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Note: Member First Methodist Episcopal Church on Grand River Information from Lucille Warner via Nancy Zimmerman Dunham: "Lucy A. Brown was born in Black River, New York, June 10, 1845. She was two years of age when she came to Michigan with her parents and settled in Clinton County. On September 6, 1866, she was united in marriage to DeForrest W. Cowley and three years later they moved to Lansing to live. They had two children: a daughter, Jennie born in 1868; and a son, Frank W. born in 1871. Jennie was married to Harry E. Smith. They were members of the First United Methodist Episcopal Church on Grand River. They resided at 928 North Cedar Street in Lansing for 46 years where Lucy died suddenly Thursday noon, January 28, 1915. She had been in poor health for two years. The funeral services were held from the home with burial at the Mt. Hope Cemetery in Lansing. DeForrest, better known as Ford, worked many years at the post office. He also ran the waiting room in North Lansing for the street cars going to St. Johns, according to his niece, Beatrice Brown Williams. He was an Ingham County Circuit Court officer, at the age of 75 years, when he was caught by an elevator in the city hall on Tuesday morning, August 19, 1919 and crushed to death. He had been operating the elevator as a volunteer to take the place of the regular elevator operator, who was off duty because of the death of his mother. Before offering to run the elevator, DeForrest told the city hall janitor that he was afraid to go to the top of the elevator shaft as he did not understand operating machinery. The janitor had told him there was no danger if he shut the electric power off when he left the car. A Western Union massenger boy had come in the hall and asked to be taken to the third floor of the building. DeForrest stopped the car at the designated floor and let the boy out. It is not known just how the fatal accident happened. The messenger boy said, 'When he left the car the elevator began to shoot upward and it looked as if Mr. Cowley became excited and attempted to jump out of the door.' The position of his body when released indicated he made an attempt to jump and was caught when he was about halfway out. The edge of the elevator care and upper door jamb couaght him across the middle portion of the body and death was instantaneous. DeForrest was born in Seneca Falls, New York, March 11, 1845 and came to Michigan with his parents when nine years old. He was a member of the CHas. T. Foster post, G.A.R. having served in the Civil War with Company I, Michigan engineers and mechanics. The funeral was held at his daughter's home, 324 West Hillsdale Street. At the present, 1990, their home is still standing but the daughter's home is now a vacant lot." ---------------------------------
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