GEORGE CALVERT COLEMAN (Sarah Westfall 8, Samuel 7, George 6, John D. 5, Simon 4,

Jurian 3, Symen 2, Jurian 1) son of Calvert M. Coleman and Sarah E. Westfall; b. 12 Sept. 1870, Van

Buren Twp., Wayne Co., MI; d. 30 July 1946, Eloise, MI; mar. (1) about 1899, Wayne Co., MI, to

MYRTLE WARNER, b. Mar. 1883, MI; d. Feb. 1908, Belleville, MI.


George Coleman mar. (2) in 1911, Wayne Co., MI, to WINIFRED BLACK, b. 19 Oct. 1891, Wayne

Co., MI; d. 19 Mar. 1985, Cape Coral, FL. Winifred was a daughter of David Black and Effie __ .

It was noted in the Jan. 26, 1887, Belleville Enterprise newspaper that George Coleman peddled the

Sunday Sun (presumably a Detroit paper.) By 1891, George was listed in the "Detroit City Directory"

living with parents and siblings at 277 15th Ave; in 1892, he lived at 228 Baltimore Ave. W. (West Grand

Blvd area), but his father was no longer listed with the family.

 

In 1894, George worked for a livery stable at 66 Bagley St., and lived with brothers Claud, Samuel and

William at 229 Baltimore Ave. W. That was the last time George was listed as living in Detroit

He returned to Belleville, MI, and was elected Constable in Van Buren Township in 1897, 1898, 1899.

In 1899, he was married to Myrtle Warner, who was from nearby New Boston, MI. George operated a

livery stable in Belleville in 1901, and later sold farm implements as well as insurance in the area.

George Coleman served his village well. He was elected to the office of Trustee on the Village Council

in 1910, 1911, and 1912, and again in 1923 and 1924. He was elected Justice of the Peace, serving Van

Buren Twp., in 1922, 1926, 1930, and 1938.
 

His nephew, Paul Coleman, remembered that Uncle George owned a champion horse, Pickerel, which he

raced in sulky races. Paul thought that the race track was near Pullen's Lumber yard near the railroad station

in Belleville, MI.
 

Children: COLEMAN (of George C. Coleman and Myrtle Warner)

 i. Jennie H. b. 24 Aug. 1899, Belleville, MI; d. 25 April 1980, Ft. Smith, AR; mar. (1) 24

Jan. 1916, Willis, MI, to Clarence Smith; mar. (2) July 1972, New Mexico, to William

Lewis
 

Children: COLEMAN (of George C. Coleman and Winifred Black)

 ii. Rose Garnett b. 14 July 1912, Belleville, MI; d. 10 Mar. 1989, Cape Coral, FL; mar. (1)

in MI, to Walter Beck; mar. (2) to William Dunkel

 iii. George Jack b. 8 Aug. 1919, Sumpter Twp. Wayne Co., MI; d. 6 Mar. 1967; mar. (1) to

Nellie Ellis; mar. (2) to Helen Putnam

 iv. Laurel Dawn b. 1929, Belleville, MI; mar. (1) Harold A. Utley; mar. (2) to __ _

Rutherford; mar. (3) to AI Roberts

 

Enterprise Roman; Belleville, MI

Fri., Aug. 2, 1946

"Seriously ill for the past four months, George C. Coleman, veteran Belleville resident, died Tuesday

morning at Wayne County General Hospital. Funeral services will be conducted this afternoon (Friday)

at 2 o'clock at Roberts Bros. Funeral Home. Rev. Ralph Dunlop will officiate at the services. Burial will be

in Hillsdale* Cemetery.

"Born in Canton* Township in Sept. 1870, Mr. Coleman lived in this community practically his entire

life. In 1899 he was married to Myrtle Warner of New Boston and to this union was born one child, Mrs.

Clarence Smith of Willis. Mrs. Coleman died in 1908.

"In 1911 Mr. Coleman married Winifred Black of Belleville. Three children were born to this union.

Mrs. Walter H. Beck, Jr., George J. Coleman and Mrs. Harold A. Utley, all of New Baltimore.

"Continuously active in community affairs, Mr. Coleman was a life member of the Masonic Lodge. He

had served as Justice of the Peace of Van Buren Township for 18 years; also serving several years as a

member of the Village Council. For some time he operated a business in Belleville.

"Mr. Coleman is survived by his widow and children; one sister, Mrs. Jenny Freer of Detroit; nine

grandchildren, and two great grandchldren."


*Corrections to above obituary: George Coleman was born in Van Buren Township, and was buried at

Hillside Cemetery, Belleville, MI.


Source: "The Westfall and Coleman Family History" by Clarice Koester Coleman (2003)