Pioneer history of Ingham County, compiled and arranged by Mrs. Franc L. Adams, secretary of the Ingham County pioneer and historical society.

LEROY TOWNSHIP AND ITS HISTORY

611

It was my good fortune to become intimately acquainted with this
family, William Beazan's. They were both of English descent.
A Yankee is apt to call the English cold, hard to get acquainted
with and undemonstrative. They are, to an inquisitive stranger,
but to their friends they show a depth of feeling, admirable tact,
quiet humor and a capacity to endure suffering and affliction that
is astonishing. William Beazan and his wife were of this type.
Our soldier boys who were welcomed, when on leave, by English
mothers whose hearts were full of sorrow, who had lost all on the
Plains of Flanders, will tell you that these brave women never
paraded their secret sorrow before strangers.
Mr. Beazan was an ideal farmer, an artist with a plow and a
noted breeder of Ramboulette sheep. His flocks were the apple of
his eye, and every county fair had a pen of his prize winners on
exhibition.
Mr. McWithey lived on the opposite corner from Mr. Alchin.
There was a rivalry between them as each strove to raise the biggest crops of wheat, etc.
One mile east of Alchin's corner was the IHerrick settlement.
Daniel Herrick was born near Plymouth, Michigan, and came
into the woods of Leroy Township to carve out a farm, raise his
family according to the rules of the Methodist church, and get as
much enjoyment as he could out of a farmer's life. His home was
the social center of the neighborhood. All church socials, singing
schools and societies of all kinds were held at Uncle Dan's. In entertaining large crowds he was helped by his neighbor and brotherin-law, Nathan Pament. Uncle Nat was a musician and played
the bass viol. No musical entertainment was complete without
Uncle Nat and his music box to play solos and accompaniments.
Nathan Pament was born and raised in England, and learned the
plasterers and stone mason trade before he emmigrated. When he
could get away from his farm he was busy working at the above
trades. Many a wall he laid in Leroy and adjoining townships,
and hundreds of rooms were made snug and warm with his deft
handling of the trowel. His buddy or helper for a number of
years was Daniel Kingsbury, an Ohio man. This pair of workmen were as full of practical jokes as a couple of school kids.
Many stories were told of their pranks. I will have'to relate one
as a sample. They were building a wall under a barn for Hugh