Jason T. Owen, a member of a noteworthy family of Oakland county, residing in Orion his native township where he was born Mar 18, 1846, is the son of Asa Owen, who was born inNew York in 1785, He removed to Pennsylvania, where he was a lumberman for several years, and came to Michigan in Jun 1830, entering lan din Orion Township, where when there was not a man living north of him. Detroit was his market and he went to mill there with an ox team. He built a log house and cleared and improved his farm where he remained until 1877, when he passed away in his ninety=third year. He held important offices in Orion Township, and for several years was treasurer, and was respected as one of the organizer of the Township. He had to go to Pontiac to vote and even beyond there to obtain help enough to raise his log house. He brought means with him when he came west, and owned at one time quite a large tract of land. He had an dhonorable record as a soldier in the War of 1812.

Thw first wife of Asa Owen was Lucinda Corwin of New York, who died a few years after he came to Michigan, leaving five children, none of whom are now living. The second wife and the mother of our subject, Martha Owen by name, came from Pennsylvania to Michigan with her father at an early day, and is still living in her eighty-fifth year. She has been for many years a conscientious and earnest member of the Methodist Episcopal Church. Her three children are still ilving.

Mr. Owen was reared upon the farm and took his education in the pleasant partnership, still continues. In 1873 he went to Kansas and spent two years in the cattle business. Four years later he removed to Orion and engaged in the lumber and grain business.

The marriage of our subject in 1879 with Mary R Gage, of Massachusetts, connected him with an honorable and intelligent family, and gave him a helpmate who has been of great service to him through life. Her father, the Rev. R. Gage, was born nin Massachusetts in 1821, and was graduated at the biblical Institute at concord, N. H., in 1852. He entered upon the work of the ministry in the Methodist Episcolpal Church the following year and continued it until 1883. He remained in Massachusetts until 1862, when he became Chaplain in the hospital at Alexandria, S. C., where he served from August that year, until June 1865. In September of the latter year he came to Michigan and became a member of the Detroit conference, traveling in Michigan until 1993, when he was placed upon the superannuated list.

The grand work was done by the Rev. Mr. gage is beyond computation. He laid in their graves twelve hundred brave boys who had fallen in defence of their country's honor; and the sick and dying confided to him their last messages and their treasures, and he conducted the correspondence for hundreds of them, while in his hands were placed many thousandsof dollars which the dying left to be forwarded as their last offerings to the dear ones at home. His wife was Sarah Thomas, of Massachusetts, who died in 1880, leaving her husband and three children to mourn her loss. This reverend gentleman makes his home in the household of Mr. Owen, where he is tenderly cherished. The Gage ancestors came to Boston in 1629, John gage being a Deacon in the First Congregtional Church of that city, and the grandfather of our reverend friend having been a Revolutionary soldier.

The subject of this sketch has only one child: Lucius H., who was born Jun 23, 1885. Mr Owen was reared a Democrat, but in 1872 became a Prohibitionist and has always adhered with great earnestness to the principles represented by that body. He takes an active part in ever movement in behalf of temperance, and is frequently a delegate to various conventions. For six years he was a member of the Common Council of Orion, and of Recorder one year, and that of Assessor the same length of time. HIs boyhood training in tem[erance work was in the Good Templars order. Both he and his noble wife are active and effcient members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. He owns one hundred and sixty acres of land in Bornw County, Kan., besides having a one-half interest in three hundred and fifty-seven acres upon section 14, of Orion Township.

The parental grandfather of our subject was killed by the indians, when Asa was a little boy.

The latter was then bound out until he reached the age of twenty-one and had no opportunity to attend school until that time.. He then went for three months and so closely applied himself to his studies as to obtain a good start and become and become an excellent penman. From that time on he was self educated and became a well-informed man, especially in regard to the Bible, and an earnest follower of Christ, although he never united with any church. In those early days, while he was pushing himself forward, both intellectually and materially, he used to raft logs down the Delaware River to Philadelphia, and then walk back to his home. He was a member of the Masonic order and had taken the highest degree which at that time was given in the United States.