Monday, June 30, 2008

Ezekiel Hannan Dewey

Ezekiel Hannan Dewey was born October 8, 1827, in Richford, Tioga County, New York, the son of Ezekiel Jr. (1797-1887) and Lucy (Johnson, 1800-1828).

In about 1816 Massachusetts native Ezekiel Jr. settled in Richford, Tioga County, New York, where he married Vermonter Lucy Johnson the following year, and they lived in Tioga County for many years. Sometime after Lucy died in 1828 Ezekiel Jr. married a woman named Eunice and by 1850 they were living in Berkshire, Tioga County. Ezekiel H. left New York and moved to Michigan probably around 1847 or 1848, and by 1850 was working as a laborer for one Major Shute in Easton, Ionia County.

On October 20, 1856, Ezekiel married New York native Fidelin or Fidellia Warden (1833-1904), in Grand Rapids, Kent County, and they had at least one child Naomi (b. 1858).

By 1860 Ezekiel H. was working as a laborer and living with his family in Walker, Kent County.

Ezekiel stood 5’10” with black eyes, black hair and a dark complexion and was 34 years old and still living in Kent County when he enlisted in Company B on May 13, 1861. He was discharged for “chronic diarrhea of three months’ standing resulting from exposure incident to the service”, at either White’s Ford, Maryland, on October 17, 1862, or, according to his discharge paper, near Edward’s Ford, Maryland on October 27, 1862.

In 1863 he applied for and received a pension (no. 29878).

After his discharge from the army Ezekiel returned to Michigan. (His parents were still living in Richford, Tioga County, New York in 1870.) By 1880 Ezekiel was working as a teamster and living with his wife and children in Rochester, Oakland County where he was residing in 1890. He was probably still living in Rochester in December of 1892 when he became a member of the Old Third Michigan Infantry Association, and in 1894. By 1910 Ezekiel was rooming with one James Ritchie in Avon, Oakland County.

Ezekiel was a widower and probably living in Avon, Oakland County, when he died on November 20, 1910, and was buried in Rochester cemetery.

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