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Bulman, Ora F.
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B ULMAN
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-oOra F. Bulman was born near Burr Oak, Michigan,
January 9, 1870, son of George
w.
McLaughlin Bulman.
Bulman die9 May 30,
?vlrs. George
1904.
Ge or ge
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and Mary E.
Bulman was born in Syra:cuse,
New York, December 23, 1848, and passed away at the
home of her son, E. 0. Bulman, of Grand Rapids,
Michigan, December 13, 1931.
She was the daughter
of one of the pioneer families of the state.
Her
grandparents came to Michigan in 1828, before there
were any railroads, and only a few highways other
than the indian trails.
They came to Detroit by
boat; fro m Detroit they ma.de their way by ox teams
over a road that had been opened through the forests
as far as Flint.
Beyond Flint they had to cut
their own roads and build bridges over the streams
that could not be forded .
They finally settled on
Ox Bow Prairie in St . Joseph county.
Their nearest
trading post was Detroit, whither the little settle-!
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ment went for supplies twice a year.
After living
there for a few years the family returned to New
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York state, but they came back to dichigan, when
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Mary v1cLaughlin was 2
years old, settling in what
is now the city of St. rgis .
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She was married to
w.
Bulman March 31, 1868, at Centerville,
iv1i chi gan.
They lived for a few years on a farm
George
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Burr
where three sons were born, one of
I! near
From the farm home they
whom died in infancy.
Oak,
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moved to Muskegon where they lived for five years
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and then went to Grand Rapids for the remainder of
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their lives.,
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Mrs. Bulman was a woman of high ideals and
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beautiful character.
She had an unconquerable
faith, which was the source of a persistent optim-
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She • and her hus):>and were charter members of Joy
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Memorial Church, later transferring to Trinity
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vomm:::YF~h:::::n
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She was very modest and yet high spirited.
grew to manhood in Orand Rapids,
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was graduated from the high school and attended
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college for a time.
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August 5, 1891, he was married to Lulu Weed.
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They are the parents of:
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Ruth, who married A. E . ·w itt of South Bend,
Indiana;
Theodosia, who married Hugh Seebeck of Bangor,
Michigan;
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Vivian, who married William Zook and resides in!
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r-·-Bangor, Michigan;
Bert, who resides in Grand Rapids, Michigan;
Glenna , who married John Fuller and resides in
Buckley, J.VIichi gan.
In 1900, Ora F. Bulman was admitted to the
Michigan Annual Conference on trial.
In 1903, he
was ordained Deacon, and in 1907 he received Elders
orders.
His appointments were as follows: on the
Big Rapids district - Dushville, 1900; Winn, 1901;
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Gladwin, 1902; Kalamazoo district - Glenn and Casco,\
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1905; Albion district - Jonesville, 1908; Quincy,
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1913; Niles
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1918; Lawton, 1922; Lansing District - Lake Odessa,
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dis~~iQt . ~ · Union
City, 1914; Bangor,
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1925;
Gr~nd
Sparta, 1932; Grandville, 1935.
~ben
It. sion he
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Rapids district - Lake Odessa, 1931;
Mr . Bulman served the Leaton Indian mis-
received
some corn meal.
~ 200,
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a quart of milk a day and
He cut his own wood.
At Vlinn he
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had thre e or four appointments; at Glenn he remodelli
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ed the church building and paid the debt and at
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Casco he had the church redecorated; he also redecorated the church at Union City and raised the debt
at Sparta.
The following copy of a letter from the Lake
l Odessa Commercial Club to Bishop Thomas Nicholson
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under date of September 14, 1928, indicates the
high regard for Mr. Bulman's work in Lake Odessa:
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"At a recent meeting of the Lake Odessa
Commercial Club the following resolution
was unanimously adopted: That a letter be
mailed to Bishop Nicholson, followed by a
telegram sent the ni ght before the opening
of Conference, setting forth our deep appreciation for the wonderful communal
interest so tirelessly displayed by Rev.
Ora .Bulman, not only in his church, but by
his organization of Boy Scouts, and also in
organizing a younger group of boys along
parallel lines.
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"We believe that there is hardly a home in
Lake Odessa but has directly or indirectly
felt his beneficent influence. We would
like to go on record and state that it is
our belief that it would be most unfortunate
if you should see fit not to return Mr. Bulman
to Lake Odessc.. ~ We feel that he has made a
wonderful start and should be given an opportunity to work out, in their entirety, the
many community plans he has so ably organized.
"Mr.
that
that
. ible
Bulman is of such modest te perament
it is only within the last f ew months
we have realized just who was responefor this excellent showing.
nThis letter is but a slight expression of
our appreciation, and his due, and beg that
you give this careful consideration and see
fit to return Mr. Bulman to the Lake Odessa
pastorate for at least another term."
The Lake Odessa Commercial Club represented
! fully 95% of the business interests of Lake Odessa.
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Tprough the years Mr. Bulman proved faithful tol ·
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! the trust placed in him by his brethren in the Con1
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terence.
With fine sacrificial devotion and with
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conscientious and energetic purpose he performed the
work of the ministry.
He was a fine preacher of
the Word and a good administrator of the work of the
In him was a splendid combination of
church.
spiritual fervor and practical service.
His head,
his hands and his feet worked in pleasing harmony
with his heart.
He was in constant communion with his God but ·
he did not slight his communion with his fellow men.
He
kept in touch with both God and man, loving t;hem
both.
He
was a man of God seeking to make all men
Godly.
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The children and young people loved him and
followed his leadership.
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The churches prospered
under his devoted care, and the communities felt
the impress of his personality.
He was a faithful
minister of Jesus Ghrist .
Death came to Mr . Bulman in Butterworth Hospital, Grand Rapids, Michigan, December 10, 1936.
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Bulman, Ora F.