Sarah Marsh Cleland
Nov. 13, 1803-Jan. 24, 1887
Evening Star (Niles, Michigan), Tuesday, January 25, 1887, page 1, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library
Mrs. Martin Cleland, one of the oldest settlers in this city, died last evening at 10 o'clock, aged 84 years.
Niles Republican, Thursday, January 27, 1887, page 5, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library.
Died, at her residence on Fifth street, in this city, on Monday evening, January 24, 1887, Mrs. Sarah Marsh Cleland, widow of the late Martin Cleland.
Sarah Marsh Cleland was born in Ontario county, New York, November 13, 1803. With her parents the subject of this brief sketch removed to Chautauqua county New York,and on the 5th of May, 1818, she united in marriage to Martin Cleland. There the young couple remained until the spring of the year 1835, when the commenced their pioneer life by removing to Niles then in its early infancy. They remained here about a year, when Mr. Cleland, in 1836, took up a claim on the Indian Reservation, three mile south west of this place the government having just concluded the purchase from the Indians. The Indians didn not, however, leave the Reservation until two years later. The Aborigines were at this time more numerous than the whites, on the west side of the river. Here the still young couple lived and farmed until 1857, when they returned to Niles. Mr. Cleleand turned his attention to manufacturing. Both Mr. and Mrs. Cleland united with the Presbyterian church at an early day, and Mr. Cleland held the office of Ruling Elder for many years before his death.
Mrs. Cleland was a woman of good mind, was firm in her convictions, strong in her religious faith, and her daily life gave evidence of the sincerity of her love of the Savior she worshipped. She inherited a strong constitution and possessed an unusually cheerful disposition. In her extreme old age even she was the life of the household. Always pleasant, vivacious and agreeable, the old and the young loved her and enjoyed her society.
Mrs. Cleland leaves three children living, Andrew J. Cleland, of this city, Albert I. Cleland, of Chicago, and F.G. Cleland, of California.