Lapeer-Saint Clair County MI Archives Biographies.....Wees, William 1834 - 
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Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com March 16, 2007, 1:44 am

Author: Chapman Bros. (1892)

WILLIAM WEES. The agricultural class of this vicinity have no better place to
buy the implements in use upon their farms than from the establishment of which
our subject is the proprietor. He has undoubtedly the largest and best
assortment of this class of goods of any place in or near Imlay City. Like many
other settlers in this portion of the State, Mr. Wees is a native of Canada,
having been born in Earnestown, June 2, 1834. He is a son of Ezra and Buelah
(Colley) Wees. The father was a native of the same place in which our subject
was born. He was a blacksmith by trade and pursued the calling for many years in
Canada. Our subject's mother is a native of New York and was a member of her
sister's family in Canada when she met her future husband. She still survives,
being at the present time seventy-six years old, her natal day having been April
20, 1812. She makes her home with her youngest son, David Wees, who resides in
Canada. At the present time, October, 1891, she is visiting our subject in Imlay
City. She is still sprightly and vigorous and shows no perceptible failure of
her faculties.

  William Wees is the oldest of nine children. His father was a hard-working man
who by his prudence and economy succeeded in procuring a comfortable competency.
He has good ideas concerning the discipline of young people and set out-subject
to work in the shop at the age of ten years. William received but small
schooling, but during his career he had eagerly absorbed every fact that has
come in his way and is to-day an intelligent and well-informed man, his school
having been the hard one of experienc. He was skilled in the use of the
blacksmith's tools, at which he worked until nineteen years of age in his
father's shop. He then began work as a journeyman and traveled in various
places, having been in Port Huron, St. Clair, Brockway, and at times in the
lumber woods engaged in his trade. He turned his wages over to his family until
the time of his marriage.

  Our subject was married January 1, 1855, to Miss Sarah Jane Parkinson, of
Bosanquet, Canada; she was born in London, Canada, in 1838. This couple have had
seven children of whom three are still living. The living are Milton E., who is
in the music business in West Superior, Wis.; Francis E., resides at Battle
Creek, and is an engineer at Round House; Ruby L., is a railroader and lives at
Battle Creek. About two years after his marriage Mr. Wees and his father built a
hotel and blacksmith shop in Hillsborough, Canada. These our subject carried on
for about two years. The venture did not prove a success financially so he gave
it up and removed to Capac, St. Clair County, where he rented a shop and began
for himself, remaining there for twelve years. He was just getting a start when
drafted into the war and was compelled to pay $400 indemnity fee. He removed to
Lapeer County in 1869 and located for two years at Black's Corners, thence
coming to Imlay City. He had built a residence at Black's Corners, but when the
railroad came through and Imlay City was laid out he sold his residence and
purchased property in Imlay. He has a farm of forty acres just outside the
corporation. He has retired from blacksmithing, but owns and rents the shop.

  Our subject's wife died soon after he came to this place, September 30, 1874.
He then married Mrs. Rebecca Wallace, the sister of his wife, December 30, 1877.
There is one son from this marriage, Charles H., who was born in Imlay, March
29, 1880. Our subject's wife is the mother of two children by her former
husband: Mary E., wife of Willard Johnson; Willie S., follows farming in
Washington. Our subject is a Republican in politics but declines all offices. He
and his wife are members in good standing of the Methodist Episcopal Church of
which he is a Trustee, being also on the Building Committee. He is a member of
the Independent Order of Odd Fellows and has filled several offices in the order.


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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