My Genealogy Hound

John Muirhead, formerly located on a fine farm of 80 acres in section 14, West Bloomfield township, Oakland County, died November 26, 1872, leaving a widow and eight children. Mr. Muirhead was born August 9, 1828, in Stirlingshire, Scotland, where both his father and grandfather had been born before him, and where they had followed agricultural lives.

John Muirhead came to America in 1849, and settled in Oakland County, Michigan. In 1857 he purchased the farm now owned and occupied by his widow. The property formerly belonged to Matthew McCallum and contains 80 acres, well located in section 14, West Bloomfield township. In 1849, Mr. Muirhead married Elizabeth Baird, the estimable lady who survives him.

Mrs. Muirhead was born in Stirlingshire, Scotland, April 4, 1828, and is a daughter of Peter and Jane (Mane) Baird, the former of whom was a farmer and miller. The children of Mr. and Mrs. Baird were: Robert, James, Elizabeth and Agnes, Elizabeth being the only member of the family to come to America. A family of eight children were born to Mr. and Mrs. Muirhead, as follows: Jane, born August 21, 1851, who married John McCann, now deceased, and lives on her farm in Independence township, Oakland County, with two children, — Frank and Ralph; William, born February 7, 1853, who is a farmer, living in section 14, West Bloomfield township, married Mary La Forge and they have four children, — Roland, William, Peter and Florence; Peter, born March 5, 1855, owns a large ranch at Alberta, Canada; Richard, born March 15, 1857, who is a farmer living in Orion township, Oakland County, married Lulu Rockwell and has one child, — Hazel; Robert B., deceased; Elizabeth, born April 7, 1859, who married Francis M. Harger, a farmer located in section 13, West Bloomfield township, and has four children, — Matilda, Esmo, Blanche and Arvilla; John, born May 14, 1861, who resides on his mother’s farm, married Louise Holden, — their one son, Charles, is deceased; and Robert, born July 20, 1872, who married Jennie Randall, who was born near New Haven, Michigan, where her father, James Randall, now lives, following the carpenter’s trade, — they have three children: Goldie, born May 8, 1896; Zora, born May 18, 1898; and Olive, born November 28, 1900.

The mother of this large, intelligent and prosperous family has reached her 75th milestone, but she comes of a race that is strong of heart and sturdy of body, and life holds for her many enjoyments and manifold duties. Time has touched her gently and shows comparatively little of the years of hard work and exposure which this brave mother went through, after the death of her husband, in order to care for her family of children and to save their heritage. With her own strong and willing hands she labored in the fields, worked the oxen in clearing up the land, even got out logs and hewed them in readiness for the mill. Her reward came when she paid off the mortgage and knew the farm was secure. Since the necessity for labor has long since passed away, it would please her devoted children to see her enjoy the rest she has so abundantly earned, did they not realize that her happiness comes in being busy. She takes pride and pleasure in her fine garden and her four cows know only her touch at milking time. Her vitality is remarkable. She belongs to the Presbyterian Church, of which her husband was also a member. In politics Mr. Muirhead was a Democrat.