David Wilmot Covell was born Oct. 21, 1851 in Bentley Creek, Pennsylvania, the son of Calvin T. and Elizabeth (nee Coleman) Covell. He came to Whitehall in 1866, where he entered into the employment of Albert Mears as a clerk in his store while attending the local school. Later he became foreman at his brothers’ mill, the A. J. & C. E. Covell sawmill. He was also a deputy sheriff of the county and Village Marshal for several years.
On Nov. 15, 1874, David married Emma E. Hobler, and they had a daughter, Belle (1876-1920). They later divorced. It seemed that Emma would come home late at night “smelling strongly of drink” and that she threw chairs and a music box at David. This was the information provided in depositions in his divorce action against Emma from Emma’s sister, Eunice, and Lucinda Gregson, who worked as a servant girl in the David Covell house.
In February 1877 he was appointed Village Marshal. On June 7, 1878 he was appointed Deputy Sheriff, and was appointed again in 1879.
On April 25, 1883, he married Lucinda Gregson, who by then was working as a cook in a lumber camp located in the southeastern part of Oceana County. They had eight children: Maude E (1884-1959); Andrew Jackson II (1885-1962); Lyman Townsend II (1887-1959); Luella (1890-1972); David Wilmot Jr (1892-1965); Lawrence Gregson (1894-1964); Alvin L. (1897-1964); and Marvin L. (1902-1965).
In 1886, David and his wife moved to a farm in Fruitland Township where they made their home until spring 1918, when they moved to North Muskegon to be near their family.
While David was attending the stock on his farm in March 1887, one of the cows hooked him in the face, the point of one of the horns entered the flesh on the right side of his nose. Had the wound been a bit higher, Mr. Covell would undoubtedly have lost one of his eyes.
David died at his home in North Muskegon Jan. 1, 1920. In 1930, Lucinda married Christopher Sparrow. He died in 1938. Lucinda died at the home of her daughter in Whitehall Oct. 30, 1944. David and Lucinda are buried in Oakhurst Cemetery.
