Greene County PA Archives Biographies.....Leonard, Solomon Guthrie February 5, 1834 - July 22, 1919

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Anna harless harlessanna November 26, 2007, 11:56 am

Author: Isaac Fancher

The following article was published: PAST AND PRESANT OF ISABELLA COUNTY

MICHIGAN by HON. ISAAC A.

FANCHER 1911

Solomon G. Leonard

This old and highly esteemed resident of Coe Township dates his citizenship in

Michigan from 1865. He was born in Greene County, Pennsylvania, February 05,

1834, being a son of Rev. William and Sarah (Guthrie) Leonard, both natives of

the Keystone state, where their births occurred in 1812 and 1815, respectively.

These parents were married in Pennsylvania and remained there until 1865, When

Mr. Leonard moved to Michigan for the purpose of securing land for his children,

his family at the time being quite large and land in his native state commanding

a higher price than he could well pay. After looking over the country for a

favorable location, he finally purchased four hundred and eighty acres, a part

of which was cleared, the rest being as nature had created it. In due season the

land was divided among his children, affording each a home, and he also gave

some attention to agricultural pursuits, although devoting the greater part of

his time to preaching the Gospel.

William Leonard was a minister of the Disciple church and preached for a number

of years throughout Isabella and other counties of central Michigan, traveling

over a large area of country in the pursuit of his holy calling and planting

congregations in a number of places. He was a man of noble purposes and high

ideals, as well as an able and popular preacher, and his labors proved very

effective in checking many of the prevalent evils of the times. After a busy and

useful life, devoted to the welfare of his fellow men, he was called to his

reward in 1876, his wife Sarah dying twenty-two years later, in1898. The family

of William and Sarah Leonard consisted of the following children: Solomon G., of

this review; Elizabeth; Archibald; Martha, widow of A. Fordyce; John and William

A., only two of whom, Mrs. Fordyce and the subject of this sketch, survive.

Solomon G. Leonard grew to maturity in his native state and was reared to

agricultural pursuits. In connection with tilling the soil, he also learned

carpentry, which trade he followed for some time in Pennsylvania and after

coming to Michigan in 1865 his skill as a builder was in great demand throughout

various parts of Isabella County. He helped clear and improve the farm in Coe

Township on which his father lived and later devoted his time to his trade until

engaging in merchandising at Coe post office, where he has been selling goods,

for a period of eighteen years and doing a profitable business.

Mr. Leonard has been quite active in the affairs of his township and at

intervals has filled local offices, one of which, that of justice of the peace,

he served for a period of thirty-two years and still holds the same, besides

being a member of the township board and for eighteen years a notary public. In

religious matters he has long been quite active and prominent, the Bible alone

representing his creed and the Disciple church holding his membership. For a

number of years he has been a leader of the local congregation at Pleasant Ridge

which his father reorganized soon after moving to this county and from time to

time has served the society as elder, deacon and clerk, besides looking after

the interest of the Sunday school and doing much to promote the welfare of

neighboring churches. At one time he was an Odd Fellow and helped organize

lodges at St. Louis and Shepherd, in the latter of which he passed all the

chairs, also served as district grand master, but of recent years he has not

been very regular in his attendance upon the meetings of the society to which he

belongs.

Mr. Leonard married, in Pennsylvania, Mary Wood, who was born in Greene County,

that state, on the 1st of March 1837. She departed this life in the year 1896,

after bearing her husband the following children: William, who lives in

Frankfort, Michigan; Horace, a resident of Coe township; Perry, who resides in

Coe and who, like the proceeding, is by occupation a farmer; Almond, who is

engaged in the pursuit of agriculture, lives in Isabella county, as do Thomas,

David and Alice, now Mrs. Hart; John is a resident of Gratiot county, this

state, and Sara, the youngest of the family, who married a Mr. Horton, lives in

Coe township; Adelia, the ninth in order of birth, is deceased.

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