Lapeer-Macomb County MI Archives Biographies.....Gates, John G. 1822 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 16, 2007, 4:56 pm

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

JOHN G. GATES. The owner of the farm located on section 30, is he whose name
appears above. He is the son of Ralph and Betsey (Derry) Gates, both natives of
Seneca Township, Ontario County, N. Y. Our subject's father was a tanner and a
currier and shoemaker by trade. He was one of those to enlist in the War of
1812, but was not called upon for active service. They were married in their
native State but the mother did not long survive, her decease occurring in 1822.
She left a family of four children, of whom our subject was the youngest.

  Later our subject's father was married to Orcha Van Gelder, and soon afterward
came to Michigan and in 1838 settled in Lapeer City, where they always lived.
The father died in 1870. By the second marriage there were eight children. The
original of our sketch was born August 3, 1822, in Seneca Township, Ontario
County, N. Y. His mother died when he was only three months old and the infant
was taken into the family of his Grandparents Gates and was there tenderly
reared. He there enjoyed the advantages of attendance at school in the winter
and was reared on a farm. He has always been a hard-worker, having been taught
to diligently employ himself from earliest youth. He remained with his
grandparents until twenty years of age and then went to Leroy and worked upon a
farm for an uncle by the month, remaining with him far three years. Thence he
went to Orleans County and was also employed by the month for one year. Then he
took a farm and worked it upon the shares in the meantime engaging in threshing.

  Mr. Gates was married October 22, 1850, to Lois Ann Wilcox, a daughter of
Orrin and Hannah (Hamlin) Wilcox, both natives of Massachusetts. They were
farmers and resided for some time in Orleans County, N. Y., thence coming to
Michigan in 1852 and locating on a farm in Macomb County. Mrs. Gates' mother
died in 1866, as did also the father. They were the parents of seven children,
five of whom are now living. Mrs. Gates was the the second child in order of
birth and was born January 13, 1829, in Orleans County, N. Y. After marriage
they resided in New York until 1856, and then, coming to Michigan, settled in
Oakland County, near Rochester, where for three years Mr. Gates rented a farm.
In 1859 he came to Lapeer County and settled upon his present place which
comprised eighty acres of good fertile land, forty acres of which were roughly
cleared and bore a log house. Mr. Gates is now the owner of one hundred and
sixty acres, of which one hundred are under cultivation.

  In 1887 our subject erected his present residence, which is both comfortable
and commodious. The barns and outbuilding are capacious and compare well with
other features of the farm. They are the parents of the following children:
Helen Adelaide, Mary Eva, Bertha Jane, Edward, Irwin, George, Charles and
Carrie. Helen is the wife of Fred Walker, and lives at Grayling, this State;
Mary died at the age of twenty two years; Bertha lives at St. John's Mich.;
Edward married Netta Bristol and lives in Elba Township.

  Mr. and Mrs. Gates are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Their
youngest son, Charles, graduated from Lapeer High School. He was above the
average of boys in intellectual attainments, even though he was at some
disadvantage. Our subject is a member of the Grange and has held the office of
Chaplain for many years. Mrs. Gates holds the office of Pomona and has been
through all the offices to which ladies are eligible. Mr. Gates has attained to
the sixth degree as a member of the Patrons of Husbandry, and in recognition of
his high standing the Grange presented him with a fine ebony gold-headed cane.
In politics he is a Democrat and for many years has been Road Overseer. Mrs.
Gates is a member of the Ladies' Aid Society. Their children are all away from
home except the two youngest.


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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