William LeBaron

William LeBaron

WILLIAM LEBARON, farmer, section 22, Big Prairie, was born in Genesee Co., N.Y., April 8, 1836, and is the son of John and Jane (McCollum) LeBaron. Teh father was born in Killingworth, Conn., about 1803, and was of French ancestry. He died Nov. 20, 1878, in Olive, Clinton /co., Mich. The mother was born about 1808, in Cherry Valley, N.Y.

Mr. LeBaron was three years old when his parents came to Michigan. They settled at Saline, Calhoun County, in 1839, where they resided until 1845, when they removed to a farm in Wayne County; thence they removed to Farmington, Oakland County, five years later. The family resided there on a rented farm until 1855, when they removed to Clinton County. The son acted as assistant to his father previous to that time, and obtained a good common-school education, with the intention of going to a higher institution of learning, but changed his plans and enlisted in the regular army of the United States. He enrolled at Detroit, April 8, 1858, in Co. A, Second U.S. Light Artillery, and served five years, receiving his discharge in April, 1863. He returned to Olive, Clinton County, and worked his father's farm until his marriage, when he bought 80 acres of land in the same township. After a short residence there he bought a farm in Alpine, Kent County, where he pursued agriculture until the fall of 1873, when he came to Newaygo County and entered a claim of 74 acres of land under the Homestead Act. As his circumstances warranted he has continued adding to this until he now owns 250 acres. Mr. LeBaron has made a great achievement by unremitting labor. He has 50 acres of land cleared and improved, all by his own unaided efforts; has worked at lumbering and harvesting, and practiced every economy to place himself and family in comfort and independence.

Mr. LeBaron was married Feb. 21, 1867, to Cornelia, daughter of Eddy and Ann (Burtch) Burtch. She was born at Newport, Privince of Ontario, aug. 27, 1844, and her parents were natives of Mt. Pleasant, ONtario, Canada. they were of English and German descent, born respectively in 1819 and 1824. The father died in 1857 and the mother married Julius Rouse, and is now living at Lowell, Kent County. The children of Mr. and Mrs. LeBaron are: Arthur F., Charles, Edith and Eddy. The two last named are twins.

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