Colon C. Lillie Pages 203, 204 - COLON C. LILLIE, President ofthe Coopersville Creamery Company, and a successful agriculturist of TallmadgeTownship, Ottawa County, was born in this township January 6, 1860. His father,Joel B. Lillie, was born in St. Lawrence County, N.Y., and emigrated to Michigansoon after attaining his majority. Here he engaged in lumbering and worked invarious places until he purchased the land upon which our subject now resides.To the improvement and cultivation of this place he gave his attention until thedeath of his wife in 1883, when he removed to Coopersville, and made his home inthat village until his death, September 19, 1893. He was a man of wealth, andwas the owner of a large brick and tile factory in Coopersville.
The mother of our subject was Sarah, daughter of Ammon and Annis Augur, who formany years resided in the State of New York, but afterward came to Michigan.Colon C. Augur, the uncle after whom our subject was named, is now on the listof retired army officers. To the marriage of Joel and Sarah Lillie there wereborn five children, two sons and three daughters. Edith S. married John M. Parkand now resides in Wright Township, Ottawa County; Walter married Ella McGrathand makes his home in Grand Haven, this State; the third in order of birth isthe subject of this notice; Emma E., who is unmarried, is a teacher inCalifornia; and Annis M., who is the wife of William E. Baxter, lives in LosAngeles, Cal.
In his youth our subject received ordinary common-school advantages. At the ageof twenty-one he entered the Michigan Agricultural College at Lansing, where heremained for four years, receiving the degree of Bachelor of Science, andgaining a practical education in farming. For four years he filled the positionof Principal of the Coopersville schools, resigning it in order to accept theoffice of Commissioner of the county. He is the founder and President of theCoopersville Creamery Company, a flourishing enterprise which is established ona paying basis. At the present time he conducts the dairy department of the PracticalFarmer & Fruit Grower, a popular agricultural paper published at GrandRapids.
A Republican in politics, Mr. Lillie has represented Tallmadge Township upon theCounty Board of Supervisors, and has also officiated as County SchoolCommissioner. While Secretary of the County Board, he introduced the gradedsystem into the schools of the county, and as a result of his efforts thestandard of education has been greatly advanced. In his social connections, heis identified with the Knights of the Maccabees and Coopersville Lodge, A. F.& A. M. His marriage occurred on the 26th of June, 1890, andunited him with Miss Julia A. Lawton, a daughter of Albert and Mary A. (Loftus)Lawton. The young couple reside upon the old Lillie homestead, where Mr. Lilliecultivates two hundred and forty acres of the finest land in Ottawa County.Everything on his place is of modern improvement, and he raises large crops ofwheat, corn, oats and hay.
|