Genesee County MI Archives Biographies.....Hovey, George 1814 - 
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File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com September 22, 2007, 1:14 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

GEORGE HOVEY. This liberal and progressive citizen of Genesee Township, Genesee
County, whose fine farm is situated on section 2, was born in the village of
Owego on the Susquehanna River, in New York, on the 19th of January, 1814.
Lorenzo Hovey was a New Englander by birth and a miller by trade. He went to
Pennsylvania when about twenty years old and worked on the farm, remaining there
for a few years and being there united in marriage with Anna Hanman, who was
born in Connecticut and brought up there until she reached the age of eighteen.

  Owego, N.Y., now became the home of this couple and there the father drove a
team of seven horses for many years. Somewhat later they moved to Dundee, N. Y.,
and from there to Mt. Morris, Livingston County in the same State, which proved
the final earthly home of Lorenzo Hovey, as he died there when sixty-eight years
old. His faithful wife survived him and came to Genesee County, Mich., where she
passed away at the age of seventy-eight. They were the parents of eight children
that grew to manhood and womanhood.

  Our subject has only one sister living, as far as he is able to find out, and
she is Emily, the widow of Mr. Terry, of Milwaukee, Wis. One of his brothers now
survives. He remained with his father until he reached the age of nineteen and
started out to make his way in the world with nothing in his hand and being $70
in debt to his father. He worked upon farms by the month, receiving at first
only $9 a month by agreement, although the man for whom he worked was so well
satisfied that he gave him $10 when they came to settlement. He thus continued
for some two years farming in the summer and chopping wood in the winter,
receiving two and sixpence per cord for fire wood.

  Mr. Hovey purchased a farm in New York comprising five acres, and having
partly cleared the same remained on it for five years and then came to Genesee
County, Mich., in 1843, and located where he now resides, trading a span of
horses and a wagon and harness for eighty acres of land and giving $80 in cash
in difference. After he had his deed recorded he had thirty-five cents left in
his pocket and no improvements made upon his farm but he had plenty of pluck,
and he proceeded to build a board house into which he moved and where he lived
for nine years.

  At the end of that time Mr. Hovey erected the residence in which his family
now lives, and having cleared the timber from his land and put the place under
cultivation he was ready to enjoy his beautiful home. Every stick of timber in
this house was grown upon the place and was sawed in a mill which our subject
built oh the farm, and this same may be said of the other buildings and the
fences upon this estate. He was married in 1840 in the State of New York to
Lucinda Snyder, who was born and educated in Mt. Morris, N. Y. She died in 1886,
having been the mother of the following children: William (deceased); Martha,
the wife of David Flinn, of Indiana; Charles, who resides in Detroit; Emily, who
is now the wife of N. Richardson, of Tuscola County; Fred, who makes his home
with his father.

  The original of this life sketch cultivates a finely improved farm of three
hundred and twenty acres of which he has a life lease. He cast his first
Presidential vote for Harrison in 1840 and again he voted for another Harrison
at the last Presidential election and he never has cast his vote for any other
principles than those of the Republican party, and says he never will. He is a
liberal contributor to all good causes and as an incident of his generosity we
may mention that he recently gave $100 to the Congregational Church. Our subject
wishes the statement made that he has never borrowed a cent, nor a dollar in
money, in his life.


Additional Comments:

Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892



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