A HISTORY OF THE LEWIS HENRY BARNES FAMILY

Prominent Early Settlers of Hope Township
By Elizabeth (Libbie) Barnes DeBack

(Born April 1, 1873)
Lewis Henry Barnes, son of Minor and Emily Barnes, was born in Massachusetts (December 2, 1834) and moved to Connecticut, then to Long Island where he attended school in New York City, graduating in a class of 800 with highest honors at the age of 16.

Shortly after graduating, he came with his parents to Michigan where they settled in Hope Township, which is now the Village of Cloverdale.  Two of the houses still there at this time are the brick house just off M-43 now owned by Kenneth Reed, and the parsonage.

Lewis taught several terms of school, one being at the former Sprague School.

He was a carpenter by trade, a trade which he worked at during the summer terms.  One of the houses which he built is now owned by Charles James, 2nd house north of Prairieville on the right side of the road.

Lewis was a soldier during the Civil War and was on picket duty in Washington DC the night Lincoln was shot.

He met his future wife (Christie McCallum, born Oct. 3, 1839) while teaching, she being one of his pupils.  They were later married (Sept. 12, 1861) and went to Cloverdale to live.  Seven children were born there.

They moved to Nickerson, Kansas, in 1876 where they took up several hundred acres of land in order to keep the family together.  The father (Lewis) going ahead taking up the land and building a house.  Later, the mother (Christie) came by train bringing the seven children.  One son was born at Nickerson in 1877 (John Malcolm).  After three years, the family were stricken with malaria fever.  Three of the family passed away, the mother, Albert, and Isabel.  (The Barnes family is buried at the Fairview Methodist Cemetery, not at the Nickerson Cemetery called Wildmead .The cemetery is located 8 miles west of the Arkansas River Bridge on old Highway # 50. At present time the church and cemetery are active. This information is from the book Cemetery Records of Reno County Kansas 1865-1978.)

Soon after that, the family moved back to Michigan at which time the family were separated.  Frank and Alexander going to live with an Uncle, Alex McCallum, Ray and John to another uncle, John McCallum.  Later, the youngest son, John, made his home with Daniel Thompson.  The two girls, Elizabeth and Emily went to live with an uncle, Malcolm McCallum.

Later, Lewis was married to Amanda Hayes (1882).  One daughter was born, Florence McCrumb of Kalamazoo.

Alexander married Rose Leonard of Pellston, Mich. (no children).  Ray married Fern Osgood (no children).  Frank married Metta (Mary) Pope of Hickory Corners and had one daughter (Laura).  Elizabeth married Isaac DeBack (1854-1944), had one daughter, Christie, who married Clinton Castle.  Clinton Castle was born on January 1, 1889 in Jackson, Michigan.  Christie and Clinton had one daughter, Norma, in 1910.  Christie died at age 24.  In 1930, Clinton married Elva Botsford (age 32) from Illinois. (Note:  Jean Goodrich Javidi is in possession of a journal written in 1880 written by E.A. Botsford, probably Elva’s father.  The journal is entitled “Wanderings in the Far West” which chronicles his journey from the north woods of Michigan to the far West and back).  Norma married Robert Cline and lived on the old DeBack farm at 7475 S. Norris Rd., Delton, MI.  Norma and Bob did not have children.  Emily married Charles Collins of Prairieville, Mich., had 3 daughters, Mildred Christy of Parchment, Mich., Bernice Pennell of Kalamazoo, and Dorothy Righter of Parchment, Mich.  John married Mollie (Mabel) Payne of Cloverdale and had 2 daughters, Wildah and Marjorie.

 fter Lewis remarried, they moved from Gobels back to Hope Township, near the Mill Creek (Glass Creek), just east of McCallum school.  After a few years here they moved to Cloverdale where he resided until his death.  The last few years were spent with his daughter Elizabeth DeBack (the DeBack farm was at 7475 S. Norris Rd., near Prairieville).  His death occurred on July 23, 1917.

While in the West (Kansas), many hardships were encountered.  Fuel for the cookstove was corn and cornstalks, the children gathered dried buffalo chips from the prairie for fuel.  Coal could be purchased, but was very expensive.

The following are excerpts from letters written by the family while in Kansas to the relatives in Michigan:

(This is where Libbie’s narrative ends.  The letters were in the possession of her granddaughter, Norma Cline, but were lost.  When Libbie was very old, Norma and her husband Bob took her back to Nickerson, Kansas.  It was a wonderful visit for Libbie.  She was able to locate their old homestead, met up with old friends, and found her mother’s grave.)

 Robert Cline, who was married to Lewis and Christie’s great granddaughter, Norma Castle Cline, had this to say about Lewis and Christie moving to Kansas:  “They had no business moving to Kansas.  He (Lewis) wasn’t a farmer.  He was a carpenter.  But his wife (Christie) talked him in to moving, so they’d get free land.  They didn’t have anything.  In one of their letters home they talked about having $10 to last them through the first winter.  Then they got sick from drinking the water and 3 of them died.”

 From 1870 Census, Hope Township, Barry County, Michigan  (Sep 8, 1870, page 11 – Roll 661 p. 162)  Note:  This continued onto another page, but it could not be accessed via the Web.
 

LEWIS HENRY BARNES AND CHRISTIE McCALLUM BARNES

By Marjorie Barnes Goodrich (1916-1985) and Jean Goodrich Javidi (1951-       )

Lewis Henry Barnes, son of Minor and Emily Barnes, and Christie McCallum, daughter of Donald and Isabella McCallum, were married on September 12, 1861.  They lived in Barry County, Michigan.  Their son Benjamin (Frank) was already born and Christie was pregnant with their daughter Isabella, when Lewis joined the 13th Independent Battery, Michigan  Light Artillery and fought in the Civil War.  Lewis was a Private in the army and returned home around July 1, 1865.   After he returned to Cloverdale, Albert, Alexander (Alex), Elizabeth (Libbie), Emily and Ray were born.

In the mid-1870’s, the young family set out on a hopeful adventure that was to end in sadness.  The railroad companies, promoting settlements, encouraged easterners to come west and take advantage of the land available through the Homestead Act.  Perhaps hard times encouraged Lewis and Christie to leave their home in Michigan and start a new life, but it may have been the lure of free land that sent them to Kansas.  They settled in Nickerson in Reno County, a stop on the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railroad.  At this time, Kansas had just recovered from a severe drought and a two-year grasshopper plague.  But things were looking better for the farmers.  It is likely that the Barnes family grew wheat and corn as cash crops.  While homesteading, Lewis and Christie’s last child, John Malcolm was born in 1877.

Pioneer life was difficult at best.  Settlers were often plagued with loneliness, poor sanitary conditions and the caprices of nature.  But those who worked hard rewarded themselves with occasional leisure.  Although Nickerson was located on a cattle route, settlers did not associate themselves with the cattle drivers and spent their leisure time socializing with friends, attending quilting bees, barn raisings and dances, and going to church.

It is not known whether the Barnes family succeeded in their farming experiment, but it is known that their stay in Kansas was cut short by death.  Unaware of the causes and prevention of disease, the family became victims of what was simply called “bad water” (probably malaria).  On September 10, 1879, fifteen year-old Isabella died. John later described that she lay down saying she didn’t feel well and died.  Likely, the death process was slower than John described, because a neighbor had given her an apple, which she held in her hand until she died.  The apple, a precious memento to the family, was preserved and is, as of 1989 still in the possession of Norma Cline of Delton, Michigan.  (Norma would have been Isabella’s great-niece).  Isabella’s death was followed by her thirteen year-old brother Albert’s death on November 3, and then by her mother Christie’s death on November 12.  (Christie, Isabella and Albert are buried at Fairview Cemetery, Hutchinson, KS)

Without a wife, Lewis was unable to maintain his homestead and care for his family and so he and his remaining children returned to Michigan where he placed his children in foster homes.

In 1882, Lewis married Amanda Hayes and had a daughter Florence by her.   Lewis worked as a carpenter, barn and house builder, and violin-maker.  He made his last violin as an old man.  This violin was of an angular geometric shape.  Lewis’ hope was to improve the sound of the violin while making it of a simpler design.  (The violin is now owned by Jeffrey Goodrich, Lewis’ great grandson, of Swartz Creek, Michigan).  Another violin made by Lewis is owned by his great granddaughter, Norma Castle Cline.  Lewis also made doll furniture in the 1870’s for his daughter, Isabella, and again around 1910 for his great granddaughter, Norma Castle Cline.  The doll furniture is in now in the Bernard Museum, Delton, Michigan.  Jean Goodrich Javidi (Lewis’ great granddaughter) owns a drop leaf table and fern stand made by Lewis in the late 1800’s.

Lewis and Amanda lived in the Cloverdale area and Lewis became postmaster there from June 6, 1892 until August 1, 1893.  Amanda died in 1893 and Lewis did not remarry.

Lewis died in 1917 at age of 83 and is buried in the Prairieville Cemetery, Prairieville, MI.

Information about Lewis Henry Barnes Civil War Duty
http://www.itd.nps.gov/cwss/regiments.htm  (National Parks Service. Civil War Soldiers and Sailors System)

Union Army Michigan Volunteers

13th Independent Battery, Michigan Light Artillery

Organized at Grand Rapids, Mich., and mustered in January 20, 1864.  Left state for Washington DC February 3.  Attached to Camp Barry, Defenses of Washington DC, 22nd Army Corps, to May, 1864.  1st Brigade, Hardin’s Division, Defenses North of the Potomac, 22nd Army Corps, to July, 1864.  Fort Foote, Defenses North of the Potomac, 22nd Army Corps, to October 1864.  1st Brigade, Hardin’s Division, 22nd Army Corps, to June, 1865.

SERVICE:  Duty at Camp Barry, Defenses of Washington DC, until May 14, 1864, and Fort Stevens during July.  Repulse of Early’s attack on Fort Stevens and the Northern Defenses of Washington July 11-12.  Duty at Fort Foote until October and at Fort Sumner until December.  Garrison Fort Reno until February, 1865.  Battery mounted and patrol duty in Maryland until June, headquarters of the Battery remaining at Fort Reno.  Dismounted June 15 and ordered to Jackson, Mich.  Mustered out July 1, 1865.

Battery lost during service:  1 Enlisted man killed and 13 Enlisted men by disease.  Total 14.

LEWIS HENRY BARNES HOMESTEAD
Reno County, KS, Homestead Book 4, page 65
Certificate No. 3360
Application No. 6022

Whereas there has been deposited in the General Land Office of the United States a Certificate of the Register of the Land Office at Wichita Kansas, whereby it appears that, pursuant to the act of Congress approved 20th May 1862, “To Secure Homesteads to Actual Settlers on the Public Domain,” and the acts supplemental thereto, Lewis H Barnes has been established and duly consummated, in conformity to law, for the: South east quarter of section twenty four in township twenty two south of range eight west of the sixty Principal Meridian in Kansas containing one hundred and sixty acres according to the Official Plat of the Survey of the said Land, returned to the General Land Office by the Surveyor General.

Now know ye, that there is, therefore, granted by the UNITED STATES, unto the said Lewis H Barnes and to his heirs and assigns forever.

In testimony whereof, I Chester A Arthur, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, have caused these letters to be made Patent and the Seal of the General Land office to be hereunto affixed.

Given under my hand at the City of Washington, the tenth day of December in the year of our Lord One Thousand Eight Hundred and Eighty One, and of the Independence of the United States the one hundred and sixth by the President Chester A. Arthur.

By Wm H Crook, Secretary
Recorded Vol 7, page 482

C.W. Clark Recorder of the General Land Office
This instrument was filed for the record on the 20th day of November A.D. 1893 at 4 o’clock P.M and duly recorded.
H.O. Barrett, Register of Deeds
Entered in Transfer Record in my office 20 day Nov 1893.
J.E. Eaton, County Clerk

BENJAMIN FRANKLIN “FRANK” BARNES

Benjamin Franklin Barnes was the first child born to Lewis and Christie McCallum Barnes.  He was born March 13, 1862.  On March 15, 1888, Frank married Mary (Metta) Pope. Frank and Metta had a farm in Augusta, Michigan.  Frank was an expert horseman and trained horses.

Their daughter, Laura was born in 1892. When Laura was 18, she ran away and got married.  Frank and Metta disapproved of her marriage and disowned her.  A year after her marriage, Laura became ill and died.  Frank and Metta suffered the rest of their lives for having disowned their daughter.

Frank died September 3, 1941, age 79.  Frank, Mary and Laura are buried in Lawler Cemetery, near Augusta MI, Charleston Twp,  (now located on the Ft Custer Reservation)

ALEXANDER HAMILTON “ALEX” BARNES

Alex Barnes was born April 15, 1868 to Lewis and Christie McCallum Barnes. Alex worked for a time as either a lumberjack or at a lumber mill in Pellston, Michigan, and there he met and married Rose Leonard.  Alex and Rose did not have any children.  They lived their last years in Kalamazoo on a street near the creamery on Portage Street.  Their great-niece, Jean Goodrich Javidi, remembers visiting them just before Alex died.  “My only memory of visiting Uncle Alex and Aunt Rose was just before he died in 1956.  I was 5 years old and our family was living in Kalamazoo at the time.  Their house was a two-story home and had a sun porch on the back where we sat for what seemed a long time.  The sun-room was cluttered with furniture and stacks of paper and books and the entire house smelled of cats.  Aunt Rose and Uncle Alex were very old and could not take care of things as they had when they were young.  Aunt Rose’s needlework was everywhere.  She did beautiful work and most of it was done in dark colors that were popular when she was young.  I remember a black and multi-colored granny square afghan that was very pretty.  I now own some crazy quilt squares that Rose made.  After awhile, my mother and grandfather (Marjorie Goodrich and John Barnes) allowed me to go upstairs to see Uncle Alex.  He was so old and thin and was lying on the bed in a room with all the shades drawn.  We were told to be very quiet, but I don’t think Uncle Alex was conscious.  I knew my grandfather was sad, but I was too young to understand what was going on.”

Alex died on June 6, 1956.  He and Rose are buried in the Prairieville Cemetery in unmarked graves, since they could not afford a tombstone.

RAY LINCOLN BARNES

Ray Barnes was born to Lewis and Christie McCallum Barnes on November 2, 1870.  After his mother died, he was sent to live with his uncle John McCallum.  Ray married Fern Osgood on October 27, 1921 when he was 51 years old.  Ray and Fern did not have any children of their own, but did have a foster son (last name Hayward).  Ray and Fern lived on a farm at the intersection of Otis Lake and Pine Lake Roads near Cloverdale, Michigan.

ELIZABETH (Libbie) BARNES DeBACK, Christie DeBack Castle, Norma Castle Cline

Libbie Barnes was born on April 1, 1873 in Hope Township, Michigan.  She moved with her family to homestead in Kansas, but their venture was cut short when her mother, sister and brother died of malaria.  The family moved back to Michigan where she went to live with her uncle, Malcolm McCallum.  In 1892, Libbie married Isaac (Ike) DeBack.  They lived on Ike’s father’s farm at 7475 S. Norris Rd., north of Prairieville, MI in Orangeville Township.  The original house was a log cabin, which is part of the existing house. Eventually Libbie and Ike inherited the farm and the family continued to live and farm at the same location.

In 1894, their only child, Christie, was born. Christie married Clinton Castle and had one child, Norma, born in 1910.  Christie died in 1918 at Borgess Hospital in Kalamazoo.  Norma does not have memories of her mother.  Clinton remarried in 1930 to Edna Botsford.  They had one son, Frederich, who was killed in World War II.

After her mother’s death, Norma Castle was raised by her grandparents, Libbie and Ike.  Her father, Clinton, lived in a small house right across the road and saw Norma daily.

Norma remembers that the Pottawatomie Indians would come every year to camp in the woods across from their farm to gather herbs and roots.  She also remembers Gypsies coming to camp in the same place.  The Gypsies made them uneasy, as they were fearful of being robbed.

Norma’s great-grandfather, Lewis Henry Barnes, lived with the DeBacks as an old man and died at their home in 1917 at the age of 83.  Lewis was in relatively good health as an old man and would often walk to Cloverdale (several miles) when he wanted to visit.

Norma attended high school in Hastings, Michigan.  After going to Western Michigan State Teacher’s college in Kalamazoo, she taught at Falk School, the one-room schoolhouse she had attended (located on the corner of Guernsey Lake and Norris Roads) and at Blake school, another one-room schoolhouse nearby on Keller Road, but didn’t like to teach very much.  She eventually worked for Hastings Mutual Insurance Company, from which she retired.

In 1939, Norma married Bob Cline.  She met him at a square dance where Bob was the caller.  Bob said he looked across the room and saw Norma and knew that she was the girl for him.  After they got married, they lived in a duplex on Walker Road in Grand Rapids, Michigan.  They later bought a house on Halbert Road in Battle Creek after Bob was drafted into the army.   Bob served with the 1489 Engineer Maintenenance in the Philippines.  Bob was discharged from the army as a Master Sergeant and returned to work at Stan Lasson Pontiac/Cadillac in Battle Creek where he was a mechanic.  Around 1950, Bob and Norma moved back to the farm on Norris Road because Norma’s grandmother Libbie was no longer able to care for the farm.   Bob farmed and worked for Clark Equipment until the 1960's when he realized he could make more money by just working and not farming.

Bob and Norma retired around 1976 and purchased a winter home in Orlando, Florida.  They continued to come back to the farm every summer where they hosted a 4th of July picnic for the Goodrich family, whose grandfather John Barnes was Libbie Barnes DeBack’s brother.   On their last trip back from Florida, Norma’s health was declining.   Because Bob was unable to care for her, Norma was admitted into Thornapple Manor Nursing Home in Hastings.  She remained in good spirits in spite of her health and longed to go home to the farm once more.  As a final act of love, Bob granted her wish to go home one more time, by having the funeral director drive Norma one final time into the driveway upon her death on October 17, 2001.  Norma was 91 years old.  She is buried at Prairieville Cemetery, Prairieville, Michigan.

Obituary
Emily Barnes Collins
Died March 11, 1959
Address at time of death:  128 Glendale, Parchment, Michigan

Passed away early Wednesday morning.  Mrs. Collins was born April 5, 11875 in Barry County, the daughter of Lewis and Christie Barnes, and had been a resident here for the past 30 years.  She was a member of the Union Methodist Church of Parchment.  Mrs. Collins is survived by 3 daughters, Mrs. Richard (Bernice) Pennels of Kalamazoo, Mrs. Forrest (Mildred) Christy and Mrs. Glen (Dorothy) Righter of Parchment; 2 sisters and one brother, Mrs. Isaac (Elizabeth) DeBack of Delton, John Barnes of Kalamazoo and Mrs. Ray (Florence) McCrumb of Kalamazoo; 4 grandchildren and 5 great grandchildren.

Buried at Prairieville Cemetery, Prairieville, Michigan

JOHN MALCOLM BARNES

By Marjorie Barnes (born February 22, 1916 and Jean Goodrich Javidi (born March 9, 1951)

John Malcolm Barnes was born in Nickerson, Kansas on May 16, 1877 to Lewis and Christie Barnes.  After his mother’s death, the family returned to Barry County, Michigan.  His father, unable to care for the children, placed them in foster homes.  John was placed with his Uncle John McCallum along with his brother Ray.  John was very cruelly treated in this home.  He recounted that he had the end of his tongue clipped off for lying.  One day, his brother Frank, made a surprise visit to John and found that he had been severely beaten with a cane (John was about 4 years old at the time).  Shocked and angry over this, John’s father saw to it that John was place in another home.  He went to live with the Daniel Thompson family.  The Thompsons had no children of their own and liked having John around.  They raised John to adulthood.  When Mr. Thompson died, he willed everything to John.

As a young man, John found work as a butler for the Walldorff family (their land was located near the Clarence and Ina Payne farm near Wall Lake on Walldorff Rd.).  While working for the Walldorff’s, John met and married Mollie Payne.  They both lived and worked at the Walldorff’s after their marriage.  In 1898, John and Mollie’s first child, Wildah, was born.

Around 1904, John and his family moved to Kalamazoo where he worked for a brief time for the gas company before obtaining a job as a fireman for the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (the G.R. & I was later bought out by the Pennsylvania Railroad).  A fireman had the difficult job of keeping the furnace of a steam engine stoked with coal.  Later, John became a railroad engineer and retired from the Pennsylvania Railroad in the 1940’s.

As John and Mollie earned more money, they were able to buy their first house at 728 (house number as of 2005)  Millard Court in Kalamazoo.  Their second daughter, Marjorie, was born there in 1916.

They later moved to a larger home at 714 S. Park St. in Kalamazoo, where Mollie kept boarders from Western State Teachers College (now Western Michigan University).

 Wildah married Gerald VanAvery in June of 1920.  Marjorie was the flower girl at the wedding.  Gerald had been a soldier in World War I and was gassed when he was in Europe.  Gerald was a pharmacist and worked at his father’s drugstore on North Burdick Street in Kalamazoo.  Wildah died in 1922 (age 23) of diabetes.  Gerald remarried a year later and remained close to the Barnes family for the remainder of his life.  In 1924 Gerald opened the VanAvery drug store on North St. and Westnedge Ave. In 1947, ill health caused by his gassing in World War I forced him to close his store.  Gerald and his wife Gladys had 2 children:  Marjorie (named after Marjorie Barnes) who died when she was 7 and Charles.  Gerald died when he was 68.

Marjorie met her husband Durward Goodrich while she was working in civil service in Ft. Custer, near Battle Creek.  Durward was in the army.  They married on February 14, 1948 and had 7 children: Joe, Judy, John, Jean, Jim, Jeff and Jane.

Mollie and John were married 54 years.  After Mollie’s death from cancer, John sold their large house on Park Street and moved to 809 Wallace Avenue.  He spent his later years keeping up his property, visiting his daughter Marjorie (whose husband was in the army) and traveling with his friend and former co-worker, C.E. Layne.  During parts of the 1950’s, Marjorie and her children lived with John while Marjorie’s husband was stationed overseas.

John died on January 1, 1961 of a stroke.

Mabel (Mollie) Payne Barnes (1877-1952)

 Mollie Payne was born in Kalamazoo, Michigan, on July 9, 1877.  That same year, Mollie’s parents Elem and Francis purchased a farm near Cloverdale.  Mollie’s life on the farm was hard.  She cared for her younger brothers and sisters and helped with chores, cooking, canning and baking.  Spare time was precious and rewards were few.  Mollie dreamed of leaving the farm and moving to town.

In 1898, Mollie married John Barnes.  White wedding dresses were just becoming the fashion and Mollie begged her mother for one.  Her mother insisted that she wear black, since black dresses were more traditional and more serviceable.  Mollie always resented that black dress.  She was a fine seamstress and for the rest of her life always made herself stylish clothes

Mollie and John lived for a time at the Walldorff farm on Walldorff Road near Cloverdale, where they both worked.  Their daughter Wildah, was born while they were there.

A few years later, the family moved to Kalamazoo, where John worked for a coal and gas company before getting a job with the Grand Rapids and Indiana Railroad (later bought by the Pennsylvania Railroad).  John first worked as a fireman and later was an engineer.  They bought their first home on Millard Court in Kalamazoo.  John and Mollie didn’t have much.  John built Mollie kitchen cabinets from old orange crates and Mollie made curtains to cover them.  Even though life was a struggle for them, Mollie remembered these days as the happiest in her life.

A son was born to John and Mollie, but died in infancy.  Mollie and John’s third child, Marjorie, was born in 1916.

Mollie was an outgoing and friendly person.  She quickly made friends in Kalamazoo through her memberships in the Eastern Star and bridge clubs.

Mollie was an excellent cook and skilled needleworker.  She made many embroidered and crocheted tablecloths, as well as other beautiful things for the home.  Once she made a lace tablecloth for a woman who paid her by giving her a diamond ring. 

Mollie was very fond of nice things and throughout her life collected fine crystal, silver and jewelry.  Just before the stock market crashed in 1929, Mollie took all of her and John’s savings from the bank and purchased diamond rings.  Not knowing the future, John was furious.  But it was that seemingly imprudent act which kept them from losing all their savings when the banks failed.

There was another time Mollie seemed to have an insight into the future.  Just when the United States entered World War II, Molly purchased hundreds of pounds of sugar, thinking that there might be food rationing.  She was right, and unlike most people, she always had a cake around for company during the war years.  In fact, she had purchased so much sugar that there was still some left when she died in 1952.  During the War, Mollie and John would drive to her nephew Clarence’s farm where she would visit Clarence’s wife Ina and trade fabric and sugar for eggs and produce.

Not nostalgic, Mollie seldom spoke of her early years.  To her they represented hard times and were best forgotten.  She hated long dresses, claiming they were cumbersome and constantly filthy from picking up mud and tobacco juice that men spit everywhere.  She was one of the first women to shorten her skirts and cut her hair as soon as it was socially acceptable, claiming that her long hair gave her a headache.  Mollie was truly a modern woman.

In a day when women had few work options, Mollie made money.  She opened a boarding house in their home (714 S. Park St., Kalamazoo) to students from Western State Teacher’s College.  These were fun years for Mollie and her daughter Marjorie and they made many lasting friendships during this venture.

One of the saddest events in Mollie and John’s lives came in 1922.  Her daughter, Wildah, became suddenly ill and died from diabetes.  At that time there was no control of the disease.  Mollie became severely depressed and Wildah’s death shadowed the rest of her life.

1948 was an important year.  Mollie and John celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary, their daughter Marjorie married Durward Goodrich, and their first grandchild, Judy, was born.
In the early 1950’s Mollie found out she had cancer.  Before she died, she alarmed her husband by burning letters and family mementos.  She died in 1952 and is buried in the Mountain Home Cemetery in Kalamazoo.