FAMILIES OF THE PICKFORD AREA |
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George Leach was born in Canada in 1839 and was married to Sarah Ann Ratford in 1867. To this marriage was born six children. In 1887 he left Auburn, Ontario, leaving behind the oldest daughter, Mary Ann, bringing the rest of the family to Pickford. They came with their wagon loaded with their worldly possessions. They traveled west on the Town Line to John Smith's farm, where Lloyd and Fannie Rye now live. They lived there for a while, then traded farms with James Sterling who owned the farm better known as the Herb Beacom farm across the road from the Rutledge farm. Mr. Leach was a good farmer and had a green thumb in growing flowers which was handed down to his children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. He lived there until he was no longer able to farm. Then he built the home that was owned by Mrs. Fred Galer in Pickford.
His children were Mary Ann, Hugh, John, Elizabeth, Harriet, and Hannah. MARY ANN married Thomas Cousins and stayed in Canada. She had ten children. JOHN married Mary Jackson and had six children: Joe, Clarence, Eva, Harry, Wallace, and Earl. ELIZABETH married Hiram Kelly and had one daughter, Elva, who married Eugene Baldwin and in turn, had three daughters, Edessa, Aurelia, and Fern. HARRIET married John Thomas Rutledge and had eight children: Leonard; Elmer, Ross, Hilda, Marie, Ester, Marjorie, and Ruby. HANNAH married Albert Miller and had no children.
HUGH LEACH, the oldest son farmed 2 miles south and 4 1/2 miles west of Pickford. He married Harriet Wonnacott. They had six children: Lottie, George, Martha, Mildred, Hugh, and Minnie.
Lottie married John Little and had seven children: Alma (Mrs. Charles Rye); Etta (Mrs. Clarence Smith); Howard; Hazel (Mrs. Caverly); Herb; John (deceased); and Eileen. One son, Clifford, died at birth. John died in September 1958, and Lottie in April 1969.
George married Mildred McDowell and settled on a farm west of Pickford now owned by his son, Howard. George was well known as a livestock dealer in this area. His children were Ivan, Elwin, Vern, Howard, Dorothy, Esther, Ruby, and Mildred. Ivan married Effie Bawks. They had six children: John, Bill, Lila (Mrs. Gary Williams), Ivana (Mrs. Robert Jones), Richard, and Duane (deceased)*. John and Ivanna* are the only ones living in Pickford. Elwin Hugh married Minda Kangas and had eight children: Eldred, Ronell, Jaynce, Deanna, Helen, Mary Ann, Elwin Hugh, Jr., and Gary*. Eldred* married Joan Kauppinen, a nurse. Their children are James, Jeffery, and Dana**. Eldred was the first freshman to be a 4-letter winner at Pickford High School. He now teaches in Cedarville. Ronell* is a building contractor in Pickford. He married Wava Rye and has three children, Melanie, Timothy, and Lennae**. Jaynce* married Geraldine Carlson of Marquette and they have four children: Wendi, Daniel, Michele, and David**. Deanna* married Raymond Salo and lives in Rudyard. They have four children: Kevin, Karen, Keith, and Kenneth**. Helen* married Bemard Walker of Gladwin. They have three children, Randall, Rhonda, and Renee**. Mary Ann* married Gary Salo of Rudyard and they have five children: Troy, Tanya, Tammie, Terin, and Todd**. Elwin Hugh, Jr.*, married Peggy Morgan of Marquette. They have two children, Douglas and Carey**. Elwin teaches at Kincheloe. Gary* has a teaching certificate. Vern married Pearl Smith. They have five children: Verna (Mrs. Herman Hill); Elva Jean (Mrs.Whillinton); Larry; Marcia (Mrs. Lester) and Roger*. Roger* is the only one living in this area. He lives on his father's farm, the former Huyck farm. He has two children. Howard married Nettie Lewis who teaches second grade in Pickford. Their two sons are Charles and Melvin*. Charles* and his wife are both teachers. Melvin* is a minister. Dorothy married Ray Jacobson and had one son, Larry*. Ray died in 1950. Dorothy is now married to Howard Bell. Mildred married Kermith Hanna and they have two children, David* and Gloria* (Mrs. James Clegg). Esther married Ted Reamer (deceased) and they had four children: Carolyn (Mrs. Larry Kyle), Alan, Marjorie, and Steven (deceased)*. Later Esther married Jim Waybrant and they live in Pickford. Ruby married Lyle Crawford and they live in Sault Ste. Marie. Their two children are Austin and Debra*.
Martha married John D. Thompson who operated Thompson's Garage, now owned by his sons, Morrell and Cecil. They had four children: Morrell, Cecil, Shirley, and Geraldine. Morrell married Lelia Shoberg and they have four children: Barbara, Don, Lyndean, and Steven*. Barbara* married Carl Hanna and they have one son, Brian**. Don* teaches in Traverse City and is married to the former Trinda Harrison. Their three children are Robin, Steve, and Sarah Elizabeth**. Lyndean* married Daryl Bosley and they have one son. Steven* is working for his father in Pickford and recently married Deborah Wojnaroski. Cecil (Pete) married Mona Staley and they have four boys: David, Jack, Larry, and Gene*. David married Linda Galer and their daughters are Candi Lynn and Cheri Marie**. Jack* married Marcia Smale and they both teach in Cedarville. Gene* married Jane Moore and their two children are Wendy Sue and Debbie Marie**. Larry* is a student at Alma College. Shirley married Robert Stevenson and lives in Hawaii. Geraldine married Rudy Nayback and has six children: Cynthia, Ruth Ann, Janis, Linda, Ronnis, and Paul**.
Mildred married William Barker and had three children, Howard, Thelma, and Deloris.
Hugh married Marie McLaughlin. He worked in the area lumber camps for many years and did some farming. Hugh and Matie had eight children: Hattie, Betty, Jim, Donald, Robert, Phyllis, Gerald, and Janice. Hattie is Mrs. Cleve Lockhart. Betty married Howard Anderson and has three daughters, Donna, DiAnn, and Debra*. James drowned when he was 19 in 1946. Donald married Esther Sherlund and had one son, Terry Lee*, who died at 4 1/2. They adopted two Children, Tami Jo and Keith Donald* and live in Cedarville. Robert married Norma Mattson and has three children, Mark, Patti, and Michael*. They live in Royal Oak. Phyllis married Conrad Schmitigal and has two children, Kathy and Greg*. Gerald married Jean Roy and had two children, Sandra and Steven*. Gerald was killed in a jeep accident in December 1963, at Ft. Leonard Wood, Missouri. Janice died at the age of 3 months.
Minnie married Andy Smith and they operated a barbershop in Rudyard and in the Sault. After Mr. Smith's death, Minnie married Walter Hasse, sold the barbershop, and moved back to her hometown of Pickford.
Many of the descendants of George and Sarah Ann still live in the Pickford Area and now number into the sixth generation.
William G. Leach (known as Will or Bill) and Thomas (Tom) Leach, nephews of George Leach who came in 1887, came to Pickford from Auburn, Ontario, in 1894. They rented an 80 acre farm from a Mr. Cantlin who had purchased it a few years earlier, but had left before the walls were up on the house. The Leach boys completed the house.
Bill bought an 80 acre farm from Mr. and Mrs. John T. Rutledge. Mrs. Rutledge was Harriet Leach, a second cousin. An apple orchard had been started and he planted more apple trees, plus some plum and cherry trees. A number of the apple trees are still producing. This farm is two miles south and three and one-half miles west of town.
Their parents, John Thomas and Mary Ann (Askwith) Leach left Auburn with the unmarried members of their family and joined the two sons on September 15, 1896. By traveling one mile south, two miles west and one-half mile south of town, they arrived with a team of horses and wagon loaded with their household possessions at the John T. Rutledge farm. In a westerly direction they rode through the fields to their new home on the "Cantlin Place," which is still known by that name.
John homesteaded 80 acres one-half mile further west (west of the Three Mile Road). They lived on the Cantlin farm for three or four years while they cleared their farm, using some of the trees to build a frame house and stable on the extreme west side of the farm. They also built a root house, which was a necessity in those days. He planted an apple orchard and a number of the trees are still there. Maple syrup was harvested each spring. Water for the stock and home use was hauled nearly one-half mile in barrels on a dray or wagon from a spring. Speckled trout were plentiful here. Wild strawberries were picked by neighbors from surrounding areas as well as their family members. Many long, hard hours were spent draying stones to the fence beds. They can still be seen there. There was a cemetery on this farm where several Leach families buried their children.
The Leach children attended the school in the Blair settlement and walked two and one-half miles from their homestead.
John and Mary had 14 children. Four died, three married children remained in Canada, and the others were as follows:
CHARLES, who lived here about three years, returned to Port Arthur, Ontario, as a railroad man and married Miss Idelle Bonesteele. He died in 1952 and was buried in Port Arthur.
ALFRED, who married Miss Margaret Anderson daughter of Mr. and Mrs. William Anderson, West Town Line farmers and went to Rudyard, where he was employed in the brickyards. He had an appendectomy performed on their home kitchen table. Complications followed this operation, causing his death two years later at the age of 36 in 1917. He is buried in Cottle Cemetery.
While working in a lumber camp, TOM met Miss Bertha Flewelling, also an employee, whom he later married. They lived with his parents for four or five years, then moved to a farm he purchased in Millersburg, Michigan. He died May 23, 1955, and was buried in Riverside Cemetery in Millersburg.
JOHN JOSEPH (JOE) never married. He was a mill hand for a few years for I. D. McDonald, but farmed most of his life. After he sold his farm here (the John Leach homestead), he moved to his farm in Fibre, Michigan. He died there Jan. 31, 1953. He is buried in Cottle Cemetery.
After the necessary buildings were completed on the John Leach farm, they built a frame house on Bill's farm, just a few rods separating the dwellings.
BILL married Mable Beacom, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Robert Beacom (Margaret Blair), who farmed in Blair settlement. They lived in their new home about a year; He was employed as sawyer at the Frank H. Taylor mill, which was on the Taylor Creek two miles south and one-half miles west of town. This creek flows through the Kronomeyer farm. Because of the distance he had to walk to work, they found it more convenient to move into a house near the mill. Mable was employed as a cook for eight men.
The John Leach home, including the contents, was completely destroyed by fire. They had lived in it about four or five years, so now they went to their son Bill's unoccupied house. The Thomas Leaches lost all their belongings too.
In the early spring of 1918, while Joe and his mother were eating dinner, they heard a rumbling noise that sounded like a wagon. Going to the door, as they thought to greet a visitor, they were surprised to see pieces of burning timber on the ground about them. Their house was on fire and the upper part was nearly gone. Joe rushed into the bedroom and carried his father, who was bedridden, on a mattress to safety. Again they were left with no home furnishings. Mary lost her dentures and spectacles, The fire killed a large cherry tree. A plum tree had been struck earlier with lightning.
Building bees were very common and in a few weeks the neighbors had helped build a comfortable home on the east side of the farm. (Minda and Elwin Leach moved this house to Cedarville and built a new home where this house stood). They were now close to the spring from which they got their water supply and a rural carrier left their mail practically at their door. John died here August, 1918. Mary died here on March 20, 1919, with influenza. They are both buried in Cottle Cemetery. Melvin and Lois Lordson now own this farm.
Bill was employed about 1911 as sawyer by I. D. MacDonald (the Harold Beacom mill is in the same location). In the spring of 1912 he purchased lots southeast of the sawmill and began building a home. He worked after mill hours until he had finished three or four rooms - enough to move the family into. Mrs. Frank Hewer lives in this house now.
If the mill was closed during the winter months, Bill did carpenter work or work in the woods. He framed several barns around this area and received injuries when he fell from one of the barns - the present Delbert Huyck barn. He was member of the Pickford Methodist Episcopal Church and the Loyal Orange Lodge. He was the caretaker of the skating rink for the Lodge for some time. He died April 5, 1919, one week after his mother died, when the influenza epidemic raged, claiming many others around Pickford.
Mable Leach (deceased) kept the farm. There was a cabin where the family spent considerable time during the summer months. She moved to Sault Ste. Marie in 1929. This farm was sold to Ephraim and Margaret Cottle. Mable died Nov. 6, 1963.
Mable and BILL had six children: Myrtle (Mrs. John Stirling, Jr.) who lives on the edge of town; Edna (Mrs. Kenneth Harrison) who lives in town; Hazel (Mrs. Herman Gough) who also lives in Pickford; Erma (Mrs. Ganet Leach) and Alma (Mrs. Jay Crawford) who both live in the Sault. Elwood, the only son, died shortly after birth.
The John Stirlings have one daughter, Josephine, Mrs. Mynor Seaman of DeTour. Her children are Brian and Pamela*. Edna and Kenneth Harrison had one daughter, Darlene (Mrs. Chuck Wiggins). Her children are Kenneth, Randy, and Peggy Waybrant. Hazel had three children, Phyllis, Norma, and Karen (deceased). Phyllis is married to Don Huey and their children are Steve, Cindy, Carla, and Kenda. Norma is married to Bill Raynard and has two boys, Alan, and Paul. Erma Leach had three children, Ronald, William, and Sharon. Alma Crawford has two children, Roger and Jocelyn Gough.
William W. Lindsay was bom in 1870 in Glasgow, Scotland. He emigrated to Ontario and then to Michigan in 1923. He was employed as clerk by Fred Taylor Hardware. He died Aug. 3, 1943, was is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Sault Ste. Marie.
James Lockhart and his wife, Mary (McCabe), came to Pickford from Wingham, Ontatio, in 1892. They settled on the farm now owned by his grandson, Mervin Lockhart. They had seven children: Matthew, William, Maude, Etta, Weldon, Rose, and Pearl. Etta died in infancy. James was a blacksmith in Pickford for many years in the shop, now gone, on the four corners owned by Hugh Carrin later years. Mrs. Lockhart died shortly after Pearl was born and James returned to Canada a few years later. There he married Catherine Simpson, bringing her back to the farm with him. The second Mrs. Lockhart preceded him in death. He died in September, 1931. His children are also all now deceased.
MATTHEW married Jennett Ann Anderson and lived on a farm near the senior Mr. Lockhart. They had four children: Mary, Mervin, Glenn, and Cleve.
Mary married Russell O'Brien and lived for a time on a farm at Stirlingville. Mary had five children: Anna Mae, Merlin, MarRaret, W~om, and Marv Etta. The O'Briens moved to lower Midhigan whete Mary died in September, 1969. Mary's children are all married and live in lower Michigan.
Mervin married Janice Batho and they have three children, James, William, and Judith. James married Nancy House and has two daughters. They live on a farm neat his fathet. William merried Virginia Splan and live in Marquette. Judith married Frank Nixon and they have three children and live in Pickford.
Glenn married Jean Puckett and has three children: Lawrence, Brenda, and Glenda. They live in Pontiac and own the farm that formerly belonged to Joseph Rye.
Cleve married Hattie Leach and still lives on the farm where he has built a new home.
Mrs. Matthew Lockhart passed away in the fall of 1970.
WILLIAM LOCKHART married Maude Hillock and lived on a farm adjoining his brother, Matthew'ss farm. They had four children: Carl, Harold, Etta, and Myron. William and Maude died in 1919 ftom influenza.
Carl married Beatrice Weston and they lived on his maternal grandfather's farm, the John Hillock farm, until the summer of 1971when he moved to town buying the house built by John Hillock. They have two daughters, Marilyn and Marjean. Marilyn married Roland McCready and lives on Mackinac Island and has three childten. Carl, Christine and Cory*. Marjean married Vem Izzard and lives north of Pickford on his father's farm with their three children, SuSie, Patti and Duane*.
Harold married Marie Wise and rives in Union Lake, Michigan. They had two children, Ronald and Donna. Donna(Mrs. Dale Hedding) has 3 children, Deborah, Dawn and David*. Ronald married Sonya Hansen and lives in Utica, Michigan, with their three children, Robin, William, and Barbara.
Etta married George Hughes and several years after his death, she married Charles LaPonsie aad moved to Pontiac.She had no children.
Myron married Marjorie Madill and lives in Rochester, Michigan, with his two children, Heather and Kirk.
MAUDE married William Jarvis and lived in Bergland, Michigan. He died when their twodaughters were quite small. Maude passed away right after Christmas in 1968. Mildred married Marvin Leyto and had three children, Janet, Jarvis, and David. Janet married Robert Hatswell and lives in Clare. Jarvis was a traveling man. David passed away shortly after having heart surgery. Alta married Ed Ferguson and lives in Bergland, Michigan. Her daughter, Darline, is married and has a family, living in Texas.
WELDON married Myrtle Izzard and lived at Cedarville. He had five children: Milford, Everett, Thomas, Reginald, and Myrtle. His wife passed away shortly after the baby, Myrtle, was born and Weldon moved north bf Hessel. Milford married and lives north of Hessel. He has no family. Everett married Nelda Mangene and lived north of Hessel. They had seven daughters. They moved to Atlanta, Georgia, where Everett died in 1968. Thomas married Marie Hartwell and lived in Sault Ste. Marie for a few years before moving to Atlanta, Georgia. They have three childten. Reginala married Jean Mangene and lives north of Hessel with his family. Myrtle married Hubert Trudell and lives in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario. They have one daugheer, Linda.
ROSE married George Izzard and lived at Cedarville where they both died. They had 12 children. Ida lives in Detroit with her husband. Matthew passed away in his youth. Mark died in infancy. Luke married Edna Webb and lives at Cedarville. They have two sons, Conrad and Daniel. Conrad married Anita Stevenson and lives in Cedarville with their family of three. Daniel married Sandra Stevenson and lives in Cedarville in his Grandfather Izzard's former home with his family of two. Melissa married Claude Haynes and lives in Cedarville. They have two children, Rose and William. Rose married Larry Weston and they had one daughter, Rose Anna*.Rose lives in Cedarville and is now Mrs. Jerry Griffin. Rosa Anna married Donald Crawfordand their son is Donald, Jr.** William married Marilyn Wilson and lives in Sault Ste. Marie. They have five children: Susan, William, Debra, Marjorie and Tammy*. John is married and lives in lower Michigan. lzetta married Paul Cauffield and lives in Durand, Michigan. Her family is grown and married. Herman married Betty Markstrom and lives in Cedarville. They have two children. Vaughn is married and lives in lower Michigan. Three of the children died in infancy.
PEARL married Alfred Jacobson and lived in Sault Ste. Marie. They had a daughter, Evelyn. Pearl died shortly after Evelyn was born.
John and Maria (Grant) Little came to Pickford from Clinton County, Canada, in 1883. John's parents lived in Ireland. John and Maria had two children. Margaret and John.
MARGARET married Robert Rapson, a farmer. They had 12 children: Frank, Ella, Ruth, Margaret, Ethel, Leonard, Olive, Stewart, Verna, Bob, Ford, and one who died. Frank was unmarried. He farmed in the Sunshine area southeast of Pickford.
Ella married James Fountain of Sunshine. He farmed there, but later moved to the Soo and worked on the Locks. They had 9 children: Margaret, Orma, Raymond, Ruby, Reva, Jean, Glen, Glenda, and Wilna. Margaret married Ed Bosley and has two children. Raymond married Della Hancock and they had two children, Charlotte and Richard*. Charlotte* married Ernest Bruning of Cedarville. They have three children, Dean and Dew (twins) and Louella** Richard* married Katherine Ctisp and has two children, Richard, Jr., and Randy**.
Ruth married Norman Cowell of West Pickford. They had five children: Wallace, Lee. Dorothy, Virgene, and Robert.
Margaret married Ross Wilson and they had one son, Robert.
Ethel married Harry Skinner of East Pickford. They had three children, Veta, Bill, and Verne. Bill married Dorothy (Izzard) Rapson. They had three children, Marian, James, and Billy*. Marian* married Bernard Huyck. Verne married Janet Zwolinski and they had 8 children: Gary, Dennis, Mike, Sharon, Kathy, Janet, Jack, and Gail*. Kathy* married Al Libby and has two children. Sharon* married Dick Beacom and has one child. Dennis* married Carol Thornton and has one child. Mike married Darlene Bailey. Ethel married Bill Sims and they had one son who died at the age of 10. After Harrys's death Ethel married Bill Sims.
Stewart married Frances Murphy. They had four children: Margaret, Patsy, Dorothy, and Bob. Olive married Homer Beach and they had one daughter.
Leonard and his wife, Ruby, have no family.
Verna married Clifford Frost, a taxi driver in the Sault and they had 8 children: Margaret, Mary, Ann, James, Jack, Joseph, and Carol and Noel (twins).
Robert married Dorothy Izzard and they had four children: Gloria, Jo Ann, Ronald, and Robert. Gloria married Charles Massey. Ronald married Mary Sue Hewer and has one child.
Ford married Emily Bushel and they have two children, David and Susan.
JOHN THOMAS LITTLE married Lottie M. Leach. They farmed in the Sunshine area. They had 8 children: Alma, Howard, Etta, Herbert, Hazel, Ilene, John (deceased), and one son who died.
Alma married Charles Rye who farmed west of Pickford. They had five children: Roy, Jean and Loteen (twins), and Fred. One daughter died. Roy married Louise Kennedy. They own and operate the Pickford Freezer Pac Meats. Their four children are Mike, Dan, Kennedy, and Jenny*. Jean married Calvin Hyslop, a cement finisher, and they have three children: Calvin, Patricia, and Mary Jane*. Loreen married Mack Harrison and they have four children: Charles, Steven, Gary, and Brenda*. Fred married Dolores Bosley and they have four children: Jo Ellen, Freddie, Sharolyn, and Robert*.
Howard married Roseann Beauleau and they had five children: Judith, Diann, Phyllis, and Matlene and Datlene (twins).
Judy maried Harvey Dutcher and they have three children. Diann married Dody Schaffet and they have four children: Jodi, Michelle, Danna, and Holly*. Phyllis married Larry Delmotte and they have three children, Kristi, Kari, and Kathy*. Marlenle maried ar Harve Crisp and they have one son, Mike*. Darlene married Thomas Pearson and they have two children: James and Debbie*.
Etta married Clarence Smith and they had four children: Sidney, Donald, Eilovel, and Elizabeth. Sid married Rose Marie Nowlin and they have six children: Mack, Keith, Steven, Janice, Karen, and Susan*. Don married Sylvia Pennington and they have one son, Steven*. Eilovel married Wayne Pryor and they have two children, Edith and Cheri*. Elizabeth martied Clatence Berant and they have one child, Lizette*.
Herbert married Melba Hancock and they have five children: who married Vern Roe has two children, Vicki and Thomas Vern*. Bevetlv, Jackie, and Ronald. One daughter died.
Hazel married Robert Caverley and they had three children: Connie Lou, Robert, and David. Connie Lou married Joseph Hoberkamp and have one son, Kevin*. Robert married Judy Behrandt. David is a college student. Hazel later married Norman Rutherford.
Ilene married "Frenchy" Cousineau and they had two children, Linda and Richard. Linda married George Minchiff and they have two sons, Aran and Brian*. Ilene later married Arnold (Cy) Pierce and they have two children, Charles and Dennis.