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Jack McKindley was born March 23, 1925. He started out as a band director in 1950. He married Nancy Murdock in 1949. They met at Western Michigan University where they were both music majors. They flew to Chicago for their honeymoon.

In 1961, Jack received a Masters Degree in school administration and counseling from Michigan State University. After teaching band and counseling students he became a high school principal at Somerfield High School in Petersburg, Michigan, south of Milan.

When Jack retired, he was a high school principal in Grand Rapids, Michigan. and live in Western Michigan. Jack and Nancy have two grown children and __ grandchildren. Jack enjoys working on genealogy and helped Martha research the McKindley and Howard family trees, since he is related to our family from both those family lines.

Born Feb. 26, 1896 in Mendon, Michigan. His parents were Archie and Vira McKindley. When he was a high school student, he actually enjoyed studying Latin.

Homer married Lucile M. Acker on January 6, 1920 in Kalamazoo. He was a piano teacher. He was also the manager of Jewell Tea Co. In addition, he was the owner of Mac’s Inn.

Homer and Vira McKindley had four children, as follows:

1. D. Robert McKindley
2. Jack K. McKindley
3. Homer F. McKindley Jr.
4. Janice Lou McKindley

Homer died January 31, 1989 and is buried at _______________.

Archie McKindley was born Feb. 10, 1866 in St. Joseph County, Michigan. He was the youngest of three children. He served on the local school board in Mendon. He and his wife Vira Olds were active in their local Methodist church.

Vira was a native of Branch County, Michigan, where she was born Jan. 1, 1868. Her parents were Homer H. and Chloe S. (Howard) Olds. Vira was the oldest of three children. Her brother was Charles Olds of Kalamazoo. Her sister Tilla got married to Elmer H. Huff of Reno, Nevada. Vira’s father was a native of Genessee County, New York, and he was born in 1840.

Archie had three children, as follows:

1. Mildred A. McKindley. She graduated from Mendon High School class of 1909 and became a teacher.
2. Homer Francis McKindley, born Feb. 26, 1895 in Mendon, Michigan. Died January 31, 1989. Married on January 6, 1920 in Kalamazoo to Lucile M. Acker (the daughter of Henry N. Acker and Bessie B. Hoxsie.)
3. Ralph Archie McKindley. Born Nov. 6, 1899 in Mendon, Michigan. Died 1988. He was married to Mary Cahow in Mendon-- she was the daughter of Ira and Carrie Cahow.

The first home built by Archie and Vira in 1845 burned in 1913.  Their second home was built in 1913 and still exists west of Mendon.  It was known during Archie's day as "Sunny Side."  According to a historical record of the time, it was a very comfortable place with steam heat, water, and all the conveniences you might find in a house in the city.

Archie died ______, 1999 and is buried at ______ (Mendon?).

Vira was a native of Branch County, Michigan, where she was born Jan. 1, 1868. Her parents were Homer Henry Harrison Olds and Chloe S. Howard Olds. Vira’s mother, Chloe, had a little bit of a mean streak sometimes.

Vira was the oldest of three children. Her brother was Charles Olds of Kalamazoo. Her sister Filla got married to Elmer H. Huff of Reno, Nevada. Vira’s father, Homer Henry Harrison Olds, was a native of Genessee County, New York, and he was born in 1840.

Archie and Vira had three children, as follows:

1. Mildred A. McKindley. She graduated from Mendon High School class of 1909 and became a teacher.
2. Homer Francis McKindley, born Feb. 26, 1895 in Mendon, Michigan. He actually enjoyed studying Latin when he was in high school. He died January 31, 1989. Married on January 6, 1920 in Kalamazoo to Lucile M. Acker (the daughter of Henry N. Acker and Bessie B. Hoxsie.)
3. Ralph Archie McKindey. Born Nov. 6, 1899 in Mendon, Michigan. Died 1988. He was married to Mary Cahow in Mendon. Mary Cahow was the daughter of Ira and Carrie Cahow.

The home where Archie and Vira lived was known as "Sunny Side." It was a very comfortable place with steam heat, water, and all the conveniences you might find in a house in the city.

Vira died _______ and is buried at _______.

Susan was born Nov. 20, 1826, the oldest of nine children. She was born near Troy, in Rensselaer County, New York. Her father was Nathaniel Reynolds, a native of New York, and her mother was Aurelia Bovee, also a native of New York. Susan and her parents moved to Michigan in the fall of 1840, to Mendon Township, and that is where Susan met Francis.

Susan died Dec. 13, 1914 in Mendon Township.

Joseph Sterling Howard was born August 25, 1823 in Watertown, New York. His parents were Joseph Howard (born April 25, 1789 in Vermont) and Purley Franklin, (born Feb. 25, 1794 in Swanzy, N.H.). He moved to Illinois, Ohio, and then Berrien County, Michigan. He brought some of his sisters and brothers to Berrien County, then he and his wife moved to Idaho. He had dark hair and dark eyes. He was a member of the Reorganized Church of Latter Day Saints.

He married Anna Dewey Hovey, who was born March 28, 1823 in Portage, Ohio. The wedding took place May 15, 1842 in Mantua, Ohio. Anna was the daughter of Horace Hovey, born about 1800, and Betsy Caulkins, also born about 1800.

Sterling and Anna D. Howard had the following children:

1. Matilda A. Howard, born March 12, 1843 in Kane, Illinois. Married Lewis Sutherland about 1860 in Battle Creek, Michigan. Had six children. Died July 31, 1913 in Kalamazoo, Mich, buried at Crystal Springs Cemetery in Benton Harbor.
2. Frank Sterling Howard. Born in Ohio in 1845. Jack McKindley has a letter written to Chloe in Tennessee in 1864 while Frank Howard was in the civil war.
3. Chloe S. Howard. Born in 1848 or perhaps 1850 in Berrien County, Michigan. Married Homer Harrison Olds.
4. Horace Willie Howard. Born Sept. 3, 1855 in Berrien County, Michigan. Married Elya Amine Northrup. Had five children, all born in Moscow, Idaho, except one born in Lewiston, Idaho. He then divorced, and married Charity Ann Northrup, and had five more children. He died Sept. 1, 1934 in Colfax, Washington.
5. Sierra Nevada Howard, born August 23, 1857 in Berrien County, Michigan. She married Neil Stewart in Paradise, Idaho. They had five children. She died May 4, 1892 in Pullman, Whitman County, Washington, buried at Inglewood Park Cemetery.
6. Charles Augustus Samuel "Cash" Howard, born August 10, 1860 in Battle Creek, Michigan. On December 24, 1882, he married Mary Alice Reams in Moscow, Idaho. They had four children. He died Nov. 27, 1938 in Inglewood, California.
7. Hattie Elma Howard, born August 17, 1862 in Berrien County, Michigan. In about 1860, she married Jim May and had two children. Then she married Oliver Wolford in Moscow, Idaho on Sept 1, 1878. They had two children. Hattie died in about 1955 in Olympia, California

Joseph Sterling Howard died February 11, 1890 in Moscow, Idaho, and is buried at Troy Road Cemetery in Moscow, Idaho.

Chloe S. Howard was the daughter of Joseph Sterling Howard and Anna Dewey Hovey. Chloe was born in Berrien County, Michigan, in 1848.

Chloe’s father was a native of Genessee County in New York. He was one of 14 children, and encouraged many of his siblings to follow him to Michigan.

On April 17, 1865, Chloe married Homer Henry Harrison Olds in Battle Creek, Michigan. He was born about 1840 in New York.

Chloe and Homer had the following children:

1. Vira Olds McKindley, born Jan. 1, 1868 in Branch County, Michigan.
2. Charles Olds, who went to live in Kalamazoo as an adult.
3. Tilda (Matilda?) who got married to Elmer H. Huff of Reno, Nevada.

Chloe Howard Olds died in Los Angeles, California.

Francis Lane McKindley  SEE PHOTO   

Francis Lane McKindley was born July 3, 1817 in Galway, New York, the son of William and Martha McLean McKindley. Francis was only 4 years old when his father died in 1821. Francis grew up with his grandfather, John McKindley, a Scottish immigrant.

At age 18, Francis moved to Ballston Spa in Saratoga County and apprenticed for two years as a mason. Then he pioneered to Michigan in 1845 and homesteaded a farm. Michigan was still a territory at that time.  Once he became a property owner, Francis had to pay taxes. His tax bill in 1845 was $4.42 for the year, for 160 acres.

Politically, Francis was a Whig, and later became a Republican. He was a member of the Scotch Reformed Church.

Francis married Susan Reynolds on May 6, 1852 in Mendon Township.

Francis and Susan started their married live by living under a tree on the farm while building their home.

Francis and Susan had three children

1. Mary A. McKindley, born July 20, 1854; died Jan. 27, 1870 at age 16 and is buried in the Mendon cemetery.
2. William Francis McKindley. Born March 11, 1853. Mentally ill all of his adult life. Lived at the Insane Asylum in Kalamazoo, and died at the Asylum. Francis had to pay for William’s care in the asylum. William died sometime after the 1900 census. He is buried in Mendon Township.
3. John Archie McKindley. Born in St. Joseph County on Feb. 10, 1866.

Jack McKindley has some original receipts signed by the "Superintendent of the Poor" at the insane asylum. Francis paid $56 on December 17, 1877 for the quarter ending Nov. 1, 1877. "This amount is paid under protest by Mr. McKindley," the receipt says. Apparently William’s family was required to contribute or pay for William’s care at the Asylum in Kalamazoo.

Francis died January 25, 1896 in Mendon, Michigan.

To read his biography, written in 1889, click on HISTORICAL BIOGRAPHY.