Funeral Of Mr. Ailes

FUNERAL OF MR. AILES

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AND A FURTHER SKETCH OF THE WELL KNOWN MILLER.

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Who Passed Most of His Life in Ann Arbor and Was Prominently Connected With the City’s Growth.

The funeral services of R. K. Ailes were held Monday afternoon at his late residence No. 319 S. Fifth ave. Rev. Henry Tatlock rector of St. Andrews Episcopal church officiated. The pall bearers were David Rinsey, Moses Seabolt, LeRoy Noble, G. Frank Allmendinger, Andrew Peterson and Edward Eberbach. The remains were interred in the family burial lot on Forest Hill cemetery.

Mr. Ailes was of Welch extraction. Four brothers came from Wales and settled in Rhode Island. One of the brothers probably settled in Chester county, Pa. He had five sons, William, Stephen, Isaac, Amos and Samuel and two daughters. William and Samuel settled in Muskingum county, Ohio. Stephen died in Maryland. Isaac and Amos died in Chester county, Pa. All but William were masons by trade. Amos the father of Robert, the deceased had 13 children, of whom nine survived infancy, and were Eliza, William, Eleanor, Amos, Janet, Robert, Stephen, George and Robert. The latter was apprenticed in 1836 to Robert Smedley a well known millwright of Chestnut Level, Denmore township, Lancaster county, Pa. He worked with Mr. Smedley until 1841, when Mr. Ailes came Michigan settling in Jackson, where he only remained a few-months, coming to Ann Arbor. Here he made his home, until the time of his death. He was recognized as a most expert millwright and built over 50 mills in eastern Michigan. In 1863 he entered into partnership with Messrs. Trip and Price in the foundery business. In 1874 he was a partner of Messrs. Swathel and Kyer in the City Mills. In 1879 he was a partner of Alonzo Gretton in the foundry. Later he again entered the milling business with Messrs. Allmendinger and Schneider, selling out in 1884. Mr. Ailes was born in 1819. In 1843 he married Miss Huldah Ann Bentley, who preceeded him in death some years. Three children, Miss Nettie Ailes, of Ann Arbor, Mrs. William Mahon, of Detroit, and Charles, of Washington, survive him. Mr. Ailes was a man of unusual ability in his line. He was a recognized authority on old time milling, and his wonderful retentive memory caused him to be repeatedly called to give expert testimony in law suits. He delighted to speak of his early childhood spent in Lancaster county.