History of Detroit, a chronicle of its progress, its industries, its institutions, and the people of the fair City of the straits, / by Paul Leake ... [Vol. 3]

HISTORY OF DETROIT

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dents in his life of which any man would be justly proud. But even
after all this it remained for Nathan S. Boynton, in the sixty-fifth
year of his life, to make the battle which marked probably the most
important era in the history of the Maccabees. The strain under which
this grand old man of the order worked can never be fully realized by
those who were not closely in touch with him. He was battling for a principle that he knew was right and the opposition was great. By day and
by night he worked and planned. All over Michigan he expounded his
doctrine of expansion and the whole state was aroused to the issue.
Newspapers published columns of it and were eager for more. Major
Boynton was working, as he had worked for more than twenty-six
years. for the best interests of the order and when that great camp at
Marquette overwhelmingly endorsed him and his policy, and, almost
exhausted, he lay on his back at the hotel in that city receiving the
handshakes and congratulations of the delegates, no word or pen can
ever fully record the feeling of the affectionatly termed, "Father of
the Maccabees."
From that time until the great camp review in Toledo in June, 1908,
he was actively identified with the cause of Modern Maccabeeism. At
that review he was forced on account of physical inability to give up his
conduct of affairs of the order. Never after that time did the great
commander recover his health.
Major Boynton did not confine himself to the Maccabees. Aside
from this order he was a member of the following clubs and societies:
Masonic, Knights of Pythias, Ancient Order of United Workmen, Independent Order of Foresters, Modern Woodmen of America. Woodmen
of the World, National Fraternal Congress, Elks, Order of Khorassen,
Fellowcraft Club, Michigan Club, Grand Army of the Republic, Military
order of the Loyal Legion and several other societies. He is survived by
his widow, his sons C. L. and George H., of Detroit; and three daughters
-Mrs. J. D. Patterson and Mrs. H. A. Wright of this city and Mrs. A. E.
Parker, of Boynton, Florida.
A. MILTON HUMBER, M. D., who has been successfully identified
with the medical profession in Detroit for the past twenty years,
has his offices and residence at 24 Pasadena avenue in Highland Park.
He has been one of the influential and well known citizens of this suburb for a number of years, and here much of his practice is now concentrated.
A native of Canada, Dr. Humber was born in Keene, Peterborough
county, Ontario, February 28, 1865, a son of the late Charles Austin
Humber and his wife, Alice Ann (Amey) Humber. The Humbers'
original seat was in the Isle of Wight, and the Doctor's paternal grandfather, David Humber, was one of the first citizens of that English isle
to immigrate to Canada. He was among the pioneer settlers of Peterborough county, Ontario, where he spent the rest of his life, dying at an
advanced age. Charles A. Humber was born on the Isle of Wight and
was only a boy when the family came to Canada. He was married in
Peterborough county to Alice Ann Amey, who was a native of Kingston, Ontario, and a daughter of Jeremiah Amey. This family furnishes
one of the prominent Spanish names in that part of Canada and through
marriage with a Gonzales. About 1870 Charles Austin and family
moved to Goderich, Ontario, where he was for many years one of the
prominent citizens. He was a college-bred man, had taught school during his early career and served as principal of schools in Peterborough
county. At Goderich he was police magistrate under two different
municipal administrations. He was very prominent in Masonry in Ontario, being a thirty-second degree member of the order. His death re