Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Wright, Abner July 29, 1905
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Nan Wheaton wheaton1624@yahoo.com June 13, 2014, 4:12 pm

Belding Banner - Thurs. Aug. 3, 1905

OLD PIONEER GONE

Abner Wright Passed to the Other World Last Saturday

Abner Wright was one of Belding’s earliest settlers. He died at the home of his 
daughter, Saturday evening, July 29, having reached the ripe old age of 89 
years, 4 months and 11 days.

He was born in Pittstown, Renselaer county, N.Y., March 18, 1816 where he was 
reared to manhood. He learned the coopers trade, at which he worked until 25 
years of age. In 1841 he was united in marriage to Ruth A. Tallman of that 
place, to which union was born six children, four of whom are living; C. C. 
Wright, P. G. Wright and Elizabeth Shaw of this place, and Mrs. Ruth Jacox of 
Britton, S. D., John Alvin having died in the army in March 1864, and George A. 
who died October 15, 1893, near this city.

In September 1842 he started for Michigan, coming across from Buffalo by boat, 
landing in Detroit a stranger in a strange city. He left at once for Otisco 
township where his old time friends, Richard and Lewis Ellis, and Tiberius 
Belding had previously located, traveling nearly the entire distance on foot. 
When near Pontiac he met a man with a one horse chaise and he offered him three 
dollars to take him fifteen miles on his trip. The man accepted the offer and 
Mr. Wright mounted the cart, after riding a short distance he concluded it 
would be easier to go on foot, and told the man he could go back and he would 
continue his journey on foot. He reached Ionia in safety and at once took the 
old Indian trail for Otisco and arrived a short time later at the home of old 
Mr. Broas, father of the late Levi Broas, where he remained all night and in 
the morning Mr. Broas directed him as best he could to the farm now known as 
the Ellis farm which he found in due time.

He then located 80 acres on the west of uncle Richard Ellis and began carving 
out of the forest what was known after as the Wright homestead. He brought with 
him a quantity of silver for Mr. Ellis with which he wished to buy another 80 
acres which he and Lewis had already located. He always said if he had not been 
burdened with the silver he could have made the trip a great deal easier. 

Mr. Wright also located the 40 acres known as the C. D. Ellis addition to the 
city of Belding which includes Ellis Park, all of which he improved himself, 
afterwards selling it to C. D. and Uncle Richard Ellis. He broke up and cleared 
two acres of ground in the fall and sowed it to wheat and then prepared two 
more acres more for spring crops. He then returned to his native state and 
worked at his trade until April 1843 when he again returned to Michigan, 
accompanied by his father-in-law, James Tallman, with a wife and eight 
children, four boys and four girls, and his own wife and infant son, Charles, 
six months old, whom you all know as C. C. Wright, who resides at the old 
homestead.

The bought a yoke of oxen and a lumber wagon on which they loaded the family 
and what household goods they had and started for Otisco.

After traveling one day they found their team was not sufficient for the trip, 
and he bought another yoke of oxen with which they made the trip arriving May 
5, 1843 at Uncle Tiberius Belding’s where 27 persons all told occupied the 
humble log house for the night.

About 1850 when the Fox sisters began their, Spiritualistic demonstrations, Mr. 
Wright became a Spiritualist which belief he followed till the hour of his 
death, making the request that Mrs. Dunham deliver the address at his funeral.

The funeral was very largely attended by many old neighbors and friends. 
Interment in the Otisco cemetery.

Mrs. Dunham of Ionia delivered a fine address and also Mrs. L. K. Webster of 
this city. In part Mrs. Webster said; “As we stand again in the presence of 
this change, called death, and feel the influence of this long and beautiful 
life, just closed, we feel that “peace for the dead should give peace to the 
living.” Death is as natural as life, and we do not always know which is the 
greater blessing, life or death. We know that a life well lived, crowned with 
good deeds, is a blessing, we know too that at the close of a well spent life, 
it is a blessing to lay it down with the satisfaction that we have done the 
best we could, have made the world a little better for our having lived.

We derive our being from nature, the kind mother of us all, and whatever the 
future may hold, we feel that it is the fulfillment of a natural law and is the 
same for each and all. That our religion is to do good, and the best life holds 
the best religion, that religious duties consists in doing justice, loving 
mercy and endeavoring to make our fellow creatures happy.

A good life has gone out, has reached the silent haven where the voyage of 
every life must end, and we who believe in the completeness of the wonderous 
universe, must bear in mind that as living beings we are but a part of the 
mighty whole, links in an infinite chain of existence. It is the fullness of a 
belief in this law that has robbed death-beds of their terrors and driven fear 
from the human mind. In times like these creeds wither and decay, empty to 
crown the beauties of the closing of a life well lived. In every heart there 
blooms the sacred flower of eternal hope, and for this hope we are not indebted 
to any book, nor to any creed. It is born of human affection and has its home 
in every heart, in all ages and in all lands, and will forever be found where 
love kisses the lips of death.

The sadness of the present occasion is the loss of a kind and loving one to the 
bereaved children, grand children and relatives left behind, the sadness of 
others is the manifestation of human life and sympathy.

Thus has closed a good and useful life, he has lived to see the deep and dense 
forests of Michigan, give way to fertile fields, and blossoming flowers, he 
watched the improvements that science has given to the world, the telegraph, 
the land traversed by the iron railroad, the steam cars, the telephone, the 
electric cars, and indeed lived to see the wordly richer in all that brings 
good to man, and more than all he has seen the superstitions of the past which 
you and I perhaps have but a faint remembrance of them as they were, grow 
better under the touch of a purer and better religion, the religion of and for 
humanity. 





Additional Comments:
Certif #15
Son of Hesikiah & Abigail (Clark)
Otisco Cemetery –Lot 108


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