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WILLIAM H. CLOSE
At the age of 16, he entered the United States Army as a drummer in the
Civil War. He rose through the ranks and was a First Lieutenant when
honorably discharged three years later. W.F. Close was born in Moravia,
Cortland county, NY and came to Michigan in 1846 with his parents and to
Byron in 1851. After returning from the army he was associated with his
father, Jacob Close in a general mercantile and grain business in Byron.
In 1870, he engaged in a similar business in Fowlerville, but in 1883 he
returned to Byron and went back into the grain business. He also was
involved in farming and wool buying, associated with Williams & Co.,
Boston. He was well known both in Michigan and adjoining states for his
honesty, fair dealings and business acumen. He married Harriet Chaffee,
of another pioneer family of Byron in 1866. His son was Fred Close. His
mother was Sarah Royce, also from an early Byron family. When he died,
his obituary stated that the community had lost one of its bravest and
best citizens. His son Fred married Myrtle Savage, daughter of Frank and
Jane Newman Savage. She was a twin to Maude Anderson and sister’s Cora
Stowell, Mable Whitehead and a brother, William Savage. It is
interesting to note how intertwined these Byron families were in those
days. James Anderson, husband of Maude, owned a dry goods and shoe
business in 1910; Cora was married to Fred Stowell who was Postmaster
and operated a china ware, notions and watch repair with Richard O’Hern.
Mable was married to Herbert Whitehead, the local undertaker. And Frank
Savage had operated the furniture and undertaking business before his
son-in-law. To continue on, their son’s went on into business, Ralph
Anderson, Gordon Stowell and Harry Whitehead, here in Byron.
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