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HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE ARTICLE ON JOSEPH W. SHENEMAN

Joseph W. Sheneman is pleasantly located on a good farm on section 26, in Batavia Township, where he carries on general agriculture, including stock-raising.

Our subject is a descendant of substantial German and American ancestry, who settled in Pennsylvania probably during the Colonial days.  His father, a native of Wayne County, that State, was born in 1800, and lived there with his parents on a farm, acquiring his education in the common school.  He continued under the home roof until twenty-eight years of age, then with his parents removed to Wayne County, Ohio, where they purchased a farm and lived for a period of fifteen years.  There John Sheneman met and married Miss Catherin Ginter, and there were born to them four children in the Buckeye State, namely: Jacob, John, Mary Ann and Joseph, our subject.  In 1843 Mr. Sheneman disposed of his interest in Ohio, and coming to this county purchased the land which is now owned and occupied by his sone Joseph.  By his dauntless courage and unflagging industry Mr. Sheneman brought to a high state of cultivation nearly all of his great estate, and made his home where our subject now lives until the time of his death, which occured July 29, 1875, when he had reached the ripe age of seventy-five years.

The mother of our subject was born in the little Kingdom of Wurtemberg, Germany, Aug. 17, 1806, and when a maiden of eighteen years came with an elder sister to America and settled at once in Wayne County, Ohio, where she became an inmate of the home of her husband's parents, supporting herself until marriage.  She survived her husband six yeas, her death taking place also at the old homestead, Dec. 12, 1881, her age being also seventy-five years.  After the removal of the family from Ohio to Michigan, four more children were added to the household circle, namely:  Jackson, Catherine, Victoria and Rosa, all of whom lived to mature years.

Mr. Sheneman, our subject, thus know all about the trials and hardships of pioneer life, being but a lad when coming to Michigan with his parents.  He was born in Wayne County, Ohio, Feb. 19, 1846, and continued a member of the parental household until reaching his majority, in the meantime acquiring a good practical education and a thorough knowledge of farming.   Three days after becoming his own man, having already selected his future wife and helpmate, Miss Maggie Groves, of Batavia Township, he was married, Feb. 22, 1864, and the young couple commenced life together at Batavia.  Our subject after the death of his father carried on the improvements the latter inaugurated, keeping the old buildings in repair and putting up new ones as they became necessary.  To him and his estimable wife there was born one child only, a daughter, Mary E., Aug. 22, 1870, and who still continues with them.

Like his father before him, our subject is an uncompromising Democrat, politically, although he has no desire to take upon himself the responsibilities of office.  Mrs. Maggie Sheneman, the wife of our subject, was born Sept. 5, 1845, in Batavia, and is the daughter of Archibald and Jane Groves, who were pioneers of Michigan, coming to Detroit from New York by lake, and from there by an ox team to the northern portion of Batavia Township.  Her father died at his home in Batavia Township, Sept. 1, 1853, at the age of forty-two years.  Her mother, Mrs. Jane (Pitcher) Groves, was the daughter of Elisha Pitcher, of Orange County, N.Y., where she was born and lived until her marriage.  Mrs. Groves still survives, making her home with her son Jay, at Batavia Station, and is now seventy-five years old.