Clark and Sally Demorest's biography Otisco, Ionia County, Michigan

Copyright © 2000 by Cheryl VanWormer. This copy contributed for use in 
the MIGenWeb Archives.  

 
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			CLARK L. AND SALLY ANN (THOMPSON) DEMOREST.

	Clark L. Demorest, one of the first settlers of Otisco, is of Holland 
descent.  His ancestors were among those steadfast Christians who were driven 
out of Holland for their religious belief and came to New York City, where they 
settled before the Revolution, and where some of the family still reside, 
William Demorest, the publisher, being of the family.  The parents of Clark L. 
lived in Eastern New York, where they were married.  Subsequently moved to 
Steuben County, where the subject of this sketch was born Nov. 25, 1819.  Here 
the family lived until 1837, when they came to Michigan, performing the journey 
with an ox-team.  they stopped in Washtenaw a few years.  In the spring of 1840 
the father, Samuel Demorest, came to Otisco and bought two hundred and forty 
acres of land.  that fall the father, with two of the boys, came up and put in 
ten acres of wheat.  The next spring (1841) the family located permanently upon 
their land.  This was an important element in the then frontier settlement, as 
there were eight grown-up chiildren, all now living.  The father died in 1872, 
at the mature age of seventy-nine years.  The mother is still living, at the age 
of eighty-three years.  Clark L. is the oldest of the children.  He purchased 
eighty acres of land from the government in the fall of 1840.  Remained with his 
father until 1842, when he went to cut logs at the "Lincoln Mill," to get lumber 
to build with.  The summer of 1844 he worked at building a saw-mill where 
Greenville now is; this was the first improvement where that city now stands.  
After the mill was finished he worked in the mill, and at such jobs as came in 
his way, until Dec. 29, 1846, when he was married to Sally Ann Thompson, 
daughter of Allen Thompson, who had moved here from Rensselaer Co., N. Y., two 
years before.  After Mr. Demorest was married he commenced in earnest to improve 
his land and make himself a home.  A small house was erected, and in which they 
passed many happy years of pioneer life, improving their land and adding other 
land until they now have a large and well-cultivated farm, a substantial house, 
with such surroundings as indicate the thrifty farmer.  They have five 
children,--three sons and two daughters.  Dell W. is a farmer and occupies the 
old homestead of his grandfather Thompson; Clara A. lives at home; Allen T. is 
married and settled on a farm in the town of Orleans; Milon lives at home; May 
N. married N. B. Wordon, of Belding.
	Mr. Demorest was formerly a Whig until the organization of the Republican 
party, when he identified himself with that party; is interested in all local 
public affairs; has held several town offices.  Mrs. Demorest, by her frugal and 
industrious habits, has aided her husband and discharged well the duties of a 
helpmeet.  She and her people are active members of the Christian Church.  This 
pioneer couple are among the best-known and highly-respected citizens of Otisco.



This biography is taken from "HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES, MICHIGAN" 
by John S. Schenck. Philadelphia:  D. W. Ensign & Co., 1881.  Pages 292-293.  
Otisco.