The collection consists of various real estate records, including deeds, mortgages, land contracts, and biographical materials of the Carpenters. There are letters sent between Ruby Musgrove, her mother, and her brother, Billy, of Arthur, Nevada, where they farmed, 1915-1918. There are also miscellaneous real estate records of unrelated people who conducted business with the Carpenters.
Biography:
George H. Carpenter was one of five children born to Dr. Henry C. Carpenter and his wife, Ellen S. Cooper.
George lived at Lake Odessa in 1902, where he was a member of the Knights of Columbus. His business interests were real estate and farming.
In 1920, George was divorced by his wife, Fernie, on the grounds of cruelty and desertion for two years. He was required to support their daughter, Audrey.
By 1922, George married Ruby E. Musgrove. They lived in Detroit until 1924 and, later, in Millbrook and Remus, Michigan. Ruby had a foster son, Calvin C. Carpenter (August 4, 1920--), who worked as a drug store clerk in Remus in 1937.
Dr. Henry C. Carpenter was born March 28, 1836 in Seneca County, Ohio, the only boy of four children born to Cyril and Charlotte Carpenter.
In 1852, Henry moved with his parents to Sebewa Township, Ionia County, Michigan. By working and saving funds, he educated himself so he could teach school. Henry taught school in Woodland and Odessa Townships, Michigan. He then saved enough money to take medical courses at Cleveland Homeopathic College and at the University of Michigan.
Dr. Carpenter began his practice out of the family farm in Sebewa, moving to Woodland, Barry County, in 1873. In 1900, the Carpenters moved to Lake Odessa, Ionia County. They lived there until Mrs. Carpenter died on October 7, 1907.
On September 15, 1864 Henry married Ellen S. Cooper. Together they had five children: Claude, George H., Charlotte (Mrs. Rev. Edwin Davis), Nettie (Mrs. Charles Reiser), and Maude (died at four months of age in October 1881).
Dr. Carpenter died in Howard, Michigan, on September 14, 1918. (This information is from the collection).
