FAMILIES OF THE PICKFORD AREA |
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William Johnstone left Owen Sound, Ontario, in 1883 at the age of 16. He traveled to the Soo by boat and walked to the home of his uncle, Tom West, about 7 miles north of Pickford. William's parents, Robert and Elizabeth Johnstone, were Irish immigrants.
In 1886 Tom West died and left his 120 acres to William, then 20 years old. For 10 years he carried on alone, farming in the summer and working in the woods in the winter. In 1897 he married Sarah Edmonstone and they had two sons and two daughters. HANNAH married George Moiles and lives in Barbeau. WILLIAM is a plumber in Pontiac. MRS. JOHN SAWYER lives in Walled Lake. ROBERT was killed in a farm accident.
Mr. Johnstone died February 28, 1958, at the age of 91.
Joseph W. Kelly was born on Feb. 29, 1855. Mrs. Kelly (Margaret Jane Curry) was born in July, 1857. They were married in Canada and had six children when they came to Pickford from Goderich, Ontario, 1880. They were the first settlers in the Fairview area, at that time a wilderness. The six children that were born in Canada were EDWARD, MARY, ELEANOR, GEORGE, BOB, and JOE. Three born here: ALBERT, WESTLY, and MARGARET.
EDWARD never married. MARY married Jim Sanderson and had three children, Westly, Russel, and Maggie. ELEANOR married Jack Stevenson and had 13 children. 7 died during childhood and 6 grew to adults: Joe, Jack, George, Alvin, Esther, and Mary. One of their babies, Edie, was the first baby to be buried in the Fairview Cemetery.
GEORGE died at the age of 28 while working on the Soo Water Power Canal. He is buried in Bethel Cemetery. BOB married Kate Spence and had two children, Margaret and Violet.
JOE married Mary Sims and had three children, George, Joseph, and Ethel.
ALBERT married Barbara Pierce. They had 5 children: Lloyd, Violet, Robert, Etta, and Orville. Violet died in her childhood. WESTLY died in childhood. MARGARET never married and is still living at the age of 88.
Mr. and Mrs. Joseph W. Kelly picked up a homestead where Lloyd Kelly lives now. Six years later they built a big log house on the east end of the homestead, across the road from where their son, Joe Kelly, now lives. They lived there until he died at the age of 75 in 1920. Mrs. Kelly died at the age of 72 in 1919.
Joe Kelly married Mary Sims and homesteaded across from his parents, where he still lives today. Mrs. Kelly died in June, 1962. Mr. Joe Kelly, age 93, lives alone next to the homes of his sons, Joseph William and George. George died in October, 1971, at the age of 58.
Mr. Kelly remembered when they first came that it was a heavily wooded area with only trails through the woods. They came from Goderich on the boat that goes to the Soo. They stopped off at Sugar Island and stayed overnight with an Indian family. Mr. Stirling brought them from Sugar Island with a tug to Stirlingville. Mr. Robert Campbell brought them with their belongings about half-way from Stirlingville to Fairview with his oxen. They didn't have any neighbors for a while, until Richard McConkey moved next to them.
There have been four generations of Joe Kelly's living in this same location. Three generations are still living: Joseph R. Kelly, Joseph W. Kelly, and Joseph C. Kelly.
The Alex Kennedy family (Alex, wife Mary, and daughters, Elizabeth and Ruth) came to the Soo in the spring of 1878. Alex walked from the Soo to inspect the location - N 1/2 Of N 1/2 Of Section 19 T43 R 1E - then the return walk to the Soo to file his claim. After proving his claim, the homestead grant was signed by Grover Cleveland, President of the United States.
Alex Kennedy was one of the first settlers south of the Munuscong River, making the crossing on a log, tree, or raft. It was no easy task to pack all produce from the Soo, Stirlingville, or Pickford. The first year he had land cleared and ready for a crop. He bought oats from Henry Garbie, shouldered the bag, and carried it the three miles home. At the river it was necessary for him to enlarge the raft to cross over.
For several winters he walked to Prentiss Bay to work in the saw mill as head sawyer then home again Saturday night - his walk a mere 16 miles. He also spent some winters working in the lumber camps. With one horse, he skidded logs, working for $1.75 a day. Alex helped survey the first line through to Cedarville, sawed the first lumber, and helped to build the first grist mill in Pickford.
The school known as the Kennedy School was built in 1884-1885. Miss Miller, sister of William Miller, was the first teacher. Isabel Denny was the last teacher in 1918. Mr. Kennedy was one of the first directors of the school board and continued to serve as a member of the board for many years.
In the spring of 1890 ELIZABETH was fatally burned while helping to make maple syrup. Never again was syrup made on the farm. Other children in the family were RUTH (Mrs. Thomas Winslow) who died in 1949; IDA (Mrs. Alex Clegg) who died in 1938; SARAH (Mrs. Gordon Bawks); MYRTLE (Mrs. George Gray) who passed away in Detroit in 1967; MARY (Mrs. Frank Crawford) who died in 1968; GEORGE, SAUL, ROY, and OAKMAN.
RUTH had a son, Alvin Winslow, who lives with his wife, Lenore, in Royal Oak and a daughter, Kathleen, who married Milo Gilbert and lives in Detroit.
IDA had a son, Otto, who died in Elk Rapids in 1964, and two daughters, Ruth (Mrs. Harold Beacom) and Lois (Mrs. William Johnston), both of Pickford.
SARAH has a son, Blythe (Mac), and a daughter, Doris (Mrs. Al Pollard), both of Cedarville, and Ferne (Mrs. James A. Stewart) of Port Huron.
MYRTLE left two sons, Howard of Detroit and Darwin of Westland, and a daughter, Ralva (Mrs. Calvin Dyce) of Phoenix, Arizona.
MARY left two sons, Lyle of Sault Ste. Marie and Vern of Marquette; and four daughters: Myrtle (Mrs. Edwin MacDonald) of Pickford; Colleen (Mrs. Mel Christie), Sault; Ida Ollrs. Ron Hicks), Cedarville; and Edith (Mrs. Jim Dilday) of Dresden, Tennessee.
GEORGE with his wife Daisy operated a farm near Pickford until his death in May, 1948. Three daughters, Evelyn (Mrs. Jack Slater), Norma (Mrs. Don Stirling), and Louise Mrs. Roy Rye) live in Pickford. Edith(Mrs. Dunccln McKenzie) lives in California, as does a step-daughter, Marjorie (Mrs. Joe Floyd). Another step-daughter, Annie (Mrs. Wm. McKinnon) lives in the Soo.
After spending some years farming in the vicinity of Pickford, SAUL began working at the Soo Locks. He was retired in 1958 and continued to make his home in the Soo with his wife,
Grace, until his death in 1959. Wyoming. Three daughters also survive: Elizabeth (Mrs. John Johnson) and Beverly Ward of the Soo and Dorothy (Mrs. Clair Huey) of Midland.
His son, William a federal forestry employee lives in Cheyenne,
ROY and his wife, Laura, made their home in Pickford until his death Feb. 28, 1971. A son, Gerald, lives in the Soo. A daughter, Yvonne (Mrs. Harold Morrtinson), lives in Marquette and another daughter, Marilyn (Mrs. J. B. Clark) lives in Pontiac.
OAKMAN and his wife, Elizabeth, married in 1932. He still lives on the homestead, but Elizabeth died in February 1972. He was employed by the Michigan Department of Conservation until his retirement in July 1965. Their son, Stanley, is serving as a Major with the U. S. Air an Force in Washington, D. C. One daughter, Fronda Marie (Mrs. William DeHaan) lives in Escanaba, while the other daughter, Margaret Lucille (Mrs. R. J. LaPonsie) lives in Rudyard.
Lois Johnston remembers her mother, IDA, telling of the early years when Mr. Kennedy and a neighbor were working at the lumber mill at Prentiss Bay and the only means of communication between the families was a small dog, which Mrs. Little would send with a note tied around its neck to the Kennedy home, a distance of about 2 1/2 miles. Alex and Mary Kennedy had a family of 10 children with descendants numbering as follows: 32 grandchildren, 98 great grandchildren, 16 great, great grandchildren, and 2 great, great, great grandchildren. KERR Gabriel Kerr came to Stirringville with his wife about 1880 from Grenville, Quebec, Canada, with a daughter, Catherine, and a son, William. Three daughters, Alice, Jennie, and Emma, died in their teens with diphtheria. CATHERINE married Charles Aimstrong and they had two daughters and a son. Belle married Herbett Nixon, Ethel married George Gough, and their son was Harry. WILLIAM married Laura Campbell and they had 11 children. Minetta married Clifford Robinson and they lived on her Grandfather Campbell's farm until they moved to the Sault in 1964. She had one daughter, Muriel (Mrs. Larry Hillock). Reta is Mrs. D. W. PIohazka and lives in Grand Rapids. ne Robert lives in Dafter. Preston is deceased. Brvdell is Mrs. Clinton Clegg and lives in Pickford, as does\Mabel (Mrs. Morrill Roberts). Vivian is married to Noel Waldron and lives in Alma, Michigan. Verna is Mrs. Ernest Windsor and lives in Hessel. Kenneth also lives in Hessel. Shirley and Clifton died as children.
Robert Kerr was born in Ireland in 1838. He emigrated to Ontario in 1850. He married Mary Ann Smith and they came to Pickford in 1889. They had eight children: GEORGE (died one year before his father), WILLIAM, HUGH, JENNIE (Mrs. J. A. Daley), MARGARET (Mrs. George Carr), LOTTIE (Mrs. Harry Clegg), STELLA (Mrs. Elmer Ames), and AMANDA (Mrs. Thomas McCondra).
Mr. and Mrs. Kerr are buried in Bethel Cemetery.
Albert Kibble married Augusta Klingbeil. They settled four miles north and one and one half miles west of Pickford. They had 8 children: Albert, Jr., Alfred, William, Oliver, Ida, Annie, Mary, and Abraham.
ALBERT, JR., married Rebecca Duke and lives on the family farm. Their children are Merlin, Elsie, Everett, Gladys, Richard, John, and William. Merlin married Ellen Noggles. They have five children: Shirley(Mrs. Dennis Scales); Linda (Mrs. Daryl Scales), James, Vicky, and Ronnie at home. They have one grandson, Daryl Scales, Jr.*
ALFRED married and had two daughters. Both he add his wife are deceased.
WILLIAM married Edith Quinn. They live in the Sault. They had six children and two are deceased.
OLIVER died in infancy.
IDA married Clarence Castaline and they ate both deceased. Their children were Paul (deceased), Mildred, and Jean.
ANNIE married Charles Kibble, III. Both are deceased. They had two children, Edna and Charles, IV. Edna (deceased) married Harold Potter and had one daughter, Dorothy. Charles, IV married Lorraine Bye and she and an infant son are deceased.
MARY(JENNIE) married Charles Wild. They had two sons, Charles and Merlin. Both are deceased. And three grandsons, Merlin, Richard, and Lowell.
ABRAHAM is deceased.
Philip (Pete) Alfred Kibble was born near Hamilton, Ontario. He married Elizabeth Fredericka Klinbgeil of Batskwitts, Germany. At the age of 16 she had come to Hamilton, Ontario. with her parents. Elizabeth and Philip Kibble came to the U. S., settling on a sand farm four miles north and one and- one-half miles west of Pickford. To this union were born nine children: Hanna Eliia, Jessie Mae, Katherine, Herman Philip, Sarah Ann, Elizabeth, Lula Beatrice, Lena Pearl, and a baby which died in Canada.
HANNA ELIZ (deceased) married William Wonnacott. Their children were Earl and Emily. Earl married Virginia Sawyers. They had seven children: William, Zandra (Mrs. Thomas Johnson of California), Robert, and Ricky. (Roger, Brenda, and Janis are deceased). Emily married Harry Hamilton and lives in Sault Ste. Marie. They have two children, Paula Kay (Mrs. Daniel Kellan) and Joel.
JESSIE MAE (deceased) married Nelson Wonnacott. They had seven children. Ida Mae (Mrs. John Ahola) has the following children: Beatrice, Gladys, Mary, John and Roy. Kenneth married Ellen Evans. They had three chiIdren, Marion, Linda, and Christine. Anna married Clifford Roe. They have four children: Fern, Jay, Vern and David and five grandchildren. Bertha married Howard Rye. Their children are Beverly, Avis, Howard Vincent, and Bonnie. Howard had a daughter by a previous marriage, Virgene (Mrs. RonaldStevenson) who has two children, Wendy Sue and Shon Ronald*. Beverly married Nyle Lee Waybrant and they have five children: Mitzie, Sharyll, Nyla, Delane, and Nyle Lee*. Avis married Freddie Davis. Their children are Penny Jean and Richard Brian* Howard Vincent, II married Judy Spence and they have one son, Howard Vincent, III*. Etta married Harold Hill and they have four children: Carol (Mrs. Robert Pickett), Charles, Nancy, and Paula. Gerald married Joyce Robinson and their children are Thomas, Kenneth, Ceraldine, Cathy, and Donna(deceased). Ivan is not married. Harvey married Mildred Wilson and their children are Robert, Jeffery, Pamela, Anthony, and Sheila. Kenneth was killed in the service.
HERMAN married Frances Lockhart. Their six children were Robert, Wilena, Edward, Marjory, Anna, and Thomas. Robert married Geraldine Bonnee. Their four children are Catherine (Mrs. Anthony Venus), Helen (Mrs. Richard Fountain), Richard, and Patricia. Wilena Jean married John Goexton. They have five children: George, Carl, Glen, Calvin, and a daughter(deceased). Herman married Gloria McKee and their children Thomas, Gloria Jean, Edward, and Kenneth. Marjory married Raymond Hill. She has three stepchildren, Debra, Terty, and Lesia. Anna Mae married Donald Gainee and their children are Shirley, Richard and William. Thomas James married am Rosalie Wilson and they had four children: Evelvn, James, Donelda and Patricia (deceased).
SARAH ANN married Andrew Lawrence (deceased). Their children ate Robert(deceased), Clayton (deceased), Freda (Mrs. Leroy Wickenheizer), Elmer (deceased), Wilmer (deceased), and Beverly.
Charles Kinnee and his wife, Katherine, came from Palmerston, Ontario, in the year 1888 with three small daughters, Lyla, Effie, and Stella. They settled on a farm owned by John Warren, later known as the Dan Eveleigh farm. They lived there until they got their home built east of Pickford.
He served on the School Board, as Township Treasurer, Katherine for 35 years took an active part in the life of Pickford, lending a helping hand in time of sickness or wherever her services were needed. She was prominent in church and social work here. They farmed on their land east of Pickford until 19W when they moved to Iron Mountain, where they spent the rest of their lives. Mrs. Kinnee passed away in February, 1938, and Mr. Kinnee in June, 1944. They had nine children: Lyla, Effie, Stella, Martha, Bert, Otto, Bill, Herman, and Clara.
Charles was active in civic affairs, Deputy Sheriff, and an auctioneer.
LYLA married James Storey and they lived on a farm in Stalwart. Lyla was the Raber Township School Board Treasurer for a number of years. James managed lumber camps in winter and farmed in the summer. Lyla worked in the camps as cook. They had five sons: Mervin, Voyle, Mason, Paul, and Wayne. Mervin and Paul live on the home farm in Stalwart. Voyle married Mary o Markey and lives on a farm in Stalwart. Mason married Ruth McLean (deceased) and they lived in Stalwart, Stirlingville, and Pickford. Their children are: James, Sharon, Mary Jane, Richard, and Charles. Mason lives with his daughter, Mary Jane, and her husband, Charles Bennin in Pickford. James,Jr., married Mary Ann Stoll and lives on, a farm in Pickford. They have one son Jason*. Sharon married Gerald Cottle and they have three children: Cammy, Brent, and Brad (deceased)*. They live in Pickford. Richard married Alice Batho and lives in Pickford.Mary Jane (Mrs: Charles Bennin) has two giris, Lori and Christy Ruth*. Chuck attends Pickford School and lives with his father and Mary Jane and her family. Wayne married Dorrie Batho and lives in Pickford. They have three children, Beverly, Marty, and Amy. Beverly married Robert Huyck and they live in Pickford. They have one daughter, Kelly*. Marty goes to college and Amy attends Pickford High School.
EFFIE married Lawrence Hall from Stalwart. They lived in Flint. Effie is deceased and Lawrence lives in their home in Flint. They had 8 children: Charles, Elva, Eva, Larry, Janet, Kemeth, Willard, and Cecil. Effie was a school teacher and taught at Kelden. Charles, Larry, and Cecil are all married and live in California. Elva married James Case and lives in Lennon, Michigan. They had a chicken farm for a number of years and are now in the insurance business. They have two sons, John and James. Eva married Robert Dillon of Lennon, Michigan, where they now live on a farm. They have three children. Janet married Wayne Baker of Lennon where they live on a farm. Their children are Bonnie and Randy. Kenneth is married and lives in Essexville. He and his wife have three children,Dave, Kathy, and Debbie. Willard is married, lives in Flint and has two children, Mike and Carolyn.
STELLA married William Storey, brother of James who married Lyla. They lived on a farm in Sunshine, five miles from Pickford. Stella was a schoolteacher and after her marriage she was sometimes asked to substitute. At one time when she was substituting, she had to make lunches for everyone, get breakfast for all and get her husband, Bill off to work. Then she had to get the children, Jim and Tom, ready for school, plus the baby, Cora, in a bassinette, hitching up the horse to a buggy and then driving to school where she taught all day and took care of the baby. When school was out, she hitched up the horse to the buggy and drove home. Stella also cooked in the lumber camps, managed the Pickford Restaurant for two years for Dr. Cart, then bought the restaurant which they owned for several years. They had four children: James, Thomas, Cora, and Otto. Stella and William are both deceased.
James married Doris Dustman from Flint. They live in Pickford, where Jim has been the Pickford Township Clerk for many years. They have two children. Josephine Gail (deceased) and M_ary Lou. Mary Lou married David Snell and lives in Decatur, Georgia. They have one son, Christopher*. Thomas married Pauline Haddix from Flint. They live on the home farm in Sunshine. They have three children, Karen (deceased), William, and Susan. Pauline works as secretary fot the Pickford High School Principal, Robert Howell. Cora married Warren McCord and lives in St. Louis, Missouti. They have one son, ThomaS at home. Warren works for the Air Force and is stationed in Greenland. Otto married Frieda Wilson of Pickford and they live on the Kinnee home farm east of Pickford. Their five children are Janus, kathy, Robert, Frank and Steven. Janus lives in the Sault where she works for the library. Kathy also lives in the Sault and is a telephone operator. Robert, Frank, and Steven are all home and go to Pickford High School.
MARTHA married Arthur Ames of Pickford and they lived on the Kinnee home farm befote moving to Pickford. Art worked for Chippewa County. Both Martha and Art, are deceased. Their children were Cecil, Kinnee, and Lylr.
Cecil married Elsie Rye of Pickford, daughter of George Rye. They lived in Pickford and had five children: Arvid, Shelva, Duane, Robert. and Kathie. Cecil and Elsie are both deceased. Arvid is married, lves in Flint, and has two children, Francis and Robbie*. Shelva martied William Bassett from DeTour, lives in Flint, and has two girls, Melodie and Meredith*. Duane married Phyllis Postual from Goetzville, and lives in Grand Blanc, Michigan. Robelt married Marilyn Williams, lives in Flint, and has two children, Kindell and Michael*. Kathie lives in Grand Blanc with her brother, Duane, and wife,
Kinnee married Leta McKenzie of Pickford, daughter of Alvin McKenzie, and lives east of Pickford. They have three children, Fred, Joyce, and Shelley. Fred married Charlene Nayback of Rudyard. They live in Flint and have two children, Kenny and Karen*. Joyce married Joe Hoxey, lives in Flint, and they have two children, Kevin and Janelle*. Shelley lives at home and goes to Pickford High School.
Arthur Lyle married Lorma Hillock, daughter of Merrill Hillock of Pickford. They live in Gaylord and work at the Post Office. Their two children are Rodney and Cheryl, both in college.
BERT married Armie Sims from Stalwart and they lived in Flushing, Michigan. They had 6 children: Rundle, Bernice, Catherine, Herbert, Boyd, and Billy Jean. Both Bert and Annie ate deceased. Rundle is married with four children and lives in Indianapolis, Indiana. Bernice married Lyle Rosencrantz and lives in Flushing. They have three children, Carl, Gary, and Lyla Jean. Herbert is an insurance agent in Flushing and is married with three children. Catherine is married to Rev. Audley Bruce and lives in Illinois. They have a summer cottage near DeTour. Their four children are Paul, Tim, Cathy and John. Boyd is married and lives in Harrisville, Michigan, where he works for the telephone company. They have four children. Billv Jean is deceased.
OTTO married Emily Sims, sister of Annie and Ethel who married two of the other brothers. They livedin Lansing and had two children, Lyla Jean and Arlie. Otto is deceased. Emily was a nurse and is now retired and living in Haslette, Michigan. Lyla Jean married Gerald Childers from Flushing. They live in Flint and have three children, Kathie, Ross, and Michelle.
BILL married Hilda Rutledge from Pickford. They live in Kingsford, Michigan, where Bill wo~ted for the Kingsford Country. They have three children, Arvid, Gerald, and Gail. BLYid is married with three children and lives in Milwaukee, Wisconsin: Gerald is married with three children and lives in Wheeling, Illinois. Gail is married with two children and lives in Kingsford.
HERMAN married Ethel Sims, Emily's and Annie's sister, and they live in Kingsford where Herman worked for the county.
CLARA married Vester Walsh and lives in Kingsford. They have three daughters, Joy, Wave, and Deanna. Joy is married and has two children and lives in Milwaukee. Wave is married with five children and lives in St. Louis, Missouri. Deanna is married and lives in Cedarburg, Wisconsin, and has three children.