The third in a family which consisted of four sons and two daughters, William M. Angel spent his childhood years in Clinton County. At the age of ten he accompanied his father to Portage County, Ohio, and there spent eight years, meantime attending the common schools and completing his education in an academy, where he prosecuted his studies for two terms. In the fall of 1842 he removed to Ottawa County, Mich., and located in Tallmadge Township, where he followed farming pursuits for a few years. While residing there, he was attacked with sciatic rheumatism, which resulted in a dislocation of the hip.

In the fall of 1848 Mr. Angel was elected Register of Deeds for Muskegon County and has served in all six years. At the expiration of his period of public service, he resumed farming operations in Tallmadge Township, and continued thus engaged for tow years. However, on account of his lameness, he found it necessary to select a less active vocation than that of agriculture and accordingly entered Bryant & Stratton’s Business College, where he spent the winter of 1856-57. Upon finishing his commercial studies, he accepted a position as bookkeeper in a country store at Eastmanville and remained there for five years. Later he came to Grand Haven and secured a position as bookkeeper for a merchant and vessel-owner, with whom he remained for eighteen months. We next find him in the drug business under the firm name of Angel & North, in which he continued for four and one-half years, when he disposed of his interest in the store.

For a time thereafter Mr. Angel Conducted an extensive dry goods business, the firm title being Angel & Beaudry. In December, 1869, the store was burned to the ground and as there was no insurance it proved a total loss to the proprietors. They were enabled, however, to pay seventy cents on every dollar of their indebtedness. In the spring of 1870 Mr. Angel was elected Recorder and Police Justice, holding these positions for two years. He then formed a law partnership with L. B. Soule, of Ionia, Mich., which continued for eighteen months. Afterward he was in partnership at different times with various prominent lawyers. In 1887 he was elected to the office of City Recorder, and was reelected in 1889, 1892 and 1893.

The marriage of Mr. Angel occurred in 1833, and united him with Miss Ann M. Everts, of Grand Rapids, Mich., the daughter of Schadrick Everts, of that place. Mrs. Angel was born in Niagara County, N. Y. By her marriage she became the mother of eight children, seven sons and one daughter, four of whom died in infancy. Charles H. died January 9, 1893, when in his twenty-fourth year. The surviving members of the family are: Anna, wife of D. W. Andrus, of Detroit; George E., of Detroit; and Harry A., residing in Chicago.