Memories of May Francis Heath- a series

May Heath and the Man She Married

A Young Doc Heath

By the time he passed away in 1947, the 81 year old Doc Anderson Heath had left an 8 decade impression on his community as a prominent businessman and civic leader. But who was he on Oct. 30, 1895 when, at 29, he married 22 year old school teacher May Francis at the Congregational Church? Drawing from his obituary and the local newspaper, we'll try to reconstruct a bit of his life up until that time.

Doc was born Nov. 22, 1865, the last of six children to Allegan county residents George P. and Amelia Bigsby Heath. His parents moved to Saugatuck in 1867. George had been involved in lumbering, grist mills, and shipping, and was in the process of building a new mill in Ludington when he died of typhoid fever in Dec. of 1875. Doc was 10 years old at his father's death, and he went to work, according to his obituary "getting what schooling he could between work seasons." At 14 he worked on the city street crew for a dollar a day, taking his earnings home for his mother to save for him. In Jan. 1880, the paper reported that "Doc Heath cut the thumb off his left hand while splitting wood last Thursday, Dr. Stimson dressed the wounds."

When he was 19, he bought a 30 acre peach farm, and paid it off the first year with the proceeds of his crop. In Jan. 1890, the paper reported that Doc Heath was living on "lactated food" and had "bid an eternal farewell to the teeth mother nature provided him and has no use for solid food until Dr. Finn has a new set for him." In Mar. 1891, 25 year old Doc is shown as elected to a term of Saugatuck Trustee, and by Jan. 1892 he is referred to as "Alderman Heath". The same issue said that in recognition of leap year, he had shaved off his moustache (the tradition was that on leap years day (Feb. 29) the custom was for women to propose marriage to men. No results were reported).

In Oct. 1892, partners Doc Heath and John C. Stillson established a new livery in town. In Jan. 1893 it was announced that Doc was sporting Mutton Chop whiskers. In Mar. 1893, he bought out his partner Stillson's interest in the livery. That same month he won a contract for road work. In Apr. 1894 he purchased the stage line from O.D. Robinson. Mar. 1895 shows him to have been elected a Trustee by a 88-73 vote over hardware store owner John Koning. In Jul. 1895 he was treasurer of the 4^th of July Committee.

Obviously Doc was a "young man on the move".

-contributed by Chris Yoder

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The Dedication Ceremony for the May Francis Heath memorial is planned for Saturday 14 Aug 2010. More details to follow. Your donations are still needed. Make out your check to "The Saugatuck-Douglas Historical Society" marked for "the May Heath Memorial Fund." We are also still collecting photos of May, of her paintings, and personal recollections from people who knew her. Contact Chris Yoder, cyoder@tds.net 857-4327 or Marsha Kontio (616) 566-1239.

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