MEMORIAL REPORT OF THE EATON COUNTY PIONEERS, Eaton County, Michigan Copyright © 1999 by Bonnie Petee. This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ Report of the Pioneer Society of the State of Michigan Vol. 5, 1883 Lansing, Mich. W. S. George & Co., State Printers & Binders page 337 EATON COUNTY MEMORIAL REPORT BY H. A. SHAW DAVID STIRLING was born near Glasgow, Scotland, May 26, 1818, and moved to Canada with his father, William Stirling, and his family in the year 1821. When six years old his parents removed to New York Mills, Oneida county, New York, where he resided until he grew to manhood. While a young man, living in New York, he learned the machinist’s trade, at which he worked for several years. By close attention to business he acquired sufficient means to start in the mercantile business and was engaged in the dry goods and general trade for some time in the State of New York, at the same time being a partner in the firm of Stirling, Hamlin & Seelye, in the then village of Eaton Rapids. In 1840 he was united in marriage to Miss M. Harvey, of New York Mills, and on June 1st, 1849, he arrived at Eaton Rapids with his wife and family. Previous to his arrival the firm had built the old Union Block, on the lots where Brainerd’s grocery and Knapp and Carr’s hardware store now stand, continuing in business there for some years, when he moved to the store on the north-east corner of Main and Hamlin streets, which was destroyed by the great fire of 1864, removing, before the fire, to the old Union Block, where he continued business until 1870. About this time the mineral water was discovered here, and Mr. Stirling sunk a well on his lot on Main Street, since which time he has been engaged in running his bath-rooms and bottling and shipping mineral water. Although not being very rugged since he came to Michigan, his health did not fail him perceptibly, till about three years ago he began to complain and gradually failed till death relieved him of his sufferings. He died August 23, 1881, of cancer of the stomach, and Bright’s disease of the kidneys. Mr. Stirling united with the M. E. Church at the age of eighteen years and was an earnest worker in that society, being one of the first members of that church here, in which he held various offices with credit to himself and the church. His wife and four children survive him, also two brothers and three sisters, Mrs. Jane Garton, in California, Mrs. Amos Hamlin, Mrs. W. J. Seelye, Messrs. William and James Stirling, of Eaton Rapids. SANDFORD MOTT died August 6, 1881, aged 70 years. He was born in New York State; came here from Fairfield, Ohio, In October, 1845; settled on the farm on which he died, and cleared it up himself. At one time he lost a good frame house by fire. He has left a wife and two children, both settled in life and in comfortable circumstances. He was an invalid for the last 12 or 14 years of his life. THOMAS H. ROBERTS died February 22, 1882, aged 72 years. MRS. THOMAS H. ROBERTS died January 23d, 1882, aged 70; one month before her husband. They came to this State Jan. 1st. 1851, from Bucks County, Pa., living three years on a farm near the one which he afterwards owned and on which he died. SILAS LOOMIS, one of the first settlers of Eaton county, was born in Chemango county, State of New York, Nov. 5, 1799; settled in Eaton Rapids in April, 1836, and died May 5, 1881, aged 81 years and 6 months. DANIEL BATEMAN settled in Eaton Rapids in 1836, died April 22d, 1882. EVA COOK, wife of Erastus Cook, died in Brookfield, Eaton County, June 4th, 1882. She has resided in that township for 28 years. DANIEL STIRLING died at Eaton Rapids October, 1881, at the age of 64 years. He had resided there 36 years.