Sebewa Recollector
Items of Genealogical Interest

Volume 28 Number 3
Transcribed by LaVonne I. Bennett


     LaVonne has received permission from Grayden Slowins to edit and submit Sebewa Recollector items of genealogical interest, from the beginning year of 1965 through current editions.


THE SEBEWA RECOLLECTOR Bulletin of the Sebewa Center Association,
DECEMBER 1992, Volume 28, Number 3.

Submitted with written permission of Editor, Grayden D. Slowins:

SURNAMES: VanHOUTEN, HOUGH, BRADEN, HUFNAGEL, SCHMITT, KLOECKNER, FEDEWA, WISELOGLE, SCHNABEL, LINEBAUGH, LOWREY, BRAKE, BLANCHARD, FERGUSON, SMITH, BELAND, VanHOUTEN, RYDER, CRAPO, MURDOCK, HENRY, BEAVER, ROLLS, SHEPHERD, SHOWERMAN, KELLY, LEIGH, HOLCOMB, GIERMAN, HUNT, ALBERTS, DAWDY, ROGERS, HAMLIN, KIMBALL, BIPPLEY, ARNOLD, BOYES, McWHORTER


RECENT DEATHS:
THE REV. GERALD F. VanHOUTEN, 81, son of Clara Hough & William Glenn VanHouten, son of Amanda Braden & John Jacob VanHouten, son of John Henry VanHouten & Betsey Ann Ryder, daughter of Stephen & Elsia E. Ryder. He was husband of Edna Beer and was a retired roofer, trucker, and Church of God minister.

ANTHONY J. SPITZLEY, 92, son of Katherine Hufnagel & Joseph Spitzley, son of Mary Catherine Schmitt & Anton Spitzley, son of Anna Marie Kloeckner & Johann Jakob Spitzley, who emigrated from Prussia to Westphalia, MI, in 1846. See RECOLLECTOR Volume 27 Number 4. He was widower of Louise Martin, father of Lorraine Fedewa & Joseph Spitzley, brother of Elizabeth Pung, Katherine Westren, Helen Barratt, and the late Mary K. Lay & Leona Miller.


IONIA PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH by Grayden Slowins (As Martin Schnabel might have told the story to his great-great-grand-nephew.)

I was born in Posen, East Prussia, August 5, 1826, and came with my wife Marina & son Peter to Ionia County in 1857, just in time to help build that beautiful new Presbyterian Church at the town called Ionia County Seat. We settled on a sheep farm in Berlin Township, but our family was always involved in construction work. In fact, my sister Anna Slowinski’s daughter, Paulina, married one of the original partners in Benhagel Brothers Construction Co.

In 1857 we were tradesmen & laborers on that wooden church. We quarried & cut the stone for the foundation, molded & fired the brick for the chimneys, and did the carpentry. That building was destroyed by fire during Sunday Service, June 28, 1908. The tower was ignited by embers from a burning depot, which was ignited by sparks from a locomotive. In 1909-1910, Benhagel Brothers were the prime contractors and all the Schnabel, Slowinski, Steinberg & Biehler relatives laid brick & stone. The cornerstone was laid June 27, 1909, and we had it ready for dedication March 13, 1910. In 1969 some of my great-grand-nephews, who had helped in 1909, came out of retirement to lay a few bricks on the new addition. You can see some cut stone and VanderHeyden brick from the original church in the furnace room and the tower basement.

I understand the church was first organized some 15 years earlier, in 1842. In the beginning they had a hard time deciding their denomination, being first organized at the old Court House in October, 1842, as the First Congregational Church of Ionia. They soon moved to the old Episcopal Church, which is now the parish house, and shared that building until they built their own in 1857.

In 1845, they became Presbyterian. In 1848, they became Congregational again. In 1857 they adopted the Presbyterian form of government. In 1868, there was dissension and a group withdrew to organize a Congregational Church. Rev. Job Pierson came to the Presbyterians at this time and served for 10 fruitful years.

While here he wrote over 400 items for the Encyclopaedia Britannica, as well as keeping the first daily log of the weather readings in Ionia. He left to become librarian at Alma College. The Congregational group purchased the original Methodist building and continued for a good while before returning to the fold.

The early settlers of Iona were mostly English, and they always looked down on us Germans, but we got the last laugh. They hired us to build the First Baptist, First Methodist and First Presbyterian Churches on the flats, not much above the flood plains beyond the railroad tracks that also came thru in 1857. No wonder the drains back up and the toilets overflow! Then we built the Episcopal Church & Church of Christ on higher ground. When we began to build our own churches, we moved up Washington Street for the German Evangelical (Zion) Church, and to High & Baldie Streets for SS. Peter & Paul Catholic. Now we could look down on the English! Highest of all was St. John’s Lutheran, also German. Martin Schnabel 1826-1917. END


SCHOOL COMMISSIONER UPDATES: J. Calvin Linebaugh served after Harvey Lowrey. The order and dates are as follows:
Harvey H. Lowrey – 1905-1919.
J. Calvin Linebaugh – 1919-1923.
Elwood M. Brake – 1923-1962.
Bruce T. Blanchard – 1963-1975.
Thomas J. Ferguson – 1975-Present (Soon to retire).
Near the end of Brake’s tenure, the title was changed to County School Superintendent, the office became appointed instead of elected, and was moved from the Court House to the Annex. Early in Blanchard’s tenure the title was changed to Intermediate School Superintendent. Elwood Menno Brake’s cousin, Charles Elwin Brake, was County School Commissioner in Wayne County during some of the same years, and Bruce Blanchard and his wife, Elsie, taught under him. Harvey Lowrey was Superintendent at Inkster under Charles Elwin Brake.


BELAND FAMILY HISTORY by Henry B. Beland

HENRY BELAND SR. & ROSA BELAND, my parents, lived on a farm near Loda, IL. In 1924, due to depressed farm prices and the high price of land in Illinois, they decided to move to Michigan, where land prices were much cheaper. Many others came about the same time. In March they and their five children, Gladys aged 14, Leah 13, Rosa 11, Henry J. 6, and Thomas 1 year, moved to Sunfield, MI. My father had made a previous trip by train and located an 80-acre farm one half mile north and three quarters of a mile west of Sunfield. The cattle, horses, chickens, farm machinery, and all household goods were loaded on two railroad box cars. A young man was hired to ride along in the box cars to feed and water the livestock.

The day after our possessions were loaded, the family started out for Michigan. My father had a 1920 Maxwell touring car, so with the seven of us and some of our more valuable possessions, we were more than a little crowded. It was the first of March and the weather was on the cold side. At that time there were no road maps like we have today and the highways were not marked with road-signs.

Also most of the roads were gravel rather than pavement. My father would stop at a gas station and get directions for a short distance and then have to stop again. Several times we made the wrong turns and had to back-track. The first day’s driving got us as far as Stevensville, MI, which is just south of Benton Harbor. Eventually we reached Sunfield. Two days driving for what can be made in about four or five hours today. When we reached Sunfield, the neighbors had everything unloaded from the train and moved to the farm.

The first day at school was an exciting experience for me. The day we were to start in school the road by our place was impossible for cars, due to the mud. I started walking to school with my sisters. Kenyon Peabody came along on horseback and gave me a ride. He dropped me off by Scheels Garage while he went to stable his horse. I had no idea where the school house was and before Kenyon came and rescued me, I nearly panicked. Eventually I got to school and found the primary room. Mrs. Jilbert was my teacher. Harold Hanna, Frances Hough, Lula Mae Flewellen and I went through all twelve grades together. Elmer Van Antwerp joined us in the eighth grade. We graduated in 1936. My three sisters all graduated from Sunfield H. S.

I have many fond memories of my school days. Although we did not have the many fine facilities that the schools have today, I think we have a well-rounded education, for much of which I will give credit to the dedication of the teachers we had back then. In the spring of 1937 my folks moved to a farm near Lake Odessa, but I have kept close ties with my Sunfield friends.
After high school, Elmer Van Antwerp and I attended Davenport Business College in Grand Rapids. After business college, I came back to the farm and farmed with my father until 1943, when I married Beulah Kime of Clarksville. We then purchased a farm of our own and lived there and farmed until we retired in 1984. END.


THE VanHOUTENS OF SEBEWA by Grayden Slowins

The family begins with John Henry VanHouten, born December 27, 1813, died in Sebewa, January 23, 1897, buried in West Cemetery. He married Betsey Ann Ryder, born in Shenango County, NY, January 19, 1828, died in Sebewa December 18, 1902, daughter of Stephen Ryder, who died in Sebewa, February 3, 1880, & Elsia E. Ryder, born 1804, who died in Sebewa April 24, 1876, all buried in West Cemetery. John & Betsey lived at Salem, Washtenaw County, MI, until 1854, and their first four children were born there. Then they moved to Sebewa Township, Ionia County, and lived on the Alleman farm on Tupper Lake Road. In 1875 Stephen & Elsia Ryder owned the 80 acres at W1/2 SW1/4 Sec 29, but the buildings faced on Tupper Lake Road. In 1891 their daughter, Betsey VanHouten, had inherited this land and her son Charles owned the north 40, where he built his home. By 1906 Charles had sold the whole 80 to Grover H. Cook and moved to E60Ac NE ¼ Sec 32 Portland.

JOHN H. & BETSEY A. VanHOUTEN’S CHILDREN were:
1. Henry VanHouten, January 26, 1847 –
2. Stephen VanHouten, November 5, 1848-July 9, 1851.
3. Susan VanHouten, February 21, 1851-
4. Elsia VanHouten, April 15, 1853-
5. John Jacob VanHouten, August 1, 1855-
6. Charles VanHouten, November 18, 1857-May 25, 1944.
7. George W. E. VanHouten, November 18, 1860.
8. Daniel (Chub) VanHouten, August 9, 1863.
9. Reuben Edwin VanHouten, December 14, 1865.
10. Frank E. VanHouten, October 17, 1869.

HENRY VANHOUTEN married Martha (Mattie) Crapo and their children were:
1. Stanley VanHouten
2. Harry VanHouten
3. Edna VanHouten

SUSAN VanHOUTEN married Luther Murdock, Joshua S. Henry, and Martin Beaver.
Susan & Luther Murdock’s child was:
1. Mary Della Murdock Rolls – mother of Cecil Lorea (Buster) Rolls. When Susan married Joshua (John) S. Henry, he already had:
2. Cora Henry Showerman (Mrs. Frank) Shepherd (Mrs. Dan)-mother of Louise
3. Lydia Henry Showerman (Mrs. Elmer Jay)-mother of Flossie Kelly
4. Edith Henry Leigh
Susan & J. S. Henry’s child was:
5. Lula Henry Holcomb (Mrs. George) – mother of Pauline H. Gierman
When Susan married Martin Beaver, he already had:
6. Hermine (Hermie) Beaver Hunt (Mrs. John) – mother of Walter.

ELSIA VanHOUTEN married Charles Kelly and their children were:
1. Nettie Kelly Alberts (Mrs. William)- mo. Of Marjorie Gilden, Lyle & Dempster Alberts.
2. Rhyde Kelly Dawdy (Mrs. Roy) – mother of Douglas & Richard.

JOHN JACOB VanHOUTEN married Amanda Braden and their children were:
1. Bernie VanHouten – married Pearl Sawdy Bennett.
2. Dorr VanHouten – died age 22.
3. Cleo Wayne VanHouten – married Alma Martenies and had:
Gordon – February 29, 1932 – father Of Deborah & Stephen.
C. Wayne then married Ruth Hopkins and adopted her children:
Ruth Ann VanHouten
David VanHouten – married Patricia Piercefield.
4. Clifford Clifton VanHouten
5. William Glenn VanHouten – 1881-1969 – m. Clara Hough and had:
Clarence – died young.
Chalmer
Gerald F. – 1910-1992.
Theo
Geneva – married Harry Denny.
Paul – died 1979.
Keith – married Dortha McQuillen.
6. Clyde VanHouten – married Ruby Smith.
7. Beulah VanHouten – married Clarence Ashbaugh.
8. Greta VanHouten – married Lewellyn Smalley.

CHARLES VanHOUTEN married Cora Ella Rogers, born in Sebewa, December 10, 1860, died in Portland, November 20, 1955, daughter of Henry W. Rogers – 1834-1900 & Anna Marie Beck – 1835-1902, who lived at W ½ NW ¼ Sec 36 Sebewa and are buried in East Cemetery.
Charles and Cora’s children were:
1. Fern VanHouten – 1882-1972, married Glenn Olry.
2. Ethel Bell VanHouten – 1884-1974, married J. Almer Gibbs, mother of Maynard, Dean & Max.
3. Floy VanHouten – 1887-1975, married Guy McLeod, mother of Velva Dunning, Roswell, Coralane Boyes & Verland.
Coralane & Hary Boyes’ children were:
1. Dawn Boyes Huhn (Mrs. Ronald)
2. Charmaine Ann Boyes Miller (Mrs. Robert)
3. Charlene Jan Boyes (Mrs. Jim English)
4. Geoffrey F. G. Boyes – m. Joy Ingvartsen.
5. Margo Lana Boyes McCord (Mrs. Stephen).
4. Arlo VanHouten – 1890-1954, married Marian Hamlin (sister of Hermine Smith (Mrs. Laban), and had:
Margaret VanHouten Kelley (Mrs. John)
5. Weir VanHouten – 1895- still living in Colorado.
6. Cloyce Henry VanHouten – 1898-1979, married Alma Rademacher. Their children were:
Neil – 1-2-1931.
John Charles – 3-17-1941.
7. Ilah Lucille VanHouten – 1902-1988, married Ernest Farmer.
Their children were:
Betty Lou Pohl, Robert & Roger.

GEORGE W. E. VanHOUTEN married Kate Anne Rogers, daughter of Henry W. Rogers and Anna Marie Beck, and sister to Cora E. Rogers VanHouten.
Their children were:
1. Ralph – 1883-1886.
2. Mabel – married Oren Robinson & Mr. Huff.
3. Howard – married Lettie.
4. John – married Erma.
5. Minnie – married Ira White & Ralph Brown.
6. Vanchie – married Orlo Houghton.
Daniel (Chub) VanHouten married Anna Kimball and lived first on SE corner and then SW corner of Tupper Lake Road & South State Road. They had two daughters who died as teenagers.
Reubin Edwin VanHouten married Anna Bippley Arnold, born November 16, 1867, died May 26, 1951, and lived on High Street in Ionia, up the hill from the livery barn. Their children were:
1. Clare
2. Marie
Then he was married to Nora Catermole – no children.
Frank E. VanHouten married Blanche Arnold. Their children were:
1. Forest
2. Grace
3. Lelah

Coralane McLeod Boyes gave us much of the information on the above VanHoutens, for which we are very grateful. Max McWhorter gave us information on the VanHoutens that once lived southeast of Sunfield and were no known retation to the Sebewa families. Their founding father was Peter Vanhouten, who had a son John, who had a son Neil, who had a son Zene, whose widow Edna lives in Portland, and whose son Arlo lives in California.

Max VanHouten gave us information on his family, which lives in Sebewa but is no known relation to either of the above. His great-grandfather, D. H. VanHouten, came from the Hastings area and settled on 100 Ac at NE3/4 NE1/4 Sec 30 Odessa Twp, of which Gaylia VanHouten Rathbun owns the E60Ac today. His buildings were on the west 40Ac. His sons were Archie and LeRoy. Roy was Gaylia’s father and he got the portion she owns. Archie owned 95Ac at NW3/4 SE1/4 Sec 24 Odessa. His children were LaVern, Merle & Frieda. LaVern VanHouten married Lula McNeil, daughter of Milo, and they were parents of Max.


MEMORIES by Fred Wiselogle (continued)

In the twenties radio suddenly became a fad – and the “in” thing to do was to build your own; commercial sets just weren’t available……slid along the wire to locate the station. Then there was a galena “crystal” about the size of a pea – connected into the circuit by a “catwhisker” – a fine wire that was used to tickle the galena until a critical position was found – at which time music came in through the earphones. Why, we’d reached KDKA of Pittsburgh – the goal of every radio hobbyist. Of course the sound was very weak – after all, there were no batteries or electrical power; there was no amplification; every bit of the sound energy coming through the earphones was carried by the radio waves originating in Pennsylvania. And each of us in the house had to be directly quiet while my father was wrapped up in the radio – else he would miss some priceless word from the announcer.

Later on, when radio truly became commercial, Amos and Andy dominated the evenings; not a single toilet was flushed while they were on the air. Then there were Fred Waring and his Pennsylvanians, Father Coughlin’s sermons and Jack Benny and Fred Allen to entertain us.

My father’s job as passenger agent in Detroit gave him an opportunity to meet a lot of Detroit’s top automobile executives – from the older Henry Ford on down. Every winter, Henry Ford senior went down to Florida traveling in his own private railroad car attached to the end of an ordinary passenger train. Henry always insisted that the top railroad man, i. e., my father, escord him through the depot to his private car before the rest of the passengers were put aboard – and my father once proudly told my mother and me that he had carried young Henry Ford II, on his shoulders as he escorted the old man down to the train. This sort of contact proved invaluable for me as I’ll detail later on.

I went to College during a terrible depression during which time my father had to lay off many of his clerks and associates. It was sad for him and my mother to agonize over their prospects. The University of Michigan was now building a medical school right across from our house and I recall selling apples, cadged from my grandfather Wiselogle, to the workers there. I tried to get 10 cents per apple. But the smart workers usually bartered my price down to 5 cents.

When I graduated in 1936, with a Sc. D. diploma still wet from the ink, I was lucky to have a choice between two job offers: one in industry by DuPont to work in Wilmington, Delaware @ $2,100 a year; the other to teach organic chemistry to undergraduates in the prestigious Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, @$1,400 for the year. But because I had no teaching experience – only a fresh Doctor’s degree, they couldn’t offer me a title of Instructor; I would have to settle for the title “Assistant”.

Indeed, I recall that most generous contract offer from the then new president, Isaiah Bowman. It read: “This is to offer you the position of “Assistant” in the Chemistry Department for the academic year 1936-1937 at a salary of $1,400 unless other arrangements are made by me”.

Didn’t appear that the University was willing to take much of a risk on me! (To be continued)


ELECTION RESULTS – SEBEWA TOWNSHIP – November 3, 1992

Registered – 665. Voted – 539. Percentage – 81%
President & Vice President:
Bush – 233, Perot – 149, Clinton – 144, Marrou – 2
Congress – 3rd District
Henry – 286, Fooistra – 148, Whitelock – 9, Normandin – 3
State Legislature – 86th District: Cropsey – 273, Sloan – 197
State Board of Education – Vote for 2
Beardmore – 263, Greenleaf – 219, Straus – 163, Bochenek – 115
Kaufman – 6, Roundtree – 3, Schneider -2, Ruwart – 2, List -2
Regents of University of Michigan – Vote for 2
Nielsen – 233, Laro – 226, McGowan – 150, Deitch – 117,
MacGillivray – 10, Sanger – 6, Hamel – 5, Hudler – 3
Trustees of Michigan State University – Vote for 2
Reinhold – 250, Pridgeon – 227, Traxler – 144, Gonzales – 141
Ancona – 6, LaBash – 4
Governors of Wayne State University – Vote for 2
Fobbs – 231, Bashara – 216, Lewis – 148, Schribner – 117
Kaufman – 11, Carey – 7, Jones – 2
Prosecuting Attorney: Voet – 276, McFadden – 147
Sheriff – Jungel – 330
County Clerk: Trierweiler – 314
County Treasurer: Beattie – 286, Amos – 155
Register of Deeds: Adams – 313
Drain Commissioner: Bush – 326
County Commissioner – 7th District: Willems – 311
Township Supervisor: Stank – 340
Township Clerk: Slowins – 358
Township Treasurer: Carr – 301
Township Trustiis – Vote for 2
Pinkston – 282, Guy – 262, Thorp – 223
State Supreme Court – 8 year term: Riley – 239, Kelly – 73, Roddis – 31
State Supreme Court–2 year term: Talbot–146, Mallet-107, Kaufman-62
Court of Appeals – 3rd District – Vote for 2: Sawyer-208, Weaver-204
Circuit Court – 8th District: Simon – 246

 

 

Last update October 20, 2021