Abram Grant's obituary, Adrian, Lenawee County, Michigan This copy contributed for use in the USGenWeb Archives. ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ SUBJECT: Abram I. Grant Obituary SUBMITTER: Byron Bray EMAIL: byron.bray@cmug.com DATE: May 07, 1999 SURNAMES: GRANT, HARRIS, WALKER, HARKNESS, VAN AUKEN, HASKINS Abram I. Grant's obit appeared in the "Adrian Daily Times", Adrian, Michigan, on March 5, 1902, and reads as follows: ABRAM I. GRANT ------------------------------- Passed Away at an Early Hour This Morning Was Unable to Rally From His Fall of a Year Ago ------------------------------- Lenawee Loses an Old Pioneer Settler and Good Citizen, ------------------------------- And Adrian One of its Most Upright Christian Residents Quietly and peacefully did death settle upon aged Deacon Abram I. Grant at 2 o'clock this morning at his home, 88 Broad Street. Death was the evident result from injuries to his back received a year ago the middle of December by falling on a defective walk while on his way to church. Deacon Grant was 91 years old, yet he was more active in church work and well read on the current topics of the day than many of half his years. In his death Adrian loses one of its most upright Christian residents, beloved and esteemed by all who knew him, and Lenawee county one of its oldest pioneers. Abram I. Grant was born November 12, 1810 in Seneca county, N.Y. He received his education at Ovid, the same county, and for several years prior to coming to Michigan taught school. When but 20 years of age he was baptised in the waters of Lake Cayuga, and has been a staunch, earnest Christian ever since, which which embraces a period as long as the allotted life of man, three score and ten. He was married at Ovid, N. Y.,when 26 years old to Miss Jane Harris. Mr. and Mrs. Grant together with his parents, moved to Michigan in 1833. He purchased from the government a tract of land covering 180 acres in what is now the township of Dover. The price paid for the land was $1.25 per acre. Mr. Grant then returned to New York state, coming back to Michigan in June of 1836. About this time he purchased enough more land of the government to make 240 acres. About 20 years ago he sold his farm to J. Carpenter, who still resides there. When Mr. Grant moved to Michigan and took up his farm he had to go a mile and a half to call on his nearest neighbor, and the closest church was at Medina, six miles distant. He often spoke of lighting his way through the dense woods to church with a torch. He used to walk this distance, but it proved too much for his wife. He joined the church at Medina, and later, when a church was formed at Clayton he was made a constituent member and his death ends the life of the last one of these members. The nearest mill to Deacon Grant was at Tecumseh, and this distance was covered with oxen in a day, providing the start was made at daybreak. On one instance, he left his yoke of oxen unfastened while attending to some business at Tecumseh and they wandered away, and it was a full week before he returned home with his flour. After a time, however, the Red mill was built just north of this city, and the long and tedious trip to Tucumseh was discontinued. Deacon Grant moved to Adrian about 23 years ago and with the exception of about three years passed with his daughter, Mrs. A. L. Van Auken, of Rome, has lived in the vicinity of his late home. He joined the Baptist church here and was always a very active and conscientious worker. Since his injury he has been unable to get out any and he ever looked forward to warm weather, when he would be able to again attend church services. Despite his advanced age Deacon Grant was a great reader and could converse very intelligently on all the important topics of the day, his mind remaining clear to the last, and the meeting with his God was not looked forward to with fear and trembling, but with pleasure and happiness. One faculty possessed by Mr. Grant was his ability to live happily among his young friends. He would think of those who have preceded him to the beyond and would feel as though he was without a friend, then when he would recall his young. friends, as he was want to call associates of late years, he would aver that he believed he had the most friends of anybody in town. It was the pleasantness that drew others so closely to him. After the death of his first wife, which occurred April 23, 1879, Mr. Grant married Mrs. Sarah Harkness, of this city, who also preceded him to the other shore. The following children from the first wife survive: Mrs. Mary G. Walker, who resided with her father; Mrs. A. L. Van Auken, of Rome; Mrs. G. C. Haskins of South Omaha, Neb., and George E. Grant of Chicago. There are also two grandchildren, in whom Mr. Grant took almost as much pride as his own children, Lou A. Walker, who is attending a theological seminary at Newton Center, Mass., and Miss Delia Walker, who graduates, this year from Adrian college. The funeral will probably be held Friday, but the hour will be announced later.