"Portrait of Nathan Church, from Arcadia. First Lieutenant Twenty-sixth Infantry, 9/1/1862. Adjutant, 4/15/1863. Captain, 4/15/1864. Brevet Major U.S. Volunteers, "for gallant services before Petersburg, Va." Major, 9/12/1864. Lieutenant Colonel, 3/7/1865. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Volunteers, 4/9/1865, "for conspicuous gallantry and meritorious services during the recent campaign terminating with the surrender of the insurgent army under General Lee." Mustered out as Major, 6/4/1865, but retained on detached service until 11/7/1865. "
Son of Rev. Lafayette Church & Sophronia (Benjamin) Church.
He married Mary H. Bills, December 25, 1866. She was born May 17, 1848.
Article from an Ithaca newspaper dated 18 Aug 1955:
Colorful Figure Early History
Col. Nathan Church
1840-1926
One of the most outstanding personages in Gratiot county for three-quarters of a century and probably the best known of all Gratiot pioneers was Col. Nathan Church.
Nathan Church, son of Rev. Lafayette Church, was born November 22, 1940, near Lyons, in Ionia county. When a boy of seven his parents moved to Hillsdale county and in 1854 they were among the very earliest pioneers of Gratiot county. They settled on a farm in Arcada township when there was but a single log cabin where the city of Alma now stands. There was but one habitation in St. Louis and the present site of Ithaca was then an unbroken forest.
His death came on December 25, 1926, at the age of 86 years in his room over the Herald office where his body was found the next morning in the ruins of his living quarters, following the fire that badly damaged the Gratiot County Herald building. He was found sitting in a chair dressed only in his underclothing. He had not been burned seriously and a medical examination revealed that death undoubtedly took place several hours before the fire and probably from a heart condition for which he had been doctoring.
Mr. Church came from old Revolutionary stock. His father and three of his uncles were ministers and thoroughly educated men.
In his boyhood days in Arcada he attended school in a log school house, built by his father and the neighbors, and he helped to chop the wood used to keep the school warm. Later as a young man he attended college one year at Kalamazoo, walking the entire distance from his home in Gratiot to that city.
He taught school, clerked in stores and was employed in the county offices until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the eighth Michigan Infantry. He became sergeant of his company. He saw active service with his regiment at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
After being home with rheumatism for a time he again entered the service and was made first lieutenant of Company D, 26th Michigan Infantry. He was in New York at the time of the draft riots. In October 1863 he joined the army of the Potomac and was given command of the 1st brigade, 1st division of the 2nd Army Corps, continuing in this command until the end of the war.
He became in turn adjutant, captain, major and finally lieutenant colonel of the United States army. He served for much of the time under General Nelson A. Miles. He was twice breveted for "conspicuous gallantry and meritorious service."
Returning to Ithaca after the war he formed a partnership with Wilbur Nelson in the merchandise business. In 1872 he sold his interest with Mr. Nelson and engaged in the lumbering and real estate business with Daniel Taylor. In 1866 he established the Gratiot County Journal. He was four years county clerk, seven years postmaster at Ithaca and all his life deeply interested in public enterprises of all kinds.
His was no little part in the building of Ithaca. He was deeply interested in getting the first railroad built here and built the first opera house in 1879. He established the first bank in Ithaca and built several business blocks here and later in Alma. Under Gov. Jerome he served as quartermaster general of Michigan.
December 25, 1856 he was married to Miss Mary H. Bills and they had five children.
Colonel Church was an extensive traveler having spent much time on the Pacific coast, in Mexico and Europe.
He retained to the last that erect carriage and military bearing which had ever characterized him. He was always companiable, interesting, alert mentally and a man with whom everyone enjoyed conversing.
Contributor: Richard Rhode (46552979)
Son of Rev. Lafayette Church & Sophronia (Benjamin) Church.
He married Mary H. Bills, December 25, 1866. She was born May 17, 1848.
Article from an Ithaca newspaper dated 18 Aug 1955:
Colorful Figure Early History
Col. Nathan Church
1840-1926
One of the most outstanding personages in Gratiot county for three-quarters of a century and probably the best known of all Gratiot pioneers was Col. Nathan Church.
Nathan Church, son of Rev. Lafayette Church, was born November 22, 1940, near Lyons, in Ionia county. When a boy of seven his parents moved to Hillsdale county and in 1854 they were among the very earliest pioneers of Gratiot county. They settled on a farm in Arcada township when there was but a single log cabin where the city of Alma now stands. There was but one habitation in St. Louis and the present site of Ithaca was then an unbroken forest.
His death came on December 25, 1926, at the age of 86 years in his room over the Herald office where his body was found the next morning in the ruins of his living quarters, following the fire that badly damaged the Gratiot County Herald building. He was found sitting in a chair dressed only in his underclothing. He had not been burned seriously and a medical examination revealed that death undoubtedly took place several hours before the fire and probably from a heart condition for which he had been doctoring.
Mr. Church came from old Revolutionary stock. His father and three of his uncles were ministers and thoroughly educated men.
In his boyhood days in Arcada he attended school in a log school house, built by his father and the neighbors, and he helped to chop the wood used to keep the school warm. Later as a young man he attended college one year at Kalamazoo, walking the entire distance from his home in Gratiot to that city.
He taught school, clerked in stores and was employed in the county offices until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the eighth Michigan Infantry. He became sergeant of his company. He saw active service with his regiment at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
After being home with rheumatism for a time he again entered the service and was made first lieutenant of Company D, 26th Michigan Infantry. He was in New York at the time of the draft riots. In October 1863 he joined the army of the Potomac and was given command of the 1st brigade, 1st division of the 2nd Army Corps, continuing in this command until the end of the war.
He became in turn adjutant, captain, major and finally lieutenant colonel of the United States army. He served for much of the time under General Nelson A. Miles. He was twice breveted for "conspicuous gallantry and meritorious service."
Returning to Ithaca after the war he formed a partnership with Wilbur Nelson in the merchandise business. In 1872 he sold his interest with Mr. Nelson and engaged in the lumbering and real estate business with Daniel Taylor. In 1866 he established the Gratiot County Journal. He was four years county clerk, seven years postmaster at Ithaca and all his life deeply interested in public enterprises of all kinds.
His was no little part in the building of Ithaca. He was deeply interested in getting the first railroad built here and built the first opera house in 1879. He established the first bank in Ithaca and built several business blocks here and later in Alma. Under Gov. Jerome he served as quartermaster general of Michigan.
December 25, 1856 he was married to Miss Mary H. Bills and they had five children.
Colonel Church was an extensive traveler having spent much time on the Pacific coast, in Mexico and Europe.
He retained to the last that erect carriage and military bearing which had ever characterized him. He was always companiable, interesting, alert mentally and a man with whom everyone enjoyed conversing.
Contributor: Richard Rhode (46552979)
"Portrait of Nathan Church, from Arcadia. First Lieutenant Twenty-sixth Infantry, 9/1/1862. Adjutant, 4/15/1863. Captain, 4/15/1864. Brevet Major U.S. Volunteers, "for gallant services before Petersburg, Va." Major, 9/12/1864. Lieutenant Colonel, 3/7/1865. Brevet Lieutenant Colonel U.S. Volunteers, 4/9/1865, "for conspicuous gallantry and meritorious services during the recent campaign terminating with the surrender of the insurgent army under General Lee." Mustered out as Major, 6/4/1865, but retained on detached service until 11/7/1865. "
Son of Rev. Lafayette Church & Sophronia (Benjamin) Church.
He married Mary H. Bills, December 25, 1866. She was born May 17, 1848.
Article from an Ithaca newspaper dated 18 Aug 1955:
Colorful Figure Early History
Col. Nathan Church
1840-1926
One of the most outstanding personages in Gratiot county for three-quarters of a century and probably the best known of all Gratiot pioneers was Col. Nathan Church.
Nathan Church, son of Rev. Lafayette Church, was born November 22, 1940, near Lyons, in Ionia county. When a boy of seven his parents moved to Hillsdale county and in 1854 they were among the very earliest pioneers of Gratiot county. They settled on a farm in Arcada township when there was but a single log cabin where the city of Alma now stands. There was but one habitation in St. Louis and the present site of Ithaca was then an unbroken forest.
His death came on December 25, 1926, at the age of 86 years in his room over the Herald office where his body was found the next morning in the ruins of his living quarters, following the fire that badly damaged the Gratiot County Herald building. He was found sitting in a chair dressed only in his underclothing. He had not been burned seriously and a medical examination revealed that death undoubtedly took place several hours before the fire and probably from a heart condition for which he had been doctoring.
Mr. Church came from old Revolutionary stock. His father and three of his uncles were ministers and thoroughly educated men.
In his boyhood days in Arcada he attended school in a log school house, built by his father and the neighbors, and he helped to chop the wood used to keep the school warm. Later as a young man he attended college one year at Kalamazoo, walking the entire distance from his home in Gratiot to that city.
He taught school, clerked in stores and was employed in the county offices until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the eighth Michigan Infantry. He became sergeant of his company. He saw active service with his regiment at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
After being home with rheumatism for a time he again entered the service and was made first lieutenant of Company D, 26th Michigan Infantry. He was in New York at the time of the draft riots. In October 1863 he joined the army of the Potomac and was given command of the 1st brigade, 1st division of the 2nd Army Corps, continuing in this command until the end of the war.
He became in turn adjutant, captain, major and finally lieutenant colonel of the United States army. He served for much of the time under General Nelson A. Miles. He was twice breveted for "conspicuous gallantry and meritorious service."
Returning to Ithaca after the war he formed a partnership with Wilbur Nelson in the merchandise business. In 1872 he sold his interest with Mr. Nelson and engaged in the lumbering and real estate business with Daniel Taylor. In 1866 he established the Gratiot County Journal. He was four years county clerk, seven years postmaster at Ithaca and all his life deeply interested in public enterprises of all kinds.
His was no little part in the building of Ithaca. He was deeply interested in getting the first railroad built here and built the first opera house in 1879. He established the first bank in Ithaca and built several business blocks here and later in Alma. Under Gov. Jerome he served as quartermaster general of Michigan.
December 25, 1856 he was married to Miss Mary H. Bills and they had five children.
Colonel Church was an extensive traveler having spent much time on the Pacific coast, in Mexico and Europe.
He retained to the last that erect carriage and military bearing which had ever characterized him. He was always companiable, interesting, alert mentally and a man with whom everyone enjoyed conversing.
Contributor: Richard Rhode (46552979)
Son of Rev. Lafayette Church & Sophronia (Benjamin) Church.
He married Mary H. Bills, December 25, 1866. She was born May 17, 1848.
Article from an Ithaca newspaper dated 18 Aug 1955:
Colorful Figure Early History
Col. Nathan Church
1840-1926
One of the most outstanding personages in Gratiot county for three-quarters of a century and probably the best known of all Gratiot pioneers was Col. Nathan Church.
Nathan Church, son of Rev. Lafayette Church, was born November 22, 1940, near Lyons, in Ionia county. When a boy of seven his parents moved to Hillsdale county and in 1854 they were among the very earliest pioneers of Gratiot county. They settled on a farm in Arcada township when there was but a single log cabin where the city of Alma now stands. There was but one habitation in St. Louis and the present site of Ithaca was then an unbroken forest.
His death came on December 25, 1926, at the age of 86 years in his room over the Herald office where his body was found the next morning in the ruins of his living quarters, following the fire that badly damaged the Gratiot County Herald building. He was found sitting in a chair dressed only in his underclothing. He had not been burned seriously and a medical examination revealed that death undoubtedly took place several hours before the fire and probably from a heart condition for which he had been doctoring.
Mr. Church came from old Revolutionary stock. His father and three of his uncles were ministers and thoroughly educated men.
In his boyhood days in Arcada he attended school in a log school house, built by his father and the neighbors, and he helped to chop the wood used to keep the school warm. Later as a young man he attended college one year at Kalamazoo, walking the entire distance from his home in Gratiot to that city.
He taught school, clerked in stores and was employed in the county offices until the breaking out of the Civil War, when he enlisted in the eighth Michigan Infantry. He became sergeant of his company. He saw active service with his regiment at Hilton Head, South Carolina.
After being home with rheumatism for a time he again entered the service and was made first lieutenant of Company D, 26th Michigan Infantry. He was in New York at the time of the draft riots. In October 1863 he joined the army of the Potomac and was given command of the 1st brigade, 1st division of the 2nd Army Corps, continuing in this command until the end of the war.
He became in turn adjutant, captain, major and finally lieutenant colonel of the United States army. He served for much of the time under General Nelson A. Miles. He was twice breveted for "conspicuous gallantry and meritorious service."
Returning to Ithaca after the war he formed a partnership with Wilbur Nelson in the merchandise business. In 1872 he sold his interest with Mr. Nelson and engaged in the lumbering and real estate business with Daniel Taylor. In 1866 he established the Gratiot County Journal. He was four years county clerk, seven years postmaster at Ithaca and all his life deeply interested in public enterprises of all kinds.
His was no little part in the building of Ithaca. He was deeply interested in getting the first railroad built here and built the first opera house in 1879. He established the first bank in Ithaca and built several business blocks here and later in Alma. Under Gov. Jerome he served as quartermaster general of Michigan.
December 25, 1856 he was married to Miss Mary H. Bills and they had five children.
Colonel Church was an extensive traveler having spent much time on the Pacific coast, in Mexico and Europe.
He retained to the last that erect carriage and military bearing which had ever characterized him. He was always companiable, interesting, alert mentally and a man with whom everyone enjoyed conversing.
Contributor: Richard Rhode (46552979)
Inscription
Nathan
Church
1840 - 1926
Gravesite Details
2015
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