Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hall, Joshua S. 1907
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Ionia Daily Standard, 18 Apr 1907

One of the Real Pioneers Passes Over The Divide.

On April 17, at the Ripe Age of 91, having Been a Continuous Resident of Ionia
County for Over 70 Years.

Joshua S. Hall, one of less than half a dozen of the residents of county who
came here before 1840, and among the earliest of these, died on Wednesday night
at the age of 91, at the home of his son Henry in Easton.  Mr. Hall came to
Ionia county from Connecticut in 1836, the same year that N.B. Hayes and George
Hayes came, and antedating P.H. Taylor and John Taylor by one year.  So far as
Standard can learn, none are living who came prior to 1836.

Mr. Hall came from sturdy New England stock, his father and mother being direct
descendants of Puritan families.  His mother was Ruth Stark, daughter of one of
the three brothers of the early Continental days.  Joshua Hall was born in New
London county, Conn., Feb. 24, 1816, and was the oldest of a family of eight
children, six of whom lived beyond the allotted age of three score years and
ten, three brothers and one sister passing away during the past year, in places
scattered from Massachusetts to California.  Only one of the family now survives.

Mr. Hall had not reached his majority when he came to Ionia county in 1836 and
bought 114 acres of land on section 6, Ionia township, paying $1.25 per acre. 
He worked for others for some years at farm work, to get the means to improve
his place.

He was married to Miss Sarah A. Haight, daughter of Marvin G. Haight, Sept. 18,
1842.  The young couple passed through the usual privation of pioneer life the
wife being a true help-meet.  By their united efforts, they surmounted all
difficulties, and acquired a competence for the later years of their lives. 
Mrs. Hall died about ten yours ago.  To them seven children were born, all now
living: Henry J., of Easton, Luther E., of Orleans, Arthur N. and John of Ionia
township, Ruth, wife of Perry Freeman of Boston township, Frank of Easton, and
Ada, wife of Edward B. Higbee of Ronald. 

Mr. Hall made his home with his son Arthur of Ionia township for three years,
until October last, when he went to stay with his son Henry, on State road north
of city.  He had been in failing health all winter, but was confined to the
house only a few days just previous to his death.

Mr. Hall took an active interest in politics, but was mainly content to serve in
the ranks, holding only township offices, which made little demand on his time.
 He [unreadable word] to his own business with marked sagacity and success, and
left office holding mainly to those ambitions for that sort of distinction.  He
was honest, and had the pioneer qualities of industry and frugality and did not
lack shrewdness.  He was self-reliant to a marked degree, and found his own
counsel usually wise.

This incident, illustrating his habit of doing things on his own judgment and
without consultation, is related of him.  It was in the fall of 1896, in the
heat of a presidential campaign, in the years following business depression and
financial uneasiness, the effect of which was still felt, when he walked into
the First National bank, and taking a heavily weighted grain sack from a lumber
wagon, he handed it to W.R. Heath, teller, with the remark that here was
something that might help out.  Mr. Heath took the sack, and nearly fell down
with the unexpected weight, and he would have fallen down with astonishment if
he had not caught the table for support, when he poured out on the table about
half a bushel of gold coin, a count of which showed $20,000 in $20 pieces.  Gold
was scarce at that time and probably no similar instance was known in any bank
in the United States.

The funeral service will be held at the home of Henry Hall, tomorrow, at 2 p.m.,
conducted by Rev. J. Webster Moore.  Interment, Highland Park.


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