Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. (384-385):
Pioneers of Kalamazoo county have an important and perpetual interest for their descendants, and can scarcely be told too often or too forcibly. Of these pioneers was the late William A. Gleason, of Comstock, one of the well known farmers of that township and one of the early workers for its advancement and development. He was born on January 9, 1819 and died at Comstock on August 5, 1878, and although but fifty-nine years old at the time of his departure from the scenes of earthly activity, had crowded as much incident and adventure, of effort and service to his kind, into his half century of earnest experience as many a man does in his full three score years and ten. He sprang from a race of pioneers, his parents, Isaac and Mary (Rice) Gleason, being pioneers in Lewis county NY, as some of their ancestors were in the section from which they came, although they were themselves born and reared in the state of New York. The father was a farmer and took up a tract of wild land in Lewis county in his young manhood, and by strenuous and continued effort cleared it and made an excellent farm of it. On that farm the mother died on October 11, 1838, and not long after her demise, the father, with his mind still attuned to the untaught and rugged music of the frontier, came to Michigan, where he died in October 1860. They had four sons and one daughter, all now deceased.
Their son william grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the distict schools in the vicinity of his home. he followed farming and other occupations there until he emigrated to Michigan and located in Jackson county. Here he was soon afterward prostrated by a serious illness which compelled his return to New York. After the restoration of his health he again came to this state and took up his residence in Kalamazoo county in 1849.
The next spring, in company with Dr. Sager and two other young men, he went to California, traveling overland with horse teams and reaching his destination in July, 1850. He followed mining two years successfully at Placerville, and then returning to this county, bought two hundred acres of good land on which his widow now lives. He lived to clear this tract and improve it with good buildings and other needed structures, bringing it to a high state of cultivation and making and excellent farm of it, and then passed away, leaving his work and its results as a lasting memorial to his industry and skill. He was an earnest Democrat in political faith, and also left a memorial of his interest in and capacity for public usefulness by making a first rate record in a number of local offices to which he was chosen by the people of his township.
On January 9, 1848, he was married to Miss Henrietta E.H. Hodgeman, a native of England who came to this country with her parents when she was but three years old. They were Henry and Elizabeth (Epsley) Hodgeman, and lived on a farm which they owened near Elyria, Ohio, a number of years, then moved to Kalamazoo where they died several years afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Gleason had five children and four of them are living: Alice, wife of E.T. Hunt, a Comstock township farmer; Sarah E., wife of George Allen, of Comstock; and William Gleason Jr., who is living on the old home farm. The last named was born on that place on April 22, 1861, and has passed all his life so far on it. He received his education in the neighboring common schools, and beginning in his boyhood by personal attention to all its details in every branch. He has devoted his life to the calling and has made a very credible record in it. On April 27, 1898, he was married to Miss Sadie Peer, a native of Comstock. They are the parents of two children, their sons Perry and Dale.
Pioneers of Kalamazoo county have an important and perpetual interest for their descendants, and can scarcely be told too often or too forcibly. Of these pioneers was the late William A. Gleason, of Comstock, one of the well known farmers of that township and one of the early workers for its advancement and development. He was born on January 9, 1819 and died at Comstock on August 5, 1878, and although but fifty-nine years old at the time of his departure from the scenes of earthly activity, had crowded as much incident and adventure, of effort and service to his kind, into his half century of earnest experience as many a man does in his full three score years and ten. He sprang from a race of pioneers, his parents, Isaac and Mary (Rice) Gleason, being pioneers in Lewis county NY, as some of their ancestors were in the section from which they came, although they were themselves born and reared in the state of New York. The father was a farmer and took up a tract of wild land in Lewis county in his young manhood, and by strenuous and continued effort cleared it and made an excellent farm of it. On that farm the mother died on October 11, 1838, and not long after her demise, the father, with his mind still attuned to the untaught and rugged music of the frontier, came to Michigan, where he died in October 1860. They had four sons and one daughter, all now deceased.
Their son william grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the distict schools in the vicinity of his home. he followed farming and other occupations there until he emigrated to Michigan and located in Jackson county. Here he was soon afterward prostrated by a serious illness which compelled his return to New York. After the restoration of his health he again came to this state and took up his residence in Kalamazoo county in 1849.
The next spring, in company with Dr. Sager and two other young men, he went to California, traveling overland with horse teams and reaching his destination in July, 1850. He followed mining two years successfully at Placerville, and then returning to this county, bought two hundred acres of good land on which his widow now lives. He lived to clear this tract and improve it with good buildings and other needed structures, bringing it to a high state of cultivation and making and excellent farm of it, and then passed away, leaving his work and its results as a lasting memorial to his industry and skill. He was an earnest Democrat in political faith, and also left a memorial of his interest in and capacity for public usefulness by making a first rate record in a number of local offices to which he was chosen by the people of his township.
On January 9, 1848, he was married to Miss Henrietta E.H. Hodgeman, a native of England who came to this country with her parents when she was but three years old. They were Henry and Elizabeth (Epsley) Hodgeman, and lived on a farm which they owened near Elyria, Ohio, a number of years, then moved to Kalamazoo where they died several years afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Gleason had five children and four of them are living: Alice, wife of E.T. Hunt, a Comstock township farmer; Sarah E., wife of George Allen, of Comstock; and William Gleason Jr., who is living on the old home farm. The last named was born on that place on April 22, 1861, and has passed all his life so far on it. He received his education in the neighboring common schools, and beginning in his boyhood by personal attention to all its details in every branch. He has devoted his life to the calling and has made a very credible record in it. On April 27, 1898, he was married to Miss Sadie Peer, a native of Comstock. They are the parents of two children, their sons Perry and Dale.
Compendium of history and biography of Kalamazoo County, Mich. (384-385):
Pioneers of Kalamazoo county have an important and perpetual interest for their descendants, and can scarcely be told too often or too forcibly. Of these pioneers was the late William A. Gleason, of Comstock, one of the well known farmers of that township and one of the early workers for its advancement and development. He was born on January 9, 1819 and died at Comstock on August 5, 1878, and although but fifty-nine years old at the time of his departure from the scenes of earthly activity, had crowded as much incident and adventure, of effort and service to his kind, into his half century of earnest experience as many a man does in his full three score years and ten. He sprang from a race of pioneers, his parents, Isaac and Mary (Rice) Gleason, being pioneers in Lewis county NY, as some of their ancestors were in the section from which they came, although they were themselves born and reared in the state of New York. The father was a farmer and took up a tract of wild land in Lewis county in his young manhood, and by strenuous and continued effort cleared it and made an excellent farm of it. On that farm the mother died on October 11, 1838, and not long after her demise, the father, with his mind still attuned to the untaught and rugged music of the frontier, came to Michigan, where he died in October 1860. They had four sons and one daughter, all now deceased.
Their son william grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the distict schools in the vicinity of his home. he followed farming and other occupations there until he emigrated to Michigan and located in Jackson county. Here he was soon afterward prostrated by a serious illness which compelled his return to New York. After the restoration of his health he again came to this state and took up his residence in Kalamazoo county in 1849.
The next spring, in company with Dr. Sager and two other young men, he went to California, traveling overland with horse teams and reaching his destination in July, 1850. He followed mining two years successfully at Placerville, and then returning to this county, bought two hundred acres of good land on which his widow now lives. He lived to clear this tract and improve it with good buildings and other needed structures, bringing it to a high state of cultivation and making and excellent farm of it, and then passed away, leaving his work and its results as a lasting memorial to his industry and skill. He was an earnest Democrat in political faith, and also left a memorial of his interest in and capacity for public usefulness by making a first rate record in a number of local offices to which he was chosen by the people of his township.
On January 9, 1848, he was married to Miss Henrietta E.H. Hodgeman, a native of England who came to this country with her parents when she was but three years old. They were Henry and Elizabeth (Epsley) Hodgeman, and lived on a farm which they owened near Elyria, Ohio, a number of years, then moved to Kalamazoo where they died several years afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Gleason had five children and four of them are living: Alice, wife of E.T. Hunt, a Comstock township farmer; Sarah E., wife of George Allen, of Comstock; and William Gleason Jr., who is living on the old home farm. The last named was born on that place on April 22, 1861, and has passed all his life so far on it. He received his education in the neighboring common schools, and beginning in his boyhood by personal attention to all its details in every branch. He has devoted his life to the calling and has made a very credible record in it. On April 27, 1898, he was married to Miss Sadie Peer, a native of Comstock. They are the parents of two children, their sons Perry and Dale.
Pioneers of Kalamazoo county have an important and perpetual interest for their descendants, and can scarcely be told too often or too forcibly. Of these pioneers was the late William A. Gleason, of Comstock, one of the well known farmers of that township and one of the early workers for its advancement and development. He was born on January 9, 1819 and died at Comstock on August 5, 1878, and although but fifty-nine years old at the time of his departure from the scenes of earthly activity, had crowded as much incident and adventure, of effort and service to his kind, into his half century of earnest experience as many a man does in his full three score years and ten. He sprang from a race of pioneers, his parents, Isaac and Mary (Rice) Gleason, being pioneers in Lewis county NY, as some of their ancestors were in the section from which they came, although they were themselves born and reared in the state of New York. The father was a farmer and took up a tract of wild land in Lewis county in his young manhood, and by strenuous and continued effort cleared it and made an excellent farm of it. On that farm the mother died on October 11, 1838, and not long after her demise, the father, with his mind still attuned to the untaught and rugged music of the frontier, came to Michigan, where he died in October 1860. They had four sons and one daughter, all now deceased.
Their son william grew to manhood in his native state and was educated in the distict schools in the vicinity of his home. he followed farming and other occupations there until he emigrated to Michigan and located in Jackson county. Here he was soon afterward prostrated by a serious illness which compelled his return to New York. After the restoration of his health he again came to this state and took up his residence in Kalamazoo county in 1849.
The next spring, in company with Dr. Sager and two other young men, he went to California, traveling overland with horse teams and reaching his destination in July, 1850. He followed mining two years successfully at Placerville, and then returning to this county, bought two hundred acres of good land on which his widow now lives. He lived to clear this tract and improve it with good buildings and other needed structures, bringing it to a high state of cultivation and making and excellent farm of it, and then passed away, leaving his work and its results as a lasting memorial to his industry and skill. He was an earnest Democrat in political faith, and also left a memorial of his interest in and capacity for public usefulness by making a first rate record in a number of local offices to which he was chosen by the people of his township.
On January 9, 1848, he was married to Miss Henrietta E.H. Hodgeman, a native of England who came to this country with her parents when she was but three years old. They were Henry and Elizabeth (Epsley) Hodgeman, and lived on a farm which they owened near Elyria, Ohio, a number of years, then moved to Kalamazoo where they died several years afterward. Mr. and Mrs. Gleason had five children and four of them are living: Alice, wife of E.T. Hunt, a Comstock township farmer; Sarah E., wife of George Allen, of Comstock; and William Gleason Jr., who is living on the old home farm. The last named was born on that place on April 22, 1861, and has passed all his life so far on it. He received his education in the neighboring common schools, and beginning in his boyhood by personal attention to all its details in every branch. He has devoted his life to the calling and has made a very credible record in it. On April 27, 1898, he was married to Miss Sadie Peer, a native of Comstock. They are the parents of two children, their sons Perry and Dale.
Family Members
Advertisement
Records on Ancestry
Advertisement
