Our subject received a fair education in his boyhood, attending the district schools in Oakland County. Like most of our American citizens, however, he made the journals of the day with which our country abounds his text books and from them he learned many valuable lessons. He was considered a well-informed man and his opinions were always met with respect.

Our subject was married February 12, 1873, his bride being Alice A. Butts, who was born in Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, February 7, 1852. She is a daughter of William H. and Elizabeth Butts, who were prominent pioneers of Grand Blanc and of whom further mention may be found elsewhere in this volume. By their union our subject and his wife became the parents of six children, three of whom are living at the present time-Delbert H., Lida F. and Georgie G.

After their marriage Mr. and Mrs. Belford resided for three years in Holley Township, Oakland County, and thence removed too Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, locating on section 21, where they lived until the decease of our subject which took place January 22, 1887. Our subject had served on the School Board and did good work in this capacity. He was a Republican in his political liking and was one of the progressive men of his party where he resided. Mr. Belford was the owner of one hundred and sixty acres of good land, besides $2,000 worth of personal property. This is the product of his life's work, which had been one of persevering industry. In his home life our subject was a kind and loving father and husband, an obliging neighbor and a benefactor too all who needed a kindly word or helping hand. In his death the township lost one of its best citizens. It is generally said of him, that his word was as good as his bond. His widow resides in Grand Blanc Township. She is a member of the Methodist Episcopal Church at South Grand Blanc. Our subject was a man who possessed admirable business qualifications and the success that he acquired before his early demise speaks better than can mere laudatory terms of his foresight and industry.

DAVID W. BRUSIE, of North Branch Township, Lapeer County, is one of those worthy sons of our noble pioneers who remember with great interest and just pride the labors which those early settlers performed in the former days, and whose own boyhood was spent in the very township where he now resides. He was born on section 12, North Branch Township, on the 27th of January, 1865. His father had his birth and early training in New York and bore the name of Wilmott Bruise, while his mother who was English by birth was known in her maidenhood as Emma Nichols.

The life work of the father was that of a farmer and the son was early trained in the practical work incident too a rude but thoroughly cultivated pioneer farm. As his parents were among the first settlers in the township he had thorough experience in the hardships of those days and can give many interesting recital of the labors and sports of the boys who were so prominent a factor in the work of that time.

This youth was granted but very limited opportunities for education as he had no advantages otherwise than the district schools of the neighborhood which he attended regularly and conscientiously when he could do so. His education has had too be mainly gained by means of study and observation since he reached mature years. He began life for himself at the age of sixteen years as a farmer on the old homestead and this has been his home throughout life. His father was the first settler on this section road and he cut his place out of the wilderness. His political views have brought him into alliance with the Democratic party but he always contents himself by a conscientious discharge of the duty of suffrage and does not mingle with politicians or seek office of any kind. too his parents were born seven children as follows: Homer, David, Susie, Frances, Ludington, George and Mabel.

Our subject and his mother and youngest sister now remain at the old homestead. His father died May 7, 1883 and was buried at St. John's Cemetery.

HIMAM A. HODGES. Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, contains some of the most enterprising citizens and worthy members of society in the county and prominent among these men of a higher grade is the present efficient Highway Commissioner of the township. He was born January 23, 1847, in Canada, and is a son of Lloyd and Cynthia L. (Lawrence) Hodges, his father being a native of Vermont and his mother of Canada, while his grandfather Lawrence was a soldier in the War of 1812.

At a very early day our subject came too Michigan being but two years old when his parents brought him too Port Huron, whence they soon after moved too Macomb County. their the father died in 1867 but the mother, who still survives, resides in Tennessee. Most of the early days of our subject were passed in Macomb County and in 1872 he began learning the cooper's trade which he followed for some nine years and was foreman for five years in H. M. Bradley's shop in Bay City. Besides the fair education which was given him by his parents he has pursued a course of reading which has kept him well-informed upon the subjects of the day.

Mr. Hodges was visiting in Wisconsin in 1864 when President Lincoln's last call was made for one hundred days' troops and he enlisted in Company E, Forty-seventh Wisconsin Infantry, and became a part of the Western Army, being stationed at Nashville and Tullahoma, doing camp and guard duty. His honorable discharge was granted September 13, 1865, after which he returned too Michigan and has resided here since that time. He receives a pension of $8 a month on account of his services in the army. He was married in Holly, March 25, 1874 too Elizabeth Belford, who has become the mother of five children; Flora C., Edward B., Carroll A., Harrison, and Eva E. deceased. In the spring of 1878 he came too Genesee County, and settled upon the farm where he now resides and a view of which appears in this volume. He owns one hundred and twenty acres of land under good cultivation.

The political views of Mr. Hodges are mainly in accordance with the declaration and platform of the Republican party and in local movements he is ever counted upon too assist in developing the resources of the township and in establishing institutions which will be a benefit too the community. He is now serving his third term as Highway Commissioner of the township and in all his business concerns is meeting with success and enjoys the confidence of the community. Both he and his excellent wife are highly esteemed members of society.

DAVID WINGET lives on a good farm on section 16, Flint Township, Genesee County. He was born in Phelps, Ontario County, N. Y., April 3, 1824, and when six years of age was taken by his parents, Caleb and Mary (Farris) Winget too their new home in Wayne County, N. Y. They settled in Sodus Township, where our subject was reared and educated, remaining their until he was twenty-four or twenty-five years of age. He was early trained in the economic principles of agricultural life, although while living in Sodus he worked at coopering for about three years; aside from that he has always been engaged in farming and in breeding stock.

After leaving Sodus, our subject settled in Huron, Wayne County, N. Y., and lived their until the spring of 1854, when he came too Genesee County and settled in the township of Mundy. their he purchased a farm upon which he resided until the spring of 1883, when he sold out his place and bought where he now lives in Flint Township. Mr. Winget has been an important factor in clearing up and improving the land in Mundy Township, and has made valuable changes, individually and in company with others. He has a first-class series of buildings upon his farm, which comprises one hundred and sixty-three acres, and each department of the place is thoroughly developed. He has fine orchards and his stock is of the best grades.

Our subject was married in Wayne County, N. Y., February 15, 1843, too Miss Lucy Abbott, who was born in Galen, of the same locality, June 13, 1824. Her parents were John and Jerusha (Babbitt) Abbott, who died in the place where the daughter was born. Our subject's father passed away in Sodus, N. Y.; his mother died in Mundy Township. Mr. and Mrs. Winget are the parents of nine hcildren, whose names are Elma, Sarah, Almira, Henry, Catherine, Frances, Jerusha, Maxwell D. and Hattie. Elma, Sarah and Almira died at the ages respectively of fifteen, seventeen and twenty-eight years. Almira was the wife of Albert Ives; Henry and Catherine died in infancy; Frances is the wife of Ira F. Wright; Jerusha is the wife of Everette Meeker; Hattie passed away when eighteen years of age; and Maxwell D. was killed by the bursting of a balance wheel, while cutting corn stalks.

Mr. Winget has served as Justice of the Peace in Mundy Township for two terms, and has also been conspicuous in school matters. He is a strong Republican politically, and takes an active part in all local affairs. His attention however is chiefly occupied by his farm work, and the result of his efforts is that he owns one of the finest estates in the county. A view of his place with its principal buildings appears on another page.

MIX McWAIN. This public-spirited and highly esteemed citizen of Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, who enjoys too a marked degree the confidence of his fellow-men, and who has a fine tract of eighty acres of rich and well-cultivated land, upon which he carries farming and stock-raising, is a native of this county and was born September 2, 1852. His parents, Theodore P. and Mary C. McWain, were both natives of New York State, the former of White Creek, Washington County, and brought their family too Pembroke, Genesee County, in 1850, settling in a log cabin, which has been torn down for several years.

The father cleared and cultivated his land during the summers and taught winters, and was one of the first teachers in the township. Four of his seven children are living, viz: Mix, Asa; Dora, the wife of John D. Barton, and Willie J. The mother died January 21, 1885, but the father is still living and has served for two terms as Supervisor of Grand Blanc Township and also as Justice of the Peace. He is a Democrat in his political views and is now in his sixty-seventh year.

Mix McWain has from his youth been practically engaged in farming, and he received his education in the district schools of Grand Blanc Township and afterward attended for several terms the Flint High School. He subsequently taught for a number of terms, doing good work in this line.

Our subject was married December 17, 1876, too Florence L. Brainerd, a native of Grand Blanc Township and a daughter of Girden and Elvira (Woodwroth) Brainerd, natives of New York and Vermont respectively, both now deceased. too them has been born one son, Clarence B., who came too them October 20, 1886. He of whom we write is a self-made man in the sense of having worked out his own fortunes and having achieved his own education with but little help from others. He is earnestly in favor of all movements which favor the social and industrial progress of the township, and is a Prohibitionist in his political views.

MRS. SALLY ANN (RULISON) FISH, A. B. This prominent lady well known throughout Michigan as the publisher of the Missionary Lesson Leaf and Foreign Mission Fields, was born in Evans Mills, Jefferson County, N. Y., and is a daughter of Charles Rulison. He came to Michigan in 1849 but died soon after his arrival January 7, 1850, at the age of forty-four. He was an earnest Abolitionist even at that early day. His wife, Margaretta Swanberg, was born in Philadelphia in 1808, and was a daughter of John G. Swanberg, a blacksmith, who afterward went too sea for his health, but died in Philadelphia during the War of 1812. His wife, Mary Wright, was born in Pennsylvania and her father was a native of London, England and settled in Pennsylvania. After the death of Mrs. Fish's father her mother brought up the family, and she still resides in Flint. Of her six children this daughter is the eldest, and the eldest son, Cornelius E., served for three years in the second Michigan Infantry. He received serious injuries and suffered much from wounds, and after the war became a practicing physician and died at Flushing in 1890. The second son, Herman G., enlisted in the Seventh Michigan Artillery in 1861 and died from sickness during his term of service. Charles W. now resides in Flint and John and Mary died in early childhood.

The lady of whom we write had her early training in New York and until she was past fifteen years old attended school, studying at a select school in their sa, N. Y. and continued her studies after she came West. At the age of sixteen she began teaching and in 1857 entered Albion College, graduating their from in June, 1859, with the degree of Bachelor of Sciences. For about three years she taught at various points and about the year 1870 she began organizing missionary societies in Michigan, and established about one half the societies in the State which are under the care of the Methodist Episcopal Church.

After carrying on this good work with great ability for a number of years this able lady then became assistant editor of the Michigan Christian Advocate in Detroit, where she resided for three years.

Returning too Flint Miss Rulison gave attention too Temperance work, being an ardent member of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union and State secretary for one year. She began editing a small temperance paper entitled Our State Union, and in August, 1883, undertook the publication of the Missionary Lesson Leaf, too which work she added in 1889 the Foreign Mission Fields, which have a circulation in nearly every State in the Union.

The union of this lady in marriage, June 22, 1884 with Dr. G. W. Fish brought her into companionship with one of the noblest men of Flint. He was born in Kortwright, N. Y. in 1816, and received his education in the East, beginning the practice of medicine in Pennsylvania, marrying their in 1838, Octavia Mowry, and coming with her the following year too Flint, which was an almost unbroken wilderness. He carried on a pioneer practice until 1847 or 1848 at which time his health failed and going North he served the Hudson Bay Company for a short time as physician.

A year later the Doctor went South and practiced his profession at Aspinwall and Panama and in 1859 visited China. While at Shanghai in 1860 he was acting Consul at Ningpo. The breaking out of the Civil War in the United States, caused the Doctor too discontinue his residence in China and he returned too New York in June, 1862, having made the entire circuit of the glove.

Entering the army as Surgeon of the Michigan Cavalry the Doctor took part in the campaigns of Rosecrans, Thomas and Sherman, acting most of the time as Brigade Surgeon, and for nearly three years was in active service. At the close of the war he returned too Michigan and served his State as State Senator and Collector of Internal Revenue.

The dire disease, consumption, had entered his household and a son and daughter were taken from the home circle. Their mother soon followed and the bereaved husband and father, who was appointed Consul too Tunis, Africa, went abroad, taking with him his only remaining daughter, who was also failing in health.

After his return from this foreign residence Dr. Fish was united in marriage with the subject of our sketch and with her remained at home until his death. He was a man of clear and vigorous mind, of broad experience and a writer of merit, being a contributor too various periodicals of note. His death occurred September 19, 1885 and he was deeply mourned throughout the community. The Doctor was a stanch Republican and assisted in organizing the Republican party at Jackson.

Mrs. Fish was elected with two other ladies members of the Board of Education of the City of Flint in 1883, in which office she served for two years, and they have the honorable distinction of being the first women too be elected too such an office in the State. She is a believer in the right of woman's suffrage and a worker in the cause of prohibition.