George Crawford

GEORGE CRAWFORD, the subject of this sketch, has been one of the leading and popular citizens of Oakfield township, Kent county, since 1864, not only as an agriculturist but also business man and as one of the veterans of the Civil war. He enjoys the confidence of all who know him as an honest, trustworthy and respectable citizen. He was born in Preble county, Ohio, on the 19th of October, 1834, being the seventh of the family of nine sons and four daughters of Samuel and Elizabeth (Loy) Crawford; nine of these are living, viz: Sarah, widow of William Conrad, residing in Kent county; William, who was a soldier through the Civil war and is now a mechanic of Dallas county, Iowa; David, a farmer of Montcalm county, Mich.; Green B., a farmer of Spencer township; Thomas, a soldier in the Civil war and now a farmer of Oakfield; John M., of Montcalm county; Isabella, a widow of Jesse Fletcher, resident of Oakfield, and George. Samuel Crawford was born in the state of Maryland in 1803, represented the early Dutch and Irish families, carrying blood of each in his veins. He lived successively in Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, and latterly in Michigan, where he died in Oakfield in I873. In politics he was formerly a democrat, but after the second administration of President Lincoln he became a firm supporter of the principles of the republican party. He and his wife were reared in the faith of the Lutheran church. Elizabeth Loy was a native of Ohio, and was born in I804. She died in Kent county, Mich., on the 30th of July, I888, at the ripe age of eighty-three. Until death she retained exceptionally fine mental powers and a remarkably keen perception. George Crawford's boyhood and youth were passed in assisting his father in operating his farm, and in fact he devoted his services to the family needs until after he had reached his twenty-fourth birthday. All advantages for anything but a limited education were meager in-Preble county at that time, so that much of his learning has been acquired in contact with men and in the exercise of a naturally quick intellect. On the 25th of December, 1858, he was united in marriage to Miss Rose Anne Trego. They have eight living children: Loice Alice, wife of George C. Smith, a farmer of Montcalm county; Lewis Allen, a farmer in Oakfield, and who married Miss Alta Hill, and has one daughter, Agnes W.; Minerva Adella, wife of Alonzo Hart, a farmer of Oakfield; John M., who was lately married to Miss Bertha Conklin and is a farmer of Oakfield; Cora B., wife of Edward Taylor, a farmer of Oakfield; Mary Elsie, at hone; E. Eldora and Rosa L. Vernice, are at home. Mr. Crawford and wife have given their children a good common school education and such other advantages as as the community affords; and take pleasure in knowing that all reflect credit upon their parents. Mrs. Crawford was born in Northumberland county, of the Keystone state, on the 22d of February, 1839. When but two months -----------