Funeral services will be held from the residence at 4 o’clock Friday afternoon.

Mr. Withey was born in Grand Rapids Jan. 21, 1847. He attended the village schools completing his education at Williston Seminary, East Hampton Mass. At the age of 39 he began his business career, in partnership with Robert B. Woodcock under the firm name of L.H. Withey & Co., engaging in the lumber business.

He was a son of the late Judge Solomon L. Withey, who was appointed by President Abraham Lincoln as the first United States district judge in western Michigan. Mr. Withey’s grandfather came here as a pioneer in 1836. His father came to Grand Rapids in 1838, studied law and was long associated with the bar, being known as one of the ablest lawyers in the state. He was associated with John Ball, Judge George Martin and others.

The offices and yards of the lumber company were located at Fountain st. and Ionia ave, the present site of the Steketee building. They later bought the W.H. Withey sawmill located on Mill creek together with about 600 acres of standing timber. Later they purchased and operated the Ferris mill on what was formerly upper Canal st.

These lumbering operations were brought to an end in the early 80's by the exhaustion of timber supply. For a period of three or four years Mr. Withey indulged his bent for travel, finding pleasure and culture in observant travel in many odd corners of the earth, spending much time in the Orient and South America.

Acting upon the idea that many forms of trust activities could be performed to better advantage through corporate management than by individual effort, Mr. Withey organized the Michigan Trust company and was its president until Dec. 11, 1923, when he retired as head of the company and became chairman of the board.

The company was the pioneer concern to organized and embark in business under the so-called Trust Company act of the Michigan legislature. Throughout his long connection with the company Mr. Withey gained and held the esteem and admiration of men to a remarkable degree by his soundness of judgment and strength of purpose.

The company was the first in the country to be appointed to a receivership or guardianship. Its radical departure from the hitherto recognized principles made its early growth slow but through the financial genius of Mr. Withey in which he was assisted by Anton G. Hodenpyle, the first active manager of the company, gained recognition and yearly increased its prestige.

Under the policy pursued by Mr. Withey of making the company financially impregnable, profits from the business were used to reinforce the capital and stockholders were paid modest dividends until in 15 years the accumulated profits equaled the capital. When the company entered its second 30 year term it was put upon a 6 per cent quarterly dividend basis, with extras. In 1920 the capitalization was increased to $1,000,000. And stockholders received five shares of new stock for each share of the old.

Mr. Withey was a member of the fire and police boards of Grand Rapids and devoted his efforts successfully to the elimination of politics from those departments. His services extended over a period of 17 years from the time of his appointment by Mayor Steketee in 1882 together with George G. Briggs, William H. Powers, L.C. Smith and George W. Gay.

Mr. Withey was closely connected with many of the large financial transactions which have made Grand Rapids’ history. In 1883 there were four independent street railway companies doing business here and the Grand Rapids Railway company was organized to affect their merger. Mr. Withey was made vice president of the new company and aided in the unification of the system.

He was a director of the Commonwealth Railway, Light & Power company from the time of its organization and was an important factor in the purchase and reorganization of the Grand Rapids Gas & Light company from the MacMillan interests. H was a member of the board of the American Light & Traction company and instrumental in its organization.

Mr. Withey’s diverse interests included large timber holdings. He was a member of the board of the Old National bank, being elected to succeed his father, a former president of the bank. During the financial depression which followed the panic of 1893, he took the lead in the work of stabilization and protection of the industrial and financial interests of the city.

He was a director of the Pantlind Building company and the Alabastine company, and was a member of the Peninsula and Kent country clubs. He attended Park Congregational church.

Besides the widow he leaves one daughter, Mrs. Benjamin J.C. Robinson, a brother, C.S. Withey, and a sister, Mrs. W.B. Willard.

GRAND RAPIDS HERALD, Thursday, 2 July 1925, p.1