A history of Pickford Area Pioneer Families Daniel Morrison

PEFFERS

James Peffers was born in Scotland on April 9, 1859. As a boy, he came from Scotland with his family and settled in Ontario, Canada. Around 1882 James and his wife, Armina Honsinger Peffers, came to Pickford and settled on the huckleberry plains four miles north and three miles west of Pickford, bordering on the south side of the school forest. Frank was born in 1882. They went back to Canada where William, Gordon, Fred, and Maude were born. About 1899 they returned to Pickford and settled on the SW quarter of SW quarter of Town 44 Notrh, Range 1 West of Section 1 West of Section 13, which we refer to as the Otto Graham 40, now owned by Frank Rike.

In 1907, he bought 80 acres, W 1/2 of NE 1/4 of Town 44 North, Range 1 West, of Section 26, from Hugh Carr. It is now the Alex Anderson farm. He spent the remainder of his life there as a farmer.

WILLIAM HENRY PEFFERS was born in Ontario Sept. 8, 1888 and died Jan. 10, 1968. He was married Feb. 5, 1913, to Pearl Jennett Ferrish, daughter of Jennett Smith Ferrish and Henry Ferrish (born June 8, 1895, in Pickford). Mrs. Peffers now resides in Baca Baton, Florida. She and William had 10 children: Jennie Elizabeth, Ervadene Pearl, Henry Emerson, Harvey James, Albert Roy, Freda Laverne, Opal Mae, Ernest William, Floyd Earl, and Emily Joy.

Jennie married Everett McConkey (deceased 1963) and now risides in Sault Ste. Marie. Her children were as follows: Arla Mae married Russell McDowell and their children Larry (deceased 1968); Betty, Alan, and Evan*; Betty Lou (deceased 1954); Evelyn married Peter Bush and their children are, Terri Lynn, Pamela Jo, Susan Kay, Peter William, and Diana Marie*. Everett Henry married Jacklyn Izzard and they had one daughter, Debra*. His second marriage to Arlene Black resulted in four children: Laurie Kay, Perry Everett, Josephy Melvin, and Judy Elizabeth*; Francis married Sandra Riley and their children are David Francis, Daniel Willard, Doreen Elizabeth (deceased), and Christopher Michael*. Janette married James Hamel and their children are Rhonda, Brent (deceased), Raya, Robin, and James Robert*.

Ervadene Pearl married Leonard Jenks (deceased). They had two children, Ladell and Frederick. Ladell married William Frazer and their children are Claudia (married with one child), Robert, James, Richard and Timothy*. Frederick and his wife, Vivian, are the parents of Wanda, Mike, Penny, and Tina*. Ervadene remarried to George Iwanski and now lives in Belen, New Mexico and has one son, Thomas, from this marriage.

Henry Emerson is unmarried and lives in Boca Baton, Florida.

Harvey James married Marion Reiss and now resides in Leslie, Michigan. Their children are Oscar, Terry, Doyle, Merry Sue, Nancy, and Linda.

Albert Roy married Marjorie McCullam and lives in Costa Mesa, California. They have two daughters, Diane and Gail.

Freda Laverne married David Richard and now lives in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida. Their children are Richard (he and his wife, Jill have two children), Sandra (she and her husband, Butch, have one child), Jeffery, Dana, and Barbara

Opal Mae married Francis Gagnon and now lives in the Soo. Their children are Jane (she and her husband, Richard Chadineau, have three children), Frances (she and her husband, James McCall have two children), Gene, and Penny (she and her husband, Richard Payment, have one child).

Ernest, William married June Morrison and lives in Pickford. Steven Ernest, in college, Marcia Kay, Neil William and Joel Clayton.

Floyd Earl married Jerry Esson and now lives in the Soo, and their children are Rodney and Randy (twins) and Kelly. an

Emily Jo married Randy Mundt (deceased) and had two children, Gary and Sherri. She later married Louis Pinto and has a stepdaughter, Lisa, and a son, John.

PENNINGTON

Charles, Tom, Bill, Jim, and John Pennington were brothers born in Devonshire, England to Ann and John Pennington. They also had one sister, Margaret (Mrs. Tom Hare), whose son, Cyril Hare, still lives in Sault Ste. Marie.

Their father operated a stone mill, grinding flour. Charles helped his father run the mills, staying home from school. He would cough from the dust of the mill and go to the door for fresh air. His father would tell him to take a puff of his pipe. Eventually, Charles decided to get a pipe of his own (he was then about 12 years old). He smoked a pipe until he was 75.

Charles, Tom, Bill, and Jim came to Canada to work. Charles signed up to work on a farm for three years. One month before his time was up, Tom, Bill, and Jim came to see if he wanted to go back to England. They had arranged to work their way back on a livestock boat. To break his contract for the remaining month, Charles hired a "Williams", giving him $16 for the month, while Charles had been earning only $15 per month.

The livestock boat was half-full of wheat. On the way, they were caught in a storm. The boat went on its side as the wheat shifted. The wheat kept the boat from righting itself. There were also 500 sheep and hundreds of head of cattle on the top deck as well as those on a lower floor. The animals piled up on one side of the boat and took the railing off. The 28-man crew was ordered to throw the livestock overboard, as they had to drown in order to collect the insurance. As the men waited out the storm, they could see cattle swimming "in the air" as they were in the trough of the sea. As they went up, the cattle could be seen as far down as they could see. For several days, with engines working, they sat in one place, holding their own until the storm ceased.

At a family reunion, Charles was able to show $300 in gold that he had saved. The brothers stayed in England for some time, but eventually Charles married Melinda and brought his wife to Canada, where he cut cordwood for seven years. At about the age of 28, he came to Stirlingville by way of Sault Ste. Marie, with 2 teams of horses (either his or some he had borrowed). On the way, he upset the furniture into a creek, breaking all the glass. His brother, Bill, had arrived earlier and settled two miles east and one-half mile north of Pickford (on the hill). Jim had homesteaded two miles east, one mile north, and one and one-half miles east of Pickford.

Charles lived in Stirlingville for a while until he purchased 80 acres two miles east of Pickford from the railroad (about 1890). He walked on downed pine logs 1 1/2 miles, from one tree to another between Stirlingville and his farm. He built a home of lumber and pole rafters which he added to later. This house stood until it burned in 1949. Charles worked in lumber camps during the winter at Prentiss Bay, and cleared his own land during the summer. He also cleared land for Bill (a bachelor) to get money to live. He farmed for a living after clearing the land.

Saturday night was saved for going to Stirlingville for groceries. Supplies came there by boat. It was expected at that time that the town would be in Stirlingville.

Fresh beef could only be kept in the winter. The summer menu relied on salt pork. Homemade bread and butter were popular. Pigs and chickens were raised to provide meat and eggs.

Diphtheria struck and took the lives of three of his children: Fred died Feb. 18, 1889 (2 years). George E. died March 3, 1889 (6 years old), and Margaret A. died March 4, 1889 (5 years old.) His wife had diphtheria, but survived until Oct. 18, 1899, when she died of spinal meningitis. She was 37 years old.

Charles sold the farm to Bill Darcy, had an auction sale, and returned to England with his four surviving children, Maria, Hulda, Frank, and Melinda. He had difficulty getting through customs with crowds of people. He got some cardboard boxes piled together and put the children inside, so they wouldn't get trampled. The customs officers had to see the children before they would check the trunks and allow them to proceed. After his return to England, Charles stayed one year. He married Mary Jane Dunn during this time. He couldn't make a satisfactory living there after being in America, wages were so cheap ($0.50 a day), and he preferred the climate in North America, so with his family and new wife, he returned to Stirlingville and repurchased his farm from Bill Darcy in 1900 or 1901.

Shorlty after returning to America, Charles and Mary Jane began their family with Norman,

Charles, Leota, Howard James, Harvey Edwin, Doris Mae, and John Henery. died of a stroke. Charles lived until March 20, 1935. Harvey and Howard purchased the farm from their father and Howard continues to live there.

MARIA married Russel Hope. Their children are Dorothy (Mrs. James Lind), Wanda (Mrs. Edward Quinn), Willard, Kenneth, Wallace, and Fred.

HULDA (1893-1970) married Robert Roe, Jr. Their children are Evelvn (Mrs. Donald MacKenzie),Jean (Mrs. Reid Crawford), Helen (Mrs. Jack McLean), Willis and Morris who are twins, Bernard and Clayton.

MELINDA married Reuben Hunter. Their children are Pauline (Mrs. Basil McCulligh), Beverlv (Mrs. Lorne Sibbald), Donna (Mrs. Bruce Martyn), Marilyn (Mrs. Will Frederick), Shirley (Mrs. Gerald Maleport), Clark and Charles.

FRANK (1891-1948) married Margaret Nelson. Their children are Maitland who married Patricia Roe, their children are Ron, Marsha, Dennis and JoAnn. Edna married Jack Roe, their children are Jim, Roger and Francis. Dean married Patricia Johnson, their children are LynnDean, Pamela, Franklin and Carol.

LEOLA married Clifford Bawks and they live in Sault Ste. Marie. Their son, Gerald, and his wife, Ina, have four children: Debbie, Wally, Bonnie, and Lori. Their daughter, JoAnn, married Al Wegner and lives in North Carolina. Their children are Linda, Donna, Larry, and Pam.

NORMAN married Opal Patton (died in 1968) and lives in Sault Ste. Marie. Their daughter, Margaret Joy, married Bill Smith and lives in Ohio. Their children are Norman, Bill, Cindy, and Mark. Another daughter, Norma Jean, married Fred Schmidt and lives in Florida, they have a daughter, Michelle.

HOWARD married Eleanor Abbott (deceased 1968) and lives in Pickford with his children, Mary Jane and Charles.

HARVEY married Lois Ryan and lives in Pickford.

DORIS married Manford Holter and lives in Dearborn. Their daughter, Patricia Anne, and her husband, Ulysses, live in Lansing. Their children are Katherine Ann, Nancy Lorraine, Matthew Curtis, and and David Alloysius. Their son, Ronald Colin, married Iona Mae Johnson and they live in Detroit. Their children are John Colin, Tina Mae, and Karen Ann.

JOHN married Helen Harrison and they live in Westland. Their daughter, Bonnie, married Dave Beck, and they have a son, John Henry, Jr., (Bud)