Biographical and Historical Record of Ringgold and Decatur Counties, Iowa,
(Lewis Publishing Company (1887)), pp.: 684-85:
"MICHAEL CREES, an active
and enterprising citizen of Decatur County, and a successful agriculturist of
Grand River, living on section 12, was born October 11, 1835, in Allegheny
County, Pennsylvania, the eldest child of Joseph and Catherine Ann Crees. He
spent his youth in helping his father clear and cultivate the farm, receiving
his education in the common schools of his neighborhood. When he was ten years
of age his parents came to Iowa, and settled in Jefferson County, remaining
there until 1854, when they removed with their family to Decatur County, where
our subject has since made his home. He helped his father improve the wild land
on Grand River bottoms until the Crees farm was numbered among the best in
Decatur County. July 3, 1871, he was married to Miss Margaret A. Noe, who was
born in Monroe County, Iowa, in 1851, a daughter of Andrew and Mary Jane Noe.
Mr. Crees located on his present farm in 1871, where he has a comfortable brick
residence, a commodious barn and out-buildings for his stock, and 180 acres of
land under a high state of cultivation, and is engaged in general farming and
stockraising. He has a fine orchard on his land, and a beautiful grove of shade
and ornamental trees surrounding his residence, and the entire farm shows the
good management of its owner. Politically Mr. Crees is a Democrat. Mr. and Mrs.
Crees are worthy and active members of the Methodist Episcopal church. They are
the parents of six children -- Willie W., Mary J., Catherine Ann, Joseph A.,
Maggie Estella and Clyde Alonzo."
(Submitted to the Decatur County GenWeb site by Christy Jay, email: Jaygenie@aol.com)