Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Compton, John 1895
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Portland Observer, 24 Jul 1895

John Compton, for nearly 58 years a resident of Danby, died on Wednesday, the 
17th inst., at the home of his son-in-law, Sylvanus Peabody, at Mulliken, in 
the 86th year of his age.  Mr. Compton came from Steuben Co. N.Y. to Michigan 
in the fall of 1837.  He came with a team and was four weeks on his journey to 
Eagle.  He bought of …[unreadable]
	
John Compton was born September 5 (or 6), 1809, at Pert???, N.J. being the … 
[unreadable] … father was an Englishman, who with two brothers, came to America 
at a very early day and settled in New Jersey.  He was a weaver by trade, but 
did not follow the business in this country.  The old gentleman was very firm 
and determined in his opinions, and especially in his religious convictions, 
which were of the Baptist persuasion, and was a deacon in the Baptist church 
for more than thirty years, and died in the full triumph of his faith.  It was 
largely due to the influence of religious parents that the subject of this 
sketch owed his greatest successes in life, for his widowed mother early 
instilled into his mind principles of religion, truth, and honor.  When he was 
quite young, his mother, then a widow, accompanied by her son removed to 
Steuben county, N.Y. where he grew to man’s estate.  In that county he learned 
the trade of a tailor, at which he worked for about fifteen years.  On July 
14th, 1831, he was united in marriage to Miss Ann Hull, an estimable christian 
woman.  To them were born four children, three of whom are now living namely, 
Martin, who now lives in Danby; Elvira, widow of the late John Ramsey of 
Portland, and Jane Elizabeth, wife of Sylvanus Peabody of Mulliken.  After a 
marriage of ten years the mother was called to her reward September 27th, 
1841.  The second marriage of Mr. Compton was consummated February 14th, 1842, 
with Elizabeth Nickle, who died Nov. 7th, 1893, in the 97th year of her age.

Mr. Compton was elected township …[unreadable]… after its organization and 
subsequently at various times was elected justice of the peace, highway 
commissioner and school inspector.  He was also the first postmaster in his 
township, added to which he was a notary public for six terms, so that his life 
in Michigan has been a very busy one, saying nothing of his work as a pioneer 
in clearing up a new farm of 160 acres of land.  But with all his multiform 
duties none were more precious than was the privilege of preaching the gospel 
of the grace of God.  He had been duly ordained to the gospel ministry, and was 
a man of prayer, never omitting worship in his family morning and evening.  His 
life attested the power of his principles.  He never used intoxicating liquors 
or tobacco in his life, and to his abstinence in this respect may in part be 
imputed his long life.  When he settled in Danby there were some 500 Indians 
residing a few miles below him on Grand river, and he not only preached for 
them, but also taught school.  Some times to fill his appointment he would have 
to cross the river on floating cakes of ice, which earned for him among the 
Indians the name of “Te-cum-a-gaw-shee,” “wade right through the river.”  He 
always had a kind feeling and a kind word for his red neighbors and that 
feeling was reciprocated by them, and when their mission chapel was built he 
assisted in hauling lumber and in other ways to the extent of his ability.  He 
also had a desire to see a house of worship erected in his own vicinity and had 
that wish gratified in the building of the M.E. church at Compton’s corners.  
He was of a missionary spirit and several years ago made a provision for the 
payment of $300 within a short time after his death, to the presiding elder of 
Ionia Circuit of the M.E. church, to be applied to mission work of M.E. church, 
which arrangement now becomes operative unless it has already been paid, which 
he recently expressed a desire to do.

The funeral was conducted from the Mulliken church on Friday last, Rev. French 
of the Portland M.E. church, of which deceased was a member, officiating.  
Interment was made in the Danby cemetery.  The funeral services were largely 
attended.


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