Tuscola County MI Archives Biographies.....Reece, Canby 1846 - ************************************************ Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm http://www.usgwarchives.net/mi/mifiles.htm ************************************************ File contributed for use in USGenWeb Archives by: Joy Fisher sdgenweb@yahoo.com February 14, 2007, 7:20 pm Author: Chapman Bros. (1892) CANBY REECE. A compendium of biographical sketches of Tuscola County would be incomplete without a record of the life of Mr. Reece, and while it is not our purpose to enter minutely into the details of his work, yet we wish briefly to state the most important events in his life, and show how from obscurity and poverty he has risen to competence. In reading the history of our country we find that the most prominent men are those who may be truly called "self-made" and who by their own exertions have made for themselves a place in the world; the same fact will be observed in glancing over the history of a county. The sons of the rich too often neglect their opportunities, and are passed in the race for fame and fortune, by those who occupy much humbler stations in social circles. Mr. Reece is well known as a prominent and popular druggist at Caro, and it is in this place that he has established a solid reputation as a business man of ability and energy. In 1882 he embarked in the drug business here and each passing year has only given more complete evidence of his painstaking character and reliability. He is now in the prime of life, having been born February 27, 1846, and is a Canadian by birth, the place of his nativity being Welland County, Ontario. His ancestors on both sides are English; his father, Jacob, having been born in Canada of English descent, and his mother, whose maiden name was Elizabeth Waters, a native of England. The parents are still (1891) living, and their home is in Canada, where their declining years are quietly passed in retirement from the active duties, which, as farmers, formerly occupied their lives. The boyhood days of our subject passed comparatively uneventfully upon a farm. It was his privilege to attend school in the neighboring "temples of learning" and at the age of twenty-one he was graduated in the Font Hill Grammar School. During the ensuing year he was married and established a home of his own, bringing to it as his bride on October 16, 1868, Miss Martha A. Van Wyck. This lady, like himself, was a native of Welland County, Canada, and was a daughter of John and Jane (Shaw) Van Wyck. With the aid of his wife Mr. Reece operated and conducted a farm until he was twenty-five, when he removed to Hamilton, Ontario, where he was employed by the Canadian Government to inspect the erection of the Insane Asylum. He remained there for about seven years, being all the time in the Government employ, until he removed to Caro in the fall of 1882. In all topics that interest thoughtful people and bear upon the welfare of our country, Mr. Reece is deeply concerned, and he believes that the interests of the nation can be best subserved by the promulgation of the principles of the Democratic party; he therefore casts his ballot for those candidates who will promote the good of that party. The Masonic fraternity finds him a faithful and active member and he has attained to the degree of Knight Templar. In his business he is intensely interested, and his time is closely devoted to it; by reliable dealing his trade has increased, until he is now widely known as one who is upright, energetic and liberal. 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 File at: http://files.usgwarchives.net/mi/tuscola/bios/reece513gbs.txt This file has been created by a form at http://www.genrecords.org/mifiles/ File size: 4.1 Kb