| | 
Richard Henry Austin (1913-2001) —
also known as Richard H. Austin —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Stouts Mountain, Cullman
County, Ala., May 6,
1913.
Democrat. Accountant;
delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Wayne County 6th
District, 1961-62; delegate to Democratic National Convention from
Michigan, 1964,
1980,
1984,
1992;
candidate for U.S.
Representative from Michigan 1st District, 1964; candidate for
mayor
of Detroit, Mich., 1969; secretary
of state of Michigan, 1971-94; defeated, 1994; candidate for U.S.
Senator from Michigan, 1976.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; Kappa
Alpha Psi; NAACP.
Died, of a heart
attack and Alzheimer's
disease, in Henry Ford Hospital,
Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., April
20, 2001 (age 87 years, 349
days).
Burial location unknown.
| |  |
Relatives: Son
of Richard H. Austin and Lelia (Hill) Austin; married to Ida B.
Dawson. |
| | | See also Find-A-Grave
memorial |
|
| |
Sidney Barthwell (1906-2005) —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Cordele, Crisp
County, Ga., February
17, 1906.
Democrat. Pharmacist;
delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Wayne County 2nd
District, 1961-62.
Congregationalist.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; Kappa
Alpha Psi; Sigma
Pi Phi.
Died June 23,
2005 (age 99 years, 126
days).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Jack Barthwell and Sarah (Eubanks) Barthwell; married to Gladys
Marie Whitfield. |
|
| |
Tony Benavides (b. 1937) —
of Lansing, Ingham
County, Mich.
Born in San Vicente, Nuevo
León, May 5,
1937.
Director, Cristo Rey Community Center, from 1969; mayor
of Lansing, Mich., 2003-05; defeated, 2005.
Catholic.
Hispanic
ancestry. Member, Kiwanis;
Urban League.
Still living as of 2005.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Jesus Benavides and Maria Benavides. |
|
| |
Lana L. Boldi (born c.1941) —
of Kalamazoo, Kalamazoo
County, Mich.; Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.; Kentwood, Kent
County, Mich.
Born about 1941.
Democrat. Automobile
worker; international
representative for the United Auto Workers union; delegate to
Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1976,
1980,
1984,
1988,
2000;
member of Michigan
Democratic State Central Committee, 1977; candidate for
Presidential Elector for Michigan; chair of
Kent County Democratic Party, 2001-02.
Female.
Member, United
Auto Workers; Urban League.
Still living as of 2007.
|
| |
DeWitt T. Burton (1892-1970) —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Memphis, Shelby
County, Tenn., November
15, 1892.
Democrat. Physician;
member of Wayne State
University board of governors, 1960-68.
Congregationalist.
Member, Urban League; NAACP; Omega
Psi Phi; American Medical
Association.
Died in 1970
(age about
77 years).
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
LeeRoy Clark (1922-2002) —
of Millington, Tuscola
County, Mich.
Born in Flint, Genesee
County, Mich., August
29, 1922.
Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War II; served in the
U.S. Army during the Korean conflict; auto
worker at Chevrolet V-8 Engine Plant in Flint; board
member, United Auto Workers Local 659; candidate for Michigan
state house of representatives 84th District, 1966; member of Michigan
Democratic State Central Committee, 1973.
Member, NAACP;
Urban League; American
Legion; Veterans of
Foreign Wars.
Died in Millington, Tuscola
County, Mich., November
23, 2002 (age 80 years, 86
days).
Interment at Pine
Grove Cemetery, Arbela Township, Tuscola County, Mich.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of George Clark and Mary (Jackson) Clark; married, January
26, 1951, to Eartha Mae 'Billie' Kyles. |
|
| |
Gary G. Corbin (b. 1941) —
of Clio, Genesee
County, Mich.; Grand Blanc, Genesee
County, Mich.
Born December
31, 1941.
Democrat. Member of Michigan
state senate, 1975-86 (25th District 1975-82, 29th District
1983-86); Michigan
Democratic state chair, 1991-95; delegation chair, Democratic
National Convention, 1992 ; candidate for Presidential Elector for
Michigan.
Member, Urban League.
Still living as of 1995.
|
| |
James Del Rio (b. 1924) —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., January
30, 1924.
Democrat. Real
estate and insurance
business; candidate for Michigan
state senate 6th District, 1964; member of Michigan
state house of representatives 24th District, 1965-72.
Baptist.
African
ancestry. Member, NAACP;
Urban League.
Still living as of 2000.
|
| |
Edward Leon Douglas (b. 1927) —
also known as Edward L. Douglas —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., May 29,
1927.
Democrat. School
teacher; lawyer; delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Wayne County 8th
District, 1961-62.
African
ancestry. Member, NAACP;
Urban League; Omega
Psi Phi.
Still living as of 1962.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Levi Douglas and Minnie (Robinson) Douglas; married to Kathleen
Ellis. |
|
| |
William Oliver Raymond Greene (b. 1906) —
also known as William O. Greene —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Akron, Summit
County, Ohio, December
31, 1906.
Democrat. Deputy
sheriff; candidate for Michigan
state senate 3rd District, 1956, 1958; delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from 3rd Senatorial
District, 1961-62.
Episcopalian.
African
ancestry. Member, NAACP;
Urban League; Freemasons.
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of William Greene and Ethel (Glover) Greene; married to Edverta
Eunice Motley. |
|
| |
Gustave J. Groat Sr. (b. 1918) —
of Battle Creek, Calhoun
County, Mich.
Born in Schoolcraft Township, Kalamazoo
County, Mich., November
8, 1918.
Republican. Served in the U.S. Navy during World War II; member of Michigan
state house of representatives 48th District, 1967-72; defeated,
1972.
Catholic.
Member, American
Legion; Forty and
Eight; Veterans of
Foreign Wars; Exchange
Club; Fraternal
Order of Police; Knights
of Columbus; Urban League; Disabled
American Veterans.
Presumed deceased.
Burial location unknown.
|
 |
Philip Aloysius Hart (1912-1976) —
also known as Philip A. Hart —
of Birmingham, Oakland
County, Mich.; Mackinac Island, Mackinac
County, Mich.
Born in Bryn Mawr, Montgomery
County, Pa., December
10, 1912.
Democrat. Lawyer;
colonel in the U.S. Army during World War II; candidate for secretary
of state of Michigan, 1950; U.S.
Attorney for the Eastern District of Michigan, 1952-53; Lieutenant
Governor of Michigan, 1955-58; delegate to Democratic National
Convention from Michigan, 1956,
1960,
1964,
1968
(speaker),
1976;
U.S.
Senator from Michigan, 1959-76; died in office 1976.
Member, Urban League.
Died in Washington,
D.C., December
26, 1976 (age 64 years, 16
days).
Interment at St.
Anne's Catholic Cemetery, Mackinac Island, Mich.
|
| |
William A. Johnson Jr. —
of Flint, Genesee
County, Mich.; Rochester, Monroe
County, N.Y.
Democrat. Mayor
of Rochester, N.Y., 1994-2003; delegate to Democratic National
Convention from New York, 1996.
Baptist.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League.
Still living as of 2003.
|
| |
Dorothy Leonard Judd (1898-1989) —
also known as Dorothy L. Judd —
of Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.
Born in Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich., September
14, 1898.
Republican. Delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Kent County 3rd
District, 1961-62.
Female.
Member, League of Women
Voters; Urban League.
Died in 1989
(age about
90 years).
Interment at Fulton
Street Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Mich.
| | |
Relatives:
Daughter of Harry C. Leonard and Willie (Stansbury) Leonard; married
to Siegel Wright Judd. |
| | | See also Find-A-Grave
memorial |
|
| |
Dale Edward Kildee (b. 1929) —
also known as Dale E. Kildee —
of Flint, Genesee
County, Mich.
Born in Flint, Genesee
County, Mich., September
16, 1929.
Democrat. School
teacher; member of Michigan
state house of representatives 81st District, 1965-74; delegate
to Democratic National Convention from Michigan, 1968,
1984,
1988,
1996,
2000,
2004,
2008;
member of Michigan
state senate 29th District, 1975-77; resigned 1977; U.S.
Representative from Michigan, 1977-2013 (7th District 1977-93,
9th District 1993-2003, 5th District 2003-13).
Catholic.
Member, Optimist
Club; Knights
of Columbus; American
Federation of Teachers; Urban League; Phi
Delta Kappa; Elks.
Still living as of 2014.
|
| |
John Howland Lathrop (1880-1967) —
also known as John H. Lathrop —
of Brooklyn, Kings
County, N.Y.
Born in Jackson, Jackson
County, Mich., 1880.
Unitarian
minister; vice-chair of New York American Labor Party, 1945.
Unitarian.
Member, Urban League.
Died August
20, 1967 (age about 87
years).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of John D. Lathrop and Alice McDora (Osborne) Lathrop; married 1907 to Lita
Schlesinger. |
|
| |
Stephen V. Monsma (1936-2017) —
of Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.
Born in Pella, Marion
County, Iowa, September
22, 1936.
Democrat. College
professor; writer;
member of Michigan
state senate 32nd District, 1979-82; defeated, 1970, 1985; member
of Michigan
state house of representatives 93rd District, 1975-78; Democratic
candidate for U.S.
Representative from Michigan 5th District, 1980 (primary), 1982.
Christian
Reformed. Member, Urban League.
Died February
18, 2017 (age 80 years, 149
days).
Burial location unknown.
| | |
Relatives: Son
of Rev. Martin Monsma and Marie (Vos) Monsma; married to Mary
Carlisle. |
|
| |
Peter Oppewall (b. 1922) —
of Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.
Born in Northbridge, Worcester
County, Mass., 1922.
Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army Air Force in World War II; college
professor; candidate for delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Kent County 1st
District, 1961; member of Michigan
state board of education, 1965-70.
Christian
Reformed. Member, Urban League; Modern
Language Association.
Presumed deceased.
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
John W. Porter (1931-2012) —
of East Lansing, Ingham
County, Mich.; Ann Arbor, Washtenaw
County, Mich.
Born in Fort Wayne, Allen
County, Ind., August
13, 1931.
School
teacher; Michigan
superintendent of public instruction, 1969-79; first
African-American state school superintendent; president,
Eastern Michigan University, 1979-89.
United
Church of Christ. African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; Phi
Delta Kappa; NAACP.
Died June 27,
2012 (age 80 years, 319
days).
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Nelis J. Saunders (b. 1923) —
of Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich.
Born in Orlando, Orange
County, Fla., September
3, 1923.
Democrat. Candidate for Michigan
state senate 4th District, 1964; member of Michigan
state house of representatives 11th District, 1969-72; defeated
in primary, 1960 (Wayne County 11th District), 1962 (Wayne County
11th District), 1965 (24th District), 1966 (11th District), 1972
(20th District), 1974 (21st District).
Female.
Baptist.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; NAACP; Order of the
Eastern Star.
Still living as of 1974.
|
| |
Otis Milton Smith (1922-1994) —
also known as Otis M. Smith —
of Flint, Genesee
County, Mich.
Born in Memphis, Shelby
County, Tenn., February
20, 1922.
Democrat. Lawyer; Michigan
state auditor general, 1959-61; alternate delegate to Democratic
National Convention from Michigan, 1960;
justice
of Michigan state supreme court, 1961-66; appointed 1961;
defeated, 1966; first
Black member of the Michigan Supreme Court; member of University
of Michigan board of regents, 1967-71; candidate for Presidential
Elector for Michigan; vice-president and general counsel of General
Motors.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; Kiwanis.
Died, of prostate
cancer, in Detroit, Wayne
County, Mich., June 29,
1994 (age 72 years, 129
days).
Burial location unknown.
|
| |
Roger B. Townsend (1912-1987) —
of Flint, Genesee
County, Mich.
Born in Cleveland
County, Ark., March
29, 1912.
Democrat. Bridge crane operator for Buick Motor Car
Company; recording
secretary of United Auto Workers Local 599; real estate
broker; member of Michigan
state house of representatives from Genesee County 1st District,
1953-64; defeated in primary, 1964 (82nd District), 1966 (80th
District), 1968 (80th District), 1970 (80th District), 1972 (80th
District).
African
ancestry. Member, United
Auto Workers; Elks;
Urban League; NAACP; Freemasons.
Died in Flint, Genesee
County, Mich., January
18, 1987 (age 74 years, 295
days).
Burial location unknown.
|
 |
Jan B. Vanderploeg (1900-1984) —
of North Muskegon, Muskegon
County, Mich.; Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich.
Born in Holland, Ottawa
County, Mich., July 5,
1900.
Democrat. Served in the U.S. Army during World War I; landscape
architect; nurseryman;
school
teacher; Democratic candidate for U.S.
Representative from Michigan 9th District, 1950 (primary), 1958;
member of Michigan
state senate 33rd District, 1965-66; defeated, 1951 (23rd
District), 1956 (23rd District), 1966 (33rd District); chair of
Muskegon County Democratic Party, 1957-58; member of Michigan
state board of agriculture, 1958-63; candidate for Presidential
Elector for Michigan; candidate for delegate
to Michigan state constitutional convention from Muskegon County
2nd District, 1961; candidate for Michigan
State University board of trustees, 1963; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from Michigan, 1964.
Congregationalist.
Member, Urban League.
Died in Grand Rapids, Kent
County, Mich., November
5, 1984 (age 84 years, 123
days).
Interment at Pilgrim
Home Cemetery, Holland, Mich.
|
| |
Jackie Washington —
of Michigan.
Democrat. Social
worker; president and CEO, Pontiac Urban League, 1985-92;
president and CEO, Planned Parenthood of Southeast Michigan, 1992-;
member of Wayne State
University board of governors, 2001; inductee, Michigan Women's
Hall
of Fame.
Female.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League; American Civil
Liberties Union; National
Organization for Women; NAACP.
Still living as of 2002.
|
| |
Rillastine R. Wilkins —
of Muskegon Heights, Muskegon
County, Mich.
Democrat. Mayor
of Muskegon Heights, Mich., 2002-05; delegate to Democratic
National Convention from Michigan, 2008.
Female.
African
ancestry. Member, Urban League.
Still living as of 2008.
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|
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