Biography of William M. Angel William M. Angel, City Recorder of GrandHaven, was born in Mooers, Clinton County, N. Y., December 16, 1825. He traceshis ancestry to Thomas Angel, who emigrated from England to America in 1625,being the first representative of the family in this country. Grandfather AsaAngel was born in Rhode Island, and the father of our subject opened his eyes tothe light in Champlain, N. Y., in 1800. The mother of our subject was MaryKeyes, a native of Vermont. The third in a family which consisted of four sons and two daughters, WilliamM. Angel spent his childhood years in Clinton County. At the age of ten heaccompanied his father to Portage County, Ohio, and there spent eight years,meantime attending the common schools and completing his education in anacademy, where he prosecuted his studies for two terms. In the fall of 1842 heremoved to Ottawa County, Mich., and located in Tallmadge Township, where hefollowed farming pursuits for a few years. While residing there, he was attackedwith sciatic rheumatism, which resulted in a dislocation of the hip. In the fall of 1848 Mr. Angel was elected Register of Deeds for MuskegonCounty and has served in all six years. At the expiration of his period ofpublic service, he resumed farming operations in Tallmadge Township, andcontinued thus engaged for tow years. However, on account of his lameness, hefound it necessary to select a less active vocation than that of agriculture andaccordingly entered Bryant & Stratton’s Business College, where he spentthe winter of 1856-57. Upon finishing his commercial studies, he accepted aposition as bookkeeper in a country store at Eastmanville and remained there forfive years. Later he came to Grand Haven and secured a position as bookkeeperfor a merchant and vessel-owner, with whom he remained for eighteen months. Wenext find him in the drug business under the firm name of Angel & North, inwhich he continued for four and one-half years, when he disposed of his interestin the store. For a time thereafter Mr. Angel Conducted an extensive dry goods business,the firm title being Angel & Beaudry. In December, 1869, the store wasburned to the ground and as there was no insurance it proved a total loss to theproprietors. They were enabled, however, to pay seventy cents on every dollar oftheir indebtedness. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Angel was elected Recorder andPolice Justice, holding these positions for two years. He then formed a lawpartnership with L. B. Soule, of Ionia, Mich., which continued for eighteenmonths. Afterward he was in partnership at different times with variousprominent lawyers. In 1887 he was elected to the office of City Recorder, andwas reelected in 1889, 1892 and 1893. The marriage of Mr. Angel occurred in 1833, and united him with Miss Ann M.Everts, of Grand Rapids, Mich., the daughter of Schadrick Everts, of that place.Mrs. Angel was born in Niagara County, N. Y. By her marriage she became themother of eight children, seven sons and one daughter, four of whom died ininfancy. Charles H. died January 9, 1893, when in his twenty-fourth year. Thesurviving members of the family are: Anna, wife of D. W. Andrus, of Detroit;George E., of Detroit; and Harry A., residing in Chicago.