James W. Hendryx

Submitted by Robert Kingrey

Source: Anonymous

James W. Hendryx, a highly esteemed retired farmer of Oakland County, Michigan, now residing in the village of Farmington, was born in 1829 in Steuben County, New York, and is a son of William and Prudence (Adams) Hendryx, both of whom were born in New York state.

William Hendryx was born in 1799, learned the trade of blacksmith, and with his wife and six children migrated to Michigan in 1835. The family located in Redford Twp., Wayne County, where the father died in 1874, the mother having passed away some years prior to that time. The seven children of the family were as follows; Warren and Lydia Ann, both deceased; James W. of this sketch; Martha, deceased, who was the wife of James Crosby; Harriet, who married Peter Houck, has two children, William and Etta, and lives in Ionia County, Michigan; Frances, who married Evan McClure, who died in the Army during the Civil War, leaving one daughter, Essie, the wife of Charles Granthem of Farmington; and Roldon B., now deceased, who was born after the family moved to Michigan.

James W. Hendryx attended school in Wayne County, Michigan, and worked on his father’s farm until his marriage in 1854, at the age of 25 years. He then located to the town of Livonia, Wayne County, where he remained two years and then returned to Redford Twp. And lived there until 1877, when he removed to Farmington, Oakland Twp, and bought a farm of 160 acres in section 29. There he remained engaged in farming until 1894 when he retired from active work. Renting his farm, he purchased his present comfortable home in the village.

In 1854 Mr. Hendryx was married to Lavina Lee, a daughter of John and Martha Lee, who were natives of New Jersey. The nine children born to this marriage are as follows; William, born in 1854, who was married Jennie Barrows, has reared two children, Luella and Lulu, and lives in Farmington Twp., Oakland County; Sarah, deceased; Zoa, born in 1860, who married Nathan Power of Detroit and has two children, Grant and Lucile; Harriet, born in 1862, who married George Frances and lives in Ironton, Ohio; J.M., deceased, born in 1863, who married to Lena Pettibone of Farmington and had two children, Kate and Mary; Frank, born in 1867, who married to Jennie Lenox of Novi Twp, Oakland County, and they have two children, Clayton and Flora; Martha, born in 1869, who married John Power of Farmington Twp., Oakland County, and has one son, Percy; George, born in 1872, who was married to Flora Kennedy of Farmington and has one child, Leo; and Jennie , born in 1874, who married Adelbert McDermott of Farmington and has one son, J.C..