Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hogmire, Charles E. 1916 ************************************************ 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: Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net April 10, 2011, 6:32 pm The Portland Observer, Thursday, February 3, 1916 When Portland Odd Fellows and civil war veterans deposited in a grave here Monday afternoon the lifeless remains of their brother and comrade, Charles E. Hogmire, Portland as a community awoke to a realization of the fact that it had lost another genuine good citizen—a man of good principles, a loyal fraternalist and a true friend to worthy institutions and individuals. While Charles E. Hogmire was of a quiet, unassuming nature, he studied and observed far more than the general public ever dreamed of, and was undoubtedly as well posted on current events as any man of equal age in the vicinity. It was a week ago last Sunday night, after being up and around the house all evening in his usual pleasant mood, that Mr. Hogmire was suddenly stricken with paralysis of the brain and from that time until his death, which occurred a few moments before midnight Friday at the family residence two doors west of the Catholic church, the man failed to regain consciousness. So peacefully did the end come that those surrounding the deathbed were scarcely able to discern the ebbing away of life. Mr. Hogmire had been failing in health for the past year and a half. Charles E. Hogmire was born at Avon, Livingston county, N.Y., November 29, 1842 and in the spring of the year following he came to Michigan with his parents, who settled at Arlington, VanBuren county. It was here that he enlisted with the Union troops in 1862. He was mustered out as a member of Company C, Third Michigan Cavalry, and it was in this capacity that he served the cause of the north until the war closed in 1865. Upon leaving the front he returned to his old home at Arlington, but three or four years later took up his residence on a farm near Edwardsburg, Cass county. It was here that he perfected and first patented the Hogmire fanning mill, which for 25 years was manufactured in Portland extensively, it being only a couple of years ago that Mr. Hogmire closed out the business to lead a life of complete retirement. His invention is known to have made him considerable money. Many of the Hogmire mills are still doing good service on different farms around Portland. Mr. Hogmire had been a continuous resident of Portland for the past 25 years or more, coming here direct from Edwardsburg. After his marriage to Miss Nellie Frances Sowles on August 30, 1898, he took up his home on the so-called Levi Burhans farm in Sebewa, and resided there until 12 years ago, when he returned to the village and built the modern residence just west of the Catholic church in which his death took place. While a resident of Sebewa his townsmen chose him highway commissioner and school director. Mr. Hogmire had been a member of the Odd Fellow fraternity for about 40 years and was almost invariably in his chair at the sound of the gavel. Only a week prior to his death he attended one of the local lodge meetings, telling his wife at the time that if he gave up going out occasionally he would probably die all the sooner. He had felt for several weeks that the end was imminent. He was formerly chief patriarch of Portland Encampment No. 105, I.O.O.F., a member of the John Megarah Post, G.A.R., and a charter member of Portland Rebekah lodge No. 67. Mr. Hogmire was at one time elected highway commissioner of Portland township but declined to qualify on account of other responsibilities. He was a lifelong democrat. Rev. John H. Stewart, a brother Odd Fellow, conducted funeral services at the late home Monday afternoon. The burial was made with Odd Fellow ceremonies, members of that fraternity, as well as of the G.A.R., attending the last rites in a body. Bearers were Messrs. Claude D. Lakin, Clyde A. Moore, Frank Knowles, Floyd Todd, Glenn Ellis and Dale S. Pierce, all Odd Fellows. Besides the widow Mr. Hogmire is survived by a son, Donald Edward Hogmire, 11 years of age; two brothers, Milan Hogmire, of Bangor, and John Hogmire, of Kalamazoo, and a sister, Mrs. Anna Worthing, of Fennville, who was with her brother at the end. File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/ionia/obits/h/hogmire11333nob.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.net/mifiles/ File size: 4.6 Kb