Frayer Halladay History of Kent County, Page 362 - Frayer Halladay was born on a farm near Leeds, Ontario, October 15, 1845, being the eldest of a family of nine children born to George and Mary (White) Halladay. His father came from Scotch and English antecedents and his mother was pure Scotch, while both were natives of Ontario, Canada. George Halladay was married three times, four children having been born to his second union. His third wife was a widow. He came to Michigan and joined his son Frayer, who had preceded him, and with whom he was associated during the remaining active years of his life. He was a devout member of the Methodist Episcopal church all his life, which ended at Ashton, Michigan. Frayer Halladay attended the district school near his father's farm and remained with his father at home until twenty-one years of age. He then came to Michigan and located a homestead in Sherman township, Osceola county. Finding this life too tame for him, he formed a copartnership with his father and engaged in general trade at Ashton, in 1872, under the name of George Halladay & Son. The goods were shipped by rail to Paris, which was as far north as the Grand Rapids & Indiana was completed at that time. The remainder of the distance was made by wagon. Mr Halladay made the trip himself and slept under the wagon at night. This copartnership continued fifteen years, when Frayer succeeded his father, continuing the business eleven years longer in his own name. He operated a sawmill fifteen years, during which time he was the medium through which thousands of acres of hardwood land were cleared and the timber converted into money. In the year 1892 Mr. Halladay formed a partnership with W.J. Breen to engage in the fuel business. Mr Halladay owned several hundred acres of farm land in Osceola county and a large tract of hardwood timber in the Upper Peninsula. He also had large real estate holdings in this city. He founded the Halladay Lumber Company at Grand Rapids of which he was president many years. While he resided in Ashton he was supervisor and treasurer of his township several years, a representative in the legislature and postmaster at Ashton many years. Mr. Halladay was married December 29, 1875, to Miss Elizabeth McIllmurray, a native of Canada, who was teaching school at Ashton at the time. She died April 10, 1885, leaving three children, Grace, Evalene and Roy. The first named is the widow of the late Clarence Harrison, Evalene was married about 1912 to Mr. Breen, and Roy died some years ago at the age of nineteen. Mr. Halladay was at one time quite prominent in the Odd Fellows fraternity, but had not been very active in his later years. He was at the time of his death, April 14, 1912, president of the Michigan Exchange Private Bank. He was of a retiring disposition, but made many friends, and his death was mourned by all who knew him.

Transcriber: Terry Start
Created: 4 March 2003