Grant David Sherman
Grant David Sherman (16), 1886-1950
Lucy Theresa Culhane (16), 1891-19681886. On 22 Jun, Grant Sherman was born in Watertown Twp, Tuscola County, Michigan, probably at the farm located on Fostoria Road.
1887. Grant at age 1 was named heir to 40 acres without buildings in Rich Twp, Lapeer County, Michigan. This land was never mentioned in the family oral or written records, for whatever reasons.
1891. On 29 January, Lucy Culhane was born in Pinckney, Putman Twp, Livingston County, Michigan. Her family information is on the Culhane side of this web site.
1891. On 1 Feb, Lucy Culhane was baptized at StMary's Catholic Church in Pickney MI, witnesses were Jacob Lyman and Jane Farman. She had straight red hair that turned dark chestnut by college age.
1896. Grant attended Tubbs Public School, and then quit at the age of 10 or 11 to help with his father's and grandfather William R Sherman farms.
1898. Grandpa David Summers gave Grant a horse and buggy for his 12th birthday.
1900. Census of Watertown Twp, indicated Grant Sherman age 13, lived at home, farm laborer, he could read, write, and speak English.
1909/11. Lucy Culhane taught in a county high school in Hamburg Twp, Livingston County, MI, on a teachers permit. The first year she was paid $265 including janitorial work. The second year she was paid $295 including the janitorial work.
1910. Census of Watertown Twp, indicated Grant Sherman age 23, lived at home, farm laborer.
1910. Grant worked in a buggy factory in Pontiac MI, he painted buggies.
1912. Lucy graduated from Michigan State Normal College in Ypsilanti, and received a Teachers Life Certificate.
1912/4. Grant worked for a Mr Manchester in Fostoria who was a buyer and shipper of farm products, and also helped with his father's farm. He told his son Alonzo that he assembled farm equipment.
1912/4. Grant's daughter Eleanor, always told how Grant's father was on the school board, but was unable to meet the train (the Huckleberry Rail Road) at Fostoria when the new teacher, Lucy Culhane, arrived. So he sent his son Grant as the official greeter. Then Grant would relate how he saw that tall gorgeous redhead in her pretty royal blue suit get off the train, he knew he was caught. Then Lucy his wife would ask Grant "Then why did it take her a whole year to catch him."
1912/4. Lucy taught mathematics and American History among other subjects, at the Fostoria High School. The boys would love to recite the names of Civil War Generals, emphasizing the words Grant and Sherman, to watch the new teacher blush. Also, the students when discussing General Grant and General Sherman they would leave out some words and it would come out as Grant Sherman, the new teachers boy friends name.
1912/5. Grant's father Alonzo's journal account with Grant was started Jun 1912 and ended 2 Feb 1916. From this journal it appears Grant was farming Alonzo's farm on a 50:50 landlord tenant agreement. All expenses and sales of crops and livestock were split 50:50. The garden and chickens were totally Grants. Grant assumed all the labor cost for the live in hired man named Ben Hutton, and all the day labor which was often Charles Carr. Alonzo was credited $2.00 per day when helping out on the farm. Prices mentioned for crops sold were oats 30-40 cents, potatoes 35 cents, and rye 63-75 cents. Other prices were 100 pounds of binder twine $9.38, and fertilizer at $1.35 per sack.
1914. On 15 Jul, Grant Sherman and Lucy Culhane were married in the Sanctuary at the StMary's Catholic Church in Pickney MI, her home town. Witnesses her brother Robert Cameron Culhane and her sister Josephine Margaret Culhane.
When Lucy went to StMary's to make arrangements for the wedding, she found the long time beloved Priest Father Comerford had moved to Flint MI to start StMatthews, and a new young Priest had taken over. The new priest said flatly he did not believe in mixed marriages, and would not marry them. Lucy, a spunky redhead, told him flatly they would be married at StMary's and that he would marry them, and she stomped out of the room, her exact words were reported to be "I will be and you will." The next day Lucy took a train to Detroit and talked to the Bishop, and brought back a note from the Bishop instructing the Priest to perform the marriage, and he did! The reception was at the home of Lucy's sister Miss Flora Culhane in Ann Arbor MI (related by Josephine Culhane).
1914. Grant rented his father's farm and lived in the old log cabin farm house, with his wife and hired man until the new house was finished in Dec 1915. Grant was deferred from military service in WW-I because he was growing food.
1914. Census of Watertown indicated: Grant age 33, farmer, owned property free of debt (might be an error), Lucy T Sherman age 29, child Lucy N Sherman.
192x. Grant nearly died of a three month bout of flu and complications during the Flu epidemic. He had the flu, double pneumonia, pleurisy, internal bleeding of the intestines, and hives. The shots the doctor gave him saved his life, but weakened his heart. The doctor said he never saw any man as sick as he and still live.
1922. Grant leased the farm from his father's estate from 1 Apr 1922 to 1 Apr 1923.
1923. In April Grant moved to West Deerfield in Deerfield Twp, and worked a widow's farm. With his friends help they moved the stock, farm and household goods equipment he owned in one day to the new farm. Lucy used her sister Josephine's Model T Ford to help with the move. Lucy and daughter Norene drove the car to the new farm.
1923/6. That farm had not grown a good crop in years but he got a good crop from it. It was noticed by David Butler the brother of his sister Maude's husband. David recommended David to the man he worked for Charles F Barth, who was looking for a new farm manager. The farm was called MIL-BAR Farm. The first 3 letters of his wife's maiden name Miller, and the first the letters of his name.
1924. On Feb 18 Lucy's father died in Pickney. Grant and Lucy attended the funeral there. After the funeral Grant, Lucy, and her sister Josephine and brother Bob traveled by train with the body to Port Huron for burial. A snow blizzard forced them to spend the night in Durand MI train depot, as all trains were running late.
1926. Grant auctioned off the stock and equipment at the Deerfield farm.
1926. In November Grant moved to the MIL-BAR farm. When they started it was without electricity, gas or running water. They rebuilt the house and barns, built up the soil and raised a pure bred herd of Guernsey cattle.
They sold raw milk in quart bottles. During WW-II the labor shortage caused them to stop bottling milk and sell in bulk to McDonald's Dairy in Flint. This was one of the last farms licensed to sell raw unpasteurized milk. Alonzo Sherman has a quart milk bottle with MIL-BAR Farm printed in black letters, his sister Norene Sherman (Hill) has a pint bottle with embossed clear letters.
1950. Lucy received a delayed birth certificate in May.
1950. On 27 April Grant prepared his will, Lucy also prepared her will at the same time.
1950. Grant Sherman died at the MIL-BAR farm on the 23rd of June. He is buried in the New Watertown Cemetery.
Grant's daughter Eleanor remembers her awareness of bad news that day the day her dad died. She left a class at Michigan State University early that day because she was upset and felt she "had" to get home. She hurried home and told the babysitter to stay because she felt she would have to go out right away. Soon after, she received word her dad had died suddenly. (Eleanor Sherman).
It was the same day Grant's son Alonzo was to come home for the weekend from Centerville where he worked. While packing his cloths and getting ready to leave he was repeatedly getting the thought he should pack his good suit, but there was no logical reason to have a good suit for a casual summer weekend at home. When he got home he learned of his father's death, and had to drive back for his good suit for the funeral. (Alonzo Sherman).
1950. On Jul 1st safe deposit box No. 7355 in the Michigan National Bank, Flint MI which was registered to Mr and Mrs Grant Sherman, was opened and inventory was made by Lucy Sherman and son-in-law James C Hill. Among other things it contained a black leather case containing 1,000 one dollar bills, and a fifty dollar bill. No family member knows how or why this large amount of one dollars came to exist. A billfold and an envelope contained more money, but these were larger bills: $100s, $50s, $20s, $10s and $5s.
195x. Lucy worked at nursing homes for several years, and later taught English to immigrants at the International Institute in Flint, MI.
1959. Charles F Barth, the owner of MIL-BAR farm died, according to estate records he had personal property of $258,482.66, and he had given $3,582,073.47 through a trust established on 5 Jan 1937, to StPaul's Episcopal Church in Flint, MI, to minister to the sick and needy through their visiting nurse program.
1968. Lucy Sherman died on 27 Dec at Hurley Hospital Flint MI, due to complications after a gall bladder surgery.
Three children of Grant and Lucy Sherman 1. Lucy Norene Sherman (17) 1917-1993 2. Alonzo Joseph Sherman (17) (twin) 3. Eleanor Josephine Sherman (17) (twin)
1927-2006
