Legislator Details
Number of sessions served 4
Gender: Male
Age at election: 42
Vital Records Information:
Birth
Date: 7/19/1860
City: Fillmore Center, MI
County: Allegan County, MI
Country: US
Death
Date: 11/16/1945
City: Kalamazoo, MI
County: Kalamazoo County, MI
Country: US
Type of Burial:
Burial
Date:
City: Luther, MI
County: Lake County, MI
Country: US
Cemetery: Hillside or Pleasant Hill Cemetery
Marital Information:
married Fannie Downer or Downie, 9/25/1886, in Ann Arbor; children: 7, Harry, Joey, Earl S., Guy, Fannie, Steven and Vern (Vern Harry and Joey died as young children)
Number of Children: 7
Background
Religion:
Military Service:
Occupation: teacher, physician
Race: Caucasian or White
Education:
district schools until age 14;
graduated from University of Michigan, in medicine, 1888
Biographical Sketch:
Of English ancestry. Youngest son of Stephen and Sarah (Earl) Fairbanks. His father died in 1865. He taught school, worked in the lumber woods and on the railroad. as laborer and brakeman, to save enough money to go to medical school. He went to Ann Arbor to study in 1885. Upon graduating, he practiced medicine in Luther, MI. He served as postmaster in Luther for 12 years, as village president and president of the school board; served on the county board of supervisors Member of the Mason, Knights Templar, the Odd Fellows, Modern Woodmen of America, Knights of the Maccabees and the Royal Neighbors. He was living in Newkirk Township, Lake Co., MI in 1900
Notable Facts:
Served in both chambers.
Death record says he was born in 1859, marriage and others say 1860.
Sessions Served:
Committees Served On: Gaming Interests , Public Health , Saline Interests , Finance and Appropriations , State Tuberculosis Sanitorium , Taxation , Asylum for Insane at Newberry
City of Residence: Luther
Reason for Leaving Office: N/A
End of Term Status: Departed
Notes: Chair of the Committees on Taxation; and State Tuberculosis Sanatorium
Committees Served On: Asylum for Insane at Kalamazoo , Gaming Interests , Geological Survey , Mining Interests , Normal School at Marquette , Public Health , State Tuberculosis Sanitorium
City of Residence: Luther
District Description: Counties of Lake Manistee, Mason and Oceana
Reason for Leaving Office: N/A
End of Term Status: Re-elected
Notes: Chair of the Committees on the Asylum for Insane at Kalamazoo; and Public Health
Committees Served On: Public Health , State Police and Public Safety, Village Corporations
City of Residence: Luther
Reason for Leaving Office: See Notes
End of Term Status: Departed
Notes: Chair of the Committee on Public Health
Elected to the state senate for the 44th session.
Committees Served On: Home for Feeble Minded , Towns and Counties , Supplies and Expenditures
City of Residence: Luther
District Description: Lake and Wexford counties
Reason for Leaving Office: N/A
End of Term Status: Re-elected
Notes: Chair of the Committee on Home for the Feeble Minded
Bibliography:
USCen 1900, 1920; MIDeathsAndBur 1800-1995; MIMar1867-1925; Find-a-Grave.com; MIBiog 1:279; Michiganology [indexing]; Powers 2:791-92; Manual 1909 p.717
