Samuel Hall "Hal" Conkey (1899 - 1996)

Samuel Hall "Hal" Conkey was born 26 Jan 1899 in London, Ontario, Canada while his mother was visiting her sister. The family home was in (Caseville), Lake township, Huron county, Michigan and he was considered a native born US citizen. (Even listed as born in Michigan in censuses.)

He is the youngest of five children, and only son born to Samuel Conkey and Amanda Melvina Fitzgerald Hall. He had two young sisters die before he was born, Zelma (1890-1897) and Valerie Leslie (1896-1896). Two other sisters lived to be adults, Alice Blanch (1892-1977) and Hope Jean (1897-1977).

He is listed as Samuel H Conkey in the 1900 census, born Jan 1899. In the 1910 census he is Hall Conkey, and in the 1920 census he is Hal Conkey. 

1900 census

1910 census

1920 census

One of the many careers Hall had was as a school teacher. He had ideas ahead of his time. He wanted the students to work together in groups. It was a scandal when he married one of his older students.

Hall Conkey and Christine Walker

Hall married Christine Margaret Walker. They were married 30 Jun 1926 by Rev. Glenn Carpenter at the home of the bride's parents in Sheridan Township, Huron, Michigan. They had four children and were married for seventy years before his death.

In the 1930 census he is listed as Samuel H Conkey again. He is also listed as a salesman. According to his son, he sold generators so that people could have electricity in their homes.

1930 census

His oldest son writes: "A teacher for many years, he left teaching during the depression and returned to his fathers farm so he could feed his family. And he did. He rebuilt a run down farm by buying baby calves and raising them. At one time they had over 100 head of cattle. Each spring they would buy 300 to 500 baby chicks and raise them for the lake shore trade, selling them during the depression for a dollar a bird, a lot of money in those days."

The Conkey farm was in the same family for over 100 years and was designated a Michigan Centennial Farm by the Michigan Historical Commission. Though the last of the farm was sold shortly after Hal and Christine died, the family still owns a small area of land where the original house stood.

Hal was an inventor. Among his inventions are the sugar beet harvester, the beet lifter that pulled
behind the tractor, with a riding board for the holder; and a portable conveyor to move beans or grain from the threshing machine into the bins, long before conveyors became popular. Probably his most popular invention with his grandchildren and great grandchildren was the Happy-go-round.

Happy-go-round at the Conkey farm 1988

Hal became a painter later in life and many of his paintings are family treasures. He and Christine were also very active in local politics. Hal had a clear and active mind until shortly before he died when he developed Alzheimer's. He died peacefully 29 Nov 1996 at the Sunny Acres Nursing Home between Bad Axe and Elkton in Michigan.

Hal Conkey 1994

Willard Knowles Hopkins (1812 - 1878)

I am excited because my sister has started doing some genealogy too! It's so fun to share the excitement of research! Together we have been learning more about our Hopkins ancestors.

Willard Knowles Hopkins was born 19 Jun 1812 in Harwich, Barnstable, Massachusetts to Joshua Hopkins and Bridget Small. He is one of ten kids, eight of which I have names for so far. He had an older brother named John, and two baby brothers named Joshua and Samuel. The four sisters, Orpha, Juliana, Sarah Jane, and Mary Amanda. The other two children I don't know anything about yet. It is said there were 5 girls and 5 boys, so possibly the two unknown children died young, one boy and one girl? (Speculation.)

In 1817, Joshua & Bridget moved their small growing family to Tuckertown, New Jersey.

On 21 Mar 1836, in Burlington county, New Jersey, Willard married Lucy Ann Read. We believe she was born in New York but don't know much about her yet. (Marriage record found at LDS family history centery on microfiche by my sister!)

Approx 1838-1840, the family moved to Greenwich, Ohio. Joshua & Bridget and their clan, John & his wife Levica, and Willard & Lucy. According to stories from Mary Amanda, (Joshua's youngest), written down in 1973 from the memory of her granddaughter,

"Joshua Hopkins left New Jersey because he didn't want his sons to be sailors.  For he said a sailor's life was a dog's life. Grandmother remembers walking over the hills of Pa.  Joshua Hopkins intended to go farther west, but when he got to Ohio the man who was bringing his furniture through by ox team got drunk one night and left their funiture out in the rain.  so they went no farther west. "

Willard & Lucy had 2 daughters and possibly a third child. Mary Ann Hopkins was born 31 Jan 1840 in Greenwich, Ohio. Lucy Maria Hopkins was born in early 1842 in Greenwich, Ohio. 


Sadly, Lucy died 2 Mar 1842 in Greenwich, Ohio and is buried in Ninevah Cemetery. 

On 5 Dec 1843, in Greenwich, Ohio, Willard married Jane Ursula Easterly. Jane was from Gloversville, New York, born 21 Sep 1822. Together, they had eight children, William W, Albert J, Francis T, Elizabeth Jane, Julia E, Isadora A, Armon Bartine, and George Halstead.

Willard and Jane are in the 1850 census in Greenwich, Huron, Ohio. On the previous page are his brother John & family and his father Joshua & family.

In 1860, still in Greenwich, Ohio! Father Joshua still next door. (Note that Willard is listed as Wm K, and Joshua is listed as Josiah.) Brother John has moved to the nearby town of Ripley.

 In 1870, still in Greenwich, Huron, Ohio.

June 1878 newspaper clipping mentioning his death. (From the Rutherford B Hayes Presidential Library)

Willard Knowles Hopkins died 18 May 1878 in Greenwich, Huron, Ohio and is buried in the Ninevah Cemetery, with both his wives and many other relatives.


Online book about Huron county, Ohio history with Hopkins family history in it! (First link, Second link). 


Another book resource: Genealogies of Mayflower Families" pub. 1985 pg. 365


I have recently connected to several people working on the Hopkins family and seen some pictures of relatives, but don't have any with known photos of Willard yet. If you are related and able to identify people in photos or interested in sharing information, please contact me!