Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Shafer, Michael 1920
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Marilyn Ransom mransom311@gmail.com June 10, 2014, 2:57 pm

The Portland Observer, Thursday, July 8, 1920


Michael Shafer, a resident of Portland for more than a half century and well 
known among the old settlers of the place, died at 11:00 o’clock Monday morning 
at his home north of the looking-Glass, having been a victim of jaundice.  He 
had been up and down for the past three months and maintained right along that 
he was getting better, but he was taken to his bed on the Wednesday preceding 
his death and never got up again.  Funeral services were held at the late home 
Wednesday afternoon at 2:00 o’clock, Rev. J. M. DeVette, of the Baptist church, 
officiating, and interment was made on the family lot in Portland cemetery.

Mr. Shafer was just a trifle past 73 years of age at the time of his death, 
having been born in Germany June 24, 1847.  He came to the United States with 
his father when he was six years old and never remembered a great deal about 
the old country.  His father operated a flour mill near Batavin, N.Y., for a 
time, but when he sold the business and started out in search of a new location 
he left the son in the care of a Polish priest names Trusinski, who later 
adopted him.  Mr. Shafer’s father was never heard from afterwards, and the 
supposition is that he was lost at sea while returning to Germany for the rest 
of his family.

At 16 years of age Mr. Shafer became a coach maker’s apprentice and at the age 
of 19 he had completed learning the trade.  Then he came on to Michigan.  He 
located at Mason first, then went to Leslie, then to Lansing and then came on 
to Portland.  This was over 50 years ago, before Portland had a railroad, and 
Mr. Shafer was obliged to make the journey from Lansing here by stage.  He had 
been a resident of Portland ever since and until about 15 years ago was 
actively engaged in the business of manufacturing wagons and buggies.  He built 
the first hearse ever used in Portland by Thomas J. Blanfield, the undertaker.  
He was an elegant workman and until he retired 15 years ago, his services were 
always in constant demand.

Forty-nine years ago the 15th of last March, Mr. Shafer was married at Sunfield 
to Miss Emily Taylor, who died May 18, 1913.  Four children were born to them.  
A daughter, Vera Ethel, died in infancy, and the three children surviving are 
Herbert L. and Miss Clara Shafer, of Portland, and Miss Mildred Shafer, of 
Detroit.  Mr. Shafer left two sisters and one brother in Germany when he came 
to the United States, but whether or not they are alive now no one knows.

Mr. Shafer was not a member of any church but had always been a regular 
contributor to the Congregational society, to which his late wife belonged.

Out-of-town people who attended the funeral Wednesday were Mrs. J. W. Peck, of 
Detroit, Mrs. Joseph Scherer, of Lansing, Henry Taylor, of Hillsdale, Mr. and 
Mrs. Fred Jackson, Charles Gregg and Mrs. Margaret Gregg, of Sunfield.

Another Publication:  The Ionia Daily Sentinel-Standard, Tuesday, July 13, 1920

Michael Schaffer, of Portland, who recently died at the age of 74, was a boy of 
6 when he was brought to this country by his father and he was not much older 
when his father returned to Germany.  Since that day the boy never heard from 
his parent.  He remained with the people with whom his father had boarded and 
was later adopted by them removing to Portland in later life and becoming one 
of its respected citizens.



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