Biography

For the family of Richard Sheldon Crego and Carol Swartout

RICHARD SHELDON CREGO was born on 01 March 1890 in Jackson, Jackson County, Michigan.   He was the only son of Fred Blair Crego and Mary Lillian Sheldon.  He married CAROL SWARTOUT.  She was born on 23 September 1890 , the daughter of Freeman Swartout and Minerva Flint.  Her parents were both deceased by 1907.  She was 17 when her father died and I can only presume that she was sent to live with relatives.   Since she was married in Cement City , I tend to think that perhaps she was living with her Great-Aunt Carrie Lewis.   Richard and Carol must have met socially in either Jackson or Cement City somehow, either through school, church or other activities.

 Richard and Carol were married in Cement City , Jackson County, Michigan on 12 October 1909 .   After their wedding, they moved to Kalamazoo on 16 October 1909.  Richard worked at Mershon Bartlett, which is where Richard’s father, Fred, had just obtained employment as secretary/treasurer and general manager.  They are listed on the 1910 federal population census schedule, renting a house on 623 North Park Street in Kalamazoo .   His occupation is listed as salesman in a seed store.   Between 1910 and 1911, Richard obtained employment at Johnson & Howards.   On 01 April 1911, he left Johnson and Howards, but by 17 April 1911 he started working at the Standard Paper Mill in Kalamazoo .  Sometime in April 1913, they moved to White Pigeon, Michigan .

 Every 1 ½ years – 2 ½ years a new child was born.  By 1920, they were listed on the federal population census schedule in White Pigeon Township , St. Joseph County , Michigan .  Richard is listed as working at the paper mill.  They have 5 children now in their household:  Edward, Fred, Betty, Margaret and Donna.

 About August 1927, the family moved to Three Rivers Michigan , where they would stay for the rest of their married lives.   They are listed in many Three Rivers Directories, from 1928 through 1956.   By the 1930 Three River Directory,  there are 7 children living at home with them and 1 already moved out and married.  Richard and Carol apparently owned 2 different houses in Three Rivers -  the bigger one located at 415 6^th Avenue and then eventually they moved to a smaller house at 1505 5^th Street in the 1950s.

 On 29 July 1956 , Richard died of a myocardial failure due to a mycotic lung infection.  At the time of his death, he was a shipping clerk in the paper industry.   

 After Richard’s death, Carol continued to live by herself.  Then at some point, perhaps around 1963, Carol went to live with her oldest daughter Betty and her husband Hubert Hagan.  She lived with them in Downers Grove until 1969.  Then she rented a little house by the river in Constantine , where she lived until her death.

 On 28 December 1970 , Carol died at the Three Rivers Hospital .  She died on cerebral thrombosis due to Parkinsonism complicated by obesity and diabetes mellitus.  Both Carol and Richard are buried at the Riverside Cemetery in Three Rivers , Michigan .

  There are 14 known children, all surname CREGO:                                                                                                                                                                                                                            

            Most of their children died of lung cancer.They had all started smoking cigarettes at a very young age.

Copyright 2006
Janet Hagan Monnin
jansgenealogy at gmail.com

  Email any comments to Jan Monnin
This web site was last updated on September 11, 2008