General Notes

Phebe was born in December, 1830, at Ayr, Ontario, and spent her childhood at Jerseyville.   In 1845, at the age of 14, she accompanied a party of Canadian emigrants  to Michigan and joined her brother and sister in Eaton County where they were boarding with the Bolton family.   A few weeks later, the Richmond's went to Keene Township,  Ionia County,  where prior arrangements had been made to board with the Hubbard family.

Her brother James and his wife Susan moved to their own homestead a few weeks later,  and Phebe and her sister Emily stayed on at the Hubbard homestead.  On November 11, 1849, Phebe married John Tunks.  John, born in Canada, had a farm in Vergennes Township, Kent County.

Children
     Jane Ann Tunks (born 1850; married Walter White of Ionia County).
     Leonard Tunks (died young).
     Charles Tunks (born 1852; died 1871).
     Katherine Tunks (born 1859; married Dayton Moon of Ionia County).     Winfield Tunks (born 1861; died young).
     Theodore Tunks (died young).

On September 11, 1862, John Tunks joined the 6th Michigan Cavalry for service in the Civil War.  He returned in November, 1865, and took up the occupation of teamster - working his farm part time. Sometime in the mid-1880s he and Phebe had a quarrel, and John left home, never to return.  Their descendents say  that he was so embarrassed by his foolishness that he was unable to work up enough nerve to face his wife again. He died in the Old Soldiers home in Grand Rapids on February 3, 1899.

Phebe, her daughters grown and married, joined the household of her nephew Elmer in 1889.   In 1895 she moved in with her daughter Jane in Ionia, County, where she died the following year.  She is buried at Foxes Corners Cemetery.

  Burial Notes

Foxes Corners Cemetery