Lyle George Gransden

  General Notes:

Born 1899 in the Axford House Hotel, Edenville, MI. Attended Michigan
State Automobile School in Detroit MI.
Worked as mechanic, inventor, farmer, and farm equipment dealer for
International Harvester for 45 years.
Inventor of convertible car seat hinge and beet harvesting equipment.
Lyle as a boy helped his father on the farm and went to the Edenville School. In 1917 he attended the State Automobile School in Detroit and received his diploma. He then returned to Edenville to marry Flora Swanton in 1918. They moved to Saginaw where he worked for General Motors until 1922. When he came back from Saginaw he purchased a lot on the corner of Water and Moore St and with the building that was on it turned it into a home, auto repair shop and a pool room.(note Edenville Twp. office is there now)
In 1923 he purchased 40 acres in section 13 of Edenville Twp. and the 40 next to it on the east side. He paid only $50.00 for the back forty. This land is the same land John Gransden had owned. Two of the three children were born there, Lavon and Galen. In 1930 he purchased an Oliver tractor and a thrasher to do custom thrashing and farming. In 1934, he purchased from his father the forty acres across the road. In that same year he invented a front seat hinge that allowed the front seat in an automobile to recline at different angles and to fold all the way down. It was the Edenville Convertible Hinge Company and was later sold to Means Stamping in Saginaw. (see newspaper clipping). In early 1940 he became interested in how to harvest sugar beets. It is believed Lyle built the first beet harvester of its type, to top-lift-and load two rows of sugar beet and was manufactured by him. See newspaper clipping.
In 1934 he also signed a life time contract with International Harvester Co to sell farm implements and he was to sell their trucks. he was with the Harvester Co over 45 years.
In 1936 they moved to a new house on M-30, section 12, address of 6233 north M-30 and along with 75 more acres he set up doing business as the Lyle Gransden Co. and other farming operation. 55 acres came up for sale across the road that he was able to buy. At this time he was farming 255 acres plus other land that he rented. He did try to retire but was too active on the farm and working in the business.
On July 9 1936 he was appointed as Justice of the Peace in Edenville Tw., Also was a School board member for years,and when he died he was a trustee on the Edenville Twp Board.
It was said the the funeral procession from Midland to Edenville was over two miles long, and the service was so large that people had to stand out side the chapel. Speakers were put up so they could hear the service. It was one of the largest funerals in Midland County.
Lyle was strong Democrat all his life and a member of the Democrat party in Midland County.
In the Edenville Methodist Church there is a remembrance plaque to Lyle and his wife Flora in their memory.

Lyle married Flora Lenora Swanton, daughter of Thomas Young Swanton and Margaret Mc Nair, on 18 Jun 1919 in Midland, Midland, Michigan, USA. (Flora Lenora Swanton was born on 12 Jun 1901 in Edenville, Midland, Michigan, USA, died on 22 Jan 1985 in Midland hospital, Midland, Michigan, USA and was buried on 25 Jan 1985 in Edenville, Midland, Michigan, USA.)