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Palmer Family |
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Orville Horace Palmer, Allegan
County Pioneer.
Orville Palmer and his wife, the
former Almena Pratt, came to the wilderness of Watson Township around 1835 from
Ogdensburg, New York. Orville is the son of Noah Palmer, a revolutionary war soldier
and Tirzah Whitney, Quakers from Dutchess County, New York. Almena is the daughter
of Job Pratt and Keziah Nichols, Ogdensburg, New York. Her ancestry can be traced
back to through Keziah Nichols to William Towne and Joanna Blessing, parents of
Rebecca Towne Nurse and Sarah Towne Cloyce who were hung as witches at Salem.
Almena Pratts brother, Benjamin
Pratt also arrived about the same time. Benjamin served as the Allegan County Sheriff
for four terms from 1847 to 1857. He also owned and managed a stage coach stop known
as the Allegan House located at the entrance to the south side bridge in Allegan.
In 1851 Benjamin married the former Augusta Hesselton of Allegan who came to Allegan
from Ludlow, Vt.
Also arriving around this time
were Almena Pratts brother Lyman K. Pratt, her uncle Clark Fitts Nichols, her aunt
Cynthia Nichols Chaffee with her husband, Philander Chaffee.
Orville and Almena Palmer settled
on 150 acres of land located at the NE corner of 114th Ave and 19th St in Section
28 of Watson Township. The house and barn are still standing and the farm is intact
to this day although it has passed through several owners since. Their children
were Benjamin C. Palmer, who married Agnes Alice Sage, and who served in the 3rd
Michigan Calvary during the Civil War, Nancy Palmer who married George Garrison,
Orville Horace Palmer, Jr., who married Emma Jane Askins, and Rowena Palmer who
married Worthington Howe, (Worthington lost his life during the Civil War),
Benjamin Palmer acquired 80 acres
of land across 114th Ave from his parents. Worthington and Rowena acquired 80 acres
in section 27 of Watson on the west side of 16th St.
Benjamin and Agnes reared eleven
children, Eliza Almeria, Ruth Ann, Sherman Chancey, Lurinda Augusta, Mary Rosalinda,
Elsie May, Athol, Benjamin E., Leslie, Agnes Pearl and Lee Winslow. Many of the
family members up to this generation are buried at Hicks Cemetery in Watson.
Lee Winslow Palmer married the
former Erma Kimmel of the Martin/Shelbyville area. She is the daughter of Conrad
Kimel and Rachael Weimer, both of Allen County, Indiana. Many of their descendants
still reside in the Martin area having taken the Kimmel surname. After Rachaels
death Conrad married the former Phoebe Yeakey of Wayland and moved to the Howard
City area. Conrad served in the Civil War, 11th Indiana Cavalry, and is buried at
Howard City, Mich. Rachael is buried at Wayland.
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