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Bornyasz Family Tree |
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Bornyasz Unknown Pictures Bronson Brown Riesinger |
This is an exact reprint of the articles written in the
Portrait-Biographical Album of Ionia and Montcalm Counties, Michigan, 1891). The author is unknown.
It should be noted that there are discrepancies in some of the birth/death
dates. -------------------------Eli A. Coleman ------------------------- A representative of the good old stock of New England, Mr. Coleman is the eldest son of Beckett Coleman, who was born September 29, 1801 in Connecticut. When a young man, the father was an operative in a woolen mill but eventually became a farmer. Our subject’s mother bore the maiden name of Harriet Stratton, and was born in New York, May 10, 1806. Her father was a soldier in the Revolutionary War, serving through seven years of hardship and conflict. She was married to Beckett Coleman in New York about 1825. After residing there for some years they removed to Huron County, Ohio, where they remained until they came to Michigan in 1844, and settled on section 26, Orange Township, Ionia County, where our subject now lives. Beckett Coleman took up eighty acres of timber land directly from the United States government. After paying for this purchase he was empty handed, but with courage and independence he went ahead to subdue the wilderness. He built a log house, cleared about fifty acres of timber land and became closely identified with the progress of this section. Beckett Coleman and his good wife were members of the Free Will Baptist Church, the local branch of which he helped to organize. In politics he was first a Democrat but later became a Republican. A man of temperate habits, through his long residence of thirty-four years in the State, he was an example of manly and upright living. He an his wife became the parents of nine children of whom four are now living: our subject was the eldest, the others are David E., Louisa, (Mrs. Douglas) and Esther (Mrs. John Wells.) George, William, Hiram J, Lucy and Ruth are all deceased. The mother died June 11, 1858 but the father survived until May, 1878. The subject of this sketch was born September 20, 1827, in Jefferson County, N.Y. He received a common school education in Ohio, which has been largely supplemented by his studious habits, maintained throughout manhood. He was nearly eighteen years old when his parents came to Michigan and he staid with them until he reached his majority, then leaving home he went to Ottawa County and worked in a lumber camp by the month for three years. His industry and frugality enabled him when he returned to Ionia County to buy forty acres of land, a part of his present farm on section 26. It was all wild land, but he has improved and added to it and has cleared off two hundred acres for himself. He married December 2, 1855, Hannah Jane Smith, a daughter of Ebenezer and Nancy (Merrifield) Smith, who came to Michigan in Territorial days about 1835 and made their home in Orange Township. Mr. Smith lived until 1858, his wife surviving him until 1867. They were the parents of five sons and three daughters. Their daughter, Mrs. Eli Coleman, was born June 25, 1827. Eli A. Coleman and his first wife were the parents of two children. Ella S., born November 6, 1861, married Edmund Harwood. They live in Orange Township and have three children. Ida A. Was born July 16, 1863 and died January 26, 1864. Three of his wife’s brothers, Ebenezer, Milam and Ozen Smith served in the Civil War. The first was an Orderly Sergeant in the Ninth Michigan Infantry. Being taken sick he was sent home on a furlough and did not live to return. Milam was in the First Kansas Battery and was severely hurt by an accident. Ozen also served in the Ninth Michigan Infantry and now lives in this township. Mr. (Eli) Coleman is one of the heroes of the Civil War, enlisting December 24, 1863, in Company K, First Michigan Engineers. He was a private and was promoted to the rank of Corporal, serving twenty-three months. He participated in the Tennessee campaign, marching with Sherman to the sea, and was present at the surrender of Gen. Johnston. He participated in the Grand Review at Washington in 1865, his regiment being the first in the Grand March. He was honorably discharged at Jackson, Michigan, September 30, 1865, and joyfully returned to his home and took up work on the farm . His wife died January 21, 1886. She was an earnest and conscientious member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Mr. Coleman was a second time married August 19, 1886, when Macy Lyda, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Rozell) Lyda, became his wife. Her father was born in Maryland in 1826 and her mother in New Jersey in 1828. They were married in Ohio and coming to Michigan in 1865, settled in Ionia County, in Danby Township, but later removed to Portland where they still live. Their four children are all living - Frank, Anna (Mrs. Holliday), Mrs. Coleman, and Jennie Elizabeth. The present wife of our subject was born December 4, 1862, in Henry County Ohio. She attended school at Portland, and taught for five years in this county, during the last two years n the village of Portland. She is the mother of two children, Grace H., born July 28, 1887 and Kitty Belle, July 20, 1889. Both Mr. and Mrs. Coleman are members of the Methodist Episcopal Church in which he is a trustee. For fifteen years he has been a member of the School Board. As the result of unremitting industry, Mr. Coleman now has two hundred and forty acres of land, over two hundred of which are under the plow. He has given to his daughter Ella eighty acres of improved land. His present fine residence, a view of which is shown on another page, was erected some ten years ago at a cost of $2,000.00. Mr. Coleman has set out orchards, built substantial farm buildings and owns fine stock. He carried on mixed farming and his corn and oats are all consumed by his numerous stock. He is a member of John McGarah Post, No. 132, G.A.R. at Portland, also of the Patrons of Industry. He has been both Drainage Commissioner and Constable of Orange Township. Always taking an interest in politics he formerly voted the Republican ticket, but is now independent in regard to casting his ballot. He has always been a man of strictly temperate habits. His brother Hiram, was also a soldier, enlisting at the age of eighteen years and serving in a cavalry regiment in the State of Illinois being captured by the rebels at Cumberland Gap, he was imprisoned at Andersonville and died there. Mr. Coleman is not content to enjoy his prosperity alone, but is a generous supporter of all good movement. He is a friend of all churches and is one to whom a building committee always go with confidence of help when there is a new church to be built.
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