My Genealogy Hound

JEREMIAH V. SHEPARD. A comparison between New York and Michigan, and they are much alike in intelligence, enterprise and productiveness, while their natural features, made notable by altitude, contiguity to the lake district, and abundance of forest and mineral wealth, will bear close comparison. That their people are much alike is due to the fact that the Empire State has given freely of sons and daughters to help in populating this younger one in the sisterhood of States. Among those who claim New York as their native State is the subject of this sketch.

Mr. Shepard was born not far from Syracuse, November 30, 1819, and was sixth in order of birth of nine children born to Joseph and Lucy (Vose) Shepard, both natives of Massachusetts and of old Puritan stock. Joseph Shepard was born about twenty miles from Boston in July, 1779, and was a minute-man in the War of 1812. He was a stone-mason by trade and followed that for the most port until his death in 1867. His last wife died in 1881. Mr. Shepard’s first marriage occurred in Massachusetts to Miss Mary Hayden, who bore him one child, Mary. The latter died in 1887, at the age of eighty-five years. The mother of this child died when comparatively a young woman, and Mr. Shepard took for his second wife Miss Lucy Vose.

The parents had born to them a large family of children. Alvira married John Phares, a shoe-maker, and became the mother of eight children; she died in Syracuse in 1884, at seventy-six years of age. Polly married Asa Hayden and had two children; she died in Syracuse in 1855, when forty-four years of age. Hannah married Elias Jacobs and four children were born to them; she resides at Bancroft. Eliza, single, makes her home at Syracuse, N. Y. Joseph, single, died in 1887, when sixty-two years of age. John married Miss Zylva O’Daniels, and went West to Illinois, where he died in 1878, when fifty -six years of age; they were the parents of eight children. Diantha was married twice, first to a Mr. Padden, by whom she had one child, and then to a Mr. Duncan; they reside in Syracuse. Orlando married Miss Sarah Smack, and resides near Grand Rapids. They had four children, all boys, and two of them twins.

During his youthful days our subject had limited educational advantages, for most of his time was taken up in assisting his father make a living. When still quite young he started out to fight his own way in life, and first began to manufacture salt in a small way. Later he was engaged in boating on the Erie Canal, also followed lumbering, and afterward cleared up a farm in New York State. About 1841 or ‘42 he married Miss Statyra Quick, a native of New York State, born June 22, 1824, and the daughter of Sylvester Quick, who dropped dead when Mrs. Shepard was but a child. Her half-brother, Sylvester, was a soldier in the Civil War and was killed while in service. Another of her brothers, Henry, served from first to last during the war and escaped without a wound.

In 1859 our subject brought his family from the Stale of New York to Michigan and settled on a farm in Calvin Township, where he resides at the present time. This farm he has cleared and improved and now it is one of the pleasantest in the township. Our subject and his wife had a family of children. Emma, born May 16, 1844, married Mr. Manning Morse and became the mother of three children; they reside in Mason Township, this county. Charles, born in 1846, enlisted in the army and died while in service. Clifton died when a lad of eight years. Ella died at the age of four years. Jessie married Allen Morse, whose father was one of the early settlers of Cass County. This daughter is now living with her father, and her husband is doing business in Elkhart, Ind. Etta married Louis Lamb, a farmer in Calvin Township, and they had one child, Edna, who died when not yet three years old.

The mother of the above-mentioned children died May 7, 1889. She was a most excellent woman, a devoted wife, and a kind and loving mother. Since her death Mr. Shepard has done but little work, but rents his farm. One of his daughters is always with him, keeping his house and making him comfortable and contented during his declining years. He has ever been a quiet, assuming man and one who attends strictly to business. He takes very little interest in public affairs, but is well respected and esteemed by all. Formerly a Whig, he cast his lot with the Republican party, with which he has remained ever since. While living in New York State he was a member of the Sons of Temperance and was also an Odd Fellow.