Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Hosford, George 1902
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net March 22, 2019, 1:37 pm

Ionia Daily Standard, 2 May 1902

George Hosford Dead.
His Heart Gave Out While at Work This Morning.

George Hosford, the well-known owner of the celebrated South Ionia vineyard, and
originator of the famous Hosford Seedling grave, died shortly before noon this
morning.  He had assisted in loading and unloading some hay, and as about
finishing the unloading process, as he described it, he “felt something give way
about the heart.”  He was taken to his home near by, and expired soon afterward.

Mr. Hosford was born on July 11, 1823, on the east shore of Cayuga lake, in New
York state, being of German descent.  He came to Ionia alone, a mere lad of 15
years, away back in the wild days of 1839, and has resided in this county most
of the time since.  The story of his boyhood life is an interesting one.

The boy became inured to a life of poverty, and at the age of eight years he was
working for his board among farmers, and attending school whenever opportunity
presented.  His mother gave him into the keeping of one Dr. Swett, with whom he
remained until he was fifteen years of age, and then determined to try his
fortunes in the west.  Accordingly he walked to Buffalo, took passage on the
“Constitution,” and arrived at Detroit, after a perilous trip, in the last of
November 1838, with fifty cents in his pocket.  Starting to reach friends in
Ionia, he stopped for a week ten miles west of Detroit, and then proceeded on
his way through a country at the best but thinly populated, and often through an
almost trackless wilderness.  For about three years he worked in the employ of
his step-father, Ezra Winslow, then a resident of this county, then at various
occupations, until the spring of 1845, when he purchased forty acres of land in
Easton township, section 4.  He had learned the trade of a mason, and about the
last named date returned to New York, worked at his trade, and attended school
for three years.  He finally returned to Michigan, bought forty acres of land
adjoining his first purchase, and erected a small cabin.  In 1859, he journeyed
to California via New York, returning in 1860.  In 1862 he became indebted for a
purchase of eighty-eight and a half acres of land, included in his present home.
 About ten acres only were cleared, all other improvements and changes having
been made since.


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