Notes for George HOUGHTALING
Portrait and Biographical Album Ingham & Livingston Counties Michigan
GEORGE E. HOUGHTALING. The enterprising farmer and good citizen whose name we now give is a native son of the Wolverine State, being born August 31, 1836, in Lyons, Oakland County. Garrett and Rachel (Thompson) Houghtaling were his parents and his paternal grandfather was Richard Houghtaling, who was born in New York and devoted himself through life to farming pursuits. He came to Michigan about 1835 and passed the remainder of his days with his son, Garrett, and soon after his decease his widow also passed away. This worthy couple brought to years of maturity and usefulness a large family of children as follows: John, David, Henry, Garrett, Peter, Mahala, Hannah, Betsey and Margaret, and all are married except Peter and Mahala. The father of our subject had his birth in New York and was twice married, first to Lydia Gates, by whom he had two son, William O. and Samuel G., and after her death, which occurred in Lyons, Oakland County, he married the mother of our subject, who bore him one, son George. She died in 1868. Garrett Houghtaling was a blacksmith by trade (196) and came to Michigan about 1820, settling in Wayne County, where he followed his trade at Waterford until 1837, when he came to Green Oak Township, Livingston County, and established himself. He was prosperous in his business, an accumulated a comfortable competency, acquiring a farm of about five hundred acres, all of it located on section, 23. This he improved and cultivated and made his home upon it until he was called from earth at the age of forty-eight in the year 1845. His religious convictions brought him into union with the Christian Church and his political views allied him with the old Whig party. The mother of our subject was born in Columbia, Herkimer County, N.Y., and was a daughter of Moses and Margaret (Morris) Thompson, who were from New Jersey, their early home being near Morristown. The father was a farmer and he moved to New York, and in 1835 came with his team through Canada to Michigan, being two weeks on the road. He settled in the woods where Howell now stands and built a sawmill. He was a man of means and took up some two thousand acres of land in Livingston County and in Oakland County. His life in Michigan was cut short by death as he was called away from earth in 1841, while living a little north of Howell, and his faithful wife who was the mother of nine children, survived him until 1867. She died at the age of eighty-five. The happy married life of Mr. Houghtaling began August 21, 1862, and his bride was Mary, daughter of Henry and Olive (Carpenter) Randall. This lady was born in Huron, Erie County, Ohio and became the mother of seven children who have in every way proved an honor to their faithful parents, who through their childhood and youth gave them all necessary opportunities for self improvement and development. Jennie M. is, a graduate of Albion College and a teacher in Howell; Mary A. who is an artist is the wife of Clarence Pearce, while the remaining children are: Edward S., Edith C., Grace O., Bertha L., and Eva R. For more than thirty years our subject and his wife have been prominently identified with the Methodist Episcopal Church and they are leaders in its work and social circles. The early training of our subject was received upon the farm and in the schools of Oakland at County, and after the death of the father his mother was united in marriage with Alva Preston. The son remained at home until he reached the age d of twenty-six, when he began for himself upon one hundred and twenty-six acres on section 23. He now owns two hundred and forty-four acres although he met with a serious loss through endorsing for a friend and he was obliged to sell one hundred acres in order to pay this debt; yet it is evident that he may fairly be called a successful man. He has served as Township Treasurer and Clerk and is well-known in every circle of life in Cohoctah Township where he has lived since 1847, with the exception of four years which he spent in Albion, to which he moved in order to educate his children. He and his household are among the most highly respected members of society in this part of the county, and are worthy of the esteem which is granted them.
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