| Notes |
- John D. Corey settled on the east 1/2 of northeast 1/4 of section 2, in 1833. His wife died, I think, within the first year. He subsequently married Miss Roxy, daughter of James Ferguson. He was a professional school teacher, which business he followed winters till old age, whenever he could get employment. And he was a pretty good teacher, after the methods of those days. He was also a brick mason and plasterer. Occasionally he also played the violin at country dances; these in addition to working his farm. About the year 1855 he sold his farm to William Sanderson, an Englishman, and removed to Delhi, Ingham county. After residing there a few years he removed to Iabella county, where he died a few years ago.
From Pioneer & Historical Collections, ANNUAL MEETING, 1889 VOL. XIV, Page 472, Recollections of Nankin
Wayne County, MI Pioneer Records: Kipp, Cory & Barnes Biographies
DENNIS COREY. Among the old settlers now become the retired farmers of Hamburg Township, Livingston County, we find a number of men whose abilities and character have given them an exceptional standing in the community. Their migration to Michigan in the early days developed through hardship and struggle all that is best in man, and by their perseverance and sturdy adherence to the principles which are essential to success under such circumstances, they attained a reputation and a standing which is permanent. Such a man is Dennis Corey, who resides on that beautiful section of Hamburg Township, which lies on section 36.
John D. Corey, the honored father of our subject, was born in Rhode Island, in 1799. He received an excellent education and taught for many years, although he was by avocation a farmer. Upon leaving his native home he went to Saratoga, N.Y., and remained in that State until 1831, when he came to Michigan, traveling by way of Erie Canal to Buffalo, thence to Detroit on the boat "William Penn." From that city he came through the forest to Nankin, Wayne County, where he bought eighty acres of land, and in 1836 he bought forty additional acres.
Settling on the eighty acres which he first purchased, he proceeded to cut logs and build a house. It was not really a palatial residence, being only 18x22 feet in dimensions with log walls, stick chimney with clay-back walls. He continued to improve his property, building barns and houses find setting out orchards, and in course of time, having made this property quite desirable, sold it and bought one hundred and twenty acres in Mason, Ingham County. This was a new farm and upon it he placed a house and barn and other improvements, and having thus raised its value sold (468) it and removed to Gratiot County, where he purchased another farm and remained until the end of his days, which came when he was eighty-four years and two months old.
About the year 1821, John Corey had married Miss Parney Armstrong, daughter of Jacob Armstrong, a resident of New York, who had come from Connecticut, and who had two sons and three daughters, of whom Parney was the third in age and was born about the beginning of the present century. To John and Parney Corey were given six children, who were equally divided between sons and daughters, and of whom Dennis was second in order of age, being born January 18, 1824. She died about the year 1833. After the death of his first wife the father of our subject was a second time united in marriage being g joined to Roxa Ferguson, daughter of James Ferguson, of Wayne County, Mich. Mr. Ferguson was from Vermont, and Roxa, who was born about the year 1807, was the second in a family of nine children. To her were born seven children, three of whom are still living.
The subject of this sketch had but few advantages for an education, but improved those few with vigor and interest. When twenty years old he began for himself by working out by the month in Ann Arbor. He had a taste for mechanics and soon attained skill in that department of work and at twenty-four he began to run a stationary engine, and in 1850 had accumulated enough means to purchase land, buying eighty acres in Hamburg Township, to which he has since added twenty more. The farm was not in a very good condition, although it was cleared, but had upon it poor fences and neither buildings nor orchards. Four years after his purchase of this property he was united in marriage with Luzetta, daughter of Heman Lake. Mr. Lake had a large family and Luzetta, who was the eighth child, was born in 1835. To our subject was born by this union one daughter, to whom he gave the name of his mother, Parney. She is now the wife of George Banghard and is the mother of two sons. Mrs. Luzetta Corey was called from her earthly home in 1858.
Mr. Corey made his second matrimonial alliance in 1860, taking as his wife, Catherine, daughter of Peter Corey, a native of Rhode Island, who removed to New York in his early manhood where Catherine was born in 1824, the youngest of his five children, two of whom are now living. The well-known integrity and reliability of Mr. Corey has given him the universal confidence of his neighbors and to him has been intrusted for twenty years the responsible office of Treasurer of his school district. He is interested in political movements and votes the Democratic ticket. To his son-in-law he has consigned the management of his farm, and he has built for himself a beautiful home where he and his good wife dwell at peace with all the world.
From Portrait and Biographical Album Ingham & Livingston Counties Michigan. pg 466-477
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1799 - 1883 (84 years)