Zera Wright Ashley died on May 29, 1892 in Hammond, IN. He was born on April 25, 1812 in Mt. Holly, VT; the son of John and Polly (Foster) Ashley.
He married Abigail Simpson on May 16, 1841 in Pokagon, MI; daughter of James and Annie (Stevens) Simpson, born 19 April 1814 in Pembroke, N. H.; resides in Dowagiac, MI., being the last of the seventy-odd settlers of Pokagon.
He is survived by his wife and children Frank Simpson, Horace Lenzy, and George Foster Ashley.
Zera Wright Ashley on May 11, 1840, bought of his brother-in-law James Simpson 80 acres of land one and a half miles east of Pokagon, Cass County, MI, where he settled with
his wife and commenced farming. During the gold excitement in 1849, he left his family on the farm and went overland to California. He remained in Sacramento two years, experienced some hardships and secured some gold. Returning to his farm in Pokagon, he lived there until 1858, when he sold it and moved to the neighboring town of Dowagiac, MI. He there formed a partnership, built a steam mill, and engaged in the sash, door and blind business. In about eight months the mill with all its contents was burned, with no insurance, but another one was built to run by water. He continued in that business for eight years, then sold out and engaged in mercantile business with Thoder Witherell at Pokagon.
A year later he sold out and bought a farm near his old home in Pokagon. He lived there several years, then sold it and bought a farm in Albion, Calhoun County, MI, where he remained eight years. He then emigrated to Dakota and located on 160 acres of government land near Jamestown, rremaining there seven years, when a stroke of paralysis compelled him to give up work, and he sold his farm and moved back to Dowagiac. He resided there until a year before
his death, which occurred in Hammond, IN.
Mr. Ashley was an industrious, hard-working man all his life, and had no dissipations of any kind. He was a life long Republican, a Free Mason, and a member of the Baptist Church.
He married Abigail Simpson on May 16, 1841 in Pokagon, MI; daughter of James and Annie (Stevens) Simpson, born 19 April 1814 in Pembroke, N. H.; resides in Dowagiac, MI., being the last of the seventy-odd settlers of Pokagon.
He is survived by his wife and children Frank Simpson, Horace Lenzy, and George Foster Ashley.
Zera Wright Ashley on May 11, 1840, bought of his brother-in-law James Simpson 80 acres of land one and a half miles east of Pokagon, Cass County, MI, where he settled with
his wife and commenced farming. During the gold excitement in 1849, he left his family on the farm and went overland to California. He remained in Sacramento two years, experienced some hardships and secured some gold. Returning to his farm in Pokagon, he lived there until 1858, when he sold it and moved to the neighboring town of Dowagiac, MI. He there formed a partnership, built a steam mill, and engaged in the sash, door and blind business. In about eight months the mill with all its contents was burned, with no insurance, but another one was built to run by water. He continued in that business for eight years, then sold out and engaged in mercantile business with Thoder Witherell at Pokagon.
A year later he sold out and bought a farm near his old home in Pokagon. He lived there several years, then sold it and bought a farm in Albion, Calhoun County, MI, where he remained eight years. He then emigrated to Dakota and located on 160 acres of government land near Jamestown, rremaining there seven years, when a stroke of paralysis compelled him to give up work, and he sold his farm and moved back to Dowagiac. He resided there until a year before
his death, which occurred in Hammond, IN.
Mr. Ashley was an industrious, hard-working man all his life, and had no dissipations of any kind. He was a life long Republican, a Free Mason, and a member of the Baptist Church.
Zera Wright Ashley died on May 29, 1892 in Hammond, IN. He was born on April 25, 1812 in Mt. Holly, VT; the son of John and Polly (Foster) Ashley.
He married Abigail Simpson on May 16, 1841 in Pokagon, MI; daughter of James and Annie (Stevens) Simpson, born 19 April 1814 in Pembroke, N. H.; resides in Dowagiac, MI., being the last of the seventy-odd settlers of Pokagon.
He is survived by his wife and children Frank Simpson, Horace Lenzy, and George Foster Ashley.
Zera Wright Ashley on May 11, 1840, bought of his brother-in-law James Simpson 80 acres of land one and a half miles east of Pokagon, Cass County, MI, where he settled with
his wife and commenced farming. During the gold excitement in 1849, he left his family on the farm and went overland to California. He remained in Sacramento two years, experienced some hardships and secured some gold. Returning to his farm in Pokagon, he lived there until 1858, when he sold it and moved to the neighboring town of Dowagiac, MI. He there formed a partnership, built a steam mill, and engaged in the sash, door and blind business. In about eight months the mill with all its contents was burned, with no insurance, but another one was built to run by water. He continued in that business for eight years, then sold out and engaged in mercantile business with Thoder Witherell at Pokagon.
A year later he sold out and bought a farm near his old home in Pokagon. He lived there several years, then sold it and bought a farm in Albion, Calhoun County, MI, where he remained eight years. He then emigrated to Dakota and located on 160 acres of government land near Jamestown, rremaining there seven years, when a stroke of paralysis compelled him to give up work, and he sold his farm and moved back to Dowagiac. He resided there until a year before
his death, which occurred in Hammond, IN.
Mr. Ashley was an industrious, hard-working man all his life, and had no dissipations of any kind. He was a life long Republican, a Free Mason, and a member of the Baptist Church.
He married Abigail Simpson on May 16, 1841 in Pokagon, MI; daughter of James and Annie (Stevens) Simpson, born 19 April 1814 in Pembroke, N. H.; resides in Dowagiac, MI., being the last of the seventy-odd settlers of Pokagon.
He is survived by his wife and children Frank Simpson, Horace Lenzy, and George Foster Ashley.
Zera Wright Ashley on May 11, 1840, bought of his brother-in-law James Simpson 80 acres of land one and a half miles east of Pokagon, Cass County, MI, where he settled with
his wife and commenced farming. During the gold excitement in 1849, he left his family on the farm and went overland to California. He remained in Sacramento two years, experienced some hardships and secured some gold. Returning to his farm in Pokagon, he lived there until 1858, when he sold it and moved to the neighboring town of Dowagiac, MI. He there formed a partnership, built a steam mill, and engaged in the sash, door and blind business. In about eight months the mill with all its contents was burned, with no insurance, but another one was built to run by water. He continued in that business for eight years, then sold out and engaged in mercantile business with Thoder Witherell at Pokagon.
A year later he sold out and bought a farm near his old home in Pokagon. He lived there several years, then sold it and bought a farm in Albion, Calhoun County, MI, where he remained eight years. He then emigrated to Dakota and located on 160 acres of government land near Jamestown, rremaining there seven years, when a stroke of paralysis compelled him to give up work, and he sold his farm and moved back to Dowagiac. He resided there until a year before
his death, which occurred in Hammond, IN.
Mr. Ashley was an industrious, hard-working man all his life, and had no dissipations of any kind. He was a life long Republican, a Free Mason, and a member of the Baptist Church.
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