Dwight Lydell (1861 - 1927)

Born 26 Sep 1861 in Chautauqua, New York, United States

Ancestors

Husband of Ada (Hurley) Lydell — married 25 Aug 1881 in Saint Charles, Missouri, United States

Husband of Eva Jane (Wood) Lydell — married 29 Dec 1888 in Mecosta, Michigan, United States

Husband of Jane Elizabeth (Noel) Lydell — married 9 Jun 1909 in Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, United States

Died 8 Feb 1927 at age 65 in Comstock Park, Kent, Michigan, United States

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Biography

Dwight was born in 1861. He was the son of William Lydell and Emily Coe.

He was in St. Charles Missouri by 1881 where he married Ada Hurley. His family moved to Mecosta County, Michigan sometime after the 1870 census and Dwight and Ada joined them there and had two children. Tragically, both children and Ada died between 1883 and 1886, the children of "brain fever" and Ada of "consumption". ^[1]

He married Eva Jane Wood about 1888 ^[2] and they had a daughter, Emily Belle.

Eva Jane died in 1908 after which Dwight married Jane Elizabeth Noel in 1908; they had two sons, John and James.

He passed away in 1927 and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

One of his obituaries, from the Grand Rapids Press, memorialized Dwight as follows:

DEATH COMES TO DWIGHT LYDELL, ILL FOR MONTHS

Superintendent of Hatchery at Comstock Park Dies Tuesday.:

BELOVED OF SPORTSMEN:

Genial Devotee of Fish Propagation Served State for 40 Years.:

Dwight EE. Lydell, 65, for 40 years in the employ of the Michigan conservation department and its predecessor, and for the past 30 years superintendent of the state bass hatchery at Comstock Park, died at his home at Comstock Park Tuesday morning after a long illness, For a number of years Mr. Lydell had been suffering from cancer and for the past four or five months he had been confined to his home. Born in Chautauqua, N. Y., Sept. 26, 1861, Mr. Lydell came to Michigan in 1865, About 40 years ago he entered the employ of the old state fish commission at the Paris hatchery. and through his work there and at Comstock Park became expert in matters pertaining to propagation of the bass, It was said of him that he had done more than any other man in the United States in furthering propagation of the small-mouth black bass.:

Chapter Named for Him.:

Mr Lydell was a member of the Izaak Walton league and the local chapter of the league was named in his honor, Mr. Lydel is survived by the widow, a daughter, Mrs. E. J. Noel of Jackson; two sons, John and James of Comstock Park: three brothers, James of Los Angeles, Calif., and Frank and Jason of Grayling, Mich., and one sister, Mrs, D. G. Zalzaman of Grayling.:

Funeral to Be Friday.:

Funeral arrangements, which were arranged for by Mr. Lydell before his death will be observed with his brothers-in-law as active pallbearers and members of Dwight Lydell chapter of the Izaak Walton league, fellow workers at the Comstock Park hatchery and the state superintendent of hatcheries ag honorary pallbearers. The funeral services will be held Friday morning at St. Alphonsus church at 10 o'clock. Active pallbearers will be Louis, Leo and Frank Knoll, James and Michael Lynch and Alois Peters. Honorary pall bearers will be Henry Schull, Herman Stern, Fred Z. Pantlind, William H, Anderson, Fred K. George, Carl. Saunders, Harry D, Jewell, Robert Woodbridge and Frank Black, of the local chapter of the lzaak Walton league, and Arthur Host, Arthur Brown, John MeEwan and Edward Krupp, employees at the Comstock Park hatchery and Fred Westerman, superintendent of state hatcheries.:

Schull Pays Tribute.:

Henry Schull, president of the Michigan division of the league, commenting on the death of Mr. Lydell, said: “America has lost her greatest black bass culturist with the passing of Dwight Lydell. He was appreciated in Michigan but he was far better known and appreciated in the circles of federal scientists and fish culturists than in his home state.” Harry D. Jewell, president of the Dwight Lydell chapter of the Izaak Walton league, said: “My outstanding thought of Dwight Lydell is that he afforded the greatest example of self-sacrificing public service I have: ever, known. He gave his life and energy to the work he loved with no thought to Increasing hls own remuneration or to creating a better job for himself. No one has done so much as he along his line of endeavor. Not only did he take an Interest in matters of conservation for the time being but he was constantly looking ahead, planning big projects for the future. And all without thought of himself or of the reward he was to receive.”

Sources

1. ↑ See Michigan death records. This "first family" are all buried in Parkhill Cemetery in Paris, Michigan. Find-a-Grave memorials are: Ada, 36945317, Lee, 36945325, Luie, 36945326
2. ↑ No marriage record has been located; this date is derived from their 1900 federal census record where they indicated they had been married for 12 years

• United States Federal Census:
  • 1870, Ellicott, Chautauqua, New York, Dwelling 1123.
  • 1900, Grand Rapids, Kent, Michigan, Sheet 2, Dwelling 26.
  • 1910, Plainfield, Kent, Michigan, Sheet 9A, Dwelling 191.
  • 1920, Plainfield, Kent, Michigan, Sheet 6B, Dwelling 133.
• Missouri State Archives; Jefferson City, MO, USA; Missouri Marriage Records.
• Michigan Department of Community Health, Division of Vital Records and Health Statistics; Lansing, MI, USA; Michigan, Marriage Records, 1867-1952; Film: 99b; Film Description: 1909 Isabella-1909 Muskegon. 1909, Kent County, Record 4072.
• Grand Rapids Press (Grand Rapids, MI) 8 February 1927, pages 1- 2 .
• Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/122824334/dwight-lydell : accessed 12 December 2021), memorial page for Dwight Lydell (26 Sep 1861–8 Feb 1927), Find A Grave: Memorial #122824334, citing Greenwood Cemetery, Grand Rapids, Kent County, Michigan, USA ; Maintained by Judith D (contributor 48139146) .