Homer Watson's biography, St Johns, Clinton County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Jan Sedore. This copy contributed for use in the MIGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ PAST AND PRESENT OF CLINTON COUNTY Page 381-382 HOMER WATSON Homer Watson, who after many years of active connection with agricultural interests is now living retired in St. Johns, is numbered among the worthy citizens that New York has furnished to Clinton County. His birth occurred there in Otsego County, May 11, 1832, and his parents were John and Harriet (Reed) Watson, the former a native of Vermont and the latter of New York. The father spent his boyhood in the east and after his marriage came, in 1833, to Michigan, settling in Oakland county, where he carried on farming until his death at the age of fifty-two years. He was town clerk for fourteen years and was active in support of measures for the general good. In his early life he followed teaching. His wife passed away in 1876, at the age of seventy-two. John Watson had two brothers and three sisters, who came to Oakland county, Michigan where they resided continuously from 1832 until they were called to their final rest. Unto John and Harriet Watson were born six children, those living being Homer and Oscar, the latter a resident of Kalkaska county, Michigan. Those deceased are Alvin, who spent his active life in Oakland county and died in Bay City, Michigan; Albert, whose death occurred in Clinton county; Lucy, who also died in Clinton County; and Jesse C., who passed away in Grand Rapids. Homer Watson obtained a country-school education and spent his youth upon his father's farm in Oakland county until he reached the age of twenty-five years, when he removed to Olive township, Clinton county, where he resided until 1858. In that year he bought one hundred and sixty acres of land on section 24 and although it was covered with a dense growth of timber he at once began its cultivation and continued its improvement until the early part of 1865. It was on the 28th of February of that year that he responded to his country's call for aid, enlisting in Company I, Twenty-fourth Michigan Infantry. He was in the service for four months and was mustered out on the 28th of June, having done duty at Camp Butler, Springfield, Illinois. Following his return to Clinton county Mr. Watson was engaged in farming in Olive Township and in 1866 he removed to Bingham township, having sold his farm property. He then bought one hundred and sixty acres on sections 34 and 35. It was a tract of wild land, the timber having been cleared from only a few acres, but he at once began the further cultivation and improvement of the place. He bought additional land from time to time and speculated quite extensively in farm property, buying and selling as opportunity afforded and realizing on each investment a good financial return. He seemed almost intuitively to know when land values would rise and his labors were crowned with a very pleasing measure of success. Having acquired a desirable competence he removed in 1891 to St. Johns, where he built a nice home and has since lived retired, enjoying life and pleasant surroundings. On the 12th of January, 1854, Mr. Watson was married to Miss Lura S. Devereaux, a daughter of Seymour and Martha (Carr) Devereaux of Oakland county, Michigan, in which county they lived and died. Her father was a farmer by occupation and passed away in 1866 when Mrs. Watson was but three years of age. His wife died in 1897, at the age of seventy-five years. In their family were eight children, of whom six are yet living: Mrs Watson, Seymour, Theodore, Allen, Orson and Elizabeth, the last named being the wife of Samuel Mells; Hiram, who is living on the homestead farm in Bingham township; Ida B., the wife of Henry C. Stevens, of Bingham township; Hattie E., the wife of John F. Merihew, of Olive township; and Frank A., who is living on the old homestead. Mr Watson has been a stanch advocate of the republican party and its principles from his boyhood days and has been a member of the Masonic fraternity since 1872. The rest which is now vouchsafed to him has been well earned and has come as the direct result of his persistent labor and thoroughness in his business. He and his wife celebrated their golden wedding January 12, 1903, having for a half century traveled life's journey together. They are a most esteemed and worthy couple of St. Johns, where the circle of their friends is almost co-extensive with the circle of their acquaintance.