THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR (IONIA COUNTY, MI) Bulletin of the Sebewa Association,
AUGUST 1994, Volume 30, Number 1.
Submitted with permission of Editor Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: APSEY, SHELLENBARGER, FRYOVER, DOWNING, GIBBS, HAROLD, BENSCHOTER, VanBENSCHOTEN, LUSCHER, ARNOLD, PARKER, SLOWINSKI, INGALLS, TERRILL, BROWN, HALBERT, HOGLE, OKEMOS, KNOX, CATT, LEIK, BOWER, BRECH, CREIGHTON.

RECENT DEATHS:

ADDIE VELMA APSEY, 87, wife of Frederick, mother of Margaret WILLETT, Beatrice MOSHER, Vivian LEIK, Helen, Donald & David, & Frederick APSEY, Jr., daughter of Josephine TRIMMER & Cyrus SHELLENBARGER. She took an active part in their farming operation on Sec. 29, Tupper Lake Road, Sebewa Township, and hauled more loads with her John Deere “A” than many men of her generation.

KATHLEEN A. FRYOVER, 72, widow of Samuel FRYOVER, mother of Karen HUFNAGEL, Luanne CHAMPION, Anna Belle & Thomas FRYOVER, daughter of Elizabeth M. DOWNING & Thomas GIBBS, son of Mary E. & Norman GIBBS, Sr., son of Robert GIBBS. Elizabeth M. DOWNING was daughter of Lucia E. & Samuel M. DOWNING, son of Thomas DOWNING, Sr., all pioneer settlers on Knoll Road, Sebewa Township.

JOSHUA HAROLD, 4, son of Nicole OESCH HAROLD, daughter of Kenneth & Karen OESCH, daughter of Gerald & Janet GILBERT, daughter of Riley & Annis SANDBORN, daughter of Bertella BRADLEY & John BENSCHOTER, son of Mary & Oliver BENSCHOTER, son of Cornelius & Diana VanBENSCHOTEN. Riley was son of Alma LUSCHER & Lawrence (Lon) SANDBORN, son of Columbus SANDBORN, son of Edward & Betsey SANDBORN. Alma LUSCHER was daughter of Minnie ERDMAN & Jacob LUSCHER, Jr., son of Anna & Jacob LUSCHER. Minnie ERDMAN was daughter of Hanna PETERS & Michael F. ERDMAN, son of Sophie & Christian Frederick ERDMAN of Posen, East Prussia. Bertella BRADLEY was daughter of John & Mary BRADLEY. Gerald GILBERT is son of Owen GILBERT, son of Frank GILBERT. So many Sebewa ancestors for one little boy!

GEORGE SIMPSON ARNOLD, 76, husband of Myrtle BAUER ARNOLD, father of Marilyn ARNOLD PARKER & Dexter ARNOLD, son of Leola SIMPSON & Martin ARNOLD, son of Mary TAYLOR & Burt W. ARNOLD, son of Isabel KIMBALL & William D. ARNOLD, son of Olive KIMBALL & Dexter ARNOLD, son of Hanna DEXTER & Job ARNOLD, son of Freelove & Job ARNOLD, Sr. George was descended from the Dexter Colony that founded Ionia, was related to the DEXTERS, ARNOLDS, KIMBALLS & YEOMANS, and lived on the ARNOLD Centennial farm. He was the fourth generation of his family to serve as Easton Township Supervisor.

OBITUARY FROM IONIA SENTINEL JUNE 11, 1894:
THEOPHILUS SLOWINSKI – The funeral of Theophilus SLOWINSKI, who died Sunday, was held from the Church of SS. Peter & Paul this morning at 10 o’clock, the large audience room of the church being filled to its utmost capacity. The Rev. FIERLE conducted the services and preached an eloquent sermon. The German Aid Society, of which the deceased was a member, attended in a body to the number of more than 40, and marched to the cemetery with the remains. There were nearly 50 teams in the procession also.

(Editor’s Note: Great-great-uncle Teofil was a merchant tailor in Ionia, an officer in the Arbiter Bund (German Workers Aid Society), 47 years of age, and a hail-fellow-well-met. There were indeed 50 teams behind the hearse on the road to Mt. Olivet!)

DESCENDANTS OF JONATHAN INGALLS by Grayden Slowins
With information provided by Arlene INGALLS SCHRADER of DeWitt, MI.

Jonathan INGALLS was born May 4, 1762, at Exeter, Grafton County, New Hampshire, son of Hannah LOCKE & Jonathan INGALLS, Sr. He served in the Revolutionary War and was married March 8, 1785, to Abigail CLEVELAND, who was born in Connecticut, May 18, 1766, and died in Massachusetts, January 10, 1833. Jonathan came to Ionia County, Michigan, with his grown children and grandchildren, who in 1838 became the first permanent settlers in Sebewa Township. These were the families of Charles W. INGALLS, John F. TERRILL – husband of Polly INGALLS, and John BROWN – husband of Sarah (Sally) INGALLS. Other members of Jonathan’s family followed later, some never came. Jonathan died in Sebewa, October 2, 1843, and his monument is by the side of KEEFER Hwy. near the land which belonged to his son-in-law, John TERRILL.

Two of John TERRILL’S sons-in-law, thereby grandsons-in-law of Jonathan, Anson W. HALBERT & William HOGLE, were also in that first settlement. HALBERT ran the first general store. The TERRILL land was that portion of N ½ NE ¼ Sec 25 Sebewa which became the John FRIEND-Lawrence KNAPP-James STANK farm and that portion of Sebewa town which John FRIEND platted from it. TERRILL & HALBERT also built the first sawmill on Sebewa Creek on that farm.

Jonathan & Abigail INGALLS’ children, all born in Bristol, NH, were:
1. Elizabeth (Betsey) INGALLS born October 12, 1785; married Aaron NELSON
2. Hannah INGALLS born April 3, 1787, died January 3, 1877; married Ezekiel SMITH
3. Dorothy (Dolly) INGALLS
4. Martha (Patty) INGALLS
5. Sarah (Sally) INGALLS born July 17, 1793, died June 14, 1867; married John BROWN
6. Polly INGALLS born October 6, 1795, died November 21, 1882; married John F. TERRILL
7. John C. INGALLS born March 21, 1797, died April 1, 1869; married Laura V. ALLEN
8. Irene (Irena) INGALLS
9. Susan INGALLS born May 19, 1802, died April 6, 1864; married John FOWLER
10. Jonathan INGALLS born June 23, 1804; married Eliza HARRINGTON
11. Sherburn (Sandburn) INGALLS born June 2, 1807, died June 3, 1879; married Mary Jane SCHOFF
12. Keziah INGALLS born 1810, died 1882; married Milton SAWYER
13. Charles Wesley INGALLS born April 21, 1812, died at Harbor Springs, February 9, 1889; married Catherine D. HAMM

Charles Wesley INGALLS, thirteenth child of Jonathan & Abigail, was the first settler and forefather of the Sebewa & Danby lines of INGALLS. He located on S ½ SE ¼ Sec. 13 Sebewa, on the land surrounding the WEIPPERT Mill Pond. This land was later owned for many years by his son Hall Jackson INGALLS. Charles W. then purchased the SHIMNECON land from the Indians when they moved to Mt. Pleasant, and Arlene SCHRADER has a copy of a deed signed by Myron J. KING, an Indian Affairs Administrator, and Charles W. INGALLS on August 6, 1861, and witnessed by Allen B. MORSE, Notary Public at Ionia. (Editor’s NOTE: After service in the Civil War, A. B. MORSE eventually became Chief Justice of Michigan Supreme Court.)

This 1861 deed shows 109 acres. However the 1875 plat shows 35 acres for Charles W. INGALLS, 42.62 acres for his son Charles Manley INGALLS, 34 acres for another son George Augustus INGALLS, and 24 acres for another son Cleveland A. INGALLS. This adds up to 135.62 acres, and adding in the Samuel WAINRIGHT 39.10 acres located in the midst of it, brings the total of Indian land to 174.72 acres, which is very close to the 180 acres they once controlled. The 109 acres is, however, the same amount to which Manasseh HICKEY acquired a clear title for the Indians about 1846.

Charles W. INGALLS was serving in the State Legislature from Ionia County by 1853, and by 1873 he had platted INGALLS Addition to the village of Ionia when it became a city. This addition was bounded by Front (now ADAMS), Depot (now HUDSON), Railroad, and Second (now DEPOT) Streets. Once occupied by two hotels and several private homes & businesses, this land is now covered by O’Mara’s store and several parking lots. They retired to Harbor Springs, where Catherine died in 1882 and Charles W. died in 1889, and they are buried there.

Charles Wesley INGALLS & Catherine D. HAMM’S children were:
1. Charles Manley INGALLS born July 22, 1835, in Boston, MA, died in Danby, February 11, 1903; married Lucinda CLARK
2. Hall Jackson INGALLS born March 11, 1837, in Boston, MA, died in Sebewa January 25, 1927; married Helen BEDEN
3. George Augustus INGALLS born March 19, 1839 in Sebewa, died May 1, 1868; married Addie FORMAN
4. Cleveland Alphonso INGALLS born August 22, 1841, died June 2, 1900; married Mary Jane COLBURN
5. Edward Augusta INGALLS born December 16, 1842; married Sarah DIXON
6. Frances Augusta INGALLS born September 30, 1845, died 1927; married Dwight SPALDING
7. Sylvester William INGALLS born October 9, 1848; married Sarah.

Charles Manley INGALLS farmed the SHIMNECON land in Danby all his life, died there in 1903, as did his wife Lucinda in 1922, and they are buried in Danby Cemetery. He was called Boug’edi by Indians.
Charles Manley INGALLS & Lucinda CLARK’S children were:
1. Charles Watters INGALLS born 1857, died April 28, 1914; married Phila SOWLES
2. Katherine INGALLS born July 9, 1864, died September 2, 1907

Charles Watters INGALLS farmed at Charlotte and in SHIMNECON and died there in 1914 and was buried at Danby Cemetery, as was his wife Phila, who died in Portland June 7, 1954, at age 93.
Their children were:
1. Arthur (Stub) INGALLS born 1882, died November 9, 1902
2. Nellie E. INGALLS born 1886, died September 17, 1906
3. Clarence M. Ingalls born 1888, died March 19, 1936; married Florence FANCHER
4. Lucinda (Lula, Babe) INGALLS born 1891; married Harry KELLEY, buried in Danby.
5. Marian INGALLS born May 3, 1897, died November 26, 1981, married Guy W. STIFFLER, buried in Danby

Clarence M. INGALLS was also a farmer, near Wacousta in Clinton County and died in 1936 as the result of a corn-picker accident. He is buried in Danby, as is his wife, Florence, who died in 1967. Clarence M. INGALLS & Florence FANCHER’S children were:
1. Charles Hall INGALLS
2. Louis C. INGALLS born 1924, died August 9, 1986.

John C. INGALLS, seventh child of Jonathan & Abigail, married Laura V. Allen and their children were:
1. Lindel INGALLS
2. Mary Jane INGALLS
3. Timothy INGALLS
4. John D. INGALLS

We are indebted to Arlene INGALLS SCHRADER for being our connection to the descendents of Jonathan INGALLS, only a small portion of which are listed here. END

NEWS ITEM – PORTLAND REVIEW – MEMORIAL DAY – 1921 – Monuments of Old Indian Chief and Revolutionary Veteran Unveiled Near Portland.

D.A.R. Chapter Honors Memory of Makers of American History.
OKEMOS was Chief of Old Potawatomi Tribe.
Jonathan INGALLS, Uncle of President CLEVELAND,
Buried in Sebewa with ceremonies impressive and highly interesting, the Stevens Thomson Mason Chapter, Daughters of the American Revolution unveiled two monuments Sunday afternoon to two makers of history who are buried near Portland. One boulder was placed at the grave of OKEMOS, former chief of the Potawatomi tribe and nephew of PONTIAC. The other marks the grave of Jonathan INGALLS, Revolutionary War Soldier and patriot.

The grave of OKEMOS is located in the old Indian reservation, MESHIMMENCONING, on the river road east of Grand River and south of Portland. His body was placed there in 1858. The body of Jonathan INGALLS lies in a field a short distance south of Sebewa Corners. The stone is placed close to the roadside, where it may easily be read by those who pass. The two stones were prepared from native Ionia County rock by John SHELL of Ionia and were designed with taste as well as with a thought to permanency.

“WHITE CHIEF” Tells of OKEMOS. The ceremony at the grave of OKEMOS was made more impressive by the presence of friends who knew the old chieftain or whose fathers were associates of OKEMOS. Among those persons was Hall J. INGALLS of Sebewa, called by the red men “White Chief”. INGALLS befriended OKEMOS and from that time until the death of the chief, the two were close friends. Hall J. INGALLS superintended the burial of OKEMOS.

Mrs. Levi MARSHALL, regent of the chapter, led the ceremonies. Following the reading of the ritual, the purpose of the placing of the stone and some of the projects of the chapter were told by Miss Kate L. BENEDICT, former regent. She stated that the work done by the chapter is conducted largely to preserve for posterity the interesting historical facts and legends concerning Michigan.

Dr. F. N. TURNER of Lansing read a highly interesting paper concerning the later days of OKEMOS and of how in his declining years he often visited his old planting grounds on the banks of the Cedar River in Ingham County, near where the town of OKEMOS now stands, and of his friendships among the white settlers of that county. Dr. TURNER’S information was gleaned mostly from stories told by the doctor’s father.

Mrs. MARSHALL formally presented the red granite monument to the public, as Geer SMITH and Marian MORSE drew the cords which raised the American flag from the cut face of the rock. Mr. INGALLS told many interesting things about OKEMOS, which must be recounted in later stories. He told of the appearance of the old chieftan. When OKEMOS died his guns, clothing, cooking utensils, and food were buried with him and fires of sassafras wood appeased the evil spirits whole OKEMOS’ spirit journeyed that long trail to the happy hunting ground.

OBITUARY – PORTLAND REVIEW – January 25, 1927 – HIS BOYHOOD DAYS SPENT WITH INDIANS – Hall J. INGALLS’ Long Life Ends Friday, After Illness Lasting Only a Few Weeks. Born in Boston, Came to This Section at Age Three Months.

Hall J. INGALLS, stricken with paralysis while in his barn at the farm in Sebewa Township a few weeks ago, died Friday evening. He would have been 90 years old had he lived until March 11. Funeral services were held at the home Monday afternoon, a neighbor, Wm. ROSEVERE, taking the place of a minister and making a few personal remarks. Burial was in Portland Cemetery.

Mr. INGALLS was born in Boston, Mass., March 11, 1837, coming to Novi, Mich., with his parents at the age of 3 months. They moved to Sebewa in 1838. There were only three white neighbors, but many Indians. In 1844 the family moved to Portland, remaining seven years. In 1851 the elder INGALLS (Charles W.) bought the place where Hall J. lived at the time of his death, building a sawmill and dam (Editor’s Note: This would have to be on the site of WEIPPERT’S Mill, surrounded by the Hall J. INGALLS farm). The country was thickly wooded and father and sons helped to clear it. In 1857 the family moved to Ionia and next year Hall J. helped to survey a state road from Ionia to Mackinac.

In 1860 a party of Indian leaders came to Ionia and wanted to sell the tract known as SHIMNECON, located in Danby Township. Hall’s father bought it for $2000, the son turning in a pony, valued at $50, as first payment. They moved to the tract in 1861. In 1865 Hall J. bought from his father the farm in Sebewa where he last resided, a little north of Sebewa Corners. From the time he came to this section until his death, he had spent but one year outside this county. That was in 1872, when he made his headquarters in Grand Ledge, while selling sewing machines.

Mrs. INGALLS was formerly Helen BEDEN. Though 83 years old now, she enjoys good health and has borne up under the strain of helping care for her husband during his illness remarkably well. Part of the time she has insisted on being alone with him nights, but two neighbors, Edward SPENCER and Carl LINDSLEY, were keeping vigil with her Friday night, when, shortly before midnight, the old pioneer breathed his last.

NEWS ITEM – PORTLAND REVIEW – DATE ILLEGIBLE – Indians Only Danby Residents When White Settlers Arrived. John Compton Helped Christianize the Colony. His Daughter First White Child Born There.

The Indians were prominent because they were the first inhabitants and possessors of our land. Also their Indian village on Sec. 22, Danby, the village of MESHIMMENCONING was probably the first settler, coming in 1835 and locating on Sec. 5. In 1836 Asher KILBURN located in the bend of Grand River on Sec. 8 and worked land owned by a Mr. Jones of Detroit. The same year John & William CONKRITE made first settlement on the south side of the Grand. They purchased considerable land along the river, put up a cabin on Sec. 21 in the summer of 1836, and in the fall returned eastward. In the spring of 1837 William came back to Danby with his family for permanent settlement, while John, his brother, went to Texas, where he was killed.
The first frame barn in the township was built by John COMPTON in 1839. His father-in-law, Daniel HULL, came with him and brought a bushel of apple seed and planted and produced the first orchard in the township. The first teacher was Hester DAVID, daughter of Alpha DAVID. The first white child born in Danby was Jane E. COMPTON, daughter of John COMPTON. The date was April 30, 1838. She became Mrs. Jane Peabody and lived at Mulliken, one mile from her birthplace. The second birth was that of Charles G. BROOKS, August 28, 1838.

It is said by some that the first death was that of the wife of Abijah SCHOFF in 1838. She was buried on the farm of her husband on Sec. 1. It is very probable, however, that the first to die was Martha, daughter of Wm. CONKRITE, who was four years old and was burned to death in a flaming brush heap bout 1837.

John COMPTON was the first postmaster, retaining the position 20 years. His successors were John CAHOON, Redding SARGENT, J. R. DAVID, John HOVEY, Samuel F. DAVID. The first Town Meeting was held at John COMPTON’S house on April 7, 1845. Abijah F. SCOFF, Willard L. BROOKS, Wm. CONKRITE & Lorenzo SEARS were chosen inspectors, and John COMPTON clerk. Charles BROOKS was elected treasurer. Justicies were Mathew DAVENPORT, Wm. CONKRITE, Henry JONES & Lorenzo SEARS. Highway commissioners were Oscar P. SCOFF & Elkanah DRAKE. Constables were Elkanah DRAKE & Alpha DAVID. Assessor was Willard L. BROOKS.

ODDFELLOW HALL UPDATE: Alzeo (Mike) SMITH, son of Ben & Mable, writes to ask when the Oddfellows Hall at Sebewa Corners was built. We knew it was not there in 1881, and Fern CONKRITE calculates the date to be 1889, based on an obituary of a charter member.

SESQUI-CENTENNIAL FARMER – ALMOST: Beth A. INGRAHAM, co-owner with her husband, Timothy L., of the KNOX Farm on KNOX Road, just east of Sec. 1 Sebewa. Beth is daughter of Kendall KNOX, son of Thelma MOYER & Frederick KNOX, son of Frederick KNOX, Sr., son of Harvey KNOX, son of John KNOX, who settled on that farm in 1836. Recently a visiting Agricultural Agent introduced Beth as a farmer’s wife. “No” said Beth, “I’m one of the farmers!” A timely comment for a 1990s farmer who is a sixth generation tiller of that soil. She is also descended from the SHEURERS of Orange and the MOYERS of Sebewa & Eagle.

FROM THE MAILBAG: LeRoy CATT has received interesting mail from a Houston lady. About 15 years ago the Lake Odessa Area Historical Society received a letter of inquiry about the CATT family from a Patricia SACHELI. Her letter was simply handed to LeRoy to answer. The New York lady did ten years worth of genealogy research and then died. Fortunately her widower kept her papers, even tho they held no interest to him. Then a Rochester, NY, gentleman began searching for his CATT ancestry and learned of Mrs. SACHELI. By then, she had died, but her husband loaned him her material. Now Lillian KATES of Houston, TX, has been searching and by mail learned of the Rochester man, who in turn shared his findings plus those from Mrs. SACHELI and from Mr. CATT. The KATES lady shares the story that her grandmother said she would never marry a CAT, so her prospective husband changed his name to CATE and later to KATES. Another branch of the family tells that one of the New York CATTS paid a priest in Churchville, NY, $10 to change the surname on a vital church record. The Texas lady is descended from David CATT, who was the oldest brother of LeRoy’s grandfather, George CATT, who was born in England and farmed on Ralph Road in Odessa Township. George was the father of our own Vertie McDONALD, who lived to be 108 yers, 10 months & 26 days. Robert, another brother of David & George, was in the Civil War and is buried in Lakeside Cemetery.

Charles LEIK calls our attention to an exhibit by the National Building Museum in the Old Pension Building in Washington, DC. The exhibit features a timber-frame barn from Eaton Rapids, Michigan. It was taken down board-by-board and timber-by-timber and transported to Washington. Charles participated in the barn-raising last March, and the exhibit ends at 4:00 PM, Sunday, September 11, 1994. It just so happens we will arrive in Washington for the National Association of Towns & Townships convention on Saturday night, September 10, and hope to catch that exhibit.

Jeff BOWER was a top competitor in the Antique Tractor Pull at the Lake Odessa Fair. He drove a nicely restored 1937 Allis-Chalmers WC tractor. Jeff is grandson of Louis BOWER and great-grandson of George BOWER, who once operated a tractor just like that, maybe the same one.

WHEN THE FELLOWS IN THE BLACK HATS WERE THE GOOD GUYS – Great-great-grandfather John BRECH was drafted (they called it conscription then) in the War of 1812. These Mennonite boys were to bring their teams to war. As Teamsters naturally they hauled supplies. But their main function in battle was to gather the wounded and dead. These German boys served on both sides of the conflict and gathered the casualties without regard for color of uniform. They would draw up the battle lines and then drop back while the firing was going on. But when they went onto the battlefield to gather the wounded, no-one would put a rifle ball thru one of those black hats. Not one was seriously wounded or killed, and after the war they were paid $5.00 for every day they & their horses served.

There is a monument in Queen Victoria Gardens, Melbourne, Australia, to those who served in the Boer War in 1898. Included are a Farrier Sergeant and several Shoeing Smiths.

Elmer CREIGHTON was one of the last blacksmiths in the Army Air Force in World War II. He patched holes in bombers when they returned from flights over Berlin. We imbedded an anvil & Hammer in the base of his cemetery marker. In his eulogy Edgar Fleetham said Elmer had set his forge and trip-hammer on the corner of First & Main in Heaven and was waiting to hammer our bean knives.