RICHARD ALLEN

            RICHARD M. ALLEN is found numbered among the successful farmers and popular citizens of Eaton township, within whose confines he was ushered into the world, the date of his nativity having been January 18, 1849, while he is a son of Sidney and Sarah Ann (Southworth) Allen, both of whom were born and reared in the state of New York, where they were reared to maturity and where they marriage was celebrated. The father was a farmer in Cortland county, that state, where he continued to reside until the early ‘40’s when he came to Eaton county, Michigan, and took up eighty acres of government land, in Eaton township, the old homestead being now owned by his cousin, John Allen. He reclaimed the major portion of this place to cultivation and resided on the same for a number of years after which he removed to the fine farm of one hundred and seventy acres, where the subject of this sketch now resides. This place was practically in the wild state at the time he came into possession thereof, but he made excellent improvements in the way of buildings, etc., and continued to make this his home during the greater part of his life thereafter, though he and his wife lived for three years in charlotte and three in Eaton Rapids. His wife, whose maiden name was Sarah Ann Southworth, was a daughter of Orrin and Lydia Southworth. She died December 15, 1877. He survived her by a decade and a half, his demise occurring February 1, 1895, prior to which he had added to his landed estate until the aggregate area of the same was two hundred and fifty acres. He was a prominent pioneer and influential citizen of Eaton Township and his name is held in high respect by all who knew him and had cognizance of his earnest and useful life. Of the four children one, a daughter, died in infancy, the others being Adelaide B., who resides in the city of charlotte; Henrietta E., who is the widow of Dr. Amos Knight, long engaged in the practice of medicine in Eaton Rapids; and Richard M., whose name introduces this sketch. Sidney Allen held to the faith of the Democratic Party and was well fortified in his convictions as a matter of public policy. He served a number of years as township treasurer and was otherwise prominent in connection with local affairs of the public nature. In a fraternal way he was identified with the Masonic order. Richard M. Allen was reared to manhood in Eaton Township, in whose common schools he secured his early educational discipline, while he soon became inured to the work of the farm, familiarizing himself with all details of the great basic art of agriculture. For a few years he resided in Charlotte, where he was engaged in the agricultural business, and save for his interim he has never severed his allegiance to the vocation in which he was reared and through which he has attained a marked success and prestige. He is the owner of a finely improved farm of one hundred and ten acres, devoted to diversified agriculture and to the raising of livestock of excellent grade. His political support is given to the Democratic Party, of whose principles he is, like his father before him, a stanch advocate. In 1872 Mr. Allen was united in marriage to Miss Malvina Jaques, who was born in Ohio, being a daughter of Jesse and Sarah Jaques, who removed from that state to Eaton County, Michigan, in the ‘60’s. Mr. and Mrs. Allen have one child, --Frederick S., now a resident of Charlotte. Frederick was united in marriage October 6, 1897, to Miss Elma, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. R. H. Bohn, pioneer residents of Carmel township, They have two children, --Carroll B. and Don M. Allen. Mrs. R. M. Allen is a member of the Congregational church, to which the family gives loyal support.