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A Prominent Pioneer Gone

A Prominent Pioneer Gone image
Parent Issue
Day
20
Month
May
Year
1896
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

At about four o'clock on Wednesday afternoon last, death carne to the relief of Hon. J. D. Williams, after an illness of some days. He lived at No. 25 N. University ave. He was 81 yeara of age. and he died on the anniversary of his first niarriage. Funeral services were held Saturday forenoon at 9:30 o'clock, Eev. J. W. Bradsliaw of the Congregational Church officiating. The remains were taken to the family burial lot in Webster townsliip. Tlie followiug account of his life is taken from the History of Washtenaw County : "When Michigan was yet a wilderness there arrived within its borders a race of men, in color, white, and contrasting strangely with the appearauce of the noble red man, who then claimed this región as his own. These men entered land, built log cabins, felled the mighty trees, and planted crops of corn, wheat and oats in their stead. They were called "pioneers," and to this class belougs John Williams, the father of Jeremiah. He was born in Orange county, N. Y., and emigrated to Washtenaw county in the spring of 1828, and located in Webster tp. His wiie was Lydia Huglitt, and they were the parents of 10 children, of whorn Jeremiah was the seventh, and was born at Semprouius, Cayuga, Co., X. Y. When his father came to this county, Jeremiah was in his 13th year, and he was reared on a farm, and did his f uil share of the hard work in clearing and cultivating wliat now constitutes four farms. Before he carne to Michigan he was sent to winter schools, but made very little progress in learning the three R's, "reading, 'ritin', and 'ritlimetic" beingall the main studies undertaken. Millard Fillmore was the first male teacher whose school he attended as a pupil in New York. In 1834, a school-house was built in the neighborhood wherein he lived, and subsequently he attended a select school in Ann Arbor, taughtby Wellington A. Glover, and au academy, over whicli Henry H. Griffin and John McNeil officiated as instructors. „In 1839, he was appointed Postmaster of Webster tp., the commission hearing date Feb. ] , 1839, and signed by Amos Kendall, Postmaster General. He officiated in tli is capacity for nearly two years. The same year he was elected Township Treasurer, and from that time until the present he has served the people almost continuously in different official positions. In November, 1854, he was electRepresentative to the state Legislature, from the fifth district of Washtenaw county, and faithfully looked the interests of the Washtenaw cifizens during his term of office. During 1841 and '42 he travpled throngli the greater portion of the Now England and Middle States, and returned home in tlie fall of 1842. He was i farmer until March, 1873, when lie solí) out his farm and moved' into Ann city. With the exception of the year and a half he spent in travelling and attendiug school, he worked for his father until 28 years of age, at which time his earthly parent was gatliered to his Father, and there awaits the final day. Mr. Williams was united in marriage, Nov. 19, 1843, to Francés B. Smith, at China, St. Clair Co., Mich. The companion of his bosom was laid away in the cold and silent tomb, and May 13, 1846, he was joined in the bonds of holy wedlock with Jane L. Stark, of Webster tp., Washtenaw Co., Mich. Manchester feas a lot, of unused streets, and will lease theni to adJacent land owners for planting to taters, c-orn and garden sass. They have very quiet ways over there.- Adrián Press. The following officers of the High School Athletic Assoclatio-n were chosen last week : Pres.- Stewart Moore; vico pres.- Florence Green ; secretary - Walter Vaugfaan ; treas.- Iladd ; members of the board of control- Harry R. Brown, R. G. Holgate; base ball manager - Victor Bwift. If fchere is a person in Ann Arbor who disputes a word of the followfng, let Mm stand up, far Mms have w of tended : "E very town has a liar, a fspcmger, a, blatherskite, its riehest nuin, some pretty girls, a girl w-Uio giggles, a weather prophet, a woloan wiho tattles, a half dozan lunatics, a tielsEtoborhood íeud, at least o'ne justice of the peace, a man -svtoo knowis it all, more loafers than it needB, men who see every dog figiit, a boy nvho cuts up in church, and a 'thing that stares at women.' The oíd saying is that if it rains ou Ascensioin Iay tihat it will not rain rain again all summer. And it rained laet Thursday. Bnt then, the same oíd sayins bad it that if a thunder storm carne in March ive would have a cold, backward spring. We had the thunder storm, a couple of them, last March, and we never had an earlier or more beautiful spring -within the m-emory of the oldest inhaibitant. The truth seems to1 le that nature has changes which sh Triinig.s out in the seasons, and ■"hat would prove true in one season will not in anotber. This is one of the record breakers in that line. One of tlie oldest üihabitants ariaes and remi&rfas tlh-vt the spring of 1851 was even earller tihan this year. It may be bo-, but fhat's a long whlle tot remember. This diay is the anniversary of the sisrning of the Declaration of Independeré. Not the American Declaration (but the Mecklenburg Declararion of Independence. Wonder bow many of oor high school pupils could teil wliat that document is ? The mönth of April 1896, and the first half of Ifay wlll pass into histoo-y as being very remarkable for humidity amd 'beauty. It is stated by a joker tthat the mercury ia the thermometeir got up so high during April. tJiat it could look over the top of tlie tuTe tliout standing on tiptere. Tliere is some pressure beingr broug'ht Oin the common eouncil to rnise the salaries of certain eity fcfHclale. Tliese hard times are not good times to imcrease taxation. If amy city official cannot do the little work oocasioaially required of hlm for the salary let him Ktep aside and resign. There are hundreds in town Just as -n-ell fitted to 1"ill their places whO' would be glad to do it for the present salary. There would be a pretty mad lot f citizeos if any salaries are raised tihis year. If Ann Arbor liad eorae generous peri?on wfhio would step forward Jike Mrs Starkweather, of Ypsilanti, and give $10,000 íor a Toung Jlen's Christian Association building, or a building, w'hich would coifflbine sufficlent room for tíhe use of that orga.nization together with the Y. W. C. A., what a gloriouis thiiig it would be, not only for those two associations, but for the city of Ann Arbor and for the generous and noble doner him or lierself But alais, and alas, Aun Arbo.r has no euch a la.ss or laddie either, for tliat matter.

Article

Subjects
Old News
Ann Arbor Courier