Mr. Healey was a director of the State Savings Bank in Otsego for many years. He was a member of the first Baptist Church in Otsego.
He became interested in nut culture while the late Professor James A. Neilson was nut specialist at the Michigan State College. Mr. Healey planted a nut orchard of about eighty grafted nut trees in 1933, which Professor Neilson helped him plan. Most of the trees were black walnut varieties, chiefly Thomas. However, there were some Ohio, Stabler, Allen, Crietz, Stambaugh, Ten Eyck, and Rohwer trees. There were also some filberts, several Chinese chestnuts, and some heartnuts he had raised from seed. One nice tree of the McCallister hican makes good shade, but has never borne any nuts. He did some topworking in a large black walnut tree in the backyard, where he got a Persian walnut to grow.
Mr. Healey was very much interested in nut culture, and had planned on having a nut grove for a hobby to keep him busy when he retired.
Mr. Healey joined the Northern Nut Growers Association in 1933. He and his wife attended the Battle Creek meeting one year later. They also attended the Rockport, Indiana meeting in 1935, and the one at Geneva, New York in 1936.—"The rest of the time he couldn't go or was in too poor health to go."
They sold their home, with the nut planting, to a young couple, Mr. and
Mrs. Lewis Lovett, in 1948, moved into Otsego; and retired.
Mr. Healey died, January 18th, 1952 at their winter home in Port Richey,
Florida. Surviving are his wife, Mabel, and one son, Virgil.
GILBERT BECKER
A Letter from Dr. W. C. Deming, the Only Living Charter Member of the
Association
Northern Nut Growers Association,
Dear Old Friends: