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Ezra D. Barnes was the first Supervisor of the Township of Burns in
1837. His first wife was Eliza Durkee and when she died, he married Mary
Whitcomb. Mary also passed away after a few short years and Ezra then
married Sarah Matoon, daughter of Gershhom and Nancy Matoon of
Shiawassee County. Ezra was a successful farmer, a raiser of short horn
cattle, a grower of choice fruits, a manufacturer of prize cheese and
the organizer and President o the Shiawassee County Fair Association. He
helped to organize the Mutual Fire Insurance Company. He belonged to the
Oddfellows and was a member and builder of the Presbyterian Church.
Barnes road was named after him. One of his son’s was Augustus Barnes
and he fought in the Civil War as did another son , Ezra Jr. Augustus
was captured at the Battle of Falling Waters and was sent to
Andersonville Prison. When the war ended, he was on his way north on the
steamship Sultana. The ship blew up in the Mississippi River north of
Memphis and Augustus lost his life. He was only 22 years old. Maxine
Barnes Marple is a descendant of Ezra and Sarah and lives on Barnes
Road. Her father was Millard and grandfather J. Frank, son of Ezra.
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