Wednesday, January 2, 2013


I believe this was published in the Copemish Progress.  Here is a transcription of a poem by Ira Courson --

Pioneer experiences rhymed by the official Rhymester,
These tales were told at the New Years gathering of 1916:

John Stiver met a savage buck,
John grabbed his hat ant took to flight;
The race was never nip and tuck,
The deer could not keep John in sight.

Jerry Gilbert hunted too,
Of deer he never got a sight;
He heard them snort the whole night through,
He smoked mosquitos all the night.

Al Ball, he got a broken leg,
An awful smash, the neighbors say;
For months he could not move a peg,
And the nearest doctor miles away.

Another pioneer perforce,
To a high class dinner went one night;
He filled up so, on the first course,
He couldn't eat another bite.

Another course of course was brought,
Some chickens from the choicest coop;
John Harrington could eat no more,
John Harrington was full of soup.

Charles N. Nolf Obituary

This is a transcription from the Copemish Progress (no date):

Charles W. Nolf, son of Mr. and Mrs. Geo. P. Nolf, died at the house of his parents in Copemish on December 23, 1918.

He was born August 21, 1889, in Copemish, on the farm one-half mile east of town.  He was a graduate of the Copemish high school in 1909.  He completed the college preparatory for graduation in the Ferris Institute at Big Rapids.

In 1909 -10, he attended the law school at Ann Arbor.  In 1913 the Detroit College of Law conferred upon him the title and degree of Bachelor of Law, and the same year was admitted to the bar by the supreme court of this state.  In the latter part of 1913 he established a law office in this village and practiced law until 1917, when he gave up his office and enlisted for his country and was sent to Fort Sheridan, Illinois, to the officer's reserve training camp.  A few months later he returned home to await his call for overseas service.

He leaves a father and mother, one brother, Sargent Arnold W. Nolf, now in north Russia, two sisters, Mrs. Norman Jones of Cadillac and Mrs. Arthur Chubb of Muskegon and many other relatives and friends.
L.L. Duffy

Here is a transcription from the Copemish Progress (no date):

LL. Duffy taken by death April 7 in Grand Rapids

Leo Lionel Duffy was born in Ohio, November 27, 1848, and died at his home in Grand Rapids, Michigan, April 7, 1921, at the age of 72 years, 8 months, and ten days.  He came to Cleon Township, Manistee County, Michigan, in the early days and was one of the first settlers.

Mr. Duffy was united in marriage to Miss Juliana Lake, July 16, 1871, this being the first wedding in Cleon Township.  To this union was born four daughters, two dying in young womanhood.  Mrs. Duffy died September 10, 1905, and April 3, 1906, Mr. Duffy was married to Miss Ruth Miller at Pomona.  To this union was born three children, two dying in infancy.

Mr. Duffy was postmaster at Pomona for several years and also conducted a general store for some time.  About seven years ago, following the big fire, he purchased a farm near Manton and moved there.  Later he moved to Grand Rapids where he conducted a store until his death.
Nolf

Two entries found in the Classified Ads of the Copemish Progress:

August 19, 1920

NOTICE -- Notice is hereby given that no person has the right or is authorized to sell or dispose of my household furniture or other personal property, and all persons are warned about buying the same.
-- Mrs. Eliza Nolf


October 19, 1920

NOTICE -- Whereas, my wife Eliza Nolf,  has left by bed and board without cause or provocation, this is to forbid anyone harboring or trusting her on my account, as I wil pay no debts of her contraction after this date. -- J.A. Nolf, Copemish,