Son of Cyrus & Sarah (Weeks) Stearns.

From the Stearns Genealogy & Memoirs:
ALANSON STEARNS (6495) b Oct 31, 1810 son of Cyrus & Sarah (Weeks) Stearns of Goshen, MA a farmer and blacksmith; md (i) July 4, 1834, Eliza Ann Dumbleton, and settled first at Pittsfield, Mass., afterwards, at Leoni Mich. where his wife died and he md. (2) Nov. 4, 1863, Margaret Aylesworth, by whom he had two children. "With his son, Ernest W., and a hired man, he was drowned, May 28, 1870, in Grass Lake, at Leoni, Mich. by the upsetting of a boat from which they were fishing, while waiting for an opportunity to wash their sheep." He had twelve children.

From the Portrait & Biographical Record of Muskegon & Ottawa Counties (re: Ezra Stearns):
The father of our subject, Alanson Stearns, was one of seven children, the others being as follows: Ezra, Electa, Almeda, Levi, Enos and Thomas. He was born in 1800 in Goshen, MA and made his home with his parents until his marriage, which occurred when he reached his twenty-second year. In his youth he learned the blacksmith's trade of his father and followed that vocation together with farming throughout life. In 1832, he wedded Eliza Ann Dumbleton. For a number of years thereafter, he rented land in Massachusetts, and it was not until 1854 that he removed to this State. He purchased land near Brooklyn, Jackson County, and to the clearing and cultivation of the property devoted himself for several years. After the war he became a resident of Leoni and there resided until his death. He and his wife were devoted members of the Baptist Church, and for many years he held the office of Deacon in the same. In regard to politics, he was first a Whig and later a Republican. To himself and wife were born ten children, as follows: James; John, deceased; Ezra, of whom we write; Marcia E., whose death occurred at about the age of fourteen years; Ellen M., the widow of Jairus Bewer; S. Harvey, deceased; Edwin, who wedded Mary Hinman; Carrie G., widow of Dwight J. Bewer; Frederick, deceased; and Ernest W., deceased. The mother of these children died in Brooklyn, and the father married again, taking for his second wife Mrs. Margaret Aylsworth, whose maiden name was Hinman. Two children were born of this marriage, Charles and Minnie.

1860 MI Census Jackson Co Brooklyn
Alanson Steirns 49
Ezra Steirns 24
Ellen Steirns 20
Edwin Steirns 15
Carrie Steirns 9
Ernest W Steirns 3
Zenia Robins 76
Jane Grosvenor 15

Drowned in Gilletts Lake with his son and a hired man at age 59 yrs 7 mos 28 das

Moved from Woodlawn to Highland Cemetery. All Woodlawn markers are located at the north end of Highland in a berm.

Name: Alonson Sterns
Gender: Male
Death Date: 28 May 1870
Death Place: Leoni,Jackson Co., Michigan
Age: 59
Birth Date: 1811
Birthplace: New York
Occupation: Laborer
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: B51858-1
System Origin: Michigan-EASy
Source Film Number: 941628
Reference Number: v A p 45
Collection: Michigan Deaths and Burials, 1800-1995