92     ASAHEL OATMAN

 

 

92        ASAHEL5     (Benjamin4, George3, John2, Johannes1), son of Benjamin and  Bethia (Smith) Oatman, was born in Hartford, Washington County, New York, 8 February 1784, and died 1 December 1856 at the age of 72.  He married ca 1804 Sarah Parker.  Sarah was born 7 November 1783 in Richmond, Cheshire County, New Hampshire, daughter of Reuben Parker, Jr., (born 3 March 1760, Reading, Middlesex County, Massachusetts, and died 30 September 1834 in Hartford, New York) and Lydia Hix/Hicks (born 29 July 1759, Rehoboth, Bristol County, Massachusetts, died 7 October 1841, Granville, New York, daughter of Moses and Mary (Goff) Hix).  Sarah died 11 June 1853 at the age of 70 at Norwich, Oxford County, Ontario, Canada.

 

Asahel settled in Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, and later removed to Jefferson County, New York.  He was a farmer, hunter and trapper, and is said to have made considerable money selling venison in Albany.  "Asa" Oatman is listed in the 1810 census of Adams, Jefferson County, New York, and shows his household consisting of three males under age 10, one male age 26-45, one female under 10, and one female 26-45.

 

By 1829 he had moved his family to the Township of South Norwich, County of Oxford, Ontario, Canada.  An Asahel Oatman is listed as assessor's collector for the 10th Concession, #32, for Oxford County, Township of Norwich, Ontario, on 6 January 1834.  He was an early member of the South Norwich Branch of the Free Communion Baptist Church in June 1824 when their petition to be "set apart" was granted.  Asahel is also credited with building the first licensed tavern, of logs, in Otterville in 1830.

 

Asahel, age 67, and wife Sarah, age 68, were listed in the 1851 census as farmers in South Norwich Township, Oxford County, Ontario.  Also listed is their daughter Elizabeth, age 27, all living in a one-story frame house.

 

 

Children of Asahel and Sarah (Parker) Oatman, all born Cooperstown, Otsego Co., NY:

 

361      Horace, b. 9 Jul 1805; d. 1 Nov 1814

 

362      Asahel, Jr., b. 6 Jun 1806; d. 25 Dec 1863; m. Sarah Fox, 22 Oct 1829,  Norwich, Oxford Co., ON

 

363      Lodica, b. 20 Jun 1808; d. 28 Mar 1813

 

364      Parker, b. 11 May 1810; d. 26 Dec 1887; m. 1) Nancy Hicks, 2 Feb 1834;  2) Lucina Austin, 15 Jun 1848

 

365      James, b. 24 Feb 1812; d. 29 Mar 1884; m. Polly J. McCollow

 

366      Lydia, b. 18 May 1813; d. 27 Jun 1813

 

367      Sarah Ann, b. 4 Apr 1814; d. 19 Oct 1875, Clay Township, St. Clair Co., MI; . Ira Oles, 21 Sep 1831, Norwich, Oxford Co., ON.  Witnesses to the wedding were Philip S. Ward, Levi Fox and Asahel Oatman.

 

Ira Oles was b. 1811, NY, the son of Elisha and Ida Oles, and d. 29 Nov 1874 in MI.  Sarah and Ira were living in Ontario when the children were born, but moved to Michigan sometime after 1852.  Both are buried at Oaklawn Cem., Algonac, St. Clair Co., MI.  Children, surname Oles:

 

A         Ester/Esther, b. 8 May 1833, Oxford Co., ON; d. 11 Mar 1913, Cottreville Twp., St. Clair Co., MI, at age 80.  She m. Oliver Heath, 5 Sep 1854, St. Clair Co., MI.  Oliver was b. in Canada in 1832 and d. 11 Feb 1893 in Cottreville Twp., MI.  Both are buried at Oaklawn Cem., Algonac, St. Clair Co., MI. Children, surname Heath:

 

  I         Sarah E., b. 1856, St. Clair Co., MI; d. 27 Aug 1908, age 52 yr, 7 mo, 14 dy.  She worked as a domestic; her husband, William Kiddle, served in Co. E, 22nd Mich. Inf.  Both buried Oaklawn Cem., Algonac, MI.  Children are unknown.

 

 II        Edwin Chauncey, b. 1858, St. Clair Co., MI; m. LaVice _____

 

III        Minerva, b. 1862, St. Clair Co., MI

 

 IV       Frances, b. 1865, St. Clair Co., MI; m. Arthur Heath

 

  V       Melissa Exa, b. 25 Jul 1869, St. Clair Co., MI, and d. 6 Jun 1956.  She always went by the name "Exa"; it is sometimes spelled "Axa".  Exa was born prematurely and was so small her parents were afraid to handle her and carried her around on a pillow.  She grew up strong and healthy, however, living to age 87 and having 10 children.  She m. a widower, Harrison Marks, sometime after 1880.  He was b. in Ontario, Canada, 1 Jan 1853, and d. 9 Nov 1938.  Harrison always thought he was a citizen of the U.S., and voted all his adult life.  When he applied for old age pension, he discovered he was Canadian and became a naturalized U.S. citizen in his old age.  When her husband discovered that he was not a U.S. citizen, Exa also discovered that she had lost her U.S. citizenship when she married a Canadian.  She had to get her citizenship papers, even though she had been born in Michigan and had lived nowhere else.  (Harrison's first wife was Clara Heath, daughter of Washington Heath and Exa's cousin.  Clara and Harrison had three children.)  Harrison and Exa are both buried at Oaklawn Cemetery, Algonac, St. Clair Co., MI.  Children, surname Marks:

 

a          Julia E., b. Nov 1894; d. 13 Aug 1895

 

b          Floyd Bernard, b. Mar 1896; d. 13 Sep 1896

 

c          Ruth Ellen, b. 13 Jun 1899, Cottreville Twp., St. Clair Co., MI, and currently lives in Marine City, St. Clair Co., MI.  She was born Ella Ruth, but was christened Ruth Ellen, and has always gone by that name.  She m. Bernard Francis "Ben" Kliemann 20 Jun 1916.  He was b. in Marine City, MI, 4 Jul 1895, and d. 30 Apr 1982.  Although he was born in this country, his family was from a German-speaking area of Bohemia in which is now Czechoslovakia; he spoke no English until he started school.  He became a tool and die maker and did a little farming.  Shortly after they were married, Ben and Ruth moved to Wyoming to do some seasonal farm work with Ruth's half-brother, Harry.  Ben had been refused enlistment in the Army during WWI because he was too short.  They passed through Denver and Ben liked the looks of it, so at the end of the farm work, they returned to Denver rather than to  Michigan.  Ruth was expecting her first child and Ben left her at the train station while he went out and found a house and job.  He returned a few hours later with both.  Their son Barney was born in Denver.  In 1919, the economy was starting to look poor, and Ben was afraid of not having a livelihood, so the family returned to Michigan and settled in Roseville, now a suburb of Detroit.  They bought a parcel of land for $100 and built a one-room shack on the site.  Ben walked two miles to town to work and Ruth took care of the expanding family.  A second room was added downstairs and a loft with two bedrooms upstairs.  During the Depression, Ben kept his job but other family members were not so fortunate.  When times were hard, relatives moved in.  At one time there were 5 adults and 12 children living in the tiny house.  They eventually moved back to Marine City where Ruth still lives.  Ben died 30 April 1982 and is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery there.  Children, surname Kliemann:

 

  I         Bernard Paul "Barney", b. 27 May 1917; m. Josephine Shafferin; children, surname Kliemann:

 

aa         Bernard, Jr., "Butch"

 

bb        Joseph

 

cc         Josephine

 

dd        Mike

 

ee         Jim

 

ff         (Son)

 

 ii         Earl Joseph, b. 12 Dec 1919, Marine City, MI.  In WWII, he served in the U.S. Navy in the Pacific.  While stationed at Anacortes, WA, he met Alice Montgomery on a blind date and were married a few months later in Portland, OR.  Alice was b. 13 Dec 1924.  Their first child was born in Anacortes.  After the war they moved to Marine City, where their second child was born.  About that time, Earl became seriously ill with TB contracted in the Navy.  He lost a lung and several ribs to the disease, but survived and in good health since.  In 1949 they moved to Corvallis, OR, where Earl received a B.A. in mechanical engineering from Oregon State, and two more children were born.  After he graduated, he moved his family to Richfield, WI, for two years, where two more children were born.  In 1956 he accepted a job in the aerospace industry in southern California and the family moved to Sylmar until 1967, where Earl received his master's degree and the last three children were born.  In the summer of 1967 Earl moved his family back to Washington State.  They lived in a campground that summer while Earl found a job at Boeing and they found the house where they currently reside in Auburn, King Co., WA.  After many years as an engineer, Earl turned to real estate and is now a Shaklee distributor.  Children, surname Kliemann:

 

                           **** information not published at the request of family members ****

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

iii         Robert Norman (Kliemann), b. 26 Sep 1921; m. 1) Polly Lucasac; 2) Ellen _____

 

 iv        Grace Margaret, b. 28 May 1924; m. Robert Roebbel; div.; one son, Robert

 

  v        Mary Frances, b. 5 Oct 1926; m. Anthony Achatz; three children

 

 vi        Theresa Ann, b. 9 Nov 1928; m. Alden Kreusel; children:   Jim, Frank, Diane, Peggy, (son)

 

vii        Ruth Patricia "Pat", b. 3 Jun 1934; m. Joseph Kreusel; children:  Tim, Tom, Susan, Beverly, June, Katie, others

 

     viii  Richard George "Dick", b. 18 Jul 1936; m. JoAnn _____; five children

 

d          William (Marks), b. 3 Feb 1901; d. 9 Mar 1967; unm.; said to be a shy, gentle man.

 

e          Phoebe, b. 27 Oct 1902; d. 1 Jul 1966; m. Thomas Carpenter

 

f           Grace, b. 4 Oct 1904; d. 2 Jul 1971; m. 1) Clarence Horton;  2) _____ Retallach

 

g          Mary Ethel, b. 16 Nov 1906; d. 10 Aug 1967; m. Roy Roberts

 

h          Oliver, b. 16 Dec 1908; d. 1970; m. Emily Geskl

 

i           Arthur, b. 7 Aug 1910; d. 1964; m. Ivadell LaFrance

 

j           Ralph Donald, b. 15 Mar 1913; d. bef 1960; unmarried

 

 VI       Ella/Ellen (Heath), b. 12 Jul 1878; m. John Brahmer

 

B         James (Oles), b. 1836, ON

 

C         Hannah A. (Oles), b. ca 1840, ON

 

D         Clarrissa "Clara", b. 1852; m. ca 1872, James Henry Cadotte, who was b. 1852, son of David Cadotte (b. 28 Oct 1820, Windsor, ON, d. 9 Aug 1871, Algonac, MI) and Harriet Bellow (b. 27 Jun 1826, ON, d. 16 Nov 1898, Algonac, MI).  In 1880, they are listed on the census for St. Clair Co., Cottrellville Twp., MI; five sons, surname Cadotte:

 

                                    a          Ira A., b. Sep 1873, Marine City, MI; d. CA; m. Edith Kate Formen, 10 Dec 1900, Marine City, MI, d/o C. Formen and Mary Trippett; Edith was 21, b. in Canada. In St. Clair County marriage records, Ira is listed as a photographer "of Maine City."  Children, surname Cadotte:

 

                                                  i         Lorraine

 

                                                 ii         Mary Yvonne

 

                                                iii         Catherine, b. 15 Apr 1917, Marine City, MI; d. Fontana, CA; m.       Nugent

 

                                    b          Oliver David, b. 29 Sep 1885, Marine City, MI; d. 3 Mar 1946, Aylmer, ON; m. 1) Jenette Johanna Macleod, 7 Dec 1910, Toronto, ON, d/o John Macleod and Grace Mackay, her birth registered 21 Feb 1877;  O. D. was listed as working as a private secretary, whose religion was Baptist.  Children, surname Cadotte:

 

                                                  I         Kenneth Macleod, b. 13 Mar 1912, Toronto, ON; d. 18 May 1984, Kitchener, ON; m. Carrie Cook, 28 Dec 1938, Silver Water, Manitoulin Island, ON, d/o Willard Cook and Carrie Edmonds.  Children, surname Cadotte:

 

                                                            a          Marjorie Alma, b. 21 Sep 1939, Silver Water, Manitoulin Island, ON

 

                                                            b          Kenneth Irving, b. 12 Nov 1943, Sault Ste. Marie, ON; m. Brenda Miskimins, 10 Jun 1966, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

 

                                                            c          Ethalyn Yvonne, b. 23 Jan 1949, Sault Ste. Marie, ON; m. Wayne Davis, 1 Apr 1973, Sault Ste. Marie, ON

 

                                                He m. 2) Ethalyn Angeline Gordon, 15 Apr 1927, Manitowaning, ONT, d/o William Gordon and Hannah Ferguson.  Children, surname Cadotte:

 

                                                 ii         Gordon David, b. 23 May 1928, Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON; d. Tillsonburg, ON; m. Eileen Buck, d/o Vera Westover.  Children, surname Cadotte:

 

                                                            a          Gordon, b. Aylmer, ON; m. Ellen Phipps, St. Thomas, ON

 

                                                            b          John, b. Tillsonburg, ON; m. Beverly Hurley

 

                                                            c          Denise, b. Tillsonburg, ON; m. Robert Smith

 

                                                iii         Clair Arnold (Cadotte), b. 14 Oct 1930, Gore Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON; d. 31 Jul 1985, Meldrum Bay, Manitoulin Island, ON; m. Glenda Irene Filiatrault, 30 Nov 1957, Sault Ste. Marie, ON.

 

368      Eliza, b. 18 Jun 1816; d. Dec 1817

 

369      Ruben, b. 13 Jul 1817; d. 4 Feb 1905; m. Rachel Ingalls

 

370      Roswell, b. 25 Jan 1820; d. 11 Dec 1899; m. Emmeline Hicks

 

371      Phebe, b. 30 Mar 1823; d. 20 Aug 1876

 

372      Elizabeth “Betsy”, b. 3 Feb 1825; d. 1 Oct 1903.  The IGI indicates a Betsey Oatman was m. 1 Nov 1855 to Nathaniel Heath in St. Clair Co., MI.  In the 1870 census of Riley Twp., Village of Memphis, St. Clair Co., MI, is an Eliza McGlaughlin, b. Feb 1825, 75 years old, widowed, b. NY, parents b. VT, living with Reuben Oatman, her brother, b. Jul 1816, 83 who is widowed, b. NY, parents b. VT.  Believe this to be this Eliza.

 

 

 

 

 

Sources:           R. Edison Oatman, Detroit, MI 

                        Ruth Cantwell, Palo Alto, CA

Records of Norwich/South Norwich, Ontario, Canada

                        International Genealogical Index

1851 census, South Norwich, Ontario, Canada

Ontario Register, Jan 1968, Vol. 1, #1 

                        Gayle Hix, Shelley, ID

1810 census (Rodman), 1820 census (Brownville), Jefferson Co., NY

London District Marriage Records, Vol. 1 (London, Ontario)

South Norwich Historical Society, South of Sodom--the History of South Norwich, 1983

                        1870 census, Village of Memphis, Riley Twp., St. Clair Co., MI

                        Internet <sneakers@sympatico.ca> who cites:

                                    Provincial Archives of Ontario, Ontario Vital Records, Marriages 1910.  MS 932.  Reel #146.  Record #005169

LDS Film #0976873, St. Clair Co., [MI] marriage licenses

                                                #6391 date picked up license 3 Dec 1900

                        1880 census, Cottrellville Twp., St. Clair Co., MI

 

 

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