Lapeer-Macomb County MI Archives Biographies.....Reed, John 1812 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com July 11, 2007, 12:01 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

JOHN REED. Among the many worthy sons of Scotia who have left their native land
to seek their fortunes in the far West was the subject of this sketch, now a
resident of Lapeer County. He is the son of Joseph Reed and Jeannett (White)
Reed, both natives of Ayrshire, Scotland, in which place the father followed the
avocation of a farmer. They both died in their native land. They were the
parents of eleven children, two only of whom are now living. Our subject was
born in 1812 in Ayrshire, and, was but fourteen years of age when his mother
died. He received a good common-school education and grew to manhood in
Scotland, where he followed the occupation of a farmer. Being thrown upon his
own resources at the age of sixteen he engaged to work for a farmer. He was
married in 1842 to Jeannette Stevenson, a daughter of James and Mary (Muir)
Stevenson, both of whom were natives of Ayrshire. He was a farmer, also a
quarryman. The mother died when Mrs. Reed was about eleven years of age. The
father lived to the ripe age of eighty-eight years. They were the parents of
five children, three of whom are now living. Mrs Reed was born in December,
1814, in Ayrshire.

  As soon as the young couple were married they immediately started for America,
coming directly to Michigan, and settled in Macomb County, where they remained
for three years, and in 1850 came to Lapeer County when they settled upon their
present farm. They were poor when they commenced life in this Western country
and were obliged to go in debt in the purchase of their farm which consisted of
eighty acres of wild land the price of it being $320. On this they built a plank
house, a very modest beginning, but with youth and strength on their side they
went to work with a will hoping for better days, which came to them in due time,
they owning now three hundred and twenty acres, two hundred and sixty of which
are cleared and improved, he having cleared one hundred acres of it himself and
put up all the present buildings. He now carries on a general farming business
and in his day has done a large amount of hard work.

  Mr. and Mrs. Reed are the parents of seven children, six boys and one girl.
James, who was married to Jane Read, lives in Lapeer Township. They have no
children. Joseph, deceased, was the father of three children. Mary, wife of
Sylvanus Frost, lives at Plainfield, this State. They are blessed with three
children. John married Victoria Shipman and lives in Metamora Township and also
has three children. William married Anna Randolph, is now residing on the home
farm and is the father of two children. Thomas was united in marriage with
Blanch Smith and is also living on the farm with his wife and two children, and
David, the youngest, who is still single, is a railroad conductor. They are all
members of the Presbyterian Church. Mr. Reed has given all his children the
benefit of a good education. He has been for many years an officer in the school
district. In politics he is a Democrat. Our subject has virtually retired from
business not doing any work but simply superintending the others. In June, 1890,
Mrs. Reed fell and broke her hip which proved to be a very serious accident. She
is not able to walk without crutches and has not been out-of-doors for a year
and a half Mr. Reed is possessed of very good health for a man of his age.


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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