Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Anderson, James D. 1938
************************************************
Copyright.  All rights reserved.
http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm
http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm
************************************************

File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by:
Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net August 5, 2017, 7:52 am

Ionia County News, 3 Nov 1938

Rites Held Thursday for J.D. Anderson

Prominent Muir Resident, 90, Succumbs Tuesday Morning

Funeral services for James D. Anderson, 90, life-long and prominent Muir
resident, were held Thursday afternoon at 3 o’clock from the Presbyterian church
in the village.  Burial was in the Muir cemetery.  Mr. Anderson died Tuesday
morning after a lingering illness of two years.

Surviving him are his daughter, Mrs. Beatrice Anderson Smith, and two sisters,
Mrs. Ione Faulkner and Mrs. C.O. Miller, all of Muir

Officiating at the funeral services Thursday were Rev. Paul L. Stewart, Mayor
Foss O. Eldred and Montgomery Webster, of Ionia.  Pallbearers were Lloyd Burger,
Owen Smith, Harry Probasco, George MacGillivray, Frank Burtraw, and Coral Estep.

Had Birthday Recently

Mr. Anderson, who celebrated his 90th birthday anniversary two weeks ago, was
born in Ionia township October 24, 1848, and lived his entire life in Ionia
county.  His parents were among the county’s earliest settlers, moving here from
New York state in 1835 on a government land grant.

After attending Michigan Agricultural college at Lansing, Mr. Anderson became a
school teacher in this county, being the first teacher in the Chittle,
Spaulding, Maple Corners and Hubbel schools.  He married Miss Helen Edwards of
Ionia county in 1869.  Later, he entered the woodworking trade, being employed
at the Hayes-Packard mill in Muir and the Ionia Furniture factory in Ionia.

Became Jeweler

Later, when the lumber industry began to drop off in this area, Mr. Anderson
started in the watch-making trade, and opened a jewelry store in Muir, which he
operated for 45 years, until May, 1937, when he suffered a stroke which caused
him to drop from further active work.  He told acquaintances, however, that the
watch-making trade was his favorite of the number of varied pursuits that he had
followed.

Extremely active in affairs of the village of Muir and the township, Mr.
Anderson served successively as town board member and on the village school
board for 40 years, as town clerk, and as justice of the peace.  It was in the
latter position that he gained county-wide renown through his fearless and
direct statements as to what he believed to be rightful and just, and as a
result became one of the most popular justices the county has known.

Although very progressive in business and community affairs Mr. Anderson had not
attended a moving picture theater until ten years ago, when he marked his 80th
birthday anniversary by viewing a movie.  Favorite of his hobbies was music, and
he was an accomplished musician on several instruments.  Prized among his
possessions was a Stradivarius violin more than 200 years old, which he
frequently played.


File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/a/anderson6715gob.txt

This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/

File size: 3.3 Kb