Andrew Julien was born August 28, 1890 in Pullman, Michigan. He is the son of Levi Julian and Amanda (Bensinger) Julian. Andrew was one of 12 children. It was their parents 2nd marriage and both brought 4 children from their previous marriage into this new one.
At the time of the 1900 Census Andrew was 9 years old and he lived in Clyde Township, Michigan. He was in school and was probably in 3rd or 4th grade. At this time all of Levi and Amanda’s children from their previous marriages were already out of the time.
In 1910 the family lived in Martin Township, Michigan. At the time of the Census Andrew was 19 years old. He was working as a farm laborer on other people’s farms.
On September 6, 1916, Andrew married Ann Marguerite Henderson. They would have three children, Kenneth, Gerald, and Nadine.
The United States joined World War I on April 6, 1917. The United State’s military had only about 215,000 members in 1914 (Army and National Guard). With the help of the Selective Service Act of 1917 passed on May 18, 1917 military forces to well over 4.5 million (2 million who served enlisted without being drafted). There were three registrations during the war. The first was on June 5, 1917 for all men between the ages of 21 and 30. That was the day that Andrew registered for the draft.
His card notes that has a wife. He did claim an exemption to support his wife. The registrar’s report says that he was medium height, with a medium build, had brown hair, brown eyes, not bald, and with no disabilities. As far as records show, Andrew was never drafted nor did he volunteer to serve as there are no records of him ever serving in the military.
Andrew and Anna’s son Kenneth was born in 1919. On the day the Census taker came by in 1920 Kenneth was just over a month old. In 1920 Andrew was 30 years old. He was a roustabout at the local paper mill. On the Andrew’s World War II draft card he noted that he worked for the Otsego Falls Paper Mill. As there are two paper mills on River Street (one slated for demolition in April of 2019) I reached out to the Otsego Area Historical Society to confirm the location of the paper mill called Otsego Falls. They confirmed that the Otsego Falls Paper Mill is the paper mill that is still in operation at the corner of Farmer and River in Otsego (now owned by USG, called Otsego Paper, Inc).
In 1920 the family lived at 137 West River Street (picture above shows the house as it looks currently) and in 1930 they lived at 325 West River Street (the house is no longer there). Right between two paper mills. I spoke with someone at the Otsego Area Historical Society about the homes on River Street by the factory and they confirmed my guess that the homes along that road were made for factory workers.
By 1940 Andrew and his family were living in a home that he owned. I’m guessing it probably wasn’t a house on River Street, but it was still in Otsego. Andrew was still working at the paper mill. He was now a cookerman in the mill. From a brief internet search, it looks like a cookerman was involved in the process of extracting lignin from wood pulp. (If anyone reading who finds this page happens to have more details about what a cookerman’s job would have been in the 1940s or if I’m off on what a cookerman’s job was, let me know.)
The United States joined World War II on December 7, 1941. John registered in 1942 on the 4th Registration also known as the “Old Man’s Registration” or the “Old Man’s Draft” for those men whose year of birth was from April 28, 1877 to February 16, 1897. Once again, Andrew was not drafted nor did he voluntarily serve.
On December 4, 1963 Andrew and Anna were in a serious car accident. Andrew was driving. Anna and the driver of the other car both died. Above you can see some newspaper clippings about the accident. Andrew survived.
Andrew died June 17, 1970. He is buried in Mountain Home Cemetery in Otsego, Michigan next to his wife and near his parents.
On Their Shoulders 
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