Genesee-Oakland County MI Archives Biographies.....Stiff, Henry H. 1832 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com December 24, 2007, 12:46 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

HENRY H. STIFF. Among the successful citizens of Genesee County is this
gentleman, who makes his home in Argentine Township. A native of Warren County,
N. J., he was born May 1, 1832. His father, John Stiff, also a native of New
Jersey, was a weaver by trade throughout life, and died here about the year
1876. He had been a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church for many years. The
mother, who died several years prior to the decease of her husband, was formerly
Mary Kutzler, a native of New Jersey and of German extraction. Five of her six
children are now living.

  The eldest son and third child in his parents household, Henry H. Stiff
received the best advantages which could be secured in the village schools up to
the age of twelve years. Then he became an employe in a large woolen factory at
Walden, N. Y., his first work being the feeding of a picking machine, and he
continued in that position until he was promoted to be the feeder of a spinning
machine. Subsequently he worked for about two years in the city of New York and
during most of that time operated, a scouring machine.

  The coming of this good citizen to the State of Michigan was in 1852, and he
located-with his parents in the township of Independence, Oakland County. There
he worked by the month for several years, after which he rented land for five
years. Somewhat later he came to Genesee County, and purchased one hundred and
sixty acres of property on section 1, Argentine Township. Upon the land the
improvements consisted of a little clearing where stood a log house with neither
windows nor doors, while, the remainder of the land was covered with heavy
timber. Mr. Stiff has brought it to a high state of cultivation and has made
several additions from time to time until he now has two hundred acres upon
section 1.

  Mr. Stiff has been twice married. His first wife, Cordelia Smith, to whom he
was united in 1855, died, in 1886, leaving eight children—Gilbert, Andrew, Mary,
Thomas, John, Jeanette, Henry and Ada. To all of these Mr. Stiff has given good
opportunities of education and Thomas is now a teacher. The second marriage of
our subject, which took place in 1887, united him with Sally Whitehead, a native
of this township, whose three children are, Clyde, Blanch and Lola May.

  The doctrines of the Republican party have ever commended themselves to the
understanding of this intelligent gentleman, and, while he is not a politician,
he has been placed in a number of local offices of trust and responsibility. He
has been a member of the Masonic order for nearly twenty-five years and he and
his good wife are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church, of which he is
Steward. He started in life empty handed and has attained the possession of a
handsome farm where he carries on mixed farming and raises all kinds of stock. A
view of this homestead is presented elsewhere in this RECORD.


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

File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/genesee/bios/stiff948gbs.txt

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