My Genealogy Hound

George W. Tindall, one of the leading farmers of Brandon township, Oakland County, owns a fine farm of 80 acres in section 31, which he has improved with attractive buildings of modern architecture and substantial character. Mr. Tindall was born April 14, 1838, in Independence township, Oakland County, Michigan, and comes of pioneer ancestry, his parents, Joseph and Patience R. (Freeman) Tindall, coming to Michigan in 1834.

Joseph Tindall was born in New Jersey, and became a prominent and substantial farmer of Oakland County, owning at the time of his death a half section of land. He located for the first five years in Springfield township, removing in 1839 to Oxford township, where he died October 5, 1856, aged 53 years. In early life he was a strong Whig, and later became an active Republican. He served as a justice of the peace and was a man of considerable ability. He married Patience R. Freeman, who was born in 1803 in New Jersey. Her death took place at the home of a daughter at Orion, Oakland County, in 1889, at the age of 82 years. Our subject was the 10th born in a family of 14 children, 11 of whom reached maturity, two dying in infancy and one at the age of 16 years, as follows: Phoebe Ann, who died in 1895, at the age of 70 years, was the wife of Charles Van Wagoner, also deceased; Jefferson K., who died in 1895, aged 66 years, resided on a farm in Springfield township, Oakland County, and left a family of four children, — Mrs. Hubbard, of California, Mrs. Slocum, of Flint, Michigan, Jay K., living in the old home, and Ralph, who is living in the West (one child having died young); Emmeline. who married John Crawford, died at the age of 32 years; Charles Wesley, who was an attorney and a wealthy citizen of Detroit, died there at the age of 36 years, leaving a widow and child; Luther, who was in partnership with Charles, died also in Detroit, aged 42 years, a successful business man; Caroline, who died aged 16; Delia, who died aged 20 months; William Edwin, who died in infancy; Alameda, who married Mr. Lawrence, a retired farmer and mill owner of Bancroft, Michigan, has had six children, two of whom are deceased; Dr. O. N., who has long been a successful physician at Toledo, Ohio, is upon the point of retiring from activity; Edgar, who was formerly a farmer in Oakland County, is now a stationary engineer at Petersburg, Virginia, and has a family of two sons.

Our subject obtained a common school education. Being one of a large family and his services not being needed at home, at the age of 18 years he started out for himself. His energy and industry soon enabled him to purchase his first tract of land, 80 acres in Shiawassee County, which he later sold. After several years of work in Oxford township, he bought his present farm in Brandon township, which, as noted, his perseverance, good taste and industry have converted into one of the most attractive and valuable homes in the township.

Mr. Tindall was married in the vicinity of Port Huron, Michigan, to Sarah Townsend, who was a daughter of John and Ann (Gibson) Townsend, both deceased. The former was a lieutenant in the United States Regular Army, and served in the Black Hawk War. Four children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Tindall: Frank G., who is farming near Davisburg, Springfield township, was married to a Miss Stowell, and has three children, — George, Wesley and Elise; Leroy, deceased, who was married in California, and left one son, Percy Leroy; Hoyt A., who died at the age of 20 months; and Clyde, who married a Miss Trish, and they live on a neighboring farm and have one little three-year-old daughter, Ruth. Mrs. Tindall died in 1891. He married for his second wife Tina Breining, of Detroit.

In politics Mr. Tindall is independent, voting more for men than party. Fraternally he belongs to the Grange and takes an active interest in its projects. Both he and his wife attend the Methodist Church.