Page 244 - Ulysses V. Zorns, who is now living retired in the city of Grand Rapids, after more than half a century of active association with business affairs, is a sterling citizen who has resided in this city since 1903 and who has his secure place in the confidence and respect of all who know him. Mr. Zorns was born at Pekin, Tazewell county, Illinois, January 11, 1850, and is a son of Cyrus J. and Amanda M. (Townder) Zorns, the former of whom was born in Germany, January 1, 1822, and the latter of whom was born in the state of New York, April 10, 1829, their marriage having been solemnized November 7, 1847, and their home town in Illinois having been Homer, Champaign county, where the death of the husband, and father occurred in December 1850, when the son Ulysses, of this review, was a child of eleven months. The widowed mother was nearly seventy-three years of age at the time of her death, January 26, 1902. Ulysses V. Zorns gained his youthful education in the public schools of Homer, Illinois, where likewise he acquired his initial experience in business. There he was a salesman in the store of the Hopkins Dry Goods Company during the decade of 1872-82, and in the latter year he there engaged in the retail grocery business, in which he continued until 1885. He served as township clerk at Homer until 1887, in which year he went to the city of Danville, that state, where he continued to be employed as a salesman in the dry goods establishment of Smith & Heinly until 1892, in which year he took a position of similar order in a dry goods establishment at Lafayette, Indian, he have eventually obtained an interest in the business and having there continued his residence until 1896. In the period of 1897-1900 he became associated with the W. h. Black dry goods house, a leading mercantile concern in the city of Indianapolis, that state, and in the letter year he returned to his old home state and engaged independently in the dry goods business at Danville. He disposed of his interests there and came to Grand Rapids in the year 1903. Here he was in the employ of the Wurzburg Dry Goods Company until 1908, when he resigned his position and engaged in business in an independent way, as an importer of and dealer in veneers for use by the furniture manufacturers. He developed a substantial and profitable business and continued to give his attention to the same until his recent retirement. He still retains offices in the Houseman building. While he has had no desire for association with practical politics, Mr. Zorns has been a loyal supporter of the cause of the Republican party. He is a zealous member of the Fountain Street Baptist church, as was also his wife, and as is also their only surviving child, Florence Edna, who is the wife of F. Stuart Foote, president of the Grand Rapids Chair Company and the Stuart Furniture Company and Imperial Furniture Company. Mr. Zorns has passed the various official chairs in the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has been a representative in the grand lodge of the order in the state of Illinois. He is affiliated also with the Knights of Pythias and the Woodmen of the World. On September 4, 18971, was solemnized the marriage of Mr. Zorns to Miss Ellen Insley, daughter of John Insley, who was a representative pioneer and farmer near Sidney, Champaign county, Illinois. The supreme loss and bereavement in the life of Mr. Zorns came when his gracious and devoted wife passed to eternal rest, her death having occurred September 14, 1919. The one surviving child is Mrs. F. Stuart Foote, as previously noted, and the younger daughter Daisy Jane, who was born June 18, 1878, died at the age of twenty-seven years. Mr. Zorns now resides in the home of his daughter, Mrs. Foote, whose veneration of the memory of her loving mother has been shown by her installing in the Fountain Street Baptist church a beautiful memorial window-panel. Mr. Zorns has rendered good account of himself in all the relations of life and is a sterling citizen well worthy of the recognition accorded him in this publication.