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Submitted by Cheryl VanWormer

				NATHANIEL AND LOUISA C. (MARTIN) SEARING

	This gentleman, who was born at Saratoga Springs, N. Y., Feb. 17, 1814, is a descendant 
from Quaker ancestry.  His grandfather, Samuel Searing, came from Hempstead, L. I., and was of 
Quaker parentage.  Our subject's father, Nathaniel Searing, was also born at Saratoga Springs, 
and married Ursula Wright, who was born at Stillwater, in the same county (Saratoga).  To them 
were born three children, of whom Nathaniel was the youngest.  The other two were Martha and 
Henry.  Martha married Donerson Worthington, of Albany, N. Y., and died there in 1837 or 1838.  
Henry married Nancy McKenzy, of Niagara Co., N. Y., and came to Branch Co., Mich., where he died 
in 1878.
	When Nathaniel was but twelve years old his father died, and he lived with his mother 
until he was sixteen, attending school a portion of the time and earning small amounts, between 
his eight and sixteenth years, by cupping water at the famed "Congress Spring."  He assisted in 
clearing up the land which is now the park, and after the death of his mother, which occurred 
when he was sixteen years of age, he found employment by the month on a farm. Two years 
afterwards he went to Niagara Co., N. Y., and continued farm-labor for hire for five years.  He 
was then married to Louisa C. Martin, a native of Whitby, Ontario, Dominion of Canada, where she 
was born Dec. 22, 1813.  Her father, Richard Martin was born in Vermont in 1787, and her mother, 
Lovina Lay, in the same State, in 1792, and died about 1865.  They were farmers by occupation.
	Nathaniel Searing came to Michigan in 1840, the journey occupying thirteen days, and 
being made with a team, settled in the woods, on the farm he now occupies, which has a vastly 
different appearance from that it then presented.  There were in 1838 but three families living 
between Portland and Lyons.  He started here with a capital of but ten dollars, built a log 
house, and began the work of clearing up the farm.  Now, at the age of sixty-seven years, he can
look back upon a successful life.  But once has he been induced to hold office, and was elected
to and served one year as supervisor of his township.  Mr. and Mrs. Searing have had nine 
children, four of whom are dead and five living, all near him.  The deceased were Martha M., Mary
J., George W., and Louisa A.; the living are Henry R., Melvin M., Chester A., James A., and 
Laura L.
	Politically, Mr. Searing is a Republican.  In his farm-work he makes a specialty of 
raising and dealing in short-horn cattle.



This biography is taken from "HISTORY OF IONIA AND MONTCALM COUNTIES, MICHIGAN" 
by John S. Schenck. Philadelphia:  D. W. Ensign & Co., 1881.  Pages 259-260.  Lyons.