Portrait and biographical album of Sanilac county, containing ... biographical sketches of ... citizens ... also ... a complete history of the county, from its earliest settlement to the present time.

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Huron. She was born Oct. 12, 1851, in Ontario.
Mary E., born Feb. 25, I879, and William A., born
June 18, i880, are the children now included in the
family of Mr. and Mrs. Thomas. The parents are?} members of the Baptist Church.
atthew Umphrey, farmer on section 15,
Elk Township, was born in York (now.^ Je Toronto), Canada, Nov. I, 1822. His
parents, Samuel and Lucinda Umphrey,
were natives of New York, of New England ancestry, who were of Scotch and German descent.
They died in Ontario County, in the Dominion, and
were both about 73 years of age.
Mr. Umphrey was bred a farmer and remained
upon the home place until he was 23 years old. He
) then made a purchase of 1oo acres of land on concession ninth, in Ontario County, and became
v actively interested in agriculture. He retained the
ownership of this a few years, when he sold out and
secured 200 acres on concession seventh, in the same
- county. He lived on the latter until he had reclaimed go acres from its natural condition. In 1855
he came to Michigan and purchased 320 acres of
wild land in Delaware Township, Sanilac County,
where he was one of the earliest settlers. The tract
was situated in the vicinity of Forestville, in the
township of Delaware, where he remained about 15
years. Meanwhile he was an actual resident of Lexington Township four years, where he improved
nearly 80 acres of land, and then returned to his;a farm in Delaware Township. He established a saw-: mill on his place and engaged extensively in the
manufacture of lumber. In the fall of I87I the fire
which devastated the county of Sanilac destroyed a
large amount of lumber which he had in stock, his
horses, cattle, stock generally, farm buildings, including everything on the place in the shape of a struct
ure,-fences, fixtures and every vestige of property of
which he was the owner, save the ground it occupied,-the loss aggregating $12,000. One of his
sons was burned nearly to death, and the lives of his
f family were saved only by seeking refuge on the lake,
which was 80 rods distant. They were practically
unclothed, and stood waist deep in the water eight
-hours, waiting for the heat to abate, before it was safe

to venture to the shore. The loss was severe, but
his determination to re-establish once more his
fortunes was intact. He had a little property in
Lexington Township, of which he took possession,
and there remained until the fall of 1877, when he
removed to Elk Township. He settled on section
I5 and now owns 240 acres located on sections 14,
15 and 22. He has 50o acres cleared and otherwise
improved, and is fast resuming his former position as
a leading agriculturist of Sanilac County. He is a
Democrat in political connections and action.
Mr. Umphrey was first married in October, 1845,
in Ontario Co., Can., to Mary Noble. She was born
in the same county, of American parentage, in 1828,
and became the mother of nine children, all of whom
survive her save one. They are named Samuel,
Catherine, Elizabeth, Mary, Ellen, Angeline, John
and Lucinda. Martha is deceased. The mother
died in 1867, in Lexington Township, universally
lamented. The husband was a second time married in 1870, in Lexington, to Catherine Flynn, who
was born in Ontario in 1853 and died in February,
1875, leaving two children,-Emma and Margaret
Mr. Umphrey was a third time married Aug. 8, 1875,
to Mrs. Mary Keefe, daughter of Fred and Elizabeth
(Post) Keller. Mrs. U. is a native of Ontario, where
she was born, in Colburn County, Nov. 5, I840. By
her first marriage she is the mother of eight children, two of whom are deceased. Their names are
Fred, John, Mary, Jennie, Ellen and James. Richard
and Catherine are deceased. Anna is the only child
of her second marriage.
i _ ][enjamin Collins, farmer, resident on sec| tion 30, Buel Township, was born in 1819,
in Cattaraugus Co., N. Y. His parents,
~~G, Israel and Lavinia Collins, were of American
birth, and died in Durham, Oxford Co., Can.
Mr. Collins is the fifth of ten children born
to his parents. His brothers and sisters were Margaret, Richard, Betsey, Abel, Josiah, Jerome, Lavinia,
Arminia and Russell. The latter is deceased. His
parents removed to Canada when he was 12 years
of age, and on reaching his majority he bought a farm
in the Dominion, and entered vigorously upon the
work of improving. The place included Ioo acres,

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