caleb5, Stephen4, Samuel3, Samuel2, Christopher1) born Dec. 15, 1882, in Nottawa, Mich., married May 15, 1915, Constance Davis, daughter of Francis E. and Ada (Murdock) Keupp, who was born in Syracuse, N. Y. He graduated from the Literary Dept. of the University of Michigan and at once took up journalism. At one time he was the city editor of the Kalamazoo Gazette; later he became a reporter for the San Francisco Bulletin and the Daily News. He is now (1913) located in Washington, D. C., where he is a Senate reporter for the United … Read more