Copyright USGenNet Inc., 2011, All Rights Reserved U.S. Data Repository Please read U.S. Data Repository Copyright Statement on this page: Transcribed and submitted by Linda Talbott April 4, 2011 ====================================================================== OBITUARY OF CAP'T JOHN J. WITHERELL The Muskegon Daily Chronicle January 9, 1907 VETERAN CAPTAIN'S LIFE ENDS _____ John Witherell the Oldest Marine Man Connected With Muskegon. _____ JOINED FATHER IN MUSKEGON IN 1847 _____ Death This Morning Came After Brief Illness Was As Well As Usual Up to Last Thursday. _____ Captain John Witherell, the oldest tug captain on Muskegon lake and one of the most prominent marine men of this city's palmiest lumber days, died at 7:15 this morning at North Muskegon. Hemorrhage of the brain was the cause of his death. He was 72 years of age. In his brief illness he dramatically wandered back to early scenes, talking in the Indian tongue and with uplifted arm giving orders for driving piles or some other labor of years ago. Well Till Last Thursday Up to last Thursday Captain Witherell was apparently as well as usual. That morning he visited with friends on the streets of Muskegon. Then he trudged across the bridge to the north side of the lake, where he and his wife had been spending the holidays with their son, George Adelbert Witherell. The next morning he was carried downstairs helpless in his son's arms. From that time his case was hopeless. The funeral will be held at 10 o'clock Friday morning at the Central Methodist Episcopal church in Muskegon. Leaves Three Children Besides his wife, there survive him three children, Mrs. Frank Towse of Grand Rapids, G. A. Witherell of North Muskegon and Mrs. William Kalmbach of Grand Rapids. Mrs. Fanny Shepherd of this city is a sister. There are also a brother, Joel C. Witherell, of Conklin, and another sister, Mrs. Anne Kennicott of Shelbyville, Allegan County, who is of present visiting in Grand Rapids. The brothers and sisters of the family all lived to old age, the only other member being a sister, Mrs. Jane Hodge, who died in Muskegon two years ago. Father a Settler in 1843 The career of Captain Witherell was very nearly as old as that of the history of the city of Muskegon. His father settled here in 1847, when there were only six white families and between 300 and 400 half- breed families. Originally the family came from the state of New York. Captain Witherell was born at Sparta, Livingston Co., N.Y., November 16, 1834. At that place his father was a building contractor. Five years later they moved to St. Charles, Kane County, Ill., where the father erected a large hotel, store buildings and mills. Captain Witherell's father came to Muskegon in advance of his family which did not arrive until April 17, 1847. The former made two trips to Chicago by walking on the beach along the shore of Lake Michigan. Built First Mills in Muskegon The father was the builder of the first three mills in Muskegon, Stoner's and those on Green creek and Ruddiman's creek. For himself he built a dam and water mill on a creek emptying into the head of what is now known as Mona Lake. About the mill and the dam Captain Witherell played as a boy. Then the family prosperity was clouded. A freshet broke through the dam and drove the mill seven feet off from it's foundation. The damage was repaired at a great loss and the family moved into the village at Christmas time 1857. Mrs. Witherell in the meantime took charge of the Lasley mill boarding house. In the fall they planned to return to Illinois, but the father died on October 9. The mother lived until 1895. Because of their misfortune Captain Witherell's schooling was early followed by employment on the lake. Boy Acts as Captain Under the late Captain Mees he worked on a tug and did so well that when Captain Mees was obliged to be absent he asked the boy to act as captain. At that time Captain Witherell was about 17 years old. That was the beginning of his long activity as a tug captian. The boats of which he was in charge were many. The first he ran officially was the Croton on Grand River. Among others he was captain of the Alice Getty, the H. Warner, the A. C. Waters, (which he took for Captain Waters to Michigan City), the Hackley and the McGord*** for Hackley & Hume for ten years. The Pony for the Muskegon Booming company and the O. N. Field for the Crosby Transportation Company. His work of towing logs was inconsiderable as compared with that of towing vessels. In those days Muskegon Harbor was not nearly so safely protected as it is now, and it was not easy to bring a boat into harbor, especially at night. Seven Vessels in One Tow As many as seven vessels were towed by him at one time up the lake. So extended and arduous were the hours of lake traffic that once he and his men worked so long without sleep that they literally fell over. They were returning from taking a vessel out to the big lake when Captain Witherell noticed something wrong. Upon stepping down to the engine he found that the engineer and fireman had both fallen back asleep. He himself could hardly wait to bring the boat up to the first dock so that he could follow their example. Ferryboat travel was another important part of marine life in those days. Captain Witherell ran ferryboats both between this city and Bay mill and this city and North Muskegon. Turned to Resort Boats When the tug traffic and the ferry boat business waned and he himself grew less vigorous, he took charge of one of the little steamers of the Lake Harbor hotel, which ply up the lake where he had spent his boyhood. For a number of seasons he ran boats for Proprietor Swett, not discontinuing his boat career until almost two years ago. Since then he had resided with his children in Muskegon and Grand Rapids. Mrs. Witherell who survives him, was formerly Miss Cynthia Shepherd, a sister-in-law of Mrs. Fanny Shepherd. Their marriage took place in 1852. ====================================================================== Detroit Free Press Sunday, 13 January 1907 Indian Boys for Playmates Capt. WITHERELL, of Muskegon, a Pioneer in School of Lake Mariners. Muskegon, January 12. - In the death here of Capt. JOHN WITHERELL another of the pioneer school of lake mariners has gone beyond and Muskegon has lost a highly respected citizen of sixty years' standing, who had passed fifty- seven years of his life on the inland lakes. Associated in the early days with men who made Muskegon and their millions at the same time, WITHERELL was a daily companion of such men as HACKLEY, McGORDON and the RYERSONS, widely known in the lumbering world, and at the time of his death he knew as much of the history of Muskegon as any of its residents. Born in Dansville, N.Y., November 16, 1834, when WITHERELL was very young his parents re- moved to Illinois, and when he was 12 years of age they came to Grand Haven. In those days vessels didn't run farther north along this shore than Grand Haven, and it was only a col- lection of huts. But JOHN WITHERELL and his sister and the parents paddled up Mona Lake in a canoe and found themselves about four miles from the site of the village of Muske- gon, which was afterward to be his home. His boyhood playmates were Indian lads. His Body Washed Ashore At the tender age of 14, venturesome JOHN WITHERELL was allowed to make a trip on a small hooker. The season was the early spring, when navigation was opening, and the seas were high. It was then that he had the narrowest escape of his career. As the hooker was entering Grand Haven harbor, with its crew of seven persons, it suddenly "turned turtle." All of the crew managed to cling to the keel of the boat until help came in a small boat. This, in turn was no match for the elements, and it overturned, throwing its occupants into the cold waters of the lake. One man was drowned and his body was cast on the shore three weeks later. Young WITHERELL clung to a board and drifted in the lake for hours. Finally the waves tired of their sport and the form of the boy was washed upon the beach. Here it lay for a short time, exposed to the bitter March winds, until found by searching parties. The body was hur- ried to the village drug store in Grand Haven, and men worked over it for two hours, but with no real hope that life could be revived. At last, faint signs of animation were discovered, and the workers renewed their efforts. Eventu- ally WITHERELL'S strong constitution brought him through the terrible ordeal. Captain at Fifteen Years He was the first captain to be granted a license from the government in the Grand Haven district, and from the day he was 15 years old he held both master's and engineer's papers. For many years he was a master of tugs on Muskegon lake. Capt. WITHERELL is survived by his widow and by two daughters and one son. The daughters are Mrs. W. B. KALMBACH and Mrs. E. P. TOWSE, of Grand Rapids; DELL WITHERELL, of Muskegon, is the only son. (note: "DELL" was GEORGE ADELBERT WITHERELL) ==========================================================================