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Death of Sam Hjortholm's Mother-in-law

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Death of Sam Hjortholm's Mother-in-law

Posted: 12 Jun 2002 10:14AM GMT
Classification: Query
Edited: 21 May 2003 1:46PM GMT
Surnames: Hjortholm, Robertson
VICTORY RESIDENT FOR PAST 63 YEARS PASSES TO REWARD
(last part of June 1927)
Mrs. Floyd Robertson and Husband Who Survives Came From New York State.

PROGRESSIVE FARMERS WERE KINDLY PEOPLE
Leader in Community Life Will Be Buried Thursday From Hjortholm Home
Mrs. Floyd Robertson, one of the oldest and best known of Victory township's pioneers, passed away Tuesday morning from the farm home where she had lived for 63 years - nearly three-fourths of her long life.
Vesta Watkins was born in September, 1843, in Italy Hollow, Italy township, Yates county, New York, a place so named because the picturesque hills surrounding it reminded the first settlers of the mountains of Italy.
Married Life 64 years
She was married there 64 years ago to Floyd Robertson, who lives to mourn her loss.
In 1867, when the country was beginning to recover from the Civil war and was seeking to aid the veterans by opening new lands and offering special opportunities to settlers, much talk drifted "back east", regarding opportunities in Michigan. Mrs. Robertson had a cousin located in Lowell who had done surveying in this region and it was upon his advice that they located in victory where the land is exceptionally good for general farming.
There were few clearings in the dense forest that covered that section at that time, but the Robertsons were more fortunate than some because of a curious coincidence which goes to prove how small the world really is.
Arrived at Pentwater they recognized among the woodsmen waiting for the boat to dock, a man from their own New York village, who had been arrested and convicted there for wife beating, and had fled the contempt and scorn of his neighbors to hide himself in the northern wilds and had been effectively hidden from his wife and all former acquaintances until that moment of recognition.

Buys Wife Beater's Claim
It developed that he was "proving up" on an 80-acre claim and about to be married, regardless of the wife back home. This meeting up with old neighbors changed his plans however. He had no mind to live where the story of his former life would soon be known to his associates, and so offered his 80 acres of land and his 10 x 12 log cabin with it's primitive furnishings to Mr. Robertson for $75. The offer was accepted and the wife beater went farther into the woods to hide himself again.
The Robertsons prospered and were happy from the first. Mrs. Robertson was wont to say: "We were young and well and we didn't mind doing without things." The cabin had a dirt floor, with the exception of the beards upon which rested the legs of the cook stove: the beds were bunks filled with hemlock boughs at first and later with mattresses filled with"stripings" from birch and basswood bark and artificial light was from a single, small kerosene lamp. But. since wealth is a matter of comparison, they were wealthy compared to many of their neighbors and rapidly added to their comforts, developing the comfortable home and the well tilled acres of later days.
Leaders In Community Life
Mr. and Mrs. Robertson were leaders from the first in developing the better side of community
life. Their intelligent and successful conduct of their own affairs, their kindly generosity to the new neighbors fast crowding into the settlement won for them the respect, confidence and affection of all and won ready co-operation in their efforts to further the founding and support of church, school and all desirable community interests.
Two daughters were born to them, Laura, Mrs. Giddings of Lansing, and Alice, Mrs. Samuel Hjortholm. When Alice married Mr. and Mrs. Robertson had reached the age when they felt unequal to carrying the burden of the farm alone and they could not bring themselves to leave the place into which practically all their life experiences were woven, and so it was arranged for all to remain on the farm.

Four Early Neighbors Left.
Of the early settlers who were in Victory when Mr. and Mrs. Robertson came there, only Mrs. Peter Heyse and LeRoy Pratt remain in Mason County. Alfred Dow of Florida and Mrs. John Phelan of Grand Rapids were also neighbors in those days.
Mrs. August Miller, who passed away some months ago, was a resident of Lincoln at that time and was one with whom Mrs. Robertson dearly loved to visit.
Mrs. Robertson, though lame, enjoyed fairly good health until in April when she suffered a stroke of paralysis. She has been bed ridden much of the time since then, suffering many slight strokes and with a distressing heart malady.
Surviving, other than Mr. Robertson and the daughters, are four granddaughters, Gladys, Grace and Evelyn Hjortholm and Myrle Giddings.
Funeral Services Thursday
Funeral services will be held Thursday afternoon at 2 o'clock from the Hjortholm home and at 2:30 from Victory Methodist church, conducted by Rev. E.L. Sutcliff of Scottville.
(this obituary is part of a scrapbook collection of another Michigan resident)

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