The Owosso times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1897-1926, 1902-02-28
PIONEERS AND PATRIOTS.
Old Settlers of Owosso and Shiawas-
see County Met Saturday In the
Congregational Church for Their
Annual Reunion.


Annual Reunion.
The old settlers of Shiawassee county
never had more auspicious day for
their midwinter meeting than last
Saturday when they met in the Con-
gregational church in this city. The
handsome church, comfortable and
warm, the splendid music on the big
organ and by the Congregational church
choir and no less the solos by the Misses
Kanagy and Jones, and the goodly at
tendance of friends both old and young
made the day notable one, while after
the other exercises of the day the visit
to their old friend and comrade, Judge
Josiah Turner, and his daughter Miss
Nellie Turner, made the day still richer
in the memories which it will carry into
the future for those who were in attend
ance at the midwinter meeting of 1902
The forenoon session was largely
taken up with the business affairs of the
society and the attendance was some
what less than a hundred. President j.
H. Moyses of this city, presided at this
and the afternoon meeting and the
secretary, Mr.. L. E. Gould kept the
records of both sessions.
The societys historian, Mr.. A. FL.
Owen, read summary of history of
the county which was written by
Andrew Huggins, one of the pioneer
surveyors of this part of the state The
manuscript of the history was presented
to the society. The list of pioneers who
have died during the year was also
prepared by Mr.. Owen. A memoir of
Mrs. A B. Chipman was read by Mrs.
A. H. Parkill. Before adjournment the
| following officers were elected for the
ensuing year: President, Hon Josiah
Turner, Owosso; vice presidents, J. D.
Leland, Durand; O. G. Moore, Corunna;
secretary treasurer, L. E. Gould, Owos-
50; Historian, A. II. Owen, of Venice.
Mr.. l.. E. Gould was also made assistant
historian at the request of Mr.. Owen
for an assistant
In the afternoon the attendance
reached about three hundred and the
interest reached its greatest height.
After a song by the choir and the in
vocation by Rev. Frank S. Lyon, an
address OF welcome was made by Mayor
Emery in behalf of the city. He as
sured them that the welcome accorded
the pioneers by the city was of the most
sincere kind. 1t was moreover well
come extended with no thought of
getting any pecuniary reward from the
visitors and therefore on the very face
of it a most sincere one. Besides the
welcome which he extended for the city
however he wished TO assure them that
he did not even have words to express
the kind feelings which he had per-
sonally for the men and women whom
he saw in front Of him.
The address was responded TO by the
genial representing attorney, Mr.. A
L. Chandler Of Corunna. He liked the
sentiments expressed by the mayor in
his welcome and liked it the more be-
cause from all that he knew of the
mayor he had every reason to believe
that the welcome was of the most sin
cere sort The sentiments expressed in
such an address were never more than
half the welcome. The rest was made
up of the man himself. He spoke of the
reference made by the mayor to the
money side of some similar gatherings
and devoted some time to eriticising the
spirit which makes the dollar the chief
| thing in life to be striven for. In the
pioneer days the sole thought was not
one of making money. Greed was not
their only object nor their leading char
acteristic. Love of their simple homes.
honor for the father and the mother
were more prominent features in their
lives than love of gain. The address
was well sprinkled in places with Mr..
Chambers well known drolleries which
would have put any audience in a good
humor but in closing he brought out
more emphatically thought which he
had spoken of earlier in his address that
we are all even today in one sense
pioneers and especially that every man
who brings out some new thing for the
improvement of mankind in any wav is
quite as much pioneer as the man who
carved new home out of the wilder
ness.
The address of the afternoon was that
given by Mr.. Stanley E. Parkill, of this
city, who was introduced by President
j. III. Moyses after the audience had
listened to most artistically sung solo
by Miss Kanagy and had compelled her
to respond to an encore
Mr.. Parhill at the outset paid tribute
to the memory of his father, who every
old settler present knew, always took the
liveliest interest in the gatherings of
this society. He told them what they
did not have difficulty im remembering
and believing that not only was his
father one of the oldest settlers of this
county but that if there was one organ
ization which he loved better than any
other it was this same old settlers
society. He knew that he was present
| u, o,,t,.;t fba,, Co.. L. xsa..o-.