The Political Graveyard: Genesee County, Mich.

Genesee County
Michigan

Genesee County information:

Population: 436,141 (2000); 430,459 (1990)
Land area 640 square miles.
County seat: Flint
Genesee County official web site.
Capital Impact: Genesee County -- officials, addresses, and political, economic, education data
USA MapStats: Genesee County -- census data on population, race, economics
Genesee County MIGenWeb page -- genealogical, historical information and queries
(if this link doesn't work, find the new one through the USGenWeb national site).
Genesee County page at Interment.Net (Cemetery Records Online).

Neighboring areas:

Northeast: Tuscola County
East: Lapeer County
Southeast: Oakland County
Southwest: Livingston County
West: Shiawassee County
Northwest: Saginaw County

The Political Graveyard:

Selected officials of Genesee County
Politicians who were born in Genesee County
Politicians who lived in Genesee County
Politicians who died in Genesee County
Cemeteries and Memorial Sites of Politicians in Genesee County

Assignment of birthplaces, deathplaces, and cemeteries to counties is subject to error. The intent is to locate places according to current county names and boundaries. If you don't find what you're looking for, check other nearby counties, the unassigned page, or the Gazetteer. Any corrections to county locations would be greatly appreciated. See contact information on the Main Page.

Selected officials of Genesee County

(not intended to be complete)

Josiah W. Begole (County Treasurer, 1856-64) Edward H. Thompson (Prosecuting Attorney) Edward D. Black (School Commissioner, 1878-85) John J. Carton (County Clerk, 1881-84) Thomas J. Allen (County Clerk, 1901-04) William W. Blackney (County Clerk, 1905-12) James S. Parker (Prosecuting Attorney, 1909-13) Clifford A. Bishop (Prosecuting Attorney) Harry G. Gault (Prosecuting Attorney, 1921-24) George T. Gundry (County Clerk, 1933-36) Andrew J. Transue (Prosecuting Attorney, 1933-36) Stephen J. Roth (Prosecuting Attorney, 1941-42)

Private or family graveyard
Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Aaron Goodrich (1807-1887) — of Buffalo, Erie County, N.Y.; Dover, Stewart County, Tenn.; St. Paul, Ramsey County, Minn. Born in Sempronius town, Cayuga County, N.Y., July 6, 1807. Republican. Lawyer; member of Tennessee state house of representatives, 1847-48; chief justice of Minnesota territorial supreme court, 1849-51; delegate to Republican National Convention from Minnesota, 1860. Died June 2, 1887. Interment at at a private or family graveyard.

Woodlawn Cemetery
Clio, Genesee County, Michigan
Location maps, from U.S. Census Tiger Map Server:

Politicians buried here:

William Wallace Blackney (1876-1963) — also known as William W. Blackney — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Clio, Genesee County, Mich., August 28, 1876. Son of William Wallace Blackney and Frances M. (Bell) Blackney; married, December 28, 1904, to Cassie F. Miller. Republican. School teacher; Genesee County Clerk, 1905-12; lawyer; member of Michigan Republican State Central Committee, 1925-30; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1932; U.S. Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1935-37, 1939-53; defeated, 1922, 1936. Presbyterian. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Odd Fellows; Elks. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., March 14, 1963. Interment at Woodlawn Cemetery.
- See also: congressional biography.

St. John's Catholic Cemetery
Davison, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Frank L. McAvinchey (1900-1975) — of Michigan. Born in 1900. Democrat. Candidate for justice of Michigan state supreme court, 1943. Died in 1975. Interment at St. John's Catholic Cemetery.

Oakwood Cemetery
Fenton, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Daniel LeRoy (1775-1858) — of Michigan. Born in Poughkeepsie, Dutchess County, N.Y., May 17, 1775. Uncle of John P. LeRoy. U.S. Attorney for Michigan, 1826-34; member Michigan territorial council, 1830-31; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1836; Michigan state attorney general, 1836-37. Died in Fenton, Genesee County, Mich., February 11, 1858. Interment at Oakwood Cemetery.

Unknown Location
Flint, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Charles Dean Long (1841-1902) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich.; Lansing, Ingham County, Mich. Born in Grand Blanc Township, Genesee County, Mich., June 14, 1841. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; in the battle of Wilmington Island, Georgia, April 16, 1862, he lost his left arm; justice of Michigan state supreme court, 1888-1902; died in office 1902. Member, Grand Army of the Republic. Died June 27, 1902. Interment somewhere.

Avondale Cemetery
Flint, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

John R. MacDonald (1857-1946) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Moretown, Washington County, Vt., March 30, 1857. Progressive. Mayor of Flint, Mich., 1914-15. Scottish ancestry. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Knights of Pythias. Injured in a fall at his home, and died at Hurley d Hospital, Flint, Genesee County, Mich., January 1946. Cremated; ashes interred at Avondale Cemetery.

Glenwood Cemetery
Flint, Genesee County, Michigan
Founded 1857
Location maps, from U.S. Census Tiger Map Server:

Politicians buried here:

Henry Howland Crapo (1804-1869) — also known as Henry H. Crapo — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Dartmouth, Bristol County, Mass., May 24, 1804. Son of Jesse C. Crapo and Phebe Howland Crapo; married, June 9, 1825, to Mary Ann Slocum; father-in-law of James C. Willson; grandfather of W. C. Durant (founder of General Motors). Republican. Lumber business; built the Flint and Holly Railroad, which later became part of the Flint & Pere Marquette Railroad; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1860-61; member of Michigan state senate 24th District, 1863-64; Governor of Michigan, 1865-69. Christian. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., July 22, 1869. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
- See also: National Governors Association biography.
Josiah Williams Begole (1815-1896) — also known as Josiah W. Begole — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Groveland, Livingston County, N.Y., January 20, 1815. Son of William Begole and Eleanor Bowls Begole; married, April 22, 1839, to Harriet Miles; great-grandfather of Charles Begole Cumings. School teacher; farmer; Genesee County Treasurer, 1856-64; lumber business; member of Michigan state senate 23rd District, 1871-72; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1872; U.S. Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1873-75; defeated, 1874, 1880; Governor of Michigan, 1883-84; defeated (Fusion), 1884. Presbyterian. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., June 5, 1896. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
- See also: congressional biography; National Governors Association biography.
Fenton Reuben McCreery (1866-1940) — also known as Fenton R. McCreery — of Michigan. Born in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., April 21, 1866. Son of William B. McCreery. U.S. Minister to Santo Domingo, 1907-09; Honduras, 1909-11; U.S. Consul General in Santo Domingo, 1907-09. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., October 6, 1940. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Thomas Ludwell Lee Brent (1784-1845) — also known as Thomas L. L. Brent — of Virginia. Born in 1784. U.S. Charge d'Affaires to Portugal, 1825-34. Died August 18, 1845. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
George Harman Durand (1838-1903) — also known as George H. Durand — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Cobleskill, Schoharie County, N.Y., February 21, 1838. Brother of Lorenzo Thurston Durand. Democrat. Lawyer; law partner of John J. Carton; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1873-75; U.S. Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1875-77; defeated, 1876; justice of Michigan state supreme court, 1892; appointed 1892; defeated, 1893; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1892. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., June 8, 1903. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
- See also Durand family of Michigan
- See also: congressional biography.
David Demerest Aitken (1853-1930) — also known as David D. Aitken — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Flint Township, Genesee County, Mich., September 5, 1853. Son of Robert P. Aitken and Sarah J. Aitken. Republican. Lawyer; U.S. Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1893-97; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1905-06. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Knights Templar; Knights of Pythias; Maccabees. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., May 26, 1930. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
- See also: congressional biography; Find-A-Grave page.
James Birdsall (1783-1856) — of Chenango County, N.Y. Born in New York, 1783. Democrat. U.S. Representative from New York 15th District, 1815-17; member of New York state assembly from Chenango County, 1827. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., July 20, 1856. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
- See also: congressional biography.
William M. Fenton (1808-1871) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Norwich, Chenango County, N.Y., December 19, 1808. Democrat. Merchant; lawyer; member of Michigan state senate 6th District, 1846-47; Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1848-51; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1858-59; served in the Union Army during the Civil War; candidate for Governor of Michigan, 1864. Injured while fire-fighting, and subsequently died, in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., May 12, 1871. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Charles Stewart Mott (1875-1973) — also known as Charles S. Mott; C. S. Mott — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Newark, Essex County, N.J., June 2, 1875. Served in the U.S. Navy during the Spanish-American War; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1912-14, 1918-19; defeated, 1914; candidate in Republican primary for Governor of Michigan, 1920; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1924, 1940; Republican candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1964. Episcopalian. Member, United Spanish War Veterans; Veterans of Foreign Wars; American Legion; Freemasons; Elks; Moose; Kiwanis; Rotary. Vice-president of General Motors. Philanthropist; founder of Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., February 18, 1973. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
William B. McCreery (1836-1896) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Mt. Morris, Livingston County, N.Y., August 27, 1836. Father of Fenton Reuben McCreery. Served in the Union Army during the Civil War; captured by Confederates and held at Libby Prison in Richmond, Virginia, from which he escaped in 1864; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1865-67; director of First National Bank of Flint; Michigan state treasurer, 1875-78; U.S. Consul in Valparaiso, 1890. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., December 9, 1896. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Edward Hughes Thompson (1810-1886) — also known as Edward H. Thompson — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Kendal, Westmoreland, England, June 15, 1810. Lawyer; read law in the Buffalo law office of Millard Fillmore; Lapeer County Prosecuting Attorney; member of Michigan state senate 6th District, 1848-49; member of Michigan state house of representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1859-60; colonel in the Union Army during the Civil War; Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1877-78. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., February 2, 1886. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Grant Decker (1814-1890) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Deckertown (now Sussex), Sussex County, N.J., February 4, 1814. Merchant; miller; lumber business; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1855-56. Episcopalian. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., July 30, 1890. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Oren Stone (1833-1897) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Auburn, Cayuga County, N.Y., July 24, 1833. Merchant; co-founder of Flint Woolen Mills; owner of Stone's Opera House; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1888-89. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., April 20, 1897. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
William A. Atwood (1835-1908) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Newfane, Niagara County, N.Y., April 11, 1835. Father of Edwin W. Atwood. Republican. Mayor of Flint, Mich., 1882-83; member of Michigan state senate 13th District, 1887-88. Died April 11, 1908. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
James C. Willson (1833-1912) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Fitzroy, Ontario, April 28, 1833. Son-in-law of Henry Howland Crapo. Republican. Physician; major in the Union Army during the Civil War; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1879-80. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., August 29, 1912. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
William A. Paterson (1838-1921) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Fergus, Ontario, October 3, 1838. Founder and owner of W. A. Paterson Company, carriage manufacturers; creator of the Paterson automobile, produced from 1908 to 1923; one of the original stockholders of the Buick Motor Company; helped organize the Union Trust Savings Bank; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1890-91. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., September 8, 1921. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Francis H. Rankin, Jr. (1854-1925) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., December 28, 1854. Republican. Newspaper publisher; printer; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1891-92; director, Union Trust and Savings Bank. Member, Freemasons. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., December 7, 1925. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
John C. Zimmerman, Sr. (1835-1935) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Frankfort (Frankfurt am Main), Germany, May 12, 1835. Married to Elizabeth Dietz. Naturalized U.S. citizen; brickmason; merchant; mayor of Flint, Mich., 1895-96. Died October 26, 1935. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
David Spencer Fox — also known as David S. Fox — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Mayor of Flint, Mich., 1871-73. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
James S. Parker (1872-1937) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born near Corunna, Shiawassee County, Mich., January 15, 1872. Republican. Lawyer; colonel in the U.S. Army during the Spanish-American War; Genesee County Prosecuting Attorney, 1909-13; circuit judge in Michigan 7th Circuit, 1925-37; died in office 1937. Member, Freemasons; Knights Templar; Elks; Knights of Pythias. Died, of a heart ailment, in Owosso Memorial Hospital, Owosso, Shiawassee County, Mich., January 13, 1937. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
Leonard Freeman (1867-c.1954) — of Fenton, Genesee County, Mich.; Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in 1867. Grandfather of Leonard E. Freeman. Republican. Member of Michigan state senate 13th District, 1911-12; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1912, 1920. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.
J. B. Atwood — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Republican. Alternate delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1884. Interment at Glenwood Cemetery.

New Calvary Catholic Cemetery
Flint, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Raymond J. Snow (1913-1999) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Bay City, Bay County, Mich., September 29, 1913. Democrat. Beer distributor; potato chip manufacturer; member of Michigan state house of representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1941-46; defeated, 1938; Charged on July 20, 1946 (along with 18 other current and former state legislators) with bribery conspiracy; pleaded guilty and testified for prosecution, but the charges against the others were eventually dismissed. Catholic. Died, in McLaren Regional Medical Center, Flint, Genesee County, Mich., August 25, 1999. Interment at New Calvary Catholic Cemetery.
Joseph T. Flanigan (1894-1970) — also known as "Flint's Number One Irishman" — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Defiance, Defiance County, Ohio, June 15, 1894. Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; member of Michigan state house of representatives from Genesee County 1st District, 1951-52; defeated in primary, 1952. Catholic. Irish ancestry. Member, Knights of Columbus; Elks; Veterans of Foreign Wars. Died January 2, 1970. Interment at New Calvary Catholic Cemetery.

Sunset Hills Cemetery
Flint, Genesee County, Michigan
Location maps, from U.S. Census Tiger Map Server:

Politicians buried here:

Arthur Ellsworth Summerfield (1899-1972) — also known as Arthur E. Summerfield — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Pinconning, Bay County, Mich., March 17, 1899. Republican. Automobile dealer; member of Republican National Committee from Michigan, 1944-52; Chairman of Republican National Committee, 1952-53; delegate to Republican National Convention from Michigan, 1948 (alternate), 1952, 1960; U.S. Postmaster General, 1953-61. Member, Freemasons; Shriners; Knights Templar; Elks; Kiwanis. Died in West Palm Beach, Palm Beach County, Fla., April 26, 1972. Interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery.
Herbert E. Crouter (1885-1977) — of Flint, Genesee County, Mich. Born in Grand Blanc, Genesee County, Mich., September 10, 1885. Prohibition candidate for U.S. Representative from Michigan 6th District, 1956; Prohibition candidate for Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1956; Prohibition candidate for Lieutenant Governor of Michigan, 1958; Prohibition candidate for University of Michigan board of regents, 1959. Died in Flint, Genesee County, Mich., February 10, 1977. Interment at Sunset Hills Cemetery.

Flushing Cemetery
Flushing, Genesee County, Michigan

Politicians buried here:

Daniel Cotcher (1833-1908) — of Michigan. Born in 1833. Republican. Farmer; hardware store owner; banker; Presidential Elector for Michigan, 1900. Died in 1908. Interment at Flushing Cemetery.

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Selected officials of Genesee County

Politicians who were born in Genesee County

Politicians who lived in Genesee County

Politicians who died in Genesee County

Cemeteries and Memorial Sites of Politicians in Genesee County