Charles Herman Kendrick

One of the pioneers of Lenawee County, and a resident of section

28, Blissfield Township, was born in Schlotheim, Germany, on the 13th

of December, 1827. He is the son of William and Doretha Kendrick,

both of who were natives of Germany, were the mother spent her entire

life. The father and his three children came to America in 1843 and

settled in Macomb County Mich., where they lived for a few years and

then removed to Newport, where he bought a farm and spent the last

years of his life. The names of the three children are: Henritta, the

wife of Charles Haghan, who lives in Waverly, Iowa: Frederick D,. who

lives in Detroit, and Charles H. . the subject of this biograghy.

Charles H. Kendrick attended school quite steadily until he was

fourteen years old, and then began work in a rope factory, where his

wages amounted to fifty cents a week. He was in his sixteenth year

when he come to America with his father, and upon his arrival went to

work in a sawmill in Macomb County, where he remained for two year

and then began to learn the trade of shoemaker. He did not like that

occupation, and after working three months, went to Canada and staid

two or three months, and then returned to Macomb County, where he

remained until 1846. In that year he came to Lenawee County, where he

arrived without money enough to buy a meal, but very soon procured

work at $6 per month, and he continued thus employed at verious

occupations for three years, by which time he had earned suficient

money to purchase forty acres of land, which is now included in his

present homestead. This land at the time was heavily covered with

timber, and he paid $6.23 per acre for it. He continued to work for

other parties, excepting in the winter season, when he engaged in

deadening and clearing the timber from his own land. He built a log

house on the in which he settled at the time of marriage and which

the family occupied a number of years.

On the 9th of October, 1851, Mr. Kendrick was married to Maria

Austin, who was born in Steuben County, N.Y. on the 10th of February,

1832. They have had six children, four living, viz: Etta, the wife of

Ruel Payne, a farmer near Blissfield: Emma: Cicero, who married Irene

Beach and assists in carrying on the home place, and Jennie. The

deceased were Charles W. and Mary M. Mrs. Kendrick's father, Isaac

Austin, was born in Maine, afterward removed to Vermont, where he

worked upon the farm. He went to New York from Vermont, married and

resided there until 1840, when he came to Michigan and bought twenty

acres of land in Palmyra Township, on which he resided for a few

years. He then sold that property and bought land in the northeast

quarter of the southeat quarter of section 28, Blissfield Township,

and cleared a farm from the wilderness, where he resided until his

death. The maiden name of his wife, the mother of Mrs. Kendrick was

Louisa Pierce, who was born in New York State, while her father was

Daniel Pierce, a native of Vermont. He removed from that State to New

York, and then to Michigan, and spent the last years of his life with

his children in Lenawee County.

Mr.Kendrick's industry has been richly rewarded, and he now has 120

acres of as fine farm land as lies in any part of Michigan, and the

buildings which he has erected for the comfort of his family and the

shelter of his domestic animals are models off their kind. Mr. and

Mrs. Kendrick are members of the Methodist Episeopal Church, in which

they are of excellent standing. Mr. Kendrick acts and votes with the

Democratic party, but does not sacrifice any time that would be

valuable for business or social affairs to politics.