Biography

For the family of Owen Deal and Angeline Nash

 OWEN DEAL was born on 02 July 1816 in Amsterdam, Montgomery County, New York, parentage unknown.  He moved with his parents at age 3 to Cayuga County New York.     There was a short family history done in 1935 by Frank Lyle Johnson, Ethel Deal Reynolds (granddaughter of Owen Deal) and Homer Beckwith Deal which indicated that Owen ran away from home at a very early age on account of a step-mother.

 The first documentation I have for Owen is that on 02 April 1837, he married ANGELINE NASH, the daughter of Jacob Nash and Lovina Robinson.   She was born on 10 July 1820 in Chenango County, New York.  She probably moved to Michigan with a family member, perhaps her brother Ira Nash, as her parents stayed in New York State.

 From the time of their marriage until about 1841, they lived in Diamond Lake, Cass County Michigan.  In 1840 the family is found in the federal census living in Penn Township, Cass County, Michigan.  In 1850 the family is found listed in the federal census of Centre Township, Porter County, Indiana.  Owen’s occupation is listed as “furnace man”.  In 1860 the family is found listed in the federal census of Lagrange Township, Cass County, Michigan with a real estate value of $1100 and a personal estate value of $500.   These values seem right in line with the other families listed on the census in that area.  Owen’s occupation is listed as “farmer”.  In 1870, the family is listed in the federal census of Newberg Township, Cass County, Michigan.  Owen’s occupation is “farmer” with a real estate value of $1000 and personal property of $400, which seems somewhat lower than the other households.  By the 1880 census, Owen had died and Angeline is found living with her daughter Martha in Constantine, St. Joseph County, Michigan.

 I have a couple unpublished family histories with many stories in them about his possible early life, occupation and so on.  However, I have not been able to verify any of the documentation that was used.  The only other information I have on Owen is a memorial report that was published in the Michigan Society of Pioneers in 1880, the year that Owen died.    This report relates in detail about his occupation of foundry worker.  In 1839, Owen built a pocket foundry in Diamond Lake, Cass County, Michigan.  About 1841, he went to Cassopolis and began the manufacture of the Baker plow.  In February 1845 he moved to Valparaiso, Indiana and there built and operated the first iron foundry.  About 1852, he returned to Cassopolis and continued the manufacture of all kinds of iron castings.   About 1867 he moved to Constantine, Michigan.   He died on 22 March 1880, although no death record has yet been found to verify this date.  Angeline died on 29 July 1884 and both Owen and Angeline are buried in the Stangle Cemetery in Constantine, St. Joseph County, Michigan.

They had 12 or 14 children, 10 of whom survived into adulthood.

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This web site was last updated on September 11, 2008