Berrien County MI Archives Obituaries.....Stevens, Hester B. (nee Kimmell) April 23, 1915
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Mary Ellen Drolet marydrolet@comcast.net March 19, 2008, 6:03 pm

Berrien Springs Era, Thursday, April 29, 1915 page 1
Berrien Springs Era, Thursday, April 29, 1915 page 1
Angel of Death Takes Two Highly Respected Pioneers of Central Berrien County.

Mrs. Hester B. Stevens Came to This Place in 1830, Funeral Held Monday.  Chester
Fisher Came to Berrien Township in 1845, Funeral Tomorrow Afternoon, Lutheran
Church

	Friday evening death took from this place Mrs. Hester B. Stevens, the oldest
resident of this county.  She came to this county in 1830 at the age of two,
with her parents, Mr. and Mrs. Geo. Kimmel, she being the youngest of a family
of 10 children.
	The history of Mrs. Stevens is full of interest to the people of this township.
 She was born in Stoystown, Pa., November 21, 1828, and was the daughter of
George and Mary Kimmel and the youngest of ten children.  In 1830 her father
came to Berrien county with his family, locating at Berrien Springs and
purchased several thousand acres of land.  He built the old colonial mansion on
the bank of the river just north of the village, which later became known as the
“Shaker Farm,” and was one of the show places of Berrien county.  The big house
with its large family of children is well remembered for its hospitality by the
old residents of this vicinity.
	In 1847, her father deeded to her 400 acres of land half a mile north of the
village between what is known as the St. Joseph road and the river and she owned
more than 100 acres of this land at the time of her death, and for the past 15
years has lived in the old farm house there.  This is the largest tract of land
in Berrien county that has been held by the same owner for a period of 68 years.
 She was greatly interested in her farm and so cleared it up and improved it
that it became one of the best in the county.
	In 1845 at the age of 17 she was married to Thomas L. Stevens, a pioneer
merchant of this place, and moved to Niles in 1850, where he became president of
the First National Bank, dying about five years before its failure, and as one
fo the stock holders, she lost a considerable amount of her personal propery[sic].
	Mrs. Stevens was an active member while in Niles of the Episcopal church from
which place burial took place, Monday afternoon.
	She leaves two daughters, Mrs. Gertrude Lewis of this place, Mrs. Fitsgerald of
Nevada, and two sons, Fred and Wirt of Washington.
	About twenty years ago, Mrs. Stevens moved back to this place and has since
made this her home.  She was related to all of the oldest families of this
locality . .. .


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