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Churchill * Foerst
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Phineas Pearl He was born in Windsor County, Vermont May 12, 1789, the youngest of 5 children. According to a Berrien County biography, his parents were born in Wales, and emigrated to the US and lived in New England. For a different story about his parentage, click on PEARL PIRATE. In 1813, he married Fannie Hatch in Vermont. She was the daughter of a revolutionary war soldier. Fannie died August 23, 1886. At first, Phineas worked as a wagon maker and farmer. He took his family to Monroe County, Michigan in 1830. In 1840, the family moved to Berrien County, Michigan. Phineas and Fannie Pearl had six children, as follows:
Phineas was 91 years old or more when he died. This information comes from "Portrait and biographical record of Berrien and Cass Counties, Michigan" published in 1893 and from a biography published in 1906. Read his biography in the "History of Berrien County" 1880.
Warren H. Pearl Warren Hatch Pearl was born in approximately 1820 in Little Falls, Herkimer, NY. His parents were Phineas Pearl and Fannie Hatch Pearl. Warren was one of nine children, but by 1880 only four of them were still living, including Warren H. Three of Warren's siblings were buried in New York, before the family moved west. Warren had a sister who died in Benton Township, and a brother who drowned there. In 1830, 10-year-old Warren H. Pearl went with his father, Phineas, to Monroe County, Michigan. In 1840 his family moved to Benton township in Berrien County, southeast of St. Joseph, Michigan. Warren H. Pearl married on Nov. 6, 1847. His wife, Minerva Randall, was the sister of Isabel Randall Wees. Based on a biography of Allen M. Randall, it appears that Warren Pearl and his wife took in a child, William Randall, to live with them. William and his brother Allen were brought to Berrien county in about 1848 by their "Uncle" James I. Randall, a ship carpenter in St. Joseph. In 1850, the Uncle dropped off the children with families in the area so he could go to California and get rich. William ended up with Warren and Minerva Pearl; his brother went to live with H. C. Morton, and then with William B. Sutherland. Warren and Minerva Pearl had nine children. After the first two children, in 1850 Warren took off for the California gold rush. Then he returned to Berrien County, Michigan in 1852 and continued having more children.
Warren H. Pearl had some farm land near the Pearl Grange. He (or his father) donated some of it for the Pearl Cemetery. The family album contains photos of Warren and Minerva Pearl, with a notation that Minerva was "deaf." It is not known whether she was deaf all her life, or only late in life. To read a historical biography of Warren H. Pearl, click on "History of Berrien County" 1880.
Irving Randall Pearl was born May 20, 1866 in Benton Township, Berrien County, Michigan. His parents were Warren H. Pearl and Minerva Randall Pearl. (Minerva was the sister of Lucretia Randall.) Irving's grandfather was Phineas Pearl, a pioneer settler to Berrien County. Irving grew up on the farm. After working as a farmer for 10 years, he became a contractor, largely building sewers in Benton Harbor, St. Joseph, Fremont and South Haven. He married on March 15, 1888. His wife was a teacher, Nettie Kennedy, daughter of Mrs. Ann Kennedy of Benton Harbor. Nettie was one of six children and was raised in Benton Harbor. The couple had four children: Eva M. Pearl, born about 1889; Warren H. Pearl, born about 1891; Beatrice Aileen Pearl, born in the 1890's, and died at age 3 months; and Phineas G. Pearl, born in about 1901. Irving worked as a deputy for Sheriff Fred B. Collins, and also served as his campaign manager. During that time he continued his work as a sewer contractor, joining every civic organization in town. He was a member of the Masons, Odd Fellows, Elks, and Eagles, among others. In 1906, when Irving's biography was published in "History of Berrien County," Irving was attending the annual Pearl dinner every New Years at the home of Major Pearl, who was over 90 years old by then. (NOTE: Major Pearl was Irving's uncle, Lewis.) Irving R. Pearl died October 29, 1905 after being ill with a "poisonous fever" for about 3 months. He was given a Masonic funeral and buried at Pearl Grange Cemetery. He was survived by his sisters, Mrs. Fanny Van Namee and Mrs. Nancy Ely, and a brother James W. Pearl. His lengthy biography appeared in "History of Berrien County" 1906, page 776.
Warren S. Pearl Warren S. Pearl was born April 14, 1850 in Essex County, New York, near Fort Ticonderoga. His parents were Simon and Marion (Wright) Pearl, also natives of Essex county. Warren's father, Simon Pearl, was the son of Phineas Pearl's brother. (Note: Simon was both a carpenter and a farmer. He died on his farm in Berrien County at age 78, a few years after his wife died.) In 1856, six-year-old Warren S. Pearl moved with his parents to Dodge County, Wisconsin. They lost track of Simon's uncle Phineas. Then Simon met a woman from Berrien County who told him about Phineas Pearl. Simon went to Michigan to check it out. He liked the area and decided to move there. So, in the spring of 1865 Simon Pearl and his family moved to Berrien County. Warren S. Pearl lived on his father’s farm in Berrien county until he was 25. At the age of 25, he married Flora Kent, a sister of C.C. Kent of Spink’s Corners. Warren and Flora Pearl had one daughter, Effie, who married Harvey Krieger, of Bainbridge. Effie had three children (by the year 1906). Warren and Flora Pearl started out life together with only 20 acres. By 1906, he had 90 acres in Bainbridge Township. He was a farmer and was also raising fruit. Simon Pearl Simon was the nephew of Phineas Pearl. He married Marion Wright, who was also a native of Essex county. In about 1856 Simon went to Wisconsin and lost track of Phineas. He found out his uncle Phineas was in Benton Township, Berrien County Michigan, and so he went there and decided to move his residence. In the spring of 1865 he moved his family to the Pearl Grange area and purchased a home from his uncle Phineas. Simon had four sons and three daughters, four of whom were still living in 1906 when Warren S. Pearl’s biography appeared in "A Twentieth Century History of Berrien County, Michigan" published in 1906.
He died at the age of 78. His wife passed away on the old homestead in Berrien County several years before him.
Joseph Randall (or James Randall?) Joseph Randall was living in St. Joseph, Michigan in about 1850 when Isabel Randall Wees left Canada to visit her mother in Michigan. According to "A Twentieth Century History of Berrien County, Michigan" published in 1906, on page 703, this Joseph Randall was the uncle of Isabel Randall Wees. This is strange because our family records show that Isabel’s father was Joseph Randall, so how could she also have an uncle by the same name? Joseph (the "Uncle") had a shipyard in St. Joseph, and worked as a ship builder. He was a pioneer settler of Berrien County, arriving there "when St. Joseph was a small village standing on the bottom land." This Joseph Randall was in St. Joseph on or before 1840. Soon after the discovery of gold in California, he caught Gold Rush Fever and left for the Pacific coast. The biography of William Wees, written in 1906, does not say if Joseph ever returned to Michigan.
Allen M. Randall Born May 1, 1842 in Wallaceburg, Ontario, Canada. He was six years old when his uncle, James I. Randall, brought him to St. Joseph, Michigan. The uncle was a ship carpenter in St. Joseph. Allen had a brother, William Randall, who also was living in Berrien County at about the same time that Allen was living there. When Allen was eight years old, in the spring of 1850, he went to live with H. C. Morton for three years. Presumably the Mortons served as a foster family of sorts for young Allen. In 1853, at age 11, he was "employed" by William B. Sutherland. Allen's brother William went to live with Warren Pearl. Allen stayed for five years with Mr. Sutherland and his wife, Jerusha Barnard Sutherland, a native of New York. When Allen was 16, he started working "by the month" as a farmhand, going to school in the winter until he was 19. Allen enlisted in 1862 to fight in the Civil War with Company D, 66th Illinois Western Sharpshooters. He had a lot of responsibility in the military, then returned to Michigan after the war in July 1865. Allen and his brother William operated a retail outlet in Millburg, Michigan, for 15 years. They also operated a sawmill and grist mill and other industries. During that time he married one of William Sutherland's daughters. The marriage took place on January 13, 1870, the bride being Adelaide M. Sutherland. (Her date of birth was Nov. 29, 1846.) Allen and Adelaide had some children while they lived and worked in Millburg. In 1891 he returned to the Sutherland farm raising apples and peaches.
Lewis Sutherland (not a direct ancestor) Lewis Sutherland was born February 28, 1831 in Barker, Broome County, NY. He was the sixth of nine children. John R. Sutherland, who was born in 1832 in Broome County, is probably a brother or cousin of Lewis. Lewis described himself as being of Scotch descent. His parents were Lot and Lydia (Bliss) Sutherland. Lot had been a farmer in New York, and came to Michigan in 1836 with his family. Lot was born January 26, 1793 in New York, and died February 17, 1866, buried in Penn Yan Cemetery. Lydia died in Michigan in 1838. Lott had a second wife, Sara Jaquay Wheeler. The biography of Lewis Sutherland appears in "History of Berrien and Van Buren Counties, Michigan" published in 1880. Oddly enough, he does not mention the names of his father or mother. He says his father died in 1866, and his mother died in about 1838. However, additional information is available about him in a 1906 biography, page 529. In 1836, Lewis went with his family to Michigan where they lived in Kalamazoo. Lewis' mother apparently died while they were living in Kalamazoo, leaving Lewis' father, Lott, to raise eight children alone. In 1839 Lott moved the family to Bainbridge Township, Berrien County. Lott purchased 100 acres on section 27. (Note: Lott died in 1873. His wife died shortly after they arrived in Michigan and so Lott had to raise 8 children alone.) In 1850, some of the men in Berrien County got gold rush fever, including John Morgan. John asked Lewis, who was only 19 at the time, to take care of the Morgan family while John traveled to California. Presumably John had a farm, and Lewis was expected to keep the farm operating. Three years later, John returned from California and paid Lewis $562.50, one fourth of his net earnings from the "land of gold." That was enough money so that Lewis could buy 160 acres in section 23 of Benton Township. Lewis married Matilda Howard in Battle Creek in 1860. She was born in Kane County, IL on March 12, 1843, the oldest of seven children. Matilda came with her parents to Bainbridge township, Berrien County in when she was four years old, about 1847. The biography of Lewis states that Matilda was the daughter of Joseph and Anna D. Howard, but her father was more widely known as Sterling Howard. Lewis and Matilda Sutherland had six children. In 1880, when Lewis’ biography was published, four of them were still living.
Lewis joined the Masons in 1852. He joined the Universalist Church. He served as highway commissioner and as school director. In 1860, Lewis sold his farm on section 23 and purchased farmland on section 36 and elsewhere, with 310 acres in all. When Lewis’ father died in 1866, Lewis inherited $250. Apparently he was one of the more wealthy citizens in the Berrien County area. Lewis’ biography hints at a troubled childhood, saying that Lewis "is a most successful farmer, and has triumphed over all difficulties since his humble beginning in the battlefield of life." In 1901, Lewis moved to Benton Harbor where he purchased a home on Superior Street. (According to 1906 biography of Lott.) He became a director of the State Bank of Benton Harbor. In 1902 he built the Masonic Temple of Benton Harbor. He apparently was still alive in 1906.
Born May 16, 1871 at the family homestead on Pearl Grange, in Berrien County, Michigan. His parents were Lewis and Matilda Howard Sutherland. (NOTE: Matilda was the daughter of Sterling Howard.) At age 22, (about 1893) he married Lena V. Conklin. He was a fruit farmer. He and his wife had three daughters, Iva, Hazel and Leah. In his 1906 biography, "History of Berrien County," he and his wife were both still alive, as well as all three of their daughters. Sterling L. Sutherland SEE PHOTO Born February 23, 1861. His parents were Lewis and Matilda A. Sutherland. He was raised on the family farm in Berrien County. He was able to attend high school in Benton Harbor for two winters. He was married on December 28, 1881 to Elma D. Pearl, a daughter of "Major" Lewis W. Pearl. Sterling Sutherland was a farmer, mainly raising fruit. His 1906 biography in "History of Berrien County" states he had a modern home on his farm, "heated with a furnace." Home page Last Name Index PHOTOS Churchill * Foerst
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