My Genealogy Hound

GEORGE W. KING. If there is any one class of men which more than any other is entitled to the consideration and respect of all true citizens, it is that class of brave, persevering men whom we call pioneers. To them we owe the luxuries which surround us. They endured the hardships and labored unweariedly in order that their descendants might have the comforts which to them were denied. Such a one is the subject of this sketch, now an aged man, who is passing his declining years tranquilly. He is a familiar and prominent figure in the city by the lake, respected and trusted by the business men of St. Joseph, and reverenced by young and old.

Our subject is the son of Henry A. and Cynthia (Nichols) King, natives of New York. He was born in Onondaga County, that State, January 12, 1816, and one year later his parents removed to Jefferson County. He spent the early years of his life in the Empire State, where he gained his education in the common schools and aided his father in the farm work. In 1844 he came West to Michigan and settled in Benton Township, Berrien County, where he cleared two hundred acres of timbered land, and devoted the entire tract to general farming purposes. As a farmer he was skillful and enterprising, and by the proper fertilization of the soil and rotation of crops secured the most satisfactory results from his land. The farm was placed under high cultivation as the years passed by until it took front rank among the estates of Berrien County. A residence suitable to the needs of the family and containing the comforts of existence embellished the place, as well as other structures, roomy and substantial.

The life of a farmer is usually uneventful. Each year the seed is sown, the waving grain tosses to and fro with every breeze, the harvest time comes and the grain is stored away in the granaries for winter use. In a general way, this was the life of Mr. King for more than thirty years. He gained a reputation for miles around as an honorable man and public-spirited citizen, as well as successful farmer. In 1877 he retired from farming pursuits and moved to St. Joseph, where he has since resided. He still owns the old homestead in Benton Township of one hundred and eighty acres of good land, most of which is under cultivation. In addition to the farm, he is the owner of considerable real estate in St. Joseph.

On September 7, 1837, occurred the marriage of Mr. King to Miss Susan Williams, of New York. Six children were born of the union: Eunice, Henry, George, Delos, De Golier and De Witt. All are living except the daughter, Eunice. The present wife of our subject, to whom he was married in 1884, was Miss Diantha E., daughter of Sylvester and Emily (Lloyd) Totman. She is a lady of rare worth of character and is highly regarded in St. Joseph, where she has many warm personal friends. While Mr. King is not actively interested in politics, he nevertheless is a pronounced champion of the Republican party, and votes that ticket at every election.