Lapeer County MI Archives Biographies.....Comstock, Antoinette 1841 - 
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Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

MISS ANTOINETTE COMSTOCK. In educational and professional lines there is no
family better known throughout this part of Michigan than that represented by
the lady of whom we write. Since the family first settled in America there has
been a physician in each and every generation. Dr. Jeremiah Comstock was the
father of this lady and was born April 2, 1813, near Providence, R. I. He was a
son of Isaac Comstock, who was a brother of the Hon. O. C. Comstock, formerly
State Superintendent of Public Instruction of Michigan, in 1843 to 1845. He was
a Baptist minister and was one of the founders of Kalamazoo College.

  Isaac Comstock was a native of Rhode Island and a descendant from an Irishman
who served as Surgeon in the Irish brigade during the Revolutionary War and lies
buried in the old historic cemetery at Providence, R. I. Comstock, in Kalamazoo
Count3T, this State, takes its name from the Hon. O. C. Comstock and a number of
his descendants now live in this State. Isaac removed to Tioga County, N. Y.,
and died there about the year 1821.

  The mother of our subject was a native of Madison County, N. Y., and was
Elizabeth C, daughter of Joseph B. Morse, a native of Massachusetts who came to
Michigan in 1831 and settled where now is Lapeer. He built the first frame house
in that city and was one of the first settlers there. He remained in the city of
Lapeer until 1834 and then removed to his farm and put up a house, residing
there until his death in 1854. He was a prominent man in church, school and
political affairs, and was very public spirited. He was a carpenter by trade and
built the first school-house in the township. His daughter, the mother of our
subject, was born February 2,1821, in Eaton, Madison County, N. Y., and was
married to Mr. Comstock at Farmer's Creek, Mich., September 16,1840.

  Dr. Comstock came to Michigan in 1839 before his marriage, and settled where
our subject now lives. He is a graduate of Geneva College in New York in the
Class of '38, and practiced medicine for a year in Ontario County before coming
to Michigan. After marriage he made his permanent home here and became the
pioneer physician in the Southwestern part of Lapeer County, being in  practice
here for some forty-five years. In those early days he had extensive rides to
take on horseback and the Indians as well as the whites were among his patients.
Mrs. Morse, the maternal grandmother of our subject is a woman of great force of
character and had many tilts with the Indians in which she was always victorious.

  Three daughters and one son formed the household of which our subject was one.
The son, Oscar, was a soldier in the United States Construction Corps and
started with Gen. Sherman in his march to the sea, but being taken sick at
Atlanta was sent to Chattanooga, where he died June 29, 1864. The daughter,
Sarah, was born in September, 1851, and is the wife of F. W. Goodale, of
Farmer's Creek. Their four children are, Arthur, Albert, Elizabeth and Lynn. To
all of the children the parents gave an excellent education and the mother who
was a Presbyterian brought them up in the faith and doctrine of the Christian
religion.

  Dr. Comstock was prominent in political matters and cast his first vote for
Martin VanBuren and his last vote for Grover Cleveland. In early life he was
prominently connected with school interests and was a member of the Township
Board for ten years, besides being for twelve a Justice of the Peace and Notary
Public. He was bereaved of his wife in 1874 and in 1876 he married a second time
Mrs. Sophronia Wetherill of Mt. Morris, Mich. She survives him but has no
children. He was much absorbed in his profession although he had a large farm of
one hundred and twenty acres. Scientific and literary matters also engaged his
attention and he was a writer for the Detroit Medical Journal. The Lapeer
Medical Society as well as the Northeastern Medical Society claimed him as I
among their foremost members, and lie was frequently a delegate to the State
Medical Society. She of whom we write was born August 28, 1841, and after a
thorough training in the common schools she took a course in Ann Arbor,
graduating from the seminary. She holds a first-grade certificate as a teacher
and has taught for many years. Her mother was a woman of unusual nobility, weak
physically, but mentally very strong, and possessed of great patience which she
exhibited notably in the last fifteen years of her life, during which epoch she
was suffering with that dire disease, consumption. She was a grand helper to her
husband and a most perfect example as a wife and mother.

  Miss Comstock is Secretary of the Lapeer County Old Settlers Society and is a
well-educated and talented lady, a member of the Baptist Church at Hadley and a
worker in the Sunday-school, and well carries out the reputation which her
family has ever maintained. Her father's death occurred in 1885. Mr. F. W.
Goodale, who married Miss Comstock's sister Sarah was a member of Company F,
Fifth Michigan Cavalry during the Civil War, but after a short time was
transferred to Company M, First Michigan Cavalry. In this he served for a year
as a private and was discharged June 30, 1866, after having with thousands of
others passed through the Grand Review at Washington at the close of the war.


Additional Comments:
Extracted from:

Portrait and Biographical Record of Genesee, Lapeer and Tuscola Counties,
Michigan, Containing Biographical Sketches of Prominent and Representative
Citizens, Together with Biographies of all the Governors of the State, and of
the Presidents of the United States

Chicago:
Chapman Bros.
1892

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