Biography:
William H. White was born in Holland, Ontario, Canada, on April 12, 1859, the second of twelve children born to William White (d. 1876) and Anna Belle Clement White (June 11, 1833-February 17, 1914). Anna Belle sailed to America from Glasgow, Scotland, at the age of eleven. She married William White, who had migrated early in life from Belfast, Ireland, in 1853 or 1856.
William and Anna Belle White’s children were: 1) Jennie White (circa 1857 in Owen Sound, Canada-December 2, 1905). Jennie never married. 2) William H. White (April 12, 1859-1934). 3) Thomas White (1861-?), who had three sons and a daughter. He moved to Boyne City, Michigan, in 1891 and was a partner with Newville in the Boyne City Lumber Company. 4) George White (January 11, 1863-1940s, the twin of James White). 5) James A. White (January 11, 1863-December 5, 1924, the twin of George White), who married Mary Josephine “Mamie” Beech (d. December 31, 1933) on June 25, 1890. They adopted a daughter, Mrs. Ruth Davidson. 6) Mary Ann White (March 20, 1865 in Owen Sound, Ontario-October 1948), who married John B. Meloche on January 25, 1884. Together Mary Ann and John had three sons and three daughters. 7) Louise White (1862 or 1869 in Owen Sound, Canada-1938). 8) Lyde (a woman) White (1870-1899). Lyde never married. 9) Robert V. White (1872-?), who married Esther Greiner. 10) Margaret Clarissa White (August 7, 1873-?), who married Lem Fairchild, with whom she had two sons. 11) Ida Amelia White (June 6, 1875-February 25, 1863), who married Claude C. Early at the Embassy in Manila, the Philippines. Together they had a son, Malcom, and daughter. 12) Arthur David White (1876-March 29, 1899). He died a month before he was supposed to marry Esther Greiner (d. 1964). Later that year Esther married Robert Villiers White (August 26, 1872-?). Together Robert and Esther had three girls and a son.
From the age of 18, William H. White operated a lumber business in Essex, Ontario. In the fall of 1881 he moved to South Arm, Ontario, and took charge of a sawmill plant. White traveled to Boyne City, Michigan, in February of 1883 and established his lumber business there in 1885 called the Wm. H. White and Company, which specialized in hardwood and hemlock. Soon, he had a large operation with many staff and his own ships.
On June 23, 1880 William H. White married Abby Weigle in Ontario. With his first wife, William had a daughter, Pearl, and a son, Lysle. Abby died on February 9, 1889. Ten years later, William married his second wife, Mary Louise Reeder, on October 25, 1899. William died in the summer of 1934.
Pearl White was born on March 5, 1884 in Boyne City, Michigan. When Pearl was five, her mother died. Pearl graduated from Grand Rapids [Michigan] High School in June 1903. She attended the Dana Hall School for young ladies in Wellesley, and later, the Gunston Hall Academy in Washington. Pearl also studied French in France and music in Germany. On November 12, 1907, Pearl married J. R. Aldendifer, a lumber company manager, with whom she had three children: William, Evelyn, and Josephine.
Lysle White was born in January of 1887. He worked as a general manager of a railroad. Lysle married Mary E. (b. 1891) with whom he had three children: Lysle H. (1914-), Suzanne E. (1918-), and Marjorie I (1922-). Lysle owned a cottage on Walloon Lake [Michigan].
(This information is from the collection.)
