George Mann, with his daughter Jennifer Angus and granddaughter Quinn Angus, with 1835 portraits of ancestors Arza and Laura Crosby. Photos by Phil Custodio

Ninth in a series on the families who helped build Clarkston and the descendants who still live here, carrying on their legacy.

BY PHIL CUSTODIO
Clarkston News Editor
In his 31 years working for Ford Tractor in Birmingham, George Mann had several opportunities to transfer to other parts of the country.
He always decided to stay here in Clarkston.
“I was born a quarter mile from here. I’ve been here all my life,” said Mann, who is now retired. “It’s my hometown. I’ve made a lot of good memories. I’m happy with what I did, and I’ve always enjoyed Clarkston.”
His involvement with Ford started soon after his birth in 1936, when the family lived on farm property now used by St. Dan’s.
“I remember Henry Ford came to the farm, and sat in the kitchen with my mother,” he said. “We were still farming with teams of horses. He said the new age was tractors. He sent us a tractor for my dad to use.”
His father made a deal with Ford for most of their farm land, leaving five acres on Allen Road.
“We had a big barn with hand hewn timbers he wanted for Greenfield Village,” Mann remembered.
Ford took the timber and the family stayed on Allen Road. When I-75 was built, the interstate divided the property.
His daughter, Jennifer Angus, also moved back to Clarkston after moving away, building a house on the Allen Road land.
“We lived in Auburn Hills for four years. After our first child, we decided we needed a bigger house,” Angus said.
Quinn Angus, Jennifer’s daughter, hopes to stay, too.
“I really like the area,” Quinn said. “I like the history I learned from my grandpa.”

The Mann family lived in the Boothby House at M-15 and Dixie during the Depression in the 20s, and later moved to a farm on Walters Road, across from the current high school football field.
Jennifer’s ancestors through her grandmother Mildred Crosby settled in Springfield Township after emigrating from England.
“Clarkston was always their town,” she said. “Four generations of Crosbys are buried in Lakeview Cemetery.”
The family still operate their property as a hobby farm, with chickens, goats, and rabbits in the barn.
“I’m enjoying retirement – the grandkids are here a lot,” Mann said.
“I was in 4H. My girls in 4H. It’s how I was raised,” Angus said. “We always knew what we were eating. After a lot of writing and research, we started raising our own so we know where it comes from. The kids are pretty much same way.”
The Clarkston News and Tom Stone, longtime resident and genealogist, are highlighting every month local families who have lived in the area for at least 100 years.