James Oatman (365)

James Oatman (365) Genealogy James (Asahel, Benjamin, George, John, Johannes), son of Asahel and Sarah (Parker) Oatman, was born in Cooperstown, Otsego County, New York, 24 February 1812, and died 29 March 1884 in Oxford County, Ontario.

He married Polly J. McCollow, who was born 1818, and died in 1900. Both James and Polly are buried in Springford Cemetery, Springford, Oxford County, Ontario. Polly's birthplace is still in question; two censuses of Oxford County, Ontario, state that she was born in Ontario, while two others say "U.S.". Her daughter Achsah states in the 1891 census that her mother was born in Ireland.

James was a farmer. He and Polly were active members of the First Regular Baptist Church of Christ at Norwich until the year 1844, when the church issued Letters of Admonition to James and two other men for practicing unitarianism. During the August church meeting of that year, it was "voted that the hand of fellowship be withdrawn from all who advocate the doctrine of unitarianism (viz) Milo D. Woodward, James Oatman & David McCollow." They were later restored as evidenced by their further involvement in the church; James was restored on 22 December 1860.

Children of James and Polly J. (McCollow) Oatman:

1338 Achsah, b. 30 Nov 1836, Oxford Co., ON; d. 26 Jan 1881; bur. Springford Cem., Springford, Oxford Co., ON; m. 1) 8 May 1853, in Norwich Twp., Abel Macklem, he b. ca 1831, d. 22 Jun 1857, age 26, bur. Pine Street Burying Ground, Otterville, ON. Children, surname Macklem:

A Margaret Jane "Jenny", b. 4 Jan 1856; d. 31 Mar 1934; bur. Springford Cemetery, Springford, ON. Jenny was a member of the Springford Baptist Church; she lived her entire life in the same vicinity. She married Albert Hicks ca 1880. Albert, the son of Martin, Jr., and Margaret (Crossett) Hicks, was born 1 Aug 1855, and died 6 Sep 1933, and is buried with his wife of 54 years. Albert was a carpenter and he assisted with the building of the cantilever bridge at Niagara Falls. He later turned to agriculture, retiring about 1919. The 1891 census of South Norwich, Oxford Co., ON, list their children as: Clarrie, 11; Elston, 6; Fred 3; and Velma 3 months. These four children survived the couple's passing, surname Hicks:
I Clara "Clarrie", b. ca 1880; m. Frederick Rowland Sealey, who was b. ca 1880, Woodstock, Oxford Co., ON, and d. 12 Mar 1945 in St. Thomas, Elgin Co., ON. They resided in Aylmer, ON, and had at least two children:
a George

b (Daughter), m. Clayton Arthurs

II Elston M. (Hicks), b. 18 Sep 1885; m. in 1912, Lena Boughner who was b. at Rosanna, ON, to Leonard Boughner. She d. 16 Dec 1935 in Cornell, ON; her husband, two sons, Mack and Mervin Hicks, and one daughter Madeline Hicks, survived her.

III Fred, b. 22 May 1887; lived in Union Mills, IN

IV Velma, b. 12 Jan 1891; m. Archie Moore; lived in Bookton, ON

Achsah m. 2) Dennis Andrew Hicks, b. 22 Sep 1836, d. 11 Aug 1900, Oxford Co., ON. He was a son of Martin Hicks, Jr., and Lodicea Oles, and was a half-brother to Albert Hicks, who m. Dennis' stepdaughter Jenny Macklem. Children, surname Hicks:

B Elston Eugene, b. 27 Jul 1861, Cornell, Oxford Co., ON; d. 26 Oct 1946, Cornell. Elston was employed as an operator on the New York Central Railway and lived in the United States for a time, but had been, since 1911, a merchant at Cornell. He was a member of the I.O.O.F. for 61 years, and a member of the Baptist Church. He m. 1) Amelia Shirton, who d. ca 1916; 2) Zuella Cooper, who had first married _____ Lillow, and had a son, Donald L. Lillow. Children, surname Hicks (I and II are children of Amelia; the other three are children of Zuella):

I William, d. ca 1941

II Achsah, m. _____ Jones, living in London, ON, in 1946

III Robert Dennis, living in Hawtrey in 1946

IV Betty Doreen, living Cornell in 1946, unmarried

V Jack, prob. d. before 1946

C Emmett Franklin "Dutch", b. 15 Feb 1863, Cornell, ON; d. 10 Mar 1944, Cornell. He had an extensive and successful threshing business for 30 years. He m. Mary Wardle in 1893 at Springford, ON. They were members of the Springford Baptist Church. Children, surname Hicks:

I Milo, b. 1895; d. 1981

II Olive Blanche, b. 1896; d. 1956

III Iva Beatrice, m. Rodger Garfield Foster (he b. 15 Dec 1895, d. 1 Feb 1945, son of Adam Foster). They were m. 21 Jan 1920 and had two children.

IV Muriel, m. William Patterson, living at Maple Dell, 1946

D Elmer "Scotty", b. 18 Jan 1865, Cornell, ON; d. 18 Jan 1929, Ann Arbor, Washtenaw Co., MI; bur. Otter Cemetery, Otterville, ON; he lived in MI for ten years before his death; m. 1) Carrie Parks; 2) Barbara Woodard. Two daughters survived him, surname Hicks:

I Cora Amelia, living Dearborn, MI, 1929, unmarried

II Achsah O., m. Edward Gohenbach, living Dexter, MI, 1929

E Mary Frances "Minnie" (Hicks), b. 19 Jun 1867, Cornell, ON; d. 7 Nov 1948; bur. Springford Cemetery, Springford, ON; m. Albert Oatman (see #1376).

F George Washington, b. 18 Jul 1869, Cornell, ON; d. 3 May 1937; m. Myrtle Doane; moved to Minneapolis, MN. Children, surname Hicks:

I Marietta Achsah

II Myrtle Elaine

III George Louis

G James Dennis, b. 11 Jun 1871; originally presumed to have died 18 Apr 1906 in the San Francisco earthquake. In the 1904 records from the San Francisco Public Library Archives, he is listed as a butcher residing at 2010 Fillmore Street; the butcher shop, also at that address, was owned by Simon P. Hicks, whose relationship is unknown. He is not found in 1905, 1906 or 1907; his sister Cora May's obituary lists a surviving brother, "Jas. of Salt Lake City", which is probably James.

H Cora May, b. 31 Oct 1875, Cornell, ON; d. 18 Jan 1915, Calgary, AB; bur. Springford Cem., Springford, ON; m. Charles F. Anstice, ca 1899. She was raised in Cornell and joined the Springford Baptist Church when young, where she was a member of the choir. About 1904 they moved to Calgary; about 1907 she "became afflicted with heart trouble", which eventually claimed her in death. Children, surname Anstice:

I Frederick

II Evelyn

After the death of Achsah, Dennis Andrew Hicks m. 2) Achsah Avaline McCollow, b. 22 Oct 1858/59, d. 7 Jul 1922. They were married on 22 Feb 1884. Their children, surname Hicks, were:

I Lena Mable, b. 3 Dec 1884, Cornell, ON. Lena weighed only 1½ pounds at birth. So tiny was she that no attempt was made to dress her for weeks; she was placed on a soft pillow and the whole affair was wrapped in blankets. At six months, when they shortened her dresses, as was the custom then, they made her sleeve 3½ inches long, and it came over her hand. Lena married Arthur Fox (b. 1876), whose death was reported:

"A shocking incident occurred on the farm of J. Fletcher, a short distance north of Tillsonburg, on Friday last [26 April 1929], whereby Arthur Fox, a well known and mostly highly respected South Norwich farmer lost his life. He was assisting Mr. Fletcher in sawing wood, and the day's work had almost been completed, when Mr. Fox, who was assisting in feeding a log to the buzz saw, stumbled and fell headfirst into the saw. He was immediately taken to the house and Coroner Dr. Weston was summoned and announced that death had taken place instantly...[buried] Springford Cemetery."

He was survived by Lena, three brothers (Ira and Charles of Springford, and George of Carman, Manitoba), one sister, Mrs. Thomas Cartwright of Springford, and the following children, surname Fox:

I (Daughter), m. Elmer Smith

II (Daughter), m. John Fletcher

III Victoria

IV Lena Cora, b. 1912; m. Fred Lonsbary. Daughter, Grace Irene, b. 1936, m. Don Scott

V Maybelle

VI John

J Florence Evaline, b. 20 Jan 1887, ON; m. Albert E. Chrysler. In 1929 they were reported living in California.

K William Franklin "Hickey", b. 23 Aug 1889, ON; m. 1) Laura Leta Lefler; 2) Erie Butcher Oatman, widow of Monte Oatman (see #3123)

L Alice Pearl, b. 11 May 1897; m. William Young

1339 Sarah, b. 1838, Oxford Co., ON; m. VanRanseler Hilliker (he b. ca 1835, ON), eldest son of Egbert Hilliker and grandson of John Hilliker. He later m. Mary Cane and was a hotel keeper in Cornell, ON. Children, surname Hilliker:

A Frances, b. 22 Feb 1859; d. 1939; m. Seneca B. Oatman (see #1372). Frances was living with her grandparents, James and Polly Oatman, in the 1871 and 1881 census of South Norwich, Oxford Co., ON.

1340 Mary, b. 29 May 1846, Oxford Co., ON; d. 25 Oct 1899, Cornell, ON; m. (prob.) 1) M. Anderson; 2) 28 June 1886, Springford, ON, Benjamin B. Haight, b. ca 1841, Rochester, Monroe Co., NY. He lived as a boy near Sparta, and also lived in Lobo, Norwich, and Chatham. He d. in 1929 in Fruitland Park, FL, at his daughter's home. He was a member of the Baptist Church and a "Liberal in politics".

In a common file in the Norwich Archives, Norwich, ON, are photos of Mr. and Mrs. Thos. Haight, parents of "the first Mrs. Byron Addison", and one of "Grandma Oatman" (Polly McCollow Oatman). Also inncluded among the pictures is a newspaper article describing a wedding of Mr. Nelson E. Hicks, "the popular dry goods merchant", and Miss May Addison, daughter of Mr. Byron Addison, apparently the son-in-law of Thos. Haight. The exact relationship of these are not clear, but "Thos." was possibly a brother to Benjamin. Children, surname Haight:

A Marian, b. ca 1867, ON; m. William J. Stover. Children, surname Stover:
I Loren

B Ruth, b. ca 1869, ON

C George, b. ca 1872, ON

1341 George R., b. ca 1850; d. 3 Jul 1852. The 1851 census of South Norwich, Oxford Co., ON, lists a son for James and Polly by the name of "George R.", age 1. He is not listed in the 1861 census and we can presume that he died young. A stone was found in Springford Cemetery which reads:

"In Memory of George B., son of James & Polly Oatman, who died July 3, 1852, ae 27 _____."

1342 Ruben, b. ca 1855. In 1891 Ruben, 35, was a farmer in South Norwich, Oxford Co., ON, living with his mother "Ollie" (Polly), 73, a widow.

1343 Freeman Willis, b. 3 Mar 1859, Oxford Co., ON; d. 16 Jun 1933; m. Minnie Woodard, 8 Oct 1880


Sources:
Vital records of Oxford Co., ON
1851, 1861, 1871, 1881, 1891, 1901 census, South Norwich Twp, Oxford Co., ON
Hicks Newsletter, Vol. 8, p. 40-43
Records of the First Regular Baptist Church of Christ in the Town of Norwich, County of Oxford, District of London and Province of Upper Canada
Obituaries of Elston Eugene Hicks; Emmett Franklin Hicks; F. T. Sealey; Rodger Garfield Foster; Albert Hicks; Mrs. Albert "Jennie" Hicks; Mrs. Elston M. Hicks; Elmer "Scotty" Hicks; Cora May Hicks Anstice; Arthur Fox; Benjamin Haight
Tombstone inscriptions
Family records
Doris Oatman, Tillsonburg, ON
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