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Portrait And Biographical Album Of Mecosta County, Mich. Containing
Portraits And Biographical Sketches of Prominent And Representative
Citizens of the County together with Portraits And Biographies of All The
Presidents Of The United States  And Governors of the State.  Also
Containing A Complete History of The County, From Its Earliest Settlement
To the Present Time.  Chicago, Chapman Bros. 1883

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BELL, John A.
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Page 250:

John A. Bell, farmer and lumberman, sec., 6, Deerfield Tp., was born March
3, 1826, in Canada.  His is a son of James and Amelia B. Bell.  Hs father
was born in England and came to Canada in 1814, where he married and passed
his remaining years.  Mr. Bell’s mother was a native of New Jersey.

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Page 251:

Mr. Bell remained under the paternal roof until the age of 23, engaged on
the farm and fitting for future usefulness.  After managing his father’s
farm for two years, he purchased 200 acres of land with limited
improvements, on which was a saw-mill.  He carried on the farm and engaged
in lumbering, and operated this two-fold method five years, when he sold
out and bought another farm of 100 acres, which he occupied four years, and
again sold out.  In the fall of 1861, he came to Michigan, and was engaged
in lumbering in Mecosta County about nine years, when he bought 280 acres
of land, chiefly unimproved, with the most primeval type of buildings.
They have passed to the oblivion of destruction and decay, and have been
replaced by others which rank with the finest in the country.   An
additional purchase of 160 acres adjoining his estate has increased his
landed possessions to 440 acres, 340 of which are under a good state of
cultivation.  Mr. Bell is a Republican of no uncertain type, and though
often urged to permit use of his name in the interests of his township, has
always declined.

He was married in Canada, Nov. 6, 1850, to Margaret Johnson, a native of
Canada.  Four of six children from this union are living:  Wm. A., born
June 30, 1852; James P., June 14, 1855; Theodore A., Dec. 14, 1858, and
Emily A., Aug. 29, 1861.  Mary L., born April 24, 1857, was married Jan.
23, 1878, to Arthur Allen, of Mecosta County, and died Aug. 9, 1883.  One
child died in infancy.  Mrs. Margaret Bell, the mother, died Feb. 22, 1866,
at her home in Mecosta.  Mr. Bell again contracted marriage in Canada, Oct.
30, 1866, with Sarah, daughter of Angus and Sarah (McDougall) McCollum.
Her parents were natives of Scotland who emigrated to Canada at an early
period of their lives.  Her father is yet living in Canada, where her
mother died about 1873.  Three of the children of Mr. and Mrs. Bell are
living,--Sarah A., born Jan. 8, 1878; Clinton R., born Jan. 23, 1876, and
Edith C., born Nov. 22, 1879.  John A. was born Jan. 23, 1873, and died May
11, 1876.

The family are communicants of the Episcopal Church, and are esteemed and
worthy members of society, and lend every effort to elevate its standard.

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