Compendium of history and biography of Hillsdale County, Michigan Elon G. Reynolds, editor.

I52

HILLSDALE COUNTY, MICHIGAN.

ishing and progressive hardware business, is a
native of Jefferson township, born on November
8, 1862, half a mile south of the town. His parents were Henry H. and Mary J. (Shurtluff)
Harring, natives of New York, the former born
and reared in Niagara county and the latter in
Ontario county. The father was born on October I, 1825, and grew to manhood and received
his education in his native county, although his
parents moved to Michigan when he was but ten
years old. After his arrival in this state he was
variously occupied for some years. He helped
build the railroad through to Hillsdale and was
trackmaster between that city and Adrian for
six years. He left the road in 1859 and followed
farming in Jefferson township until I875, when
he sold out and removed to Osseo. There his
wife died in 1897 and he passed away on July
II, I900. They were the parents of four sons
and four daughters, of whom seven are living,
three sons and daughter being residents of Hillsdale county. The father was a man of great
public spirit and took an active interest in the
local affairs of the township. He served as a
justice of the peace for sixteen years. His father was Peter R. Harring, a native of New
York who came in 1835 to Lenawee county and
there cleared up a farm. Later he moved to
Hillsdale county, and, after some years of active
service to the railroad company as a bridge
builder, died near Osseo.
Mack Harring was reared and educated at
Osseo. He left home at the age of sixteen years
to learn the trade of a tinner and at this craft
he has worked ever since, carrying it on in connection with his business since that was started in 1893. In 1897 he was appointed postmaster of the town and has conducted the affairs
of the office with signal success and enlarging
usefulness to its patrons. Since March I, I902,
he has had a rural delivery service, which has
been of great advantage and convenience to
many persons in the country and is highly appreciated. The establishment of this service was
the result of Mr. Harring's persistent personal
efforts with the department at Washington, and
its operation is. much to his credit. He has also

served the people as township treasurer and as
a member of the school board. In his twelve
years' service as school trustee, he has been very
active in the cause of education in general and
has given the school at Osseo intelligent, diligent and helpful attention in particular, raising
it to a graded school and aiding in making it
one of the best in the county. In I886 Mr. Harring was married to Miss Lilly O'Neil, a daughter of James and Charlotte (Paine) O'Neil, and
they have three children, Neil H., Kate H. and
Hartis Y,, all at home. In politics he has been
a Republican all of his mature life and in the
service of his party has been effective and vigilant. In fraternal relations he is a valued member of the Masonic order. His business is prosperous and expanding, being one of the leading
enterprises of its kind in this part of the state.
Whether considered as a public official or a
mercantile force in the community, as a social
element or an educational agency, in any line
or all lines of elevated and elevating citizenship,
Mr. Harring is well worthy of the high regard
in which he stands among the people and of
the universal confidence which he enjoys.
CHARLES JOINER.
Charles Joiner, whose well-appointed and
well-cultivated farm is one of the desirable country homes of Allen township, who for a number
of years has been living retired from active pursuits in the village of Allen, is a native of Huron
county, Ohio, born on August I, 1847. His
parents were Ralph and Eliza (Inscho) Joiner,
the former a native of Massachusetts and the
latter of Huron county, Ohio. The father, a
turner and carver by trade,,followed his chosen
vocation in connection with a thriving farming
industry and also worked at times at shoemaking. Although a man of sixty years of age at
the commencement of the Civil War, he offered
his services -to his country and finally enlisted,
on June 22, 1863, in the First Ohio Heavy Artillery. He was sent to Kentucky, where, after
passing three months, he was rejected by the
U. S. mustering officer on account of his age