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Oak Hill Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Michigan

 

North Side

Herpolsheimer, Housman, Watson, Sears, Butterfield, UHL

 

 

 

 

Famous Businessmen

Herpolsheimer- Housman - Watson

 

William G Herpolsheimer

Owner of the Herposheimer Stores

William G Herpolsheimer and Voight started a retail store in Indiana. They came to Grand Rapids and started another store. They also started mills along the Grand River. They broke up and Herpolsheimer took the store and Voight took the mills.

 

In 1928 the store was sold to Hahn Dept Stores later called Allied. I had stock in Allied stores and my father worked in the shoe department and knew Betty Ford. He also had a Hardy Herpolsheimers in Muskegon

In 1912 Wm G Herpolsheimer lived at 37 Jefferson Ave SE the SW corner of Jefferson and Weston.

Today this is an annex to Westminster Presbyterian Church.

Amasa Brown Watson (A. B. Watson)

The mausoleum based on an Egyptian temple (architecture)

Watson was a major in the Civil War. He fought under General Sherman and was shot through the thigh in 1862.

Inside the mausoleum is a chapel. The lower floor is where the burial area is with a manual elevator.

Watson was born in Vermont in 1825 and moved to Michigan because of the lumber business. He was a lumber baron, he married into the family.

Copyrighted 1910

J. A. Mead

The Watsons had no children. August 11, 1873, Mrs. Watson’s youngest sister, Mrs. William J. Mead, died, leaving four children John A. Brooks Mead, James Andrew Mead, Julia Agnes Mead and Willie Watson Mead the oldest six years and the youngest five days old. Their father died less than three months after, and these children were adopted by Major and Mrs. Watson, by whom they were greatly loved. The plaque on this side shows that the Meads were buried here.

J A. Brooks

Amasa B. Watson married, at Newaygo, Michigan, October 7, 1856, Martha A., daughter of John A. and Lucina (Parsons) Brooks of Newaygo, the Rev. Courtney Smith of Grand Rapids officiating.

T. F Carroll

T. F Carroll was a director of Fifth National Bank of Grand Rapids, MI.

Julius Houseman

Businessman and politician who served as mayor of Grand Rapids, Michigan, as representative in the Michigan House of Representatives and as Congressman in the U.S. House of Representatives.

Houseman Field, was named after him, where many football games have been played. It was built in 1926. The field was recently renovated in 2009.

 

Butterfield

 

Celtic Cross

The Celtic is a symbol that combines a cross with a ring surrounding the intersection. Celtic Christian was combined with the Christian Cross and this design was often used for high crosses, usually decorated with art and images of people.

Celtic Cross

Catherine

Born May 20, 1887 Died September 20, 1887

Daughter of Roger and Lenora

Roger W. husband of Lenora D

Born April 23, 1844 Died July 17, 1920

He was an attorney in Grand Rapids, son of Rev. Isaac and Sarah A, his father was a Baptist minister.

Leonora Drake Wife of Roger W.

Born October 25, 1849 Died October 3, 1920

Mary

Born June 23 1877 Died January 10, 1968

Archibald Drake

Born October 23 1844 Died December 24 1926

Lyda Marsh

Born June 30 1891 Died November 15 1948

Roger Champlin

Born May 30, 1879 Died Janufary 29 1949

Patricia Parks

Born February 6 1901 Died September 6, 1987

Sarah Templeton

Born March 27 1811 Died March 11 1898

Rev Isaac

Born October 16, 1812 Died April 17, 1895

Sarah Butterfield Smith

Born 15 1842 Died March 24 1935

 

 

 

 

 

UHL

 

 

Sears

Samuel Sears in Grand Rapids, MI, made crackers with his brother Wm Sears & Co.

History of the city of Grand Rapids, Michigan

By Albert Baxter

WILLIAM SEARS is a native of Ashfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts, where he was born June 20, 1818. His early educational advantages were those of the schools of that vicinity. In the earlier part of his business life he passed some five years in the dry goods trade at West Trov, N. Y. At Albany, N. Y., October 16, 1845, he married Judith Adams. She died at Grand Rapids in 1875. They had three children, of whom one, a son, died in 1852; another son, Stephen A., is now one of the firm of William Sears & Company in business, and a daughter is now Mrs. C. D. Lyon. After leaving West Troy, Mr. Sears went South and lived in Virginia about seven  years. From that State he came to Grand Rapids in 1857, and took an interest with Jefferson Carson in the "Headquarters" bakery and victualing-house, adjoining Irving Hall on Monroe street. In i860 he purchased Mr. Carson's interest and continued the business by himself. It was not the nature of Mr. Sears to drift slowly, but to "push things," hence in 1862 he purchased a building that had been erected for a flouring mill on Waterloo, between Ferry and Louis streets, where he put in steam machinery for cracker making exclusively, and was soon in the full tide of success in that branch of manufacture; the store in Irving Hall block being continued, with a rapidly increasing trade in crackers and sweet goods and other table supplies. In 1867 he was joined by his brother, Samuel Sears, and Joel Merchant, the partnership name being Sears & Merchant. In 1868-69 they built a new factory, the three-story-and basement brick block now occupied at 35 to 41 Kent street, and fitted it with the best of revolving ovens, machinery and other appliances for the manufacture of crackers and cakes for the wholesale trade—which exclusively has been the business of Mr. Sears since starting work at that place in 1869. In 1873 Mr. Merchant withdrew, since which time the firm name has been William Sears & Company; the other copartners now being his brother, Samuel, and his son, Stephen A. Sears. The factory and sales office are models of convenience and good taste in finish and adaptation to their uses. There Mr. Sears has enjoyed the satisfaction of building up an industry not excelled in the quality of its products; with a volume of business the largest of its kind done by any establishment in the State. William Sears is financially interested in several other industrial and business enterprises; is a stockholder in the Alabastine Company, and also in the National City Bank and the Fourth National Bank. Politically, he is a supporter of the Democratic party. Though not a member, he is an attendant at the Park Congregational Church. He is one who attends to his business in all its details with methodical care, energy, honor and tact, and conducts it successfully. As a citizen and neighbor he is public-spirited, frank and genial, enjoying the general respect and good will wherever he is known.

 

Family Stone

Edward Sears

Born 1850 Died 1852

Judith A.

Born 1824 Died 1875

William

Born 1818 Died 1903

Stephen A.

Born 1853 Died 1920

Stephen G.

Born 1881 Died 1928

Marion D.

Born 1867 Died 1900

William

Born 1895 Died 1918

Chief Boatswain's Mate

Eleanor B.

Born 1915 - Died 2007

Harold W.

Born 1914 Died 1990

Katharine G.

Born 1885 Died 1970

Harold W.

Born 1885 Died 1915

May G.

Born 1860 Died 1892

Samuel

Born 1820 Died 1908

Mary E

Born 1829 Died 1905

Amanda D

Born 1825 Died 1866

Edward M

Born 1860 Died 1887

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

 

 

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