Ingham County Biographical Sketches


Floyd G. Annis

(Deceased)



Floyd G. Annis was a descendant of one of the pioneer families of Ingham county. His father, Elon G., and the mother, Angeline (Wisnor) Annis, came to this country and settled on a farm in Onondaga township in 1836, and are thus entitled to be classed among the history makers of this section of the State. The father was a native of New York, as was also the mother. A great deal of credit should be given to this class of hardy pioneers, who, leaving the comforts and advantages of the east, emigrated westward into an almost uncivilized country, and gave the best years of their lives towards preparing a home for their prosperity. Few of this present generation can realize the hardships they endured in the development of a wilderness into a civilized community. They both passed away during the winter of 1881, the mother preceding the father but two days; they were buried in the same grave.

Floyd G. Annis' mother was the daughter of an honored pioneer of the State, Mr. Samuel Wisnor, who died some years since. Mr. and Mrs. Elon G. Annis were the parents of two children: our subject, and sister, Marriette, who married Aaron T. Ingalls of Leslie. Mrs. Ingalls was a worthy woman and died in 1897.

Our subject received his early education in the common schools of his locality, supplemented by attendance at the high school of Jackson city. At the death of his father he came into possession of the old home farm; this he eventually sold and purchased additional land near where the family have since resided, while recognized as one of the leading farmers in his township. For many years Mr. Annis has been extensively engaged in purchasing horses for the eastern market. For the past ten years much of his time has been employed in this business for Mr. Edgar Snow of Boston. The classes handled have been carriage and driving horses. Twice he visited England in the employ of Mr. Snow, at one time remaining for ten months, disposing of shipments of horses. Upon this occasion Mrs. Annis and daughter, Lena B., accompanied him and spent the time in and about London, sight seeing. This was in 1897. It was during their visit abroad that Mr. Annis' only sister died and was buried.

November 11, 1877, Mr. Annis was united in marriage to Emma J., daughter of Adam L. Smith, a native of New York, who was born in 1812 and died in 1880. The mother of Mrs. Annis departed this life while the daughter was a child. Mrs. Annis is one of a family of eight, of whom one sister, Mrs. Dwight is living at Eden, Ingham county.

Unto Mr. and Mrs. Annis were born four children: Pearl, April 29, 1869, is the wife of M. R. Layton of Leslie; Merton E., born February 26, 1873, married Jessie Blackmore and resided in Leslie, having two children, Marshall E., and an infant born May 7, 1905; Burton, A., born March 1, 1874, is married to Grace, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. O. V. Tuttle, he is a farmer of Leslie township. The fourth, Lena B., born March 18, 1879, is the wife of Fred E. Sayers, residing in Leslie, and they have one child, Garth, born November 26, 1901.

For fifty-eight years Mr. Annis resided upon this property, and therefore witnessed many scenes and changes in the marvelous growth and development of Ingham county. On December 29, 1904, Mr. Annis died at his home in Onondaga township. Two days later, on December 31, his son, Merton E., also died, and the father and son were buried in one grave, January 1, 1905, in the cemetery at the Village of Leslie.






Taken from:
"Past and Present of the City of Lansing and Ingham County, Michigan", by Albert E. Cowles.
Published by The Michigan Historical Publishing Association Lansing, MICH., 1905.
Pages 532 - 533




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