Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Preston, Benjamin H. December 30, 1891
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Marilyn Ransom mlnransom@chartermi.net July 14, 2010, 8:39 pm

The Ionia Daily Standard, Thursday, December 31, 1891
Benjamin H. Preston, of Ronald, died last evening.  His death had been 
expected since the paralytic stroke of last week.  In his death Ionia loses 
one more of the early pioneers of the county, and one of its most respected 
and honored citizens.  

He was born in 1820 and came to Ionia in 1843, and for many years bore an 
active part in the development of the county.  He was for a long period 
supervisor of Ronald and afterwards for a long time was one of the county 
superintendents of the poor.  In politics he was a republican, and in early 
life was one of the few anti-slavery men of the county, and was associated 
with Dr. Cornell in the first anti-slavery address to the people of Ionia 
county, when to be an abolitionist required a degree of moral courage to face 
a public sentiment which looked upon a Garrisonian as little better than a 
secessionist.

He was one of the charter members of the Church of Christ at Ionia, and during 
the 32 years of its existence has held the office of elder, and in the absence 
of a pastor has filled the pulpit with satisfaction to the church.

He leaves a widow who is nearing the dark river, and whose death is but a few 
days postponed, and three sons and one daughter, Mrs. Albertus Cornell.  Of 
his father’s family, C. A. Preston of Ionia, Mrs. J. B. Norton of Charlotte 
and Mrs. M. A. Ford of Holly, survive him.  He was descended from good 
Puritanic stock.  His grandfather was a soldier of the revolution and his 
father of the war of 1812.

The funeral will be at the residence in Ronald on Friday at 1 p.m.



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