My Genealogy Hound

BETHUEL FARLEY. Among the early pioneers of Berrien County, Oronoko Township, Mich., and who has attained to a vigorous old age, is Bethuel Farley, who many years ago came to this section and entered actively upon his career as a farmer. The older members of a community are doubly entitled to the respect and esteem of their neighbors when their lives have been replete with acts of kindness and their whole career marked by integrity and uprightness. Our subject is one of those who has fought the battle of life successfully, and is now in the enjoyment of the fruits of his early labors. He is a product of Ohio, born in the town of Kirtland in 1823, and the son of Amos and Lucy (Hall) Farley, natives respectively of New Hampshire and Vermont.

The parents were married in New Hampshire, but subsequently removed to Lower Canada, where they made their home for twelve years. From there they went to Ohio in, 1814 or 1815, settling in the town of Kirtland, near which Mr. Farley tilled the soil for many years, but about 1830 he ventured into the wilds of Michigan, where for three years he resided on the site of the now prosperous village of St. Joseph. There were but two or three houses there at that time, and our subject has in his possession two or three chairs made by a Mr. Chandler, who was a chair-maker there in 1830. While residing in St. Joseph, Mr. Farley kept boarders, this being the first house of the kind in the village. In May, 1833, he settled on the farm where our subject now resides, then consisting of eighty acres, and for which he paid $150, and at once began clearing and improving.

At that time the country was wild and unsettled, neighbors were far off, and Indians were to be seen every day, their largest camp being located on the St. Joseph River, near the present town of Buchanan. Mr. Farley’s nearest neighbor was Hezakia Hall, whose farm was about a quarter of a mile away. On his farm Mr. Farley remained until his death in 1837. His wife survived him until 1854. They were the parents of eight children, all of whom are deceased but our subject. Laura was the wife of Joseph Gard; Susana was the wife of Martin Friley; Rebecca was the wife of Ransom French; Daniel H., Ebenezer and Amos A. came next; Eliza M. was the wife of Chancy A. Hall; and Bethuel is our subject. The paternal grandfather of our subject, Ebenezer Farley, was a native of New Hampshire, and his brother served in the Revolutionary War.

Bethuel Farley was only about seven years of age when his parents came to Berrien County, Mich., and as a consequence nearly all his recollections are of this State. At that time schools were scarce, and young Farley’s educational advantages were limited. He commenced for himself after the death of his father and took care of his mother until her death. Besides the eighty acres inherited from his father’s estate, he has since purchased forty acres, making one hundred and twenty acres, of which seventy acres are well cultivated. Mr. Farley has resided on this farm since 1833, a period of sixty years, and saw the first stick of timber cut from the place, as well as the last. Most of the improvements on the place have been made by his own hands, and he is one of the foremost agriculturists of the township. He is a deservedly popular man, and is well known for his integrity and general intelligence, as well as for his long residence in this county.

In the year 1853 he was married to Miss Sarah L. Thompson, the daughter of Robert P. and Caroline L. (Starkweather) Thompson, natives of the Empire State, who came to Michigan in 1850. Mr. and Mrs. Thompson first settled in Twin Springs, but later removed to Berrien Springs, where they remained for five years. From there they went to St. Joseph County, and made their home there until after the war, when they removed to the northern part of the State. Not satisfied there, they oved to Nebraska, where the father’s death occurred on the 31st of August, 1875. He was accidentally killed while driving over a bridge, which gave way, throwing the horses and wagon upon him. He and his wife were the parents of seven children: Sarah L.; Emerett E., wife of H. Richards, of St. Joseph County; Maryett, wife of John Landon, of St. Joseph County; Phoeba J., wife of Ambrose Button, of Grand Travis County, Mich.; A. R. P., who resides in Missouri; Alonzo L. P., of Nebraska; and one, who died when small.

Mr. Farley’s union resulted in the birth of nine children, two of whom died when small. The others are: Fletcher, at home; Lucy L., wife of William Simpson, of Berrien Township; John W., of Nebraska; Laura A., wife of Newton Spaulding; George A., Levi A. and Mary E., at home Mr. and Mrs. Farley hold membership in the Methodist Episcopal Church, and contribute liberally of their means to its support and to all other worthy enterprises. Mr. Farley is a very pronounced Prohibitionist, but for many years voted the Democratic ticket. His father-in-law, Mr. Thompson, was one of the first brick and stone masons in the county, and erected some of the most substantial brick and stone buildings.