Nelson F. Albee, D.V.S. Page 502-03 Nelson F. Albee, D. V. S., an agriculturist of Wyoming township, Kent county, Mich., where he has resided for the past thirty years, was born in Danby, Rutland county, Vt., June 28, 1822. His father, Zattue Albee, was a native of Massachusetts, was a millwright by trade and a Methodist preacher by calling, found his wife in Vermont and died in Cleveland, Ohio, at the age of seventy-six years. His wife, who bore the maiden name of Mary Chapman, was a native of the Green Mountain state, and died in Cleveland, Ohio, when fifty-six years old. To this venerable couple were born fourteen children, of whom two only are now living, the subject of this sketch and Adeline, wife of Edward Gillette, and now residing in Lockwood, Monterey county, Cal., at the age of sixty-six years. Nelson F. Albee was a child of four years when taken from Vermont to Ohio by his parents, who settled near Cleveland, and there he was educated to a limited degree in a log house, the only kind in existence in the pioneer days of the Buckeye state. But he was an apt scholar and fond of reading, and had a natural affection for dumb animals, taking much delight in relieving their suffering when in pain. Living on a farm, he had many opportunities for observing the habits of animals, for studying their ailments and ministering to their cure. This led to his systematic reading of works devoted to this branch of surgery and medicine, in which he is now an expert, having had a practice of fifty years’ duration. But it is necessary to revert to the earlier days of his life. While yet a boy, the doctor left the home farm and went to Nottingham, near Cleveland, and entered a dry goods store as a clerk, and learned something of the business; he went to Haysville, Ashland county, where for two years he carried on the dry goods business on his own account. About 1845 he married, about ten miles from Dayton, to Miss Ann Marie Shunk, and in 1851 he and wife and their two children went overland by ox-team to California, being somewhat afflicted with gold fever, and was five months in making the trip. But they discovered that wealth could be more easily gained by other processes than mining, and took in washing at the rate of $7 per dozen. They passed three and a half years in the Golden state, and then returned, via Nicarauga, and in eighteen days reached Cleveland, Ohio, and lived in the vicinity of that city until 1866, when they came to Kent City, Mich. For some time the doctor did considerable lumbering, both in his own forest and for W. T. Powers, attending meanwhile to his practice as a veterinary surgeon. The doctor came to Wyoming township about the year 1884, making the change principally on account of his health, and purchased a tract of twenty-five acres, which he has greatly improved, and has chiefly devoted to the cultivation of fruit, but, as a rule, rents it out, as his practice requires the greater part of his attention. To the doctor and Mrs. Albee have been born eight children, seven of whom are still living, viz: Almira, wife of Charles Goodwin, of Chicago, Ill., and the mother of two children, Almira and Kitty; of these Almira is married to Frederick Hayden, of Chicago, and Kitty is the wife of Charles Cole, of the same city, and has one child, Helen. Victoria is the wife of John Thomas, of Lafayette, Ind., and has four children-Minnie, married to Dr. Doyle, of Logansport, Ind., and the mother of two boys; Nelson F., married and father of one son; Lettie and Maud. Ann is the wife of John Tozer, of Grand Rapids, and has four children-Sadie, Frank, Ella and Myra. Arthur N., of Grand Rapids, married Belle Clark and has one son-LeGrande. Kittie, wife of D. Thompson, of Kent City, has five children-Eddie, Freddie, Otis, John and a Babe. Hattie is the wife of William Bowen, of Newaygo, and Nelson T., Jr., the youngest of the doctor’s children, married a Miss Workman and lives in Grand Rapids. Fraternally, the doctor is an Odd Fellow, but has not affiliated for years; politically, he is a republican, taking much interest in the success of his party. Personally, the doctor is highly respected by the entire community, and professionally he has made a grand success a success so great, indeed, that he now refuses calls away from home, but attends to all cases at his office on his premises, where he keeps on hand constantly a stock of medicines and all modern and latest improved implements and appliances requisite in the practice of his profession.

Transcriber: Barb Jones
Created: 16 February 2007