1. CARL1 GENTER was born April 01, 1837 in Germany, and died 1907. He married WILHELMINA LICH November 30, 1861 in Mecklenburg, Germany. She was born March 30, 1838 in Germany, and died 1906.
Notes for CARL GENTER:
The Genter Family To America
Carl Genter was born in Germany April 1st 1837 and married Wilhelmina Lich on November 30, 1861. He died in 1907. His wife was born March 30, 1838 and died in 1906. Their first four children were born in Germany (Mecklenburg) and five more were born in the United States. Their eldest Wilhelmina (Minnie) married Newton Cory and eight children were born to this union, namely: Harry, Walter, Maude Shappee, Charles, Susan who died at four months, Arthur, Olive Bosworth, and Howard. The Corys were farmers and resided on farms in Riverton, Eden, Custer, and Sheridan township, including the 1300 acre Mitchel farm at Custer village.
The second daughter Marie, married James Dolan and had three sons, James, Luce who drowned at the fourth ward bridge in Ludington at five years of age, and John. They moved from Ludington to Bellington, Washington.
The third daugther, Louisa, died in Germany at two years of age.
Louis the first son was the last child born in Germany and farmed his entire life on Scottville road five miles south of Scottville. He had one daughter Elsie Forbes.
The Genter family made their advent into America on October 2, 1869. While on the ocean voyage from Germany, the main mast of the ship was broken during a servere storm, and for a time their fate was uncertain, but the storm subsided and the ship finally entered New York harbor. They were schedualed to land at Pere Marquette, now Ludington, and meet brother John Genter of Riverton township, but Carl having a limited acquantence with the english language, mistook Marquette for Pere Marquette, and connsequently arrived 200 miles to the north of their planned destination at the Straits of Mackinaw. Work was uncertain and prices were high for it was at the close of the Civil War during the reconstruction period, but nothing daunted the elder Carl Genter and he set out through the forest to find his brother John living near Pere Marquette. While he was gone his good wife knitted socks for the lumbermen and awaited the results of his quest. After six weeks she received word from her husband to come to Milwaukee and cross lake Michigan to Ludington.
The Genters purchase a farm five miles south of Scottville and 1/4 mile west, now owned by a Granddaughter Esther Hanks, now deceased, and occupied by her daughter Dorothy Fuller.
They were so poor they could not afford a team of oxen and haying time the hay was place on light buggy running gear and pushed to the barn by the children. It was at their home that six other Lutheran men signed the constitution organizing the Bethlehem Lutheran Church of Riverton the date being February 11,1877. The church was built in 1881.
William was the first child born in America. He married Mettie Appleton and six children were born to them namely: Ernest, Abbie Dobbs, William, Raymond, Marshall, who died at six months, and Donald. William farmed in Riverton, was Raleigh distributor for Mason Country and various other enterprises.
Hellena Genter married John Pleiness in 1895 and they lived on their Riverton farm their entire married life. They were the parents of Walter Pleiness, Floyd, Lenora Mavis, William, James, Betrice Rahn, Roy and Earl who died at two years of age from the 1918 flu epidemic of world war I.
Walter Genter the eighth child married Bessie Horecek in 1900 and worked most of his life for the Pere Marquette railroad. Their children Marguerite, Mable, Raymond, Isabelle, John, Walter, Oliver, Carl, and
Harold. Aunt Bessie died in 1923 when Harold was three years old. Marguerite also died that year from diptheria.
Charles Genter the last and youngest child, married Lillie Kief in 1906 and had one daughter Esther who married Harold Hanks and their daughter Dorothy Fuller now resides on the old homestead.
Compiled by William Pleiness.
More About CARL GENTER and WILHELMINA LICH:
Marriage: November 30, 1861, Mecklenburg, Germany
Children of CARL GENTER and WILHELMINA LICH are:
