Amos Cross

	Amos Cross

Doraville Whitney was the first Black settler in Isabella County in 1860. The first documentation of an African-American settler in Mecosta County Michigan was James Guy. His deed was signed by Abraham Lincoln. He obtained 160 acres in Wheatland Township on May 30, 1861. Lloyd & Margaret Guy were the first Black settlers in Montcalm County in 1861. The Homestead Act of 1862 allowed each settler 160 acres in Michigan. By 1873 African-Americans owned 1,392 acres in the three counties of Isabella, Mecosta and Montcalm. In the 1860's most of the land in Remus was owned by the Old Settlers.

SECTION 1

Thomas W. Cross

SECTION 2

Amos Cross

Section 3

Edward Cross

SECTION 4

John Cross

SECTION 5
Joseph Cross

SECTION 6
Samuel Cross

Amos Cross

Pictures Courtesy of Steven M. Cross

Marvin Lett, Fern Johnson-Cross and

Marguerite (Berry) Jackson

The Amos Cross Family

Front: Mary (Mumford) & Amos Cross

Back: Evelyn, Clifford, Roscoe, Anna, Arthur

& Homer Cross

Arthur & Homer Cross

Another Cross Gathering at the home of Art Cross

With a good picture viewer you can read the

calendar on the wall "1942"

Picture Courtesy of Steve Cross

Front L-R: Roosevelt Lewis, Walter Holmes

Mary Cross

Evelyn Cross, Amos Cross

Esther Cross, Back: L-R: Robert Cross

Evelyn Cross-Barnett, Clifford Cross

Roscoe Cross, (?) Jones, Anna Cross-Early

Fern Cross

Arthur Cross, Homer Cross

The "Big" horse on the right side belonged

to Amos Cross

Named "Grover" was a: Predominant Stud"

People came from all over to have

their horses bred with him.

Picture Courtesy of Steve Cross

This photo was taken August 1951

Jerome (child) 3 years old, Standing in front of

his father Homer W. Cross Jr. 28 years

Center is Amos Cross 87 years old, and

Homer W. Cross Sr. 56 years old.

Taken outside Wheatland Church of Christ

Picture Courtesy of Steve Cross

Rosa (Norman) Cross

Homer Cross Sr.'s first wife

Homer Jr., James, Eugene Cross

Rosa passed away

November 12, 1934,

three months after the last child

Robert was born.

Sigsbee Cross’ Gathering

Standing back row: Anna (Cross) Jones,

Kenneth Jones, Early Jones,

Art Cross, Fern Cross, Lois Cross, James Cross

Gaylord Cross,

Roscoe Cross, Eugene Cross,

Baby Mumford, Ester Mumford,

Wayne Mumford, Homer Cross, Sr.

Seated: Homer W Cross Jr. Michael Cross

Inez Cross, Bertha Johnson,

Mary Cross, Amos Cross, Mary Warick,

Ida Mae Cross, Ester Cross, Ruth Bennett

Floor: Charles (Art) Cross, Steven Cross

Sally Bueford,

James (Chug) Cross, Jr., Jerome Cross

Carolyn Bennett

Picture: Courtesy of Steve Cross

Homer Cross


Homer Cross, Sr.	Homer Cross, Sr.

Rosa Norman-Cross

History Courtesy of Steven M. Cross

Homer W. Cross, Sr. was born on January 28, 1896, in Remus, Michigan, and was the first child of Amos and Mary (Mumford) Cross. He graduated from Remus High School in 1913. He attended Ferris Institute and graduated from Grand Rapids School of the Bible. After he was ordained in 1947, he spent 15 years as a pastor in Decatur, Michigan.

Reverend Cross was treasurer for 12 years for the Chain Lake District Association, a Baptist Church Organization and served as state vice president for the Baraca Pilathea Bible Church and was also a teacher of the Philathea’s of Messiah Baptist Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan.

Reverend Cross spent 30 years in Grand Rapids as a carrier for the U.S. Post Office before he retired in 1963. He was a member of the Retired Mail Carriers Organization. He was a veteran of World War I, a member of Crispus Attacus Post 59, American Legion, NAACP, Grand Rapids Urban League and was treasurer of the X.Y.Z. Center.

He married Rose (Norman) Cross 1934 and their children were Homer W Cross, Jr., James W Cross, Eugene M. Cross, Robert M. Cross. Reverend Cross died June 15, 1976.

Fern (Johnson) &

Arthur Cross

Arthur Cross Retires 11/01/61

Carried the Mail

for 43 years 6 months.

Fern (Johnson) Cross

Arthur Cross became very prominent in the Remus Community. He was born November 1, 1898, and grew up on the farm. He received his earliest education in the school established by his grandfather known as the Cross School. He obtained his Christian training at the Wheatland Church of Christ. This early training influenced his entire life.

Arthur graduated from Remus High School in 1915 through Grade 10 and completed the final two years at the Big Rapids High School in 1917. He pitched baseball for the Remus Giants and Mecosta Tiger Teams beginning in the early 1920's. One commentator stated that his pitching talents were of major league caliber and that Arthur was 30 years ahead of his time. He also formed the first basketball team in Remus.

Arthur became a rural mail carrier, delivering mail out of Remus from 1918 until his retirement on October 31, 1961. He married Fern Johnson on December 3, 1932 in Mecosta, Michigan. He was ordained June 3, 1939, on a Saturday. The next day he preached two funerals. He preached at the Wheatland Church of Christ for 38 continuous years and by 1973 had baptized 179 people and preached more than 2500 sermons and had performed more than 100 marriages. Arthur passed away on April 27, 1977, at the age of 78.


	Amos Cross

There are "Old Settlers" who came from Canada via "The Underground Railroad." It was the most dramatic nonviolent protest against slavery in the United States that began in the Colonial Era and reached its peak between 1830 and 1865. An estimated 30,000 to 100,000 slaves used the "railroad" to get to Canada; many others escaped to Mexico, the Caribbean, and Europe.