The family name of Ahere seems to be of Scottish or Irish origins. It may actually be A’Here or O’Here and may even be the same family name as Ayer. In some records I have seen it written Ahern or Ahearn.

James Ahere purchased 120 acres of land in Berrien County on 10 Feb 1852 according to the Bureau of Land Management Records.

Liber B of the Berrien County Marriage records shows the marriage of James Ahere on page 361. On 25 Jun 1855 in the presence of John and Elizabeth Critzer of Oronoko Township, Nathan Helmick J. P. married “James A. Here of Lake Township to Mary Critzer of Oronoko Township”. James was 30 years of age and Mary was 22 years of age.

Mary (Maria) Critzer was the daughter of John and Elizabeth (Eranhardt) Critzer. Maria Critzer was born in Ohio about 1833. John Critzer was born in Pennsylvania and his wife Elizabeth was born in Maryland.

James Ahere was born on 10 Apr 1819 in Scotland and he died on 24 Oct 1885. His wife Maria (Critzer) Ahere was born on 22 Jun 1833 in Ohio and she died on 14 May 1895. James and Maria (Critzer) Ahere had children:

John Ahere b. 1856 d. 20 Dec 1937

Margaret Ahere b. 1858 d. 1916

Nancy Ahere b. 1860 d. 1921

Betsy Ahere b. ? d. 03 Mar 1866

Arthur Ahere b. ? d. 26 Oct 1866

James Ahere b. 1869 d. 28 Dec 1908

The 1860 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

A’here, James age 41 years born in Scotland, wife Maria age 27 years born in Ohio, John 4 years of age, Margaret 1 year of age and Nancy age 1 month. All the children were born in Michigan.

The 1870 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

Ahere, James 51 years of age born in Ireland, wife, Maria age 36 born in Ohio, John 13 years of age, Margaret 12 years of age, Nancy 10 years of age, Maria 8 years of age, Jimmy 1 year of age. All the children were born in Michigan.

The 1880 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

Aher, James 61 years of age born in Scotland; father born in Ireland; mother born in Scotland, wife Mariah 48 years of age born in Ohio; father born in Pennsylvania; mother born in Maryland, Johny 24 years of age, Margarett 22 years of age, Nancy 20 years of age, Mariah 18 years of age and James 12 years of age. All the children were born in Michigan.

The death record of James Ahere says he died on 24 Oct 1885 in Oronoko Township. It says he was born in Scotland and was 66 years, 6 months and 14 days old when he died. His parents were recorded as Arthur and Nancy Ahere. James Ahere would have been born on 10 Apr 1819. Maria (Critzer) Ahere married 2^nd Ulrich Renz in Niles, Michigan on 25 May 1890.

The 1900 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

Ahear, John b. Sep 1856, 43 years of age, his brother James b. Jan 1869, 31 years of age, his sister Nancy b. Jun 1862, 37 years of age, his sister Margurite b. Nov 1858, 44 years of age and his niece Ella M. Harper b. Jan 1889, 11 years of age. All were born in Michigan and living in the same household. This record also indicated the father and mother of these Ahere children were both born in Scotland.

The 1910 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

Ahere, John 53 years of age born in Michigan, father born in Scotland, mother born in Ohio, his sister Ahere, Margaret 57 years of age born in Michigan, parents birthplaces same as John’s, Ahere, Nancy 47 years of age born in Michigan, parents birthplaces same as John’s, Harper, Ella 21 years of age born in Michigan as were here parents.

The 1920 census of Oronoko Township, Michigan includes:

Ahere, John 62 years of age, father born in Ireland, mother born in Ohio, Ahere, Nancy 60 years of age born in Michigan, parents birth places same as John’s. This census says Nancy was John’s wife but this is more likely his sister Nancy. Ella Harper who was the daughter of Tracey E. Harper and Nancy Ahere had married Wilbur Cuthbert by 1920 and can be found as Ella Cuthbert in that census.

Buried in the Storick Cemetery (aka Oak Grove), which is on Snow Road in Oronoko Township, are: Arthur Ahere d. 26 Oct 1866, Betsey Ahere d. 03 Mar 1866, James and Maria Ahere, their children, James Ahere 1869-28 Dec 1908, John Ahere 1856-1937, Margaret Ahere 1858-1916, and Nancy Ahere 1860-1921. Betsy and Arthur are probably also their children. This was the only Ahere family in Berrien County, Michigan.

The birth record for Ella M. Harper shows she was the daughter of Tracey E. Harper and Nancy Ahere. Ella May Harper was born in Oronoko Township on 26 Jan 1889. Nancy Ahere was the daughter of James and Maria (Critzer) Ahere. Tracy E. Harper was the son of Wilson and Nancy (Graves) Harper. Ella was raised by her mother, Nancy, and her family. The Cuthbert family says that Ella Harper only knew her father by name. It appears that after she was born she had no contact with her father.