TANNER, Johnathan

TANNER, SUMNER, EDWARDS, BOUGHEN

Posted By: Sharon R Becker (email)
Date: 2/13/2016 at 15:03:26

BIOGRAPHY of JOHNATHAN TANNER
Portrait and Biographical Album of Isabella County, Michigan
Pp. 343-34. Chapman Bros. Chicago. 1884.

Jonathan Tanner, farmer, section 32, Coldwater Township, was born Sept. 27, 1841 in Ontario, Canada, and is the son of James and Sarah (Sumner) Tanner. His parents are natives of England, and are both living in Coldwater township. Their family includes 13 children, three daughters and ten sons.

Mr. Tanner was bound out by his parents when he was seven years old, but ran away before the termination of the first year of his indenture, because of ill usage. He spent the period of his minority in working out by the day, month or year, and when he was 21 years of age he rented a farm, which he managed two years, after which he again became a day laborer, and was thus employed two years, except when his daily time and strength were absorbed by the ague, which he had in one of its severest forms. In 1866 he came to Isabella County and entered a homestead claim of 80 acres, on which he has since resided. He has since increased his landed possessions by the purchase of 40 acres additional.

The experiences of the family in the early days of their settlement were those common to all the pioneers of this section, but now and then an incident occurred which was out of the common order of things. The family of Mr. Tanner occupied a shanty, and at the time referred to, it was also occupied by a neighbor, pending the erection of her home. Mr. Tanner was felling a tree in the vicinity. The wind was blowing hard and caused the tree to take an unexpected direction toward the shanty. He called to his wife to fly with the children. She caught up one child and the other woman seized two others and ran. The tree fell and Mrs. Tanner was caught between the branches. She was slightly injured in the shoulder and the child was so much hurt he lay unconscious three days and three nights. There was no physician nearer than Mt. Pleasant, and Mr. Tanner ran to the home of a neighbor-- James Johnson -- who hastened to Mr. Brubaker, three and a half miles distant, the latter having a set of medical books and an assortment of medicines. The child showed no signs of life for two hours, and medicine was forced through his clinched teeth. He was ill for a year, but finally recovered.

Mr. Tanner is independent in political faith and action. He has served four years as Highway Commissioner, and one year as Constable.

He was married Jan. 15, 1863, to Mary Ann, daughter of John and Charlotte (Edwards) Boughen. The father died in Canada in 1872, and the mother resides at Mt. Pleasant. Both were English by birth. Mrs. Tanner is one of ten children born to her parents, -- two sons and eight daughters. The record of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Tanner is as follows: Ernest Albert was born Feb. 21, 1866; William James, Feb. 16, 1864 (died Oct. 3, 1865); Minnie Jane, July 15, 1869; Anna Maria, June 22, 1872; Melvin John, May 28, 1875; Charlotte Laura, Feb. 16, 1877; Martha Augusta, March 29, 1879; Elmer, March 15, 1881 (died April 3, 1881).

NOTE: Mary Ann (Boughen) Tanner's mother was residind in Mt. Pleasant, Brant County, Ontario, Canada. Another daughter, Ada May, was born to Johnathan and Mary Ann after the above biography was written. She was born on December 4, 1884. Mary Ann (Boughen) Tanner died and was buried in the Tanner plot at Weidman Cemetery, Isabella County, Michigan, beside her infant son. Johnathan married three more times prior to moving from Michigan around the year 1918. Johnathan died in Lamoni, Iowa, on February 16, 1923. He was interred at Rose Hill Cemetery, Lamoni, Iowa. Johnathan also has a second gravestone erected in the Tanner family plot, Weidman Cemetery, Michigan.

Transcription and note by Sharon R. Becker, February of 2016