CACHE: Room for trades. Replace as found. Might not be winter friendly but the size is helpful.
HISTORY: Alanson Force is another Attica settler worthy of mention. The family had a road named for them, several members were active in community politics and local church. Alanson is the grandfather of two icons in Lapeer history, teacher Elaine Force and columnist Ernie Force. Alanson's paternal grandparents are Noah Force and Mary Beemer. Noah is of Dutch descent, born around 1768 in Sussex, NJ. Mary was born around 1770 in New Jersey, daughter of Hendrick Beemer and Lena Blenkenberg (sic). Noah and Mary had 12 children: Reziah, Sarah, John Beemer, Hamilton, Henry VanRansalear, Margaret, William, a daughter who married Jabez Hicheon, Mary, Elizabeth, a daughter who married a Lyon, and Phillip. John Beemer Force is the father of our subject and another Attica settler, Francis. John was born in New Jersey and died in Canada. He married Hannah Lewis. They went to Brantford, Ontario around 1836. Hannah came to Michigan but returned to Canada by 1866.
Francis Force, brother to our subject, married Jane Warboys, daughter of Peter Warboys and Ann Carter. He came to Attica with his brother Alanson around 1855, probably with brother-in-law Jonathan Ludington as well. Francis and his wife didn't stay in Attica long, they returned to Burgessville, Ontario by 1862. They lived near other Warboys and Ludingtons there. Francis and Jane had 6 children: Elizabeth, Mary Jane, John B., Lydia Jane who is buried in South Attica Cemetery dying from inflammation of the lungs at the age of 17 months, Lewis, and Ada May.
Alanson L. (Lewis?) Force was born in 1824 in Deckert, NJ. He married in Canada in 1849 to Sarah Carter Warboys, sister of Jane mentioned above. Alanson brought his young family to section 30 of Attica Township in 1855. He was a carpenter and builder, and was one of the builders of the South Attica Methodist Episcopal Church. He died in 1915, Sarah died in 1900. They had 9, maybe 10 children: Mary Jane, Lois Ann, George Henry (father of Ernie), Francis/Franklin F., William Peter, James E., Mary Elizabeth "Libbie", Anise Almeda who taught at Griswold and Five Lakes, and Claude Leonard (father of Elaine and co-owner of the Force and Billings Dealership in Lapeer). The 10th is Alanson L. born 12 October 1871, there's some conflict with this child but given the evidence I think he died young. A death record cannot be found.