WALTER MERRITT, whose excellent farm of 80 acres is situated in section 11, Portsmouth township, Bay County, Michigan, was born on this farm June 10, 1864, and is a son of Nelson and Sarah Jane (Crowe) Merritt.

        The Merritt family for several generations were domiciled in the Dominion of Canada, where John and Sarah (Taylor) Merritt, our subject’s grandparents were born. Although Nelson was their only son, they also had six daughters. Nelson Merritt was born July 27, 1827, in Prince Edward District, Ontario, Canada, and grew up on his father’s farm and worked in the sawmills in the lumber region until 30 years of age. Attracted by the stories of the Australian gold mines, he then shipped for that far off land, sailing from New York, by way of Cape Horn, and safely reaching Sydney. He remained three yeas in Australia and then returned to Canada where he married. In 1858, shortly after his marriage, he came to Michigan. He bought 320 acres of heavily timbered land in Bay County, to which he later added 80 acres more, and remained on this farm, quiet and contented until his former life of adventure, until his death, which occurred on February 3, 1893. Mr. Merritt was a good manager and a very industrious man. His land was all cleared and placed under cultivation by his own work, and in the meantime he built a comfortable home and substantial buildings of all kinds necessary for the carrying on of extensive farming and stock-raising. He was a man of great intelligence and kept abreast of the times in his knowledge of current affairs and his sterling character made him the natural selection of his neighbor for various local offices. He served as justice of the peace, as township treasurer and as health officer. Politically he was a Republican. In his later years he united with the Methodist Episcopal Church. He was a man who exerted a wide influence for good in his locality and was one of the most active supporters of public improvements. The mother of our subject was born in Prince Edward District, Ontario, on October 19, 1841, and is a daughter of John and Hannah (Loose) Crowe, who were natives of England, but who died in Canada. Mrs. Merritt lives with her son Walter on the homestead. A family of six children were born to our subject’s parents: William N., of Portsmouth township; Sarah E (widow of Bert Walker), who resides with our subject on the homestead; James H., deceased at the age of two years; Walter, of this sketch; Alice, deceased at the age of four years; and Grace, who is the wife of Fred Whipple, of Portsmouth township.

        Walter Merritt was educated in the common schools of his township, and has devoted his whole life to farming on the 80 acre tract of the homestead he owns. He has made many improvements and has a very productive and valuable property.

        In 1892, Mr. Merritt was married to Mary J. Potter, who was born October 3, 1865, in Tuscola County, Michigan, and is a daughter of Robert and Mary J. Potter. They have three children: Raymond N., Robert G. And Myrtle S. Mr. Merritt, like his father, has always been identified with the Republican party, but he has never consented to hold office, giving his whole attention to this farm and family. He is an attendant on the services of the Methodist Episcopal Church, to which he gives liberal support.

HON. GRIFFITH H. FRANCIS, a jurist of high standing in Bay City, Michigan, is judge of the Probate Court of Bay County. He was born September 25, 1844, in South Trenton, Oneida County, New York, and is a son of Rowland and Ruth (Jones) Francis, natives of Wales, who severally came to the United States when of mature age, and were unified in marriage in New York State. Rowland Francis was a farmer by occupation.

        The parents of the subject of this sketch had eight children, of whom he was the eldest. Of the seven sons and one daughter resulting from their union, all are living except one son, who died in infancy. Their ages range from 48 to 60 years.

        Griffith H. Francis received his early mental training in the district school, which he attended three months each winter. Although he left home at the age of 11 years, and was engaged in various occupations, he was ambitious to lean and never neglected an opportunity to improve his mind. The first graded school which he attended was at Morrisonville, New York, after he was 19 years old. He attended Cazenovia Seminary about two years and in 1867 went to Ripon, Wisconsin, and enter Ripon College. After four years at Ripon, during which time he also engaged in teaching, being principal of one of the schools there, he returned to Cazenovia and took up the course where he had left off and graduated in 1872. Shortly after his graduation from Cazenovia, he came to Michigan and entered the law department at the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, from which he graduated in 1874. Following his graduation, he spent some time in teaching graded schools. On relinquishing this work he began the practice of the law at Saline, Michigan.

        In 1876, Judge Francis came to Bay County, taking up his residence in West Bay City, where he still makes his home. A year after his arrival, he was elected justice of the peace. He also served on the School Board and held other offices of minor note. He was one of the attorneys who drafted the charter of West Bay City in 1877. For seven years he was city attorney of West Bay City. In 1882 he transferred his office to Bay City, where he continued in active practice. For one term he served as county commissioner of schools, and also completed an unexpired term as Circuit Court commissioner.

        The subject of this sketch was elected judge of the Probate Court in 1900, and assumed the duties of that office in 1901. He was re-elected in the fall of 1904 by a very large majority, - showing the people’s appreciation of the manner in which his office was conducted. He is a stanch Republican in politics, and has served as chairman and secretary of the Republican County Committee; for several years he presided over the city campaign organization.

        Judge Francis was married in Brighton, Michigan, May 23, 1878, to Harriet A. Hyne, a daughter of Karl T. Hyne, a native of Germany. Four children were born to this union, namely: Luella, a graduate of the West Bay City High School, who is at home; Mabel, a graduate of the same institution; Helen who graduated at the Bay City High School, and is now a student at Alma College; and Karl Rowland, who is named after both of his grandfathers.

        Judge Francis is a member of the Masonic order, and of the Foresters and Maccabees. In the Royal Arcanum he has served as grand regent, and is now past grand of the State organization.

JOHN G. ARNOLD, is a well-known baker of Bay City, Michigan, where he was born in 1862. He is a son of Fred and Louise (Miller) Arnold. His father was born in Bavaria, Germany, in November, 1832. His mother was also a native of Germany, and was a schoolmate of her husband.

        Fred Arnold crossed the ocean in 1854 in the vessel “Whitney,” and came to Bay City in July of that year. For the first two years he worked in the old McEwan mill. In those early days no fresh meat was to be obtained. Pork and beans were the most common articles of food. Beer there was none. Whiskey was sold at a shilling per gallon. The first beer seen by Mr. Arnold was like thick milk. In 1856, in an old blacksmith shop on Water street, then the main street of the city, Mr. Arnold opened a bakery on the site of the present Watson Block. It was known as the “Old Bakery.” There he remained for two years, dealing mostly with the Indians. In 1857 he purchased from James Fraser for $300 the site of the present Arnold bakery, then occupied by a frame structure. The building was twice burned, and its owner has passed through three fires. In the present substantial brick block, on Fifth and Saginaw streets he conducted a first-class bakery, which is now operated by his son John G.

        Fred Arnold remembers making trips to Saginaw to buy flour. There he purchased for $8.00 per barrel the same grade of flour sold by Putnam, in Bay City, for $17.00. He turned his well-established bakery over to his sons, Godfrey and John G., about 1874, and retired from active business, to look after his property interests, being well-provided with this world’s goods. During his long residence here, he has made several trips to his native land, for pleasure and recreation. He crossed the Atlantic in 1857; 1882 and 1890, being accompanied on the last trip by his wife. In all he has made eight voyages to Europe, besides visiting scenes of local interests.

        Fred Arnold was married to Louise Miller in Bay City and their union resulted in eight children, as follows: Godfrey, who married Stechen Fichtel, and lives at Calumet, Houghton County, Michigan; Fred, Jr., a Lutheran minister, who married Carrie Peterman, and resides at Silver Creek, New York; John G.; Sophis, wife of H. Tresselt, who operates a flour mill at Fort Wayne, Indiana; Louise, wife of Al Schiermer, who is in the jewelry business at Saginaw; Tillie, deceased, who was the wife of F. Burton; Clara, wife of Theodore Syemeyer, wholesale dealer in boots and shoes at Fort Wayne, Indiana; and Martha, wife of George Watrous, who is employed in the Commercial Bank of Bay City.

        The father of this family helped to organize the old Lutheran Church and school at Lincoln and McKinley avenues, of which he was trustee for a number of years.

        The subject of this sketch received his mental training in the Bay City public schools. At the age of 15 years he began to learn the bakery business with his father, and has been connected with it in various ways ever since. When his father retired about 1874, the firm became Arnold Brothers. They dissolved the partnership in 1880, from which period Mr. Arnold has conducted the concern alone. He is an energetic, up-to-date business man, and is thoroughly posted in his trade.

        Mr. Arnold was married in 1901 to Minnie Hoffman, who was born in Bay City. Their union has resulted in two sons, - Frederick and Henry.

        Mr. Arnold is a member of the Mutual Building & Loan Association and of the Royal Guards. He and his wife are members of the Lutheran Church.

LOUIS VANDERBILT, who for the past 24 years has resided on his farm of 120 acres, situated in section 36, township 14, range 5, in Portsmough township, Bay County, Michigan, was born November 7, 1834, in the province of Antwerp, Belgium, and is a son of Frank and Catherine (Moerdenoud) Vanderbilt.

        The parents of Mr. Vanderbilt spent their lives in Belgium, where they were most worthy farming people of the middle class. They reared a family of nine children. Three daughters and two sons came to America. The only survivors of the family are our subject and his sister, Mrs. Marie Antoinette Johnson, who resides with him.

        Mr. Vanderbilt has had a ver interesting life, filled with adventure and hard work, and through his own efforts has brought about the peace, plenty and comfor4t which he is able to enjoy as the evening of life draws on. He was reared on his good father’s farm until he was chosen as trainer of the horses for the use of the royal family of Belgium, and he served in this position for two years, frequently meeting some of his royal patrons. He then entered the army, according to the law, and served fire years in the artillery. This service brought him little capital and by the time it had closed, it was late to learn a trade. Conditions did not seem to offer him any inducement to remain in his native land, so that, as soon as he could make his arrangements, he sailed for America and landed finally at Detroit.

        Mr. Vanderbilt found himself hampered by his want of knowledge of the English language. Belgian, German, and French he could easily speak, but the English language, as he had never mingled with English speaking people, was very difficult to learn. After seeking an opening at Detroit for several months, he came to Bay City where he had learned that work was plentiful. Here he found his good manners and excellent clothing were against him in applying for a laborer’s position, but he finally secured work at ditching and thereby earned his first $40 in America. Some months later he went into a lumber camp in the woods and there he found plenty of work and good wages and attracted to him any number of good friends among the hard working crews, many of whom, like himself, had come from other lands. Mr. Vanderbilt followed rafting on the river, and was paid well for his dangerous work as a lumber jack, and thus obtained the capital which enabled him to retire from that business. He began work at $12 a month, and when he quit he was getting $150 a month from the firm of Dexter & Bellow.

        After 10 years of this hard work, Mr. Vanderbilt came to Bay City and built a hotel, the Vanderbilt House, which he operated three years and then built a second house which he conducted for eight years. This second hotel he traded for his present farm of 120 acres, only 30 of which had been cleared. All the subsequent clearing he did himself and made all the excellent improvements. He has conducted his farm mainly as a dairy farm and has met with excellent results.

        In 1864, Mr. Vanderbilt was married to Theresa Schmidt, who was born in Belgium and died in 1877 at Bay City, survived by five children: Joseph, proprietor of the Center Road Hotel of Hampton; Frank, also a hotel keeper; Louis, who lives with his father; Charles, proprietor of the Savory Hotel, of Bay City; and Felix, of Idaho. Mr. Vanderbilt married, as his second wife, Sophia Wentz, who was born in Belgium and died in 1881, leaving one child, - Felix.

        Mr. Vanderbilt takes an interest in local politics but votes independently, supporting the man he thinks will best execute the laws and carry out the will of the people.

JULIUS SCHULZ, florist, with greenhouses at No. 1919 Columbus avenue, Bay City, Michigan, is one of the successful business men of this city. He was born in Pommern, Germany, May 31, 1858, and is a son of Charles and Carolina Wilhelmina Schulz.

        The father of our subject was a florist in Germany and later became a gamekeeper on a large estate. He immigrated to America some years after his son and joined him at Bay City. For five years he had charge of Eickemeyer’s cemetery. His death took place January 4, 1904; his wife had died in 1893.

        Julius Schulz learned the florist’s trade in Germany, serving an apprenticeship of two years in Berlin. In 1881 he came to America and located at Milwaukee, Wisconsin where he followed market gardening until 1883, when he came to Bay City. For a time he was in the employ of the John C. Irvine Greenhouse Company of Bay City, but in 1889 he opened up his own place of business on Columbus avenue. He began with two small greenhouses 25 by 50 feet in dimensions, but these were accidentally burned in 1891 and the loss was total, as he had no insurance. Mr. Schulz was in now way discouraged by this calamity, although it absorbed all his capital. He went right to work and before the close of the year was again ready for business in more conveniently constructed quarters. In 1892 he made many improvements and now has five modern built greenhouses, with steam heat and all appliances for the growing and preserving of everything in his line, including a cold storage plant. Mr. Schulz has indeed made the desert blossom, for when he came to his present location nothing could be seen but the native woods. It is very wonderful to mark the changes brought about in so short a time and they tell, better than words, of the energy and enterprise of Mr. Schulz. He has many business and personal friends who rejoice to see his prosperity, knowing as they do, the honest industry which has brought it about.

        At Bay City, in 1886, Mr. Schulz was married to Augusta Kanath, who was born in West Prussia, Germany, and they have a family of five children, all of whom are at home, namely: Emil, who is his father’s capable, and intelligent assistant; Walter, Minnie, Arthur and Laura. The family belong to the German Evangelical Lutheran Immanuel Church on Lincoln avenue and 10^th street, with which Mr. Schulz united in 1883 and to which he has contributed liberally. He assisted in the building of the church edifice.

        Mr. Schulz has never identified himself with any political party, seeking rather the election of men of good reputation, who can be trusted to enforce the laws. He has been in a marked degree public-spirited and assisted materially in the construction of the street railway and other improvements on Columbus avenue. Although he came to America a man grown, without any knowledge of the English language, he set himself the task of learning it and succeeded without having had a single lesson. This is but an example of the persevering patience and firm determination that have also been brought to bear in the building up of his business.

W. A. COLLINS, one of the prominent and representative men of Bay City, Michigan, a leading member of the Bay County bar and a public official now serving his second term as Circuit Court commissioner, who was born in Saginaw County, Michigan, February 19, 1879. He is a son of John J and Mary (Scott) Collins, pioneers of Bay County.

        Capt. John Collins, the paternal grandfather, who with his wife still resides in Bay City, was born in Liverpool, England. He came to Bay City in 1851 and spent the whole of his active life as a sailor, commanding vessels on the Great Lakes for many years. Our subject’s father has also been a sailor for many years, having but lately retired from maritime life. He is well and favorably known all over Bay County and now resides at Chicago, aged about 50 years. The mother of our subject died in 1898, aged 42 years. She was of Dutch descent, her family coming originally from Holland, to which country the old aristocracy of the State of New York refers with pardonable pride. The family consisted of four children, via: W. A., Helen, John J., Jr. And Walter Scott. All were born in Bay City, Michigan and all, with the exception of our subject reside in New York.

        Our subject was four years of age when his parents settle at Bay City, and his education was obtained in the common and high schools of his native place. After graduating from High School in 1896, he began to teach school, a profession he followed in various parts of the county for some six years, during this time studying law to such good purpose that in 1901 he was admitted to the bar and entered upon the practice of the profession. Although he has been eminently successful, he is better known to the people of Bay County as a political factor. A stanch Republican and fine orator, he has taken a very active part in political campaigning for the past six years. In 1899 he was appointed a member of the Bay County Board of School Examiners for a term of two years and was re-appointed in 1901. In 1902 he was elected Circuit Court commissioner and in 1904 was re-elected and is serving in this position at present

        in 1898 Mr. Collins was united in marriage with Louise Abeare, who is a daughter of Julius Abeare, now of Bay County. Mrs. Collins was born at Marine City, St. Clair County, Michigan. They have two sons, bright, interesting children: Earl Chester, a manly little fellow of five years; and Virgil Leo, aged one year.

        Mr. Collins is clerk and corporal of Company B, 3^rd Infantry, Michigan National Guard. He belongs to a number of fraternal and social organizations, including the Knights of Pythias, Modern Woodmen of America, Independent Order of Foresters, Union Life Guards, National League of Veterans and Sons, and Modern Archers of America. In his religious views Mr. Collins favors the Protestant Episcopal Church.

        Mr. Collins has forged his won way to the front rank of an unusually gifted body of young professional men and political workers, and he has won for himself a position of enviable prominence and future promise.

HON. JAMES BIRNEY, This distinguished son of a distinguished father became identified with the Saginaw Valley in 1856, coming as the successor of his father, who had made large investments here in Lower Saginaw (now Bay City).

        A graduate of the Ohio University at Miami, in 1836, James Birney became a member of the faculty teaching Greek and Latin, prior to attending the law lectures of Judge Storm and of Professor Hitchcock, of Yale College, at New Haven, Connecticut. While in New Haven he married Amanda Moulton, a stepdaughter of Nathaniel Bacon of that city. After his graduation he practiced law at Cincinnati until business interests led him to make a visit to Lower Saginaw as above mentioned. In the summer of 1857 he removed his family to Bay County and from that time on became closely identified with the interests of this section of Michigan.

        Judge Birney purchased his father’s large interests in the town of Lower Saginaw and also made several independent purchases from the government. His first important public service here was to procure the passage of the bill changing the name of Lower Saginaw to Bay City. In 1858 he was elected to the State Senate on the Republican ticket, being nominated more as a compliment than otherwise. The district extended to the Straits of Mackinac and all that portion of Saginaw County embraced within the present limits of Bay County, had been regarded as strongly Democratic. Judge Birney received in this stronghold of Democracy every vote in the county except five, which were given the regular Democratic nominee, and a few scattering. The volume of session laws for 1859 contains some 50 acts presented by Judge Birney for his district; what is remarkable, every one he presented as adopted.

        One of the above measures had an important bearing upon the interests and development of the Saginaw Valley and the 10^th District. This was the act securing a bounty for the manufacture of salt. The bill proposed the payment of five cents a bushel, but Judge Birney presented it in such a way that it was considered in a more favorable light and a bounty of 10 cents was granted.

        In 1860, Judge Birney was nominated by the Republican State Convention for the office of Lieutenant Governor and was elected by a majority of 20,000. It was during his term in this office that he was appointed to a vacancy on the circuit bench, and he filled this position for the next four years, his jurisdiction embracing Saginaw, Gratiot, Isabella, Midland, Iosco and Bay Counties. After the expiration of his term, he was unanimously re-nominated by the Republican Judicial Convention, but the district had become so largely Democratic that he was defeated. He then resumed the practice of the law and took part in nearly all important litigation of that time. In 1871 he established the Bay City Chronicle, which was issued as a daily in 1873 and its publication was continued until after his departure for The Hague in 1876, when it was merged into the Bay City Tribune.

        In 1872, Governor Baldwin nominated Judge Birney to President Grant as centennial commissioner for Michigan, to celebrate the 100^th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 1876. He failed to serve in this capacity as he had been appointed by the President, on December 17, 1875, as United States Minister to the Netherlands and he departed for the Hague in 1876. This honor was greeted with satisfaction by his fellow citizens who appreciated how valuable his services had been to Michigan. He did much for his locality and State, one act being the securing of the first railroad in Bay City.

        Judge Birney had five children: James G., Arthur Moulton, Sophia Hull (Blackwell), Alice (Mrs. Frank Blackwell) and one child that died in infancy.

MISS MARGARET L. McGUIRE, a well-known and much respected lady of Bay City, Michigan, is a native of Canada, born at Leeds in the Province of Quebec. Her father, Michael McGuire, died when she was 11years old; she had previously, at the age of four, lost her mother.

        In 1856, Miss McGuire entered the service of Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes, whose pastorate at that time covered the entire Saginaw Valley. She was an orphan when Father Schutjes took her into his household, and she continued in the capacity of his housekeeper for 41 years, faithful to every obligation imposed by that relationship. When she first came to what is now Bay City, the spot was thickly covered with timber and what is now Center street was a mass of dense brush. She has seen the Catholic Church in the Saginaw Valley grow from its infancy. During her long period of service with Father Schutjes, he was always kind and considerate, and when he crossed the ocean to Europe after spending seven years as secretary to the Bishop of Detroit, subsequent to his departure from Bay City, she accompanied him. A few words concerning this most worthy clergyman would seem not irrelevant to this connection.

        Rev. H. J. H. Schutjes, whose portrait accompanies this sketch, was a Hollander, born March 6, 1826, and died in Holland, March 18, 1897, at the age of 71 years. He was the youngest of a family of seven sons, one of whom was a priest in Holland. The five other sons occupied positions of public trust in Europe. He received a good education, completing his studies at Louvain University, Belgium, and was conversant with the German, Dutch, Belgian, French, Latin and English languages. He came to Michigan with 25 other young priests, and had but 25 cents in his pockets upon his arrival. He was ordained to the priesthood under Bishop LeFevre of Detroit, Michigan, and then began his connection with the development of the Catholic Church in this section. His income at the outset was very meager, and all the meat used in his household in those pioneer days was of his own killing. During 1850 and 1851 the Catholics of the Lower Saginaw (now Bay City) built of native timber, which they procured from the woods, an edifice on Washington street below Second, known as St. Joseph’s Church, and Father Schutjes arrived in 1852 to assume charge. He had great difficulties with which to contend, as the church was not only in its infancy, but no place was provided for the pastoral residence. He chiefly resided at the old Wolverton House and the remainder of the time was the guest of some friend. Included in his charge was all of the Saginaw Valley, and this necessitated frequent trips, which were hazardous and full of hardship, as there were no roads at the time. He was relieved of a part of his charge in 1863, when pastors were secured for Saginaw and East Saginaw. His parishioners included Hollanders, Germans, French and those speaking English, which made it necessary for him to speak several languages. A new church was erected in 1868 on the site of the present St. James’ Church by the English-speaking portion of the parish and was dedicated under the patronage of St. James the Apostle. In 1873, Father Schutjes was called to Detroit to assist the Bishop and Rev. Thomas Raftel, the present incumbent, became his successor. During Father Schutjes pastorate, the church had a wonderful growth in membership and influence, and in the power to accomplish beneficent and charitable acts. The St. James’ Parochial School was begun by him and completed by Father Rafter, and was then taken charge of by the Sisters of Charity, from Cincinnati, in September 1873.

        Upon the death of Father Schutjes, Miss McGuire returned to Bay City to make her home with her brother-in-law, Henry Peters, a widower, for whom she kept house until his death in 1901. She now resides in this old home at No. 915 Columbia avenue, and also owns other property in Bay City.

WILLIAM H. FRIDAY, a prosperous farmer of Gibson township, Bay County, Michigan, resides in section 28 and has a fine farm of 80 acres. He was born in Oakland County, Michigan, in 1875, and is a son of Isaac and Julia (Baldwin) Friday. His grandfather Friday lived to reach the age of 90 years and was a life-long resident of New York State.

        Isaac Friday was born at Albany, New York, and was a pioneer of Oakland County, Michigan, where he located at an early date. He was married there to Julia Baldwin, who also was born in Albany, New York, and died in 1893, aged 59 years. Mr. Friday died one year later at the age of 72 years.

        William H. Friday received his educational training at Clarkson, Michigan, and worked on his father’s farm of 113 acres in Springfield township. Oakland County. His first business venture on his own account was in 1896, when he purchased his present farm of 80 acres in section 28 of Gibson township, Bay County. It was all wild land at the time and a considerable distance from any road, and in building his house it was necessary to carry the lumber on his back. Before the doors were hung or the windows in, he moved into the house with his wife, and there followed the same difficulties and hardships in this undeveloped community as were experienced in early pioneer days in what are now thickly settled sections of the county. He has cleared the land and placed it in a high state of cultivation, and now has one of the most valuable farms in the township.

        In 1893, Mr. Friday was married to Lillian Richmond, a daughter of Benjamin and Mary (Howell) Richmond, and a granddaughter of William Richmond, a native of New York who at an early age settled in Groveland township, which continued to be his home up to the time of his death at the age of 65 years. His wife died in 1878, aged 35 years.

        William H. Friday and his wife are parents of three children, as follows: Elmer, born in 1894; Julia, born in 1896; and Richmond, born in 1903. Fraternally our subject is a member of the Knights of the Maccabees and the Grange. He is a stanch Republican in politics.

CARL CRABBE, one of the prominent farmers and stock-raisers of Merritt township, Bay County, Michigan, who owns a well improved and productive farm of 160 acres in section 31, was born in the city of Stralsuntl, Pommern, Germany, September 25, 1859, and is a son of Carl and Caroline (Piretz) Krabbe.

        The parents of Mr. Krabbe were farming people in Germany and they passed their lives in their native land. Of their nine children, seven reached maturity, as follows: Axel, who lives on the old homestead in Germany; Emma, (Mrs. Lange) of Germany; August, who came to Bay County in the spring of 1883 and died July 26, 1903; Minnie (Mrs. Ebelt) of Germany; Alvina, who died in Germany; Carl, of this sketch; and Otto, of Germany.

        Our subject remained with his parents and assisted in working the home farm until 1891, when he came to America, reaching Bay City on June 11^th , where he joined his brother August who had been here for eight years. Mr. Krabbe came with the intention of investing in land and soon became satisfied with the appearance and location of his present property, which he purchased. The tract consisted of 160 acres, 40 of which had been improved. Mr. Krabbe has cleared and put the remainder under a fine state of cultivation, has built a comfortable home and has made many excellent improvements. At first he made hay his leading crop, then raised grain, but latterly has given more attention to the raising of fine stock. His heard of Holstein cattle can scarcely be excelled in the county. His large supply of milk is sold to the cheese factory at Buena Vista.

        Mr. Krabbe was married in Bay County in May, 1892, to Ella Janiche, who was born in Berlin, Germany, June 11, 1874, and is a daughter of Emil and Anna (Smith) Janiche, natives of Germany, who came here when Mrs. Krabbe was nine years old. Our subject and wife have five bright, interesting children: Emma, Carl, Axel, Otto and Wilma.

        Politically, Mr. Krabbe has become identified with the Republican party, but he takes no active interest in politics, devoting his time closely to his agricultural interests. He is a member and liberal supporter of the German Lutheran Church in Merritt township.