Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Montgomery, Frank R. 1930
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net June 19, 2013, 3:50 pm

The Ionia Sentinel-Standard, Thursday, September 25, 1930

The death of Frank Montgomery at his home, 128 Summitt street, Thursday 
morning took from Ionia one of its best known and most popular citizens.  Mr. 
Montgomery, who had suffered from a heart ailment for the past year, was 78 
years of age and for the past 40 years or more had been prominently identified 
with the active life of Ionia, where he numbered among its citizens many 
friends by reason of his staunch loyalty and his honest and straight-forward 
dealing.

Born in Shiawassee county, Mr. Montgomery came to Ionia in the middle eighties 
after a residence in New Haven, Conn., of several years.  First coming to 
Ionia, he went into business with his father in the livery business in the old 
Bailey House livery barn, which stood at what is now the corner of Kidd and 
Adams streets, then First and Front streets.

Always a lover of horses, thoroughly versed in the pedigrees of the turf, and 
interested financially and otherwise in horses, his passing marks the 
departure of the last of the livery men whose places of business were to the 
community 40 and 50 years ago what the garage is to the community today.  Mr. 
Montgomery remained as long as he was able to conduct a business loyal to the 
tradition of the past, and had never joined the ranks of automobile owners.

Following a fire which destroyed the Bailey house livery barn in the early 
nineties, Mr. Montgomery moved into the brick building later purchased by the 
county for a garage.  Here he continued to carry on a general livery 
business.  After the sale of the building he moved again and for the last time 
to the Smith feed barn on South Steele street, where he remained until about 
three years ago when he retired from active business.

During his life in Ionia Mr. Montgomery was one of the authorities in the 
horse racing realm and no man had a wider or more accurate knowledge of it 
than had he.  He was always aligned with republican politics, in which he took 
an active part and often served as a delegate to party conventions, although 
he had never sought office.  When a party caucus was held it was an assured 
fact that he would be present, if alone, and he demonstrated in his constant 
and unwavering service in this, as in other affiliations, one of those 
characteristics that made him respected generally for his straight-forward and 
uncompromising loyalty, and his unswerving allegiance to those causes to which 
he devoted his life. Among his many friends he was known as a man who was 
generous in all things when fortune smiled and who never grumbled or found 
fault when the going was hard.  Those who knew him held for him an honest 
admiration.

Mr. Montgomery had long been a member of the Elks’ lodge.

He is survived by the widow and one daughter, Mrs. Richard Lemke, of 
Birmingham.

Funeral services will be conducted from the Bradley mortuary chapel Saturday 
afternoon at 2:30, with Fr. F. A. White of the Episcopal church, in charge.

Subsequent Publication:  Monday, September 29, 1930

Saturday afternoon at 2:30 found the Bradley funeral home filled with friends 
of the late Frank Montgomery and his associates of the Elks’ lodge for the 
services.  Mr. Montgomery died Thursday morning following a year’s illness and 
but a few months after his retirement from business.  The services were 
conducted by Rev. Edwin O. White with the assistance of the Elks lodge at the 
burial service in Highland Park cemetery, where the interment took place.

Two nephews, John Montgomery of Eaton Rapids, and George Montgomery, of 
Detroit; Mr. and Mrs. Richard Lemke and children, of Birmingham, and Mr. and 
Mrs. McLaughlin of Grand Rapids, were here to attend the funeral services.

The bearers were K. R. Smith, Jr., Henry Voelker, John Grace, Fred Wortman, 
Warden Charles Shean, and Fred Owens.



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