Benjamin Francis Munger Biography, Genesee County, Michigan

This Biography extracted from “Portrait and Biographical Record of 
Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties, Michigan…”, published be Chapman 
Bros., Chicago (1892), p. 963-964


This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives.




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BENJAMIN FRANKLIN MUNGER. We are gratified to be able to place before 
our readers the life sketch of this influential resident of Richfield 
Township, Genesee County, and who as well as his parents is a native of 
New York, where he was born in Orleans County in the village of Medina, 
December 11, 1833. His parents were Alanson and Margaret (Culver) 
Munger, and the father followed the trade of a cooper, coming to 
Michigan in 1842 and finally settling in Richfield Township where he 
improved a farm and resided until his death at the age of fifty-five. 
The mother passed away on the 6th of August, 1868. They were the 
parents of twelve children, ten of whom grew to maturity and of that 
number three sons and three daughters are still living.

   Jesse Munger, a native of Connecticut and a shoemaker by trade, was 
the grandfather of our subject and spent most of his latter years in 
the State of New York. He of whom we write was a lad of eleven years of 
age when he came to Michigan and he continued with his father until he 
reached the age of twenty-one. He devoted himself to making shingles 
and in this way he earned in eleven months enough money to buy his farm 
of eighty acres. Having thus secured it property upon which to live the 
young man decided to set up a home and was married July 2, 1867, to 
Alvira S. Pearce, daughter of Richard M. Pearce and a native of Wayne 
County, Mich., where she was born June 9, 1836. At the age of eighteen 
years she had come from her native county to Genesee County.

   Immediately after marriage this young couple settled upon their farm 
in a small frame house which Mr. Munger had erected there. At that time 
they could see only one house within miles of their home but there is 
now within sight from their doorway, five churches and many dwellings. 
They have one daughter and one son, namely: Celia, the wife of Charles 
Sliker, who resides on section 9, Richfield Township, and Julius who 
has married Martha Davis and resides at the old home and takes charge 
of the farm.

   This fine tract of one hundred and twenty acres has all been put 
under cultivation by our subject, and in 1880 he built his beautiful 
and commodious home at a cost of $16,000. His political convictions 
bring him into line with the Republican party and some years ago he 
served as Highway Commissioner. His interest in the progress of the 
agricultural community has led him to number himself with the members 
of the Farmers' Alliance in whose work he is warmly concerned. He is a 
member of the Free Will Baptist Church in which he serves as Deacon and 
in its work he is active and energetic.



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