FRED E. CURTIS
Sheriff from 1921-1924
Fred E. Curtis was born in Barry County, Michigan, on July 25, 1880, the son of Lorenzo D. and Catherine Paddock Curtis. When Fred was three years of age his parents moved to Edmore where Fred received his schooling. He began his career at an early age assisting his father in the drayage business. He continued in that line of work and also engaged in the retail hay and feed business. His home in Edmore encompassed a tract of land twenty acres in size and he also owned another forty acre farm in Home Township which he rented out. On September 2, 1904, he married at Rock Lake, Montcalm County, Edna Eldridge, the daughter of A.B. and Lucelia Gillett Eldridge. Fred and Edna had four children, Elsie, Charlotte (Mrs. Homer C. Miel), Alvin and Clyde.
Fred took an active interest in local political affairs and held many offices during his lifetime. He served as supervisor of Home Township, as village president for two terms, and as village councilman. In 1907 he was appointed deputy sheriff for the Edmore area, a position he also held for many years. John W. Dasef, in his book History of Montcalm County, Michigan, stated that Fred preformed his duties as deputy sheriff with so much credit to himself that his friends confidently predict that he will be sheriff of the county in due time. That was the year 1916 and in August of 1920 he won the primary, running against his Republican rival Alphonsus E. Ward, and was elected sheriff in November. He served four years. After leaving the office of sheriff he served, once again, as deputy sheriff for the Edmore area. He was a lover of fishing, hunting and the protection of wild game, being at one time game warden and then president of the Edmore Fish and Game club and of the Improvement Association of Lake Montcalm. He was a Mason, Odd Fellow and belonged to the Elks, of Ionia. He was also president of the Edmore Association of Commerce. At the time of his death he was secretary of the Edmore school board and was the current Village Clerk. He died at the age of 56 on May 13, 1936 at the Edmore hospital after a lingering illness. He was buried in Vinewood Cemetery.
(Sources: White Pine Library, obituary file; History of Montcalm County, Michigan by John W. Dasef) |
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