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Submitted by Cheryl VanWormer 


				WILLARD SANFORD AND CLARA (GOTT) YEOMANS

	One of the well-known and highly respected citizens of Orleans township, Ionia county, of
 a past generation, who lived to good purpose was the late Willard Sanford Yeomans, a man whose 
name should be preserved in the history of his locality along with others who have led useful and
honorable lives here.
	Willard Sanford Yeomans was born on December 31, 1858, west of Ionia, in Easton township.
He was a son of Sanford A. and Marietta (Stebbins) Yeomans, and a brother of Edwin S. Yeomans, 
whose record, appearing on another page of this volume, contains the family genealogy.
	Willard S. Yeomans grew to manhood on the farm where Edwin S. Yeomans now resides, and he 
received his education in the public schools of Ionia and remained on the homestead until his 
marriage, on January 28, 1880, to Clara Gott.  She was born in Easton township, this county, 
where she grew to womanhood and was educated.  She is a daughter of Steven W. and Helen (Herrick)
Gott.  The father was born on June 13, 1829, at Wooster, New York.  He was a son of James and 
Electa (Clark) Gott.  These parents were married in Lorain county, Ohio, February 22, 1850.  
Helen Herrick was born in Medina, Ohio, September 28, 1833, and was a daughter of Harlow and 
Laura Ann (Briggs) Herrick.  Harlow Herrick was born July 21, 1801, at Watertown, New York, and
was a son of Amasa and Polly (Robinson) Herrick.  Amasa Herrick was a son of Ezekiel Herrick, who
was born at Tyringham, Berkshire county, Massachusetts, in 1726, and he became a member of the 
General Assembly of that state, and was a major in the American army during the Revolutionary 
War.  He was a descendant of Ezekiel, Sr., a son of Ephraim, son of Henry, who was born at Beau 
Manor, Leicester, England, in 1604.  He was the first immigrant of the family to America, 
locating in Beverly, Massachusetts, where his son Ephraim, was born.  The family history may be 
traced back through the nobility to Eryryk, of Great Stretton and of Houghton county, Leicester, 
England (1216-1272), and he was a lineal descendant of Eric the Forester.  The name was 
subsequently changed to Eryick, then to Heyrick, and finally to Herrick.  Laura Ann Briggs, 
mentioned above, was born at Taunton, Bristol county, Massachusetts, June 27, 1804, and was a 
daughter of Ezra and Sally (Jones) Briggs.  She moved to Medina county, Ohio, about 1822.  Her 
father was a sailor and for some time was under the famous John Paul Jones.  She was married to 
Harlow Herrick, June 21, 1828, and they moved to Michigan about 1865, locating in Easton 
township, Ionia county, Michigan, where her death occurred on February 10, 1898.  Amosa Herrick, 
great-grandfather of Mrs. Yeomans, was also the great-grandfather of Myron T. Herrick, former 
American ambassador to France at the outbreak of the European war.  Harlow Herrick died in Ronald
township, Ionia county, May 31, 1891.  S. W. Gott and wife moved to Michigan in May, 1855, 
locating in Easton township, Ionia county, where Mr. Gott purchased a farm and here spent the 
rest of his life, dying on December 7, 1901.  His widow is still living on the old home place, 
being now past eighty-two years of age.  She lives with her son, George Gott.  Mrs. Yeomans grew
up in Easton township, and she attended school in Ionia.
	After his marriage, Willard S. Yeomans spent a year on the old home place, being now past
eighty-two years of age.  She lives with her son, of his life, from 1881.  He improved the place, 
erecting most of the buildings that are now to be seen on the farm, including a fine residence 
and substantial barns.  The home is modern, equipped with steam heat, acetylene lights, etc.  His
home farm consisted of one hundred and sixty acres, and he owned forty acres a short distance 
away.  He was one of the prosperous farmers of his township.  His family consisted of four 
children, namely:  Maurice W., Margery, Marietta, who died when an infant, and Florence.  The 
living children are all with their mother on the homestead.
	The death of Willard S. Yeomans occurred on November 4, 1908.



This biography is taken from "HISTORY OF IONIA COUNTY, MICHIGAN:  
HER PEOPLE, INDUSTRIES AND INSTITUTIONS," by Rev. E. E. Branch.  Vol. II.  Indianapolis, Indiana:
B. F. Bowen & Company, Inc., 1916.  Pages 80-82.

(Also contained within these pages of this book is a picture of Willard S. Yeomans.