These two photos were found in a collection of photos that belonged to my grandmother, Jennie Davis Corbin Squires. We found them last summer after the reunion in items that had been stored at my Uncle Lowell's place since Grandma died in 2000 at the age of 102 1/2 years. The left picture was labeled as Leah, Gladys and Shirlie Corbin (circa 1918). The picture above has two Stimer brothers on the left, Shirlie Corbin holding nephew Richard Allen with his brothers, Garth (back) and Bill Corbin on the right (circa 1927). Anyone recognize whose house they are in front of? By the way, if anyone looking at this recognizes someone or something different than what we have, remember that this is a work in progress and we are open to any corrections as long as they are substantiated.
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FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
The following series of comments about Francis Marion Corbin, were taken from an article written by Gladys Corbin Davis, about her father for the benefit of one of her nieces or nephews in 1985. She or Loraine sent me a copy of it many years ago. I feel that this Blog is a fitting place for it to be published, so that all of his descendants may read it. I hope all of you who read it will find the article interesting.
I am submitting it as a weekly series to generate more interest in the Blog. If you wish to make comments about the article, please enter them with one of the other group of comments, at least until this complete series of comments about Francis Marion Corbin is published, so it can be read from the beginning to the end without interruption, when I finish.
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
Notes about your grandfather, that you may not know-
He spent 3 winters in the 8th grade, as the boys worked on the farm and got to attend school about 3 months, in the winter. ( I think your mother had a map of the U.S. that he made, filled in the states, rivers, etc.) (Owned by Jon W. Engelberth.)
Before he was married, he and a friend, bicycled to Missouri, Don’t know what year, nor what TIME of year they went. They had pictures of themselves and a girl, and sent them to your grandmother and the girl-friend of the other fellow! ( Those pictures MAY be in the Family Album.)
He met your grandmother at the United Brethern Church, where both attended, and they went to “singing school” together, that would be like OUR choir practice!
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
As long as they lived in Indiana they were “tenant” farmers- always working “on shares”.
He wanted a farm of his own and came to Michigan and made arrangements to buy the farm East of Stanwood- and we moved there in Jan. of 1909.
During World War 1, he went around the country selling Liberty Bonds, as his part of the “war effort”. Though if the war had not stopped when it did, both he, and Ivan would have been in the next Draft.
Because of poor health, he had to leave the farm in 1922. He managed the Farmer’s COOP in Stanwood for a year, but didn’t like the responsibility, (made him too nervous) and he would not continue.
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
In 1923 he got a job with the Mich. Road Comm, and painted wooden guardrails during the summer, up around Glennie, Mich.
He first worked for Consumers Power Co. At Rogers Dam (5 miles north of Stanwood ) where he began “finishing” concrete. From there, he went to Newaygo, and worked on the Dam there, for a few months, then went to Coline ( The Hodenpyle Dam ), where he worked until Aug. 1925.
When he was done with that job, he was home for a short time, then went to Pontiac and stayed with your folks and got work in the Fisher Body Plant in Detroit, but the Plant closed in the Depression, so he was without work for some time.
He went over to Andy’s Print Shop and worked for nothing, for a while, just to have something to do, and then as the business picked up, Andy paid him and he worked there until he retired.
Dennis:
Thanks so much for sharing these insights and information and comments from Francis Marion Corbin.
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
Now- for some personal notes on his life.
He was a very serious person, and some folk thought he was “stuck up” as he could walk down a street and not even see folk he knew, if he had his mind on some business that he had to do. But there was a “fun loving” streak in him, that not many folk saw. He liked cats, though we didn’t have them in the house. (Mom didn’t want them in the house, though she fed them at the back door, etc. !)
I remember during the winter, almost every night, Leah wanted apples before we went to bed, so he would go to cellar and get a piepan full of apples and sit and peel them with a paring knife OR his jack-knife.
One March, Mom got up a surprise birthday party for him, with all the neighbors there. One lady took a pancake turner and tried to give him a “spanking” and he grabbed it from her and used it on her, and she told Mom later that she had “little blisters” every place there was a hole in the pancake turner!
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
He was a firm believer in education and was Director of the Cross School one year. He and Mom always visited school during the year, and they came to all the programs.
He wanted all of us kids to have a High School education, much to the dismay of his family. They said that girls didn’t need a High School education, as they would just get married.
One year he was the Sunday School Supt. Of the Methodist Church in Stanwood. (Mom was my S.S. teacher that year, I think, I was 9 years old then.)
He was a great “reader” and subscribed to Farm magazines. He also tried out NEW things in farming. One year he planted a special crop of potatoes, which the County Agent kept track of, and I remember when they dug them, all the farmers around were there, and he had a FINE crop.
But his farming had bad turns too, one year he planted, and dug 1000 bu. of potatoes, and expected to make a good deal of money, as they had sold for a big price the year before, but that year, he sold them for 10 a bushel. He also set out 50 peach trees and just as they were ready to start bearing, we had a severe winter and it killed them all, and he had to have them all pulled up.
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
He was an “easy touch” when anyone wanted money, he was there to help them, if he could. He had a cousin from New York come to Michigan and BUY a farm North of Stanwood (Daddy signed the note.) and they stayed 4 years, and left for Texas, and Daddy had the farm left on his hands. That is how we happened to get the only car we ever owned. He sold the farm to the Buick Dealer in Stanwood, and they made him take a car on the deal.
While we were on the farm, he was always so busy that he had little time to enjoy the family, and we missed out on that, until we moved to Pontiac, and I think that Shirlie and I really got to know him better than the other kids did, as we were the last ones at home.
When Shirlie got into her early “teens” she wanted to go out to neighbors etc, on Sat. night, and in order to make it more enjoyable for her at home, he used to POP CORN and I made candy almost every Sat. night. Mom was boarding children and she bought a radio, and he liked COUNTRY music. He listened to WLS and WSM on Sat. nights, sometimes until 2 A.M. !
FRANCIS MARION CORBIN
He wrote to me one time when I was in Chicago, don’t know what the occasion was, but he said he would rather be remembered for being “too soft” than “too hard” and I guess that just about sum up his whole character.
Am not sure this is what you wanted to know about him, but if there is anything else that I can tell you, just let me know.
Written by Gladys Corbin Davis 1985
That was the complete article written by Gladys Corbin Davis about her father, Francis Marion Corbin. I hope all of the family enjoyed reading about him. If others have articles about Hester or any other family member I would enjoy reading it. This may be the time to write an article about your own parents or grandparents. Even short articles could be written and enjoyed by the rest of the family. I know there is at least one retired English teacher in the family.
In the picture of children including two Stimer brothers, the taller one with dark hair is David Wesley Stimer and the one in front is Wymon Marion Stimer. They were my (Loraine Stimer Engelberth) brothers. I've no idea where the picture was taken.
I just discovered this wonderful addition to the blog. Thank you, Dennis. I let the blog go dormant as I was commuting 132 miles round trip daily and spending 12 hours a day at my new church for nine months. Sorry I did not keep up.
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