~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ezra Hervy Ward, Sr. was a desendant of one of the "Seven Ward brothers" who had come to America from England (or Ireland). He was born on August 19, 1842 in the town of Greece, Monroe Co., New York, a suburb of Rodchester, New York. His father, Abner Ward, was from Massachucetts and a farmer. His mother, Francis J. Graves, was from New Hampshire. Ezra was the thirteenth child of fourteen children. According to the 1880 U.S. Census, Ezra, Sr. had been married and divorced and was living alone in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois. Ezra married a second time at 45 yrs. old on July 01, 1888 in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois to Ellen "Nellie" Clancy. She was from the upper pennesula, Iron Mountain, Dickinson Co., Michigan. Her father, Patrick Clancy, was from Yahal?, County Cork, Ireland. He was captain of a three masted ore schooner that sailed the Great Lakes. Iron Mountain was a source of iron ore and he may have shiped ore to the industrial ports such as Detroit and other major cities. Nellie hated the Catholic Church and may have moved on her own to the big city of Chicago in the mid 1880's. Nellie was 23 years old and Ezra was 45 years at the time of their marraige. They moved to Denver, Colorado for one year (1888). He was a millwright by trade and possably had a job there. Their first born died in it's first year of infancy. Nellie hated Denver and they moved back to Chicago in 1889 or early 1890. Gladys was born September 20, 1890, in Chicago, Cook Co., Illinois. Ezra Hervey, Jr. was born March 28, 1893 also in Chicago, Illinios. A picture of Ezra, Jr. was taken in Chicago when he was 8 years old (approx. 1901) in front of a Brownstone or row house. According to the obituary, the family moved to Muskegon, Michigan in 1905. Ezra, Sr. probably had a job with Continental Motors as a millwright and the family lived on Western Street in a second floor apartment above the retail shops below. Western was one of the main streets in downtown Muskegon. In the late teens ( 1916 - 1919 ) , Ezra, Sr. bought a 22 room boarding house in Port Sherman, Michigan. This was on the southside of the channel between Lake Michigan and Lake Muskegon. This was a "summer" boarding house for vacationers from Chicago, particularly vaudvillian actors, or local people from around Muskegon who wanted to be close to the beach. It was reported that Buster Keaton stayed in the arera one or more summers. In 1920 the "fish shanty" next door caught fire and its wooded shingles quickly spread the fire to the roof of the boarding house. The boarding house burned to the ground. Fire fighting equipment was probably not readily available and the fire consumed the building. Ezra, Jr. was able to remove his hand-made funiture and the 1918 Edison record player, but photographs show that large funiture pieces, beds, and the potbellied stove did not survive. In 1920 Ezra, Sr. bought (or built) a home on Forest Avenue. This was to be Gladys' future home. On June 3, 1921 Ezra, Jr. and Altie Hall married in Dyersburg, Tenn. Ezra, Jr. had been a teacher at Greenville High School in Greenvile, Illinois, and Altie was a secretary in town. They married at the home of Altie's cousin Ed Tatum. They spent their honeymoon that summer in a cabin on the beach at Lake Michigan. They later moved to the family home on Forest Avenue. Ezra Jr. returned to work at Continetal Motors. On November 4, 1922, Jack Coop Ward was born at Hackley (Mercy) Hospital in Muskegon. His room was the small sewing room at the top right of the stairs. Photographs taken in the spring, show Ezra, Jr., Ezra, Sr., Jack and Gladys Ward in the backyard of the home on Forest Ave. Nellie died of a large umbilical hernia on the operating table, July 14, 1923, three weeks before Ez and Altie left for Ely, Nevada. The family returned to Muskegon in the summer of 1925. Ez was going to summer school at the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin. William "Bill" Herv(e)y was three months old and Jack was two and a half. They wanted to show off the boys to "Grandpa " and Gladys. Ezra Ward, Sr. died after a brief illness, July 10, 1925, while they were there. He was buried on July 13, 1925. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Obit: E. H. Ward, aged 83, of 229 Forest avenue died Friday morning at Mercy Hospital, after a short illiness. Mr. Ward was born in New York State, coming to Muskegon twenty years ago where he has since made his home.He leaves one daughter and one son. Miss Gladys Ward of Muskegon, E. H. Ward,(Jr.) of McGill, Nevada, and two grandchildren.(sons) ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~