In the books' own words, not ours, with obvious scanning errors fixed. The later printing (1906) is folded below the first. Families often supplied these stories to the publisher, so check key dates.
Born 1831, Bucks county
From Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan (1906), Portrait and biographical album of Washtenaw County, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, a (1891)
HARLES H. KEMPF, Sk. The firm of R. Kempf <fe Bro., one of the oldest and most reliable l)asking institutions in Washtenaw County, is presided over by the gentleman whose name heads this sketch. Their bank was established in 1866. Our subject is a native of Bucks County, Pa., and was born January 1, 1831. He is a son of John J. and Rosanna (Myers) Kempf, natives of Wurtemberg, (Jermany. They came to America about 1880, and settled in Bucks County, Pa., near Quakertown.
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Our subject received his education at Ann Arbor, and there learned the tinsmiths' trade, and in 1853 started.the first tin shop at Chelsea, later enlarging his business to that of general hardware. Five years after ftat his brother came to Chelsea, and ttether they went into partnership and opened the first lumber yard, also handling the produce of the country. They continued in this business until three years ago, adding to their other interest that of the rel-estate business. Mr. Kempf has done much to improve the appearance of Chelsea, having built business blocks and houses.
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In 1855 our subject was married to Miss Mary E. Freer, a native of Lima, Washtenaw County, this State. She is a daughter of Alvah and Phele A. (Streator) Freer, natives of New York, who came West about 1887 and ended in farming. They are now residents of the village of Chelsea. Four children have been accorded this estimable couple, three of whom are now living, the eldest son having died at the age of two years. The eldest son now living, George, married Lena Angel ine; he is a leading dry-goods merchant at Chelsea, and owns a branch store at Manchester. Wilbur married Catherine Cummings, and is one of the prominent farmers of this township residing two miles south of Chelsea; he is the father of two children — Leon and Bessie. Myrtie H. is a graduate? of Temple
Grove Seminary of Saratoga, N. Y., and is particularly proficient in music. Our subject enjoys a wide and unblemished reputation as being a man of the most perfect business instincts.
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(>SHPH WHrrLARK. Many of the residents of Washtenaw County are of British birth and have engrafted upon Western ways the habits of the sturdy Anglo-Saxon race. They have thus been of great benefit especially in the development of a new country. Such an one we find in our subject who was born at Sherwood Hill, Nottingham, England, December 23, 1829. His father, John, and his mother, Abbie (Wadkin) Whitlark,werc natives of Laucastershire; the mother died when her son Joseph had reached only the tender age of five years.
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The eldest son of this family, William W. is living in Canada where he is a general agent for a sewing machine; John W. settled on the old homestead and died some six years since. His widow, who was Clarissa FitzSimmons, followed him to the grave two years later. The youngest son, Thomas, lives in Peru, Ind.
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On the 24th of October, 1853, Mr. Whitlark was married to Miss Lucy B. Bilbie, a native of Nottinghamshire, England, where she was born November 1, 1828. Her parents were Walter and Lucy (Henson) Bilbie, who came to the United States in 1848 and settled on a farm in Ann Arbor Township. The father had been a lace manufacturer in England and died in 1878 while he was making his home with Mrs. Whitlark. He had been bei*saved of his wife two years previous. Mi's. Whitlark is a direct descendant of James Hargi-leaves the inventor of the carding-machine and spinning jenny now in common use. To her have been born four sons — Walter J., Lawrence B., Arthur H. and an infant unnamed. Walter was graduated in the Pharmacuetical Department of the I'university of Michigan in 1876 and remained with his parents on the farm until his death, which took place July 28, 1888, when he had reached the age of thirty-three yeai"s. He left a wife and one child, the former l)eing Ida E., a daughter of Chauncey Orcutt. The child, Ijiwrence C, is now ten years old and he and his mother live with his grandparents.
Our subject's son, Iwrence B., who was born May 1, 1859, passed from earth June 28, 1875; Arthur H. took a course in the civil and mining engineering department of the University and in Maixjh, 1886, was appointed clerk in the Postoffice Department at Washington, having successfully passed an examination and being the first appointed out of fourteen who were examined. His wife was Katie Specchley, of Ann Arbor, who was gi-aduated at the High School, taking a diploma of high rank. They have one child, Edna, born September 22, 1890.
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In connection with this biographical notice is presented a portrait of Mr. Whitlark.
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1? AMKvS J. PARSHALL. This gentleman of whom we now write, whose pleasant home is to be found in Ann Arbor Township, is
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Our subject spent his early days lal)bring with his father in the different enterprises which he undertook. In 1841 they were large contractors on the Illinois and Michigan Canal and were successful and prosperous in their work, but when the State of Illinois suspended work on the public enterprises they were thrown into financial difl3culties which greatly embarrassed them, but they were so happy as to be able to pay all obligations and soon began life again.
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As printed in Portrait and biographical album of Washtenaw County, Michigan, containing biographical sketches of prominent and representative citizens, together with biographies of all the governors of the state, a (1891). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
C. H. KEMPF.
C. H. Kempf, vice president of the Kempf Commercial Savings Bank, of Chelsea, was born in Bucks county, Pennsylvania, January 1, 1831, his parents being Jacob and Rosina Kempf, both of whom were natives of Germany, whence they crossed the Atlantic to the new world in 1830, taking up their above in Bucks county, where they resided until 1838, when they came to Washtenaw county, settling at Ann Arbor. The father was one of the early butchers of that city, and had to go to Ohio for his cattle. He was also identified with farming interests, and had eighty acres of land in Scio township, which he owned and cultivated, transforming it into a productive tract of land. He likewise owned property in Ann Arbor. By his first marriage he had one son, Jacob, and by his second marriage there were seven children, two of whom died in infancy. The others are: Reuben, C. H., Deanr Godfrey and Rosina. Both of the parents are now deceased, and in their death the county lost two of its worthy pioneer people.
C. H. Kempf was a youth of about seven years when brought by his family to Washtenaw county; and in the public schools of Ann Arbor he acquired the education that fitted him for life's practical and responsible duties. He afterward learned the tinsmith's trade, at which he worked for six years, or until 1852, when he embarked in business for himself as a member of the firm of Kempf & Risdon, of Chelsea? This relationship was maintained for a year and a half. About 1857 his brother Reuben learned the trade and the firm became C. H. & R. Kempf. They were thus associated for a long period, or until 1877. Mr. Kempf, of this review, also embarked in the hardware business, and, later, in connection with his brother, he engaged in the produce business as a member of the firm of R. Kempf & Brother. In 1876 they turned their attention to the banking business under the same firm style, opening a private bank, which was thus conducted until 1899, when the business was incorporated under the style of the Kempf Commercial & Savings Bank of Chelsea, with Mr. Kempf as vice-president. He is also interested in loans and in operating in farm lands. He now gives his at- * tention to the supervision of his invested interests and the management of the bank.
In 1855 Mr. Kempf was united in marriage to Miss Mary E. Feer, of Lima, Michigan, and unto them have been born four children; but Charles, the eldest, died at the age of one year and ten months. The others are: George, who is now living in Detroit; Wilbur G., a resident of Hillsdale; and Myrtle, the wife of C. J. Chandler, of Detroit.
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As printed in Past and present of Washtenaw County, Michigan (1906). See the original pages. Wording is the original; obvious scanning errors have been corrected, and a few may remain.
Named in this biography: James Parshall William Robbins (b. 1837)
Their biographies name C. H. Kempf: Jabez Bacon (b. 1850) William Bacon (b. 1852) H. S. Holmes
The printed record stops around 1906. We trace your line from there down to you, with every source cited.