Jacob Groveland Summers was born in Oakland Township, Oakland County, Michigan on July 19, 1842 to William and Elizabeth Young Summers. Jacob resided with his parents until the age of twenty-one. He obtained his education in the country schools. He married the former Mary Hartung on June 28, 1861 in Oakland County and shortly after he and Mary rented a farm there and spent the next 17 years working the land. In the spring of 1874 they moved to Sheridan, Montcalm County where he began speculating in land. He also served as the first hotel keeper of that community. When the village of Sheridan was incorporated in 1876 he was elected Street Commissioner. From 1880-1884 he served as United States Deputy Marshal of this district under the appointment of Marshal James Monroe. He was nominated for the office of sheriff of Montcalm County and was elected in November of 1884 by an overwhelming majority of 1300 votes an unheard of amount in those days. He served for two terms and would have been elected again had it not been that the law, at that time, didn't allow a sheriff to serve three terms. After his term was up he moved back to Sheridan and began farming and milling. He established an eighty acre farm just outside of Sheridan. He also was the owner and operator of the Sheridan Roller Mills the very place he had once been an employee doing common laborer's work. He was a member of the Masonic order, Stanton Chapter, No. 110, R.A.M. Jacob and Mary were the parents of two children, S. Clay, born March 9, 1863, married Edith A. Willet November 16, 1886 at Stanton and May, born April 9, 1865 and died January 24, 1897. Jacob died December 16, 1909. His obituary from the Stanton Weekly Clipper, Friday, December 24, 1909 follows:
DEATH OF EX-SHERIFF
Succumbed After An Illness of About Two Weeks
J. Grove Summers of Sheridan, sheriff of this county from 1885-1889 (1885-1888), died at his home near Sheridan Thursday evening of last week after an illness of about two weeks from pneumonia. Deceased was born in Oakland Township, Oakland County, in 1842. He was married to Miss Mary B. Hartung in 1863. To this union two children were born, S. Clay of Sheridan and May, who died January 24, 1897. He removed to Sheridan November 18, 1874, and had been a resident of that place since that time with the exception of four years he was at Stanton. He was elected sheriff of this county and served his people for four years, after which he moved to his farm, where he has since resided. He was a member of Stanton Lodge F. & A.M., Sheridan Tent No 50, K.O.T.M.M., and Sheridan Camp No. 7312, Modern Woodmen. He leaves a widow, one son, five grandchildren and one sister, Mrs. E.J. Barkham, of Sheridan to mourn. Funeral services were held Sunday afternoon at the residence. Rev. Wm. Wiedenhoeft of this city officiating, interment in the Sheridan cemetery. The Masonic lodge of Sheridan attended the services in a body and the impressive Masonic services were held at the grave. Members of the order in this city acted as pallbearers.
(Sources: Stanton Weekly Clipper; Ancestry; Family Search; Michigan Sheriffs Association; History of Montcalm County, Michigan by John W. Dasef; Chapman Brothers Portrait and Biographical Album of Ionia and Montcalm Counties, Michigan) |
