Lapeer County MI Archives Obituaries.....Churchill, Barnabas (Barney)   May 6, 1916
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Flora McRae fjmcrae@cs.com April 19, 2005, 8:27 pm

Imlay City paper., May 1916
GOODLAND PIONEER DIED SATURDAY
BARNEY CHURCHILL WAS ONE OF THE EARLIEST SETTLERS OF LAPEER COUNTY.  DIED AT
RIPE AGE. LIVED HERE FOR EIGHT YEARS.

Barney Churchill, one of the earliest settlers of Lapeer County, died Saturday,
May 6, 1916 at his home in Goodland Township, where he had lived for the past 39
years.  The funeral was held Tuesday afternoon at the West Goodland Church, Rev.
R.C. Powell officiating and interment was made in Goodland Cemetery.

Mr. Churchill was born on a farm five miles north of Woodstock, Ont. on July 22,
1832. When he was four years old his parents came to Michigan, settling on a
farm two miles of the present Almont.  There was quite a community of
Churchill's, seven brothers and two sisters also settled in that vicinity.  When
18 years old he married Miss Ester Ridley who died four years later with their
two baby sons.  In 1862 he married Miss Amelia McCool, who was a faithful and
devoted wife until her death about 20 months ago.  Six children were born to
this union, four of whom are still living, Charles P. Churchill, Mrs. E.B.
Fraser, Mrs. Joe Allen and Mrs. H.G. McCall.  A brother, James Churchill of
Almont and a sister Mrs. M. Schell of this place also survive.

The days of Mr. Churchill's boy hood and youth were pioneer times in the
broadest sense. Neighbors were few and widely separated.  The present village of
Almont, known then by the name of Bristol, was a cluster of barely half a dozen
log houses, its one store being owned by Daniel Black.  On his first visit to
Dryden but one building stood there a log house owned by Amos Holmes.  Indians
were plentiful thought not hostile and game, such as deer and bear, afforded not
only good pastime but of considerable profit as well.  He often related seeing a
herd of 16 deer while hunting one afternoon on the present site of Imlay City.

Living in this age of rigid economy he had little desire for the luxuries of
life.  Honest, upright, Godfearing; hating intoxicating drink and tobacco, he
enjoyed the best of health until last summer when a gradual weakening of his
sturdy constitution began which ended in his death.  For many years he was a
member of the east Goodland Church and was one of the most faithful of Sunday
school attendants.  Mr. Churchill represented one of the best types of those
brave men who, grappling with wilderness, having turned its teeming forest into
fertile fields.  The present generation little realizes the debt we owe to these
pioneer settlers, a debt that can be paid only in living remembrance of those
who have given us our inheritance.  Mr. Churchill's active, sincere, Christian
life will long be remembered in the annuals of Lapeer County.

Additional Comments:
Retyped news clipping in the possession of the Ruth Hughes Library, Imlay City, MKI

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