Margaret (Harder) Pruyn
April 11, 1826-June 8, 1901

Niles Daily Star, Monday, June 10, 1901, page 3, col. 4, microfilm Niles District Library


    Mrs. Margaret Pruyn died at her home, near Barren[sic] lake, Saturday evening at 6:30 o'clock, at the age of 75 years.. The cause of her death was a complication of diseases, together with old age.
    Deceased leaves four children, who are the Misses Jennie, Louise and Kate, and Mr. John Pruyn.
    The funeral will occur from the late residence at 2:30 o'clock tomorrow afternoon. Rev. Dr. Lowrie will conduct the services. Interment will be in Silver Brook cemetery.
    Mrs. Pruyn was a most estimable lady, as well as one of the oldest settlers in this vicinity, and her death came as a shock to the community.
Niles Republican, Thursday, June 13, 1901, page 1, col. 2, reprinted from Niles Daily Sun, Monday, June 10, 1901, microfilm Niles District Library


Monday's Sun.

    Mrs. Margaret Pruyn, widow of the late Henry Pruyn, passed away at her home near Barron lake, Saturday evening about 6:45 o'clock.  The cause of death was uraemia, the end coming after a painful illness of six weeks.
    Deceased, who was well known and had a wide circle of acquaintances, was 76 years of age and had for many years been a resident of these parts.  She leaves three children to mourn her demise. She was a sister of J.E. Harder of this city.
    The funeral was held at 2:30 this afternoon from the late residence, the Rev. Lowrie, officiating. Interment in Silver Brook cemetery.  Mrs. Pruyn was a devout member of the Presbyterian church and will be greatly missed in the home and church.

Lydia Bain Pruyn
April 3, 1869-March 13, 1873

DIED

PRUYN--At Barron Lake, March 13th, of brain fever, Lydia Bain, youngest daughter, of Henry and Margaret A. Pruyn, aged 3 years, 11 months and 10 days.

Niles Republican, Thursday, April 3, 1873, page 3, col. 7, microfilm Niles District Library

John Pruyn
1851-Dec. 3, 1902


    Dispatches received here from Kalamazoo announce the death of John Pruyn, a former resident of this vicinity, which occurred at the asylum in that city at 12:30 o'clock today.
    Mr. Pruyn was taken to the asylum for treatment about 18 months ago, his mind having been affected, it is stated, by the failure of the First National Bank of Niles.
    The deceased was 51 years old and was widely acquainted here. He was much interested in fruit culture.
    The remains will probably be brought here tonight for burial.

Niles Republican, Thursday, December 4, 1902, page 3, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library.

Jennie Pruyn
August 5, 1863-December 5, 1913

Niles Daily Sun, Friday, December 5, 1913, page 4, col. 3, microfilm Niles District Library

    Miss Florence Harder was in St. Joseph today on account of the death of her cousin, Miss Jennie Pruyn.
* * *

Niles Daily Sun, Tuesday, December 9, 1913, page 1, col. 5, microfilm Niles District Library


    The Niles pall bearers for the late Miss Jennie Pruyn whose remains were brought to Niles from St. Joseph for burial here included friends of the deceased, viz., N.H. Bacon, Thos. Hance, S.C. Quimby and Lee and Edwin Hunter.
    The funeral party accompanying the remains from St. Joseph included James Harder, Miss Florence Harder, Mrs. Frank Young, Miss Frances Hull, Miss Grace Sullivan and Miss Louise Pruyn.
    Rev. W.R. Yonker gave a short prayer at the grave.

Henry Pruyn
June 29, 1829-May 21, 1900

Niles Republican, Thursday, May 24, 1900, page 6, col. 3, reprinted from Niles Daily Sun, Tuesday, May 22, 1900, microfilm Niles District Library


From Tuesday's Sun.

    Comparatively few of those permitted to journey together through life ever reach the "jubilee year." One or the other falls on the way; and it is certainly most fitting and proper that when the union is prolonged so many years, the "golden wedding" should be enjoyed by as many of those near and dear, as can come together.
    Accordingly the children of Mr. and Mrs. Henry Pruyn, together with their neighbors and intimate friends, intended meeting today at the parental home, to celebrate the fiftieth anniversary of their parent's marriage.
    This was to have been their jubilee day.
    In view of the above it is, indeed , a painful duty to chronicle a sad affair today in the death of Henry Pryun, which occured[sic] last evening after a brief illness.
    Mr. Pruyn had been afflicted with acute kidney trouble for some time but had not exhibited any startling symptoms of late. He was, however a trifle worse for the past few days and kept to his bed during the greater part of yesterday, but was was able to rise and sit in an armchair last evening.
    In the course of the evening he discussed his approaching anniversary and, as he gazed out over the meadows in which the fair flowers blossomed his spirit was uplifted and his soul was stirred as he looked back over half a century of time and reviewed old familar[sic] scenes.
    As Longfellow, in a prose passage, has expressed it:  "Even scenes unlovely in themselves become clothed in beauty when illuminated by the imagination, as faces in themselves not beautiful become so by the expression of thought and feeling.
    Another has expressed himself thus:
"Old tunes are  precious to me as old paths,
    In which I wandered as a happy boy.
In truth, they are the old paths of the soul,
    Oft trod, well worn, familiar, up to God.
And with the music clearly ringing down through the years, the old gentlemen slumbered, and at 9:30 o'clock, like a care-free bird, his soul took its flight joyfully leaving all its burden of earthly care.
    Mr. Henry Pruyn, was born in Kinderhook, New York in 1829, and was therefore 71 yeas of age. He was married in Kinderhook and together with his wife, came to Michigan 35 years ago and settled on the old homestead near Barron Lake, where he had since resided.  The fruit of this union was seven children, four of whom, together with their mother, deplore the loss of a kind husband and indulgent father.  The children are:  John, of Grand Rapids and Misses Louise, who resides at the homestead, Kathryn of Kinderhook, and Jennie of Bowlder, Cal.
    Deceased was widely known and was loved and respected by his neighbors and acquaintances.
    The funeral will take place at 2 o'clock Wednesday, Rev. Eyles officiating at the home.  The funeral will be in charge of St. Joseph Valley Lodge, F.& A.M., of which order deceased was a member.
    Interment will take place in Silver Brook cemetery.

Fred Young, 82
June 13, 1928 — Sept. 11, 2010

Fred E. Young, 82, of Roscommon, Mich., formerly of Niles, died Saturday, Sept. 11, 2010 at Mercy Hospital in Grayling.

He was born June 13, 1928 in Niles, the son of Harry and Edna (Shoup) Young. He was a 1946 graduate of Niles High School where many lifelong friendships were made and fondly kept through the years.

He married Betty Miller Nov. 12, 1949 in Niles, where they farmed until moving to Lansing in 1955 where Fred began working with Aerovent Agricultural as a salesman working his way up to vice president of international sales. He left Aerovent in 1976 taking his broad agricultural knowledge to farms in the Upper Peninsula.

Fred had assisted in the Upper Peninsula potato harvest since 1946 and in 1972 purchased a home in Newberry where extended vacations were spent especially at harvest time. Fred was a hard-working entrepreneur becoming a real estate agent dealing in farmland in 1979 and purchasing Bauer Manufacturing in 1987 producing high-end bird feeders that were sold nationally. A skilled woodworker, he also started Youngwood, a furniture restoration business in 1993.

Following Betty’s death on July 3, 2002, he moved to the Newberry home until 2005 when he moved to Roscommon. His love of the land included woods and streams where you would find him hunting or fishing when he found time. His first love and source of joy however was his family whom he enjoyed spending time with especially in his “retirement” years.

He was a member of the Lions Club in the U.P., the Elks Club in Lansing, and an honored lifetime member of the Republican Party. While in Lansing he was a member of the Presbyterian Church and was a member of Good Shepherd United Methodist Church of the North in Roscommon.

In addition to his parents and his wife, Fred was also preceded in death by brothers, Loren and Bob, and a sister, Virginia Mooney.  Surviving are two children, Christina Young of Roscommon and Robert Young of Appleton, Wis.; three grandchildren, Katherine, Anna and Jack; two sisters, Dorothy Knox of Scottsdale, Ariz. and Helen Zabel of Edina, Minn.; and many nieces and nephews.

The family will receive friends at Walsh Funeral Home in Roscommon 4 to 7 p.m. today and at Halbritter Funeral Home in Niles 11 a.m. Wednesday until funeral services at noon officiated by Fred’s brother-in-law, the Rev. Henry Miller.

Burial will follow at Silverbrook Cemetery.

Memorials may be made to Good Shepherd United Methodist Church of the North, 149 West Robinson Lake Rd., Roscommon, MI 48653.

Niles Daily Star, Published 12:32am Tuesday, September 14, 2010