John A. Hunt

  General Notes:

The 1860 Federal Census for St. Pauls P.O., Deerfield, Van Buren Co., Michigan records John A. (33-NY) and Lucy A. (27-Vermont) Hunt with children Charles A. (4-Michigan) and Frank D. (2-Michigan). John is a farmer with real estate valued at $500 and personal property at $150.

The 1870 Federal Census for South Haven P.O., Town of Deerfield, Van Buren Co., Michigan records John A. (42-NY) and Lucy A. (37-Vermont) Hunt with children Charles A. (16-Michigan), Frank D. (12-Michigan), and Nellie A. (5-Michigan). John is a farmer with real estate valued at $3,000 and personal property at $1,000. Next door is Charles A. Hunt's future wife, Helen Winslow (indexed as Helen Stoddard, see notes on Helen's father, Lewis Winslow).

The 1880 Federal Census for Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan, District 210, page 400A records John A. (53-NY) and Lucy A. (47-Vermont) Hunt with children Frank D. (21-Michigan) and Nellie A. (15-Michigan).

The 1900 Federal Census for Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan, District 138 records John Hunt (Jan 1827) married to Jane A. Hunt (April 1834). The new wife, Jane, has been married 44 years as opposed to 48 for John. She does list having had 3 children with 1 still living and Charles' obituary from 1929 lists Nellie as still living, and Frank appears in the 1900 census at Watervliet, so Jane and Lucy are definitely not one in the same. John's son, Charles A. Hunt and his family are living in the household with his father and step mother ... see notes for son, Charles A. Hunt, for 1900 census facts.

John remarries ca 1908 and is living with his son, Charles A. Hunt in 1910 ... see notes for Charles A. Hunt for 1910 census facts.

Michigan, Deaths and Burials Index
John A. Hunt
Birth Date: abt 1827
Birth Place: N. Y.
Death Date: 6 Feb 1916
Death Place: Covert, Van Buren, Michigan
Death Age: 89
Occupation: Farmer
Race: White
Marital Status: Married
Gender: Male
FHL Film Number: 1019196

From:
BIOGRAPHIES OF VAN BUREN CO., MICHIGAN
RESIDENTS in 1912
From the book:
A HISTORY OF VAN BUREN COUNTY MICHIGAN
By Captain Oran. W. Rowland
Volume II
Published by
The Lewis Publishing Company
Chicago and New York
1912
http://www.rootsweb.com/~mivanbur/bio11.htm
John A. Hunt is one of the oldest and most venerable of the farmer-citizens of Covert township, Van Buren county. He has lived here since youth, is enthusiastically loyal to the section, has filled himself with its annals and become a living history of its progress. He has ever been aligned with good, public-spirited causes and is an ardent supporter of Prohibition. Mr. Hunt shares with so many of those who reside within the favored boundaries of Van Buren county the distinction of being a native of New York. He was born in Camillus, Onondaga county, that state, January 16, 1827, and is the son of Benjamin and Betsy Elizabeth (Secoy) Hunt, both likewise natives of New York.
The father, who was a farmer, died but two years after the birth of the subject, in 1829, the mother surviving for many years, or until 1852. They were the parents of a large family of children, as follows: Jacob, deceased; Stephen, deceased; two who died in infancy; Eliza, Benjamin Jonas and Rachel, deceased. It will thus be seen that Mr. Hunt is the only survivor of the number, and in truth he has been allotted more years that the majority.
When a young man of seventeen years John A. Hunt severed his home associations in the Empire state and came to Michigan, locating in Van Buren county. He bought forty acres in section 25, Covert township, which was the nucleus of a property which at one time consisted of one hundred and twenty acres. He is a veteran of the Civil war, having enlisted on September 22, 1864, in Company G, of the Twenty-eighth Michigan Infantry. He was sent to the front and one of the most important engagements in which he participated was the battle of Nashville, on December 15 and 16, 1864, when the Federals under Thomas gained a victory over the Confederates under Hood, which resulted in the breaking up of Hood's army as a fighting force. In his military service Mr. Hunt met with no serious injury and he was mustered out at Louisville, Kentucky, on May 22, 1865.
After the termination of hostilities Mr. Hunt returned to Michigan and took up the threads of civilian life. On November 3, 1852, he had married Miss Lucy Ann Whitcomb, and after many years of happy married life her demise occurred on February 27, 1888. This union resulted in the birth of three children. The oldest, Charles A. Hunt, owns the home place, which is the scene of successful endeavors in general farming and stock-raising; Frank D., makes his home at Watervliet; and Nellie A. is the wife of Truman E. Stratton, of Hartford township. Mr. Hunt was a second time married on December 21, 1890, Miss Jane A. Kelley becoming his wife, and her death occurred on February 8, 1902. On September 23, 1907, Mrs. Ellen Heagle, widow of Harvey Heagle, was untied in marriage to Mr. Hunt. The present Mrs. Hunt is the daughter of William and Jane (Orr) Stead and by her previous marriage the mother of eight children, as follows: Albert, of Chicago; Jane, deceased; Emily, wife of Edward Noonan, of Kansas City, Missouri; Edwin, of Grand Rapids; Colllin, of St. Louis, Missouri; Mida, wife of Elmer Partington, of Chicago; Sarah, wife of Fred Fouts, of Grand Rapids, Michigan; and Alice, of Chicago.
Mr. Hunt, a mentioned previously, is an adherent of the cause of Prohibition. He has several times in his career held office, and has given satisfactory service as township treasurer and justice of the peace, and he is distinguished for an unblemished record as a man and as a citizen. He belongs to the Grange and is, in religious conviction, a valued member of the Methodist Episcopal church.
The subject's eldest son, Charles Hunt, on March 3, 1878, laid the foundation of a happy household and congenial life companionship by his union with Helen Winslow, daughter of Lewis and Martha (Gilbert) Winslow, both of whom were natives of the state of New York. They removed to Michigan and lived in Antwerp township, Van Buren county. Mrs. Charles Hunt has the following brothers and sisters: Hardin, of Van Buren county; Mary, wife of George Hale, of Covert township; and Warren T., of Rathdrum, Idaho. Mr. and Mrs. Hunt are the parents of two sons, who have taken their places among the most admirable of the young citizenship of Van Buren county. Mearl, born July 31, 1879, owns a farm in Covert township; and Maurice D., born September 15, 1883, resides at home and gives material assistance to his father in his farm duties. Mr. Hunt gives heart and hand to the men and measures of the Republican party and is an attendant of the Methodist church, in which his wife and father are honored members.

John married Lucy Ann Whitcomb, daughter of Albert Whitcomb and Lucy Bishop, on 3 Nov 1852 in Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan. (Lucy Ann Whitcomb was born circa 1833 in Vermont, died on 27 Feb 1888 in Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan and was buried in Covert Cemetery (Family Plot), Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan.)

John next married Jane A. Kelly on 21 Dec 1890. (Jane A. Kelly was born in Apr 1834 in Michigan and died on 8 Feb 1902 in Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan.)

John next married Ellen circa 1908 in Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan. (Ellen was born circa 1839 in Canada and died after 1910 in Covert Township, Van Buren Co., Michigan.)