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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ARTICLE ON CHARLES AUSTIN

Charles S. H. Austin, a prominent and well known farmer and stock raiser of Branch County, is pleasantly located on Sec. 27, Bethel Township, seven miles from Bronson.  He was born in Herkimer County, N.Y., in 1833, coming of good Massachusetts and Connecticut stock.  He was the seventh of nine children born to William S. and Lucy (Barnes) Austin, natives of Massachusetts.  When they were young they went to New York to live, and there married.  The father died in the town of Salisbury, March 14, 1854, at the age of 61.  His wife survived him some years, and died Oct. 9, 1876, at the age of 79.  The father of our subject took part in the War of 1812, but never received a pension.  The paternal grandparents were from Massachusetts and Connecticut, and his maternal grandparents, Luther and Lucy Barnes, were natives of Massachusetts. 

Our subject ...... then went to Kendall County, Ill., and was employed by his brother-in-law.  He there met, and in 1859 married, Elizabeth Kuney, who was born in that county in 1840, and was the eighth child in a family of nine of David and Rebecca (Foutz) Kuney. They were natives of Pennsylvania. 

After marriage our subject settled on a farm in Kendall County.  In 1865 he removed with his family to Iowa and bought property in Marshall County.  After one year they sold out and moved to Michigan in the fall of 1865, bought 80 acres of timber land in Sec. 34, Bethel Township.  Eight children were born to this union, four of which survive - Ida J., now Mrs. Foy, lives in Dakota; Alma, now Mrs. Luther, lives in New York; William S. died Sept. 20, 1884, aged 20 years and 3 months; Emma died in 1868, aged 2y 6m; Frank died in 1872, aged 9m; Adell and Mary live at home.