1376 ALBERT L.7 (Charles6, Darius5, Benjamin4, George3, John2, Johannes1), son of Charles and Dorliska H. (Bunce) Oatman, was born at Springford, Oxford County, Ontario, 12 August 1861 and died 28 December 1930.
He married, 26 September 1883, at the Baptist parsonage, Tillsonburg, Ontario, Mary Frances "Minnie" Hicks, daughter of Dennis Andrew and Achsah (Oatman) (Macklem) Hicks (see #1338). Minnie was born 19 June 1867, baptized 7 April 1881 at the Robertson Baptist Church in Springford, and died 7 November 1948, all in Oxford County, Ontario; she died at the home of her daughter Irene, where she had lived for 18 years. Both Albert and Minnie are buried in the Springford Cemetery, Springford, Ontario.
Albert started out as a farmer on the family farm next to the Cornell School in South Norwich Township, where his children were born. But later in the early 1900's, he moved his family to Tillsonburg, where he continued a trade as a cement contractor, which he began before the move to Tillsonburg. He left his sons, Charles and William, to work the farm.
He had a "house affair mounted on a wagon with steel wheels, drawn by two teams of horses, the house had one large room, the cooking was done at one end, eating in the middle plus some bunks at the end". Minnie and their daughter, Mae, would take turns weekly cooking for the men on the job. In later years, when son Charles had his own farm, he drew gravel for his father's gravel jobs. One can find his name on cement abutments of bridges and foundations throughout the county.
The family also had a grocery store and livery stable on South Broadway beside Ben Moulton's Royal Hotel, where horses and buggies were tethered while shopping was done. Irene Oatman was in charge of the grocery store.
Albert served as a Town Councellor and Reeve in 1915-1916. He and Minnie were members of the Baptist Church in Tillsonburg for many years.
Children of Albert L. and Minnie (Hicks) Oatman, b. S. Norwich Twp., Oxford Co., ON:
3222 Myrtle D., b. 1 Jun 1885, Cornell, ON; d. 25 May 1942, La Porte, IN; bur. Door Village Cem., Door Village, IN; m. Calvin E. Webster, 26 Dec 1907, in Cornell, Oxford Co., ON (he b. 5 Jan 1884; d. 3 Mar 1966 in La Porte, IN); moved to Union Mills, IN, after marriage. Children, surname Webster:
A Laura Mae, b. 25 Sep 1908, La Porte, IN; d. 21 Dec 1980, La Porte Co., IN; m. Oliver Henry Winchester, b. 21 Mar 1889, d. 12 Dec 1971.
B Laverna R., b. 18 Jun 1913, La Porte, IN; m. ca 1935, 1) George Heiss. b. 1 Nov 1900, d. 54 Aug 1982. She later married Leo Willford.
C Irene H., b. 13 Sep 1922, La Porte, IN; m. Homer Strohm, ca 1942. Homer d. 26 Jan 1993. Two daughters: Sandra Jean and Barbara Ann Strohm.
3223 Mae Lillian, b. 27 Jul 1888; d. 25 Jun 1978, Tillsonburg, ON; bur. 28 Jun 1978, Dorchester Union Cem.; m. Hughston Clarence “Hugh” Sinclair. He was b. in South Dorchester, ON, 14 Feb 1888, and d. 22 Sep 1951 at age 63, London, ON. Hugh was a member of Union Lodge No. 380 A.F. and A.M., the Royal Arch, and the Xella Grotto. He served four years overseas in World War I with the 16th Battalion. Children, surname Sinclair:
A John Charles "Jack", b. 22 Sep 1924,Tillsonburg, Oxford Co., ON; d. 1999; bur. California. He m. Marguerite EdJeanne "Peggy" Norman, 10 Sep 1947, London, ON; she b. 22 Oct 1923, Detroit, MI. Children, surname Sinclair:
I Mark John, b. 1950, London, ON; m. Jan 1979, Peggy Lee Hupt, Fresco, CA. Children, surname Sinclair:
a Jennifer Lynn, b. 1980, Fresno, CA
b John Michael, b. 1983, Fresno, CA
c Stephen Thomas, b. 1985, Fresno, CA
II Lynn Louise, b. 1951, London, ON; m. Glen Margulis. Children, surname Margulis:
a Nicole Catherine, b. 1986, Fresno, CA
b Natalie Alexandra, b. 1988, Fresno, CA
c Max Sheldon, b. 1992, Fresno, CA
III Gail Anita, b. 1952, London, ON; unmarried Dec 1997
B Marjory Jean, b. 15 Jul 1927, Detroit, MI; m. 18 Nov 1950, in London, ON, Alton J. Haight, Jr. (he b. 14 Jul 1926, St. Thomas, ON, d. 31 Mar 1991, London, ON; bur. Dorchester Cem., ON). Children, surname Haight:
I Alton Brian, b. 1951, unmarried Dec 1997
II Brenda Claire, b. 1955, London, ON; m. Robert Dwight Ward, Oct 1988, Ottawa, ON
III Kerry Lee, b. 1959, London, ON; unmarried Dec 1997
3224 Charles Seneca Benjamin, b. 31 Mar 1890; d. 24 May 1956, London, Middlesex Co., ON; bur. Forest Lawn Cem., London, ON; m. Nellie M. Pearl Brown, 31 Dec 1908
3225 William Harrison, b. 24 Dec 1890; d. 10 Oct 1978, Tillsonburg District Memorial Hosp., Tillsonburg, ON; bur. Tillsonburg Cem., Tillsonburg, ON; m. Erie Viola Chambers, 18 Oct 1916, Goshen, ON.
3226 Gladys Alberta, b. 20 Jan 1898; d. 19 Jan 1976; bur. Springford Cem., Springford, Oxford Co., ON, with her husband; m. Charles Earl Bell, 20 Aug 1919, Tillsonburg, ON. He was b. 16 Jun 1890, d. 19 Jun 1963, son of William M. Bell and Clara L. Anstice. Children, surname Bell:
A Clara May, b. 21 Jul 1920, on the Springford, ON, farm; m. in St. Catherine's, ON, 3 Mar 1973, Garfield Wardle (he b. 15 Sep 1910, Tillsonburg, d. 8 Dec 1994, Simcoe, ON; cremated and ashes put on farm.
B William Albert "Bill", b. 4 Dec 1923, Springford, ON, farm; d. 11 Jun 1997, Tillsonburg, ON; bur. Springford Cem., Springford, ON; m. 1) in Otterville, Oxford Co., ON, 4 Nov 1943 to Joyce Estella Broad (she b. 17 Dec 1924, Springford, ON; d. 25 May 1987, Springford, ON, bur. Springford Cem.). He m. 2) 30 Dec 1988, Jean Brown Ronson, Tillsonburg, ON (she b. 13 Oct 1922, Tillsonburg, ON). Children, surname Bell:
I Barbara Joan, b. 1944, Tillsonburg, ON; m. Dec 1973 to Douglas Wilson (he b. 1942, Newark, ON. Children, surname Wilson:
a Gregory William, b. 1976, Tillsonburg, ON
b Garth Burton, b. 1978
II Eleanor Joyce, b. 1943/5; m. Harvey Cowan, Sep 1967 (he b. 1944, Tillsonburg, ON). Children, surname Cowan:
a Melissa, b. 1971, Sault Ste. Marie, ON; m. Aug 1997, Paul Cowan (no relation), he b. 1971, Tillsonburg, ON.
b Marcella, b. 1974, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
c Matthew, b. 1976, Sault Ste. Marie, ON
III Richard Albert, b. 1946, Tillsonburg, ON; m. Aug 1967, Otterville, ON, to Linda Smith (she b. 1946, Stratford, ON. Children, surname Bell:
a Deborah, b. 1968, Tillsonburg, ON; m. 1) David Bober, Jul 1988 (div. 1995); 2) Donald Hatt, Jun 1997. One child, surname Bober:
I Joshua, b. 1991
b Denise, b. 1969; m. Jun 1993, John Zalewski (he b. 1968, Poland). Children, surname Zalewski:
I Christopher John, b. 1995, Woodstock, ON
c Michael, b. 1971, Tillsonburg; m. Violetta Siliczkowka Sep 1993 (she b. 1973, Poland). Children, surname Bell:
I Jessica Joyce, b. 1996, Tillsonburg, ON
C Robert Earl (Bell), b. 14 Jul 1926, Springford, ON; m. 7 Oct 1955, in Tillsonburg, ON, to Wanda Marie Sanders (she b. 4 Aug 1927, Tillsonburg, ON. Children, surname Bell:
I Marilyn Lee, b. 1958, Tillsonburg, ON
II Diana Lynn, b. 1961, Tillsonburg, ON; m. Fred Wilson, Oct 1982 (he b. 1959, St. Thomas, ON). Children, surname Wilson:
a Dana Marie, b. 1988, St. Thomas, ON
III Sandra Marie (Bell), b. 1963, Tillsonburg, ON; m. Daniel Dumont, Oct 1992 (he b. 1967, Bahamas). Children, surname Dumont:
a Kyle Douglas (twin), b. 1993
b Danielle Nicole (twin), b. 1993
D John Clifton "Jack” (Bell), b. 26 Dec 1933, Springford, ON; d. 7 Aug 2005, St. Catharines, ON: m. 1 Aug 1959 to Barbara Ann Sutton (she b. 1935, St. Catharines, ON. Children, surname Bell:
I David William, b. 1960, Brantford, ON
II Barbara Diane, b. 1963, Ottawa, ON
Obituary of John Clifton Bell can be found here.
3227 Alice Irene, b. 12 Sep 1906; d. 28 Apr 2000, Maple Manor Nursing Home, in Tillsonburg, ON; m. Bert Newman, 23 Jul 1930, at home of Albert and Minnie in Tillsonburg; bur. Tillsonburg Cem., Tillsonburg, ON.
Bert Newman was b. 27 Dec 1897, son of George and Mary (Ullman) Newman, in Tillsonburg, where he lived his entire life. He d. 19 Aug 1992 in his 96th year at St. Joseph's Hospital, London, ON, following a fall at his home. He was buried 22 Aug 1992 in the Tillsonburg Cemetery.
Bert and Irene founded Newman's Flowers in 1926 in Tillsonburg, from which he retired in his eighties due to failing eyesight. Despite the loss of most of his sight, Bert began in 1986 to write articles for the Tillsonburg News about early Tillsonburg. His recollections were transcribed from his audio tapes, reproduced in the newspaper, and later collected into four books: Reminiscences About Tillsonburg; More Reminiscences About Tillsonburg; Once Upon a Time; and Those Were the Days. Besides his business and later writing career, he also worked as a butcher boy, milkman, mailman, grocery clerk, and a haberdasher's assistant. He attended the North Broadway Baptist Church. Children, surname Newman:
A William Bert “Bill,” b. 1935; m. Elizabeth Crawford, Jul 1967. Living in Delhi, Haldimand-Norfolk Co., ON, 1992. Children, surname Newman:
I Andrew William, b. 1974
B Donald Albert, b. 1937; m. 1) Frances Wingrove, Sep 1962; 2) Linda Jean Fletcher Jacobs. Living in Tillsonburg, 1992. Children, surname Newman:
I Katherine Lynn, b. 1964
II Sara, m. Robert Peacock, Jun 1994
III Tara, m. Pyatt
C George Wayne, b. 1939; m. Mar 1963, Norma Mae Telford, in Tillsonburg, ON. Living in Tillsonburg, 1992. Children, surname Newman: Janice Leigh, b. 1966
Sources: Family records
Springford Cemetery, Springford, ON
Bruce Oatman, London, ON
Marie Oatman Murray, Woodstock, ON
Obituaries of Bert Newman, Aug 1992, Irene Newman, Mae Lillian Sinclair 1881, 1891 census, S. Norwich, Oxford Co., ON
Tillsonburg Observer, 28 Sep 1883; 2 Jan 1908;
Tillsonburg Liberal, 28 Aug 1919; Various newspaper notices
“Hicks Family Tree 1728-2001" by Mrs. Doreen Smith, Tillsonburg, ON (2001)
1910, 1920, 1930 census, La Porte Co., IN
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