Person:Alexander Hosler (2)

Cause of death was toxemia from strangulated hernia.

Alexander Hosler passed away at the Lockwood Hospital, Petoskey, Tuesday morning, Aug.10, after a short illness, age 76 years 1 month and 5 days. Mr. Hosler was born in New York State, July 5, 1856, and came to Michigan the spring of 1869 where he took up a homestead in Charlevoix County.

Dec. 23, 1888, he was married to Minnie Edgerton and sixteen children blessed this union, nine of whom survive him: Namely, Mrs. C.B. Kent of East Jordan, Mrs. Frank LaNore, Mrs. Archie Allen, Ardis and Frank of Bellaire, Mrs. Forrest Lang of Coopersville, Alex of Owosso, Joseph of Flint and Lewis of Detroit. The funeral services were held at the Saints' Church at East Jordan Friday afternoon, Rev. Dudley officiating.

Source: Antrim County Record, Bellaire MI, Thurs. Aug. 19, 1926, Pg 1.

In 1880 & 1910 he was a general farmer. In 1920 he is hired help, road maker, in what looks to be a lumber camp. In 1910 Izetta's family and Minnie's father, were living with them.

Izetta said that their house burned. Alex and Minnie May had gone to town and when they returned Minnie was cold so Alex built a fire and the chimney pipe started the fire. Alex tried to go upstairs to get his papers, but the roof caved in. Minnie grabbed a dresser and carried it out. It had all the baby clothes in it. After the fire, they added on to another building on the property and lived there.

Izetta said he was very kind and worked hard, and never cussed or drank. He had to clear the land to homestead. At first they had oxen and later horses. They always had plenty to eat. They had their own fruit, pickles, berries, vegetables, walnuts, apples, cows & sheep, and they bought most foods by the barrel once a year. They ate lots of lamb and sent the wool away to be made into cloth. They didn't have many sweets. After Minnie died, Alex sold everything and lived with his daughter, 'Sadie'.

Ardys said he was very kind and defended Ardys from her older sister, Sadie, with whom they lived. When he died, he was sick for a while before he said anything about being ill.

Dorothy said he was very kind, with kind grey eyes. He never spanked his children. They called him Abe Lincoln because he was self-taught. The children could never stump him with their math problems. He had big hands, long fingers. He was a hard worker and was very very quiet. She remembers planting apple trees. They couldn't hang clothes outside because the goat ate them. They played horse shoes. She and her husband stopped to see him when they were on a trip up north. On the way back they happen to see a relative in Petoskey who told them he was in the hospital. So they were able to see him before he died.