Family History of Elsie Oleaf Dorn

4. JOHN³ DORN ((?), #8) was born circa 1820 at Tipperary, Ireland.⁷⁵^,⁷⁶ He married Bridget Hanley (see #5), daughter of James Hanley and Bridget Cathcart, in 1844 at Ireland.⁷⁷ He died on 1 Dec 1864 at Bronson, Michigan.⁷⁸^,⁷⁹ His estate was probated on 10 Jun 1886 at Bronson, Michigan.⁸⁰
He and Bridget Hanley immigrated to New York on 4 Jul 1844 aboard the vessel Hogarth from County Kilkenney, Ireland, at the time of the Potato Famine with their son James. They went first to New York City, then to Cleveland, Ohio. They bought a farm near Bronson, MI in 1854.⁸¹^,⁸²^,⁸³ He was a farmer in Jun 1860.⁸⁴^,

⁸⁵ He made a will on 28 Oct 1863 at Bronson, Michigan,

After all my lawful debts are paid and discharged the residue of my estate real and personal I give bequeath and dispose of as follows (to wit) to my beloved wife Briget Dorn the land and appurtenances situated thereon hereafter described as the East half of the West quarter of Section Number Nine in township Number Seven South of Range Number eight west now possessed by me during the term of her natural life, and after her death to be divided equally among my children whenever the youngest one Martin Dorn shall become of age and not sooner unless the said Martin Dorn shall die before coming of age. Likewise I make constitute and appoint my brother Michael Dorn and Mikel Carol to be executors of this my last will and testiment herby revoking all former wills by me made. In Witness Hereof I have hereunto subscribed my name and affixed my Seal the 28th Day of October A.D. 1863 Witness O.L. Cowles SS his John X Dorn mark. .

⁸⁶Family tradition says that he went to California, but died of the fever in Panama. The probate of his will says he died in Michigan.
Children of John³ Dorn and Bridget Hanley (see #5) were as follows:

i. JAMES²⁸⁷ was born on 27 Aug 1844 at County Kilkenney, Ireland.⁸⁸^,⁸⁹ He married Bridget Mackin, daughter of Owen/Orrin/Owin Mackin and Mary McKane, on 24 Sep 1868 at Branch Co., Michigan.⁹⁰ He died on 20 Jun 1892 at Kentland, Indiana, at age 47 shot by Jackson Plummer.⁹¹^,⁹²
He immigrated to New York, NY, in 1848.⁹³ He enlisted in the 11th Michigan Infantry, Co. D., Burr Oak, Michigan, on 20 Aug 1862. His unit was at Stone River, Chicamauga, Mission Ridge and in the Atlanta Campaign with Sherman.⁹⁴^,⁹⁵ He was discharged from military service in Chattanooga, TN, on 16 Jun 1865.⁹⁶^,⁹⁷ He was a farmer, a saloon keeper and town marshal. He was killed attempting to disarm Jackson Plummer who was angry at being ordered to trim his trees.⁹⁸^,⁹⁹ He was also known as DORAN.¹⁰⁰

ii. RICHARD was born on 12 Feb 1853 at Bronson Twp, Michigan. He died on 26 Jun 1876 at the Battle of the Little Big Horn, Montana, at age 23.¹⁰¹^,¹⁰² Richard enlisted in the 8th U.S. Cavalry, Chicago, Illinois, on 30 Jan 1873 by saying that he was 21 when in fact he was 19. He had Grey eyes, dark hair, 5'9" tall, and enlisted for five years.¹⁰³ He transferred to Custer's 7th Cavalry and was assigned to Company B which accompanied the pack train to the Little Big Horn. On the day of the famous battle, his company joined the survivors of the Reno and Benteen battalions atop the ridge overlooking the Little Big Horn River. They dug a defensive perimeter and, later that night, were redeployed to the north side of the position.
Reno Benteen Battlefield
Pvt. Dorn was killed by an Indian sharpshooter while waking his Captain the next morning. He was one of eighteen soldiers killed at the Reno-Benteen Battlefield during those two days. The remains of the rifle pits where Dorn was killed can still be seen.¹⁰⁴

iii. JOHN P¹⁰⁵^,¹⁰⁶ was born in 1856 at Bronson Twp, Michigan. He married Anna McGuire before 20 Jul 1901 at Bronson, Michigan.¹⁰⁷
He was listed in the 1860 Census.¹⁰⁸

2. iv. WILLIAM.

v. MICHAEL EDWARD was born on 24 Apr 1860 at Bronson Twp, Michigan. He married Lizzie McQueen, daughter of Michael McQueen and Mary McQueen, circa 1893 at Bronson Twp, Michigan. He married Margaret (--?--) before 1900.¹⁰⁹ He died on 3 Jul 1927 at Bronson Twp, Michigan, at age 67.¹¹⁰ He was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Bronson, Michigan.¹¹¹
He was a merchant in 1919 at N. Matteson St., Bronson, Michigan.¹¹²

vi. MARTIN¹¹³^,¹¹⁴^,¹¹⁵ was born between 1861 and 1863 at Bronson, Michigan.

¹¹⁶

5. BRIDGET³ HANLEY (James, #9) ¹¹⁷^,¹¹⁸^,¹¹⁹^,¹²⁰ was born on 2 Feb 1822 at Kilkenney, Ireland.¹²¹^,¹²²^,¹²³ She married John Dorn (see #4), son of (--?--) Dorn, in 1844 at Ireland.¹²⁴ She died on 9 Apr 1896 at Bronson Twp, Michigan, at age 74.¹²⁵^,¹²⁶^,¹²⁷ She was buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Bronson, Michigan.¹²⁸^,¹²⁹
She was also known as Bridget Hanly Cathcart.¹³⁰ She and John Dorn immigrated to New York on 4 Jul 1844 aboard the vessel Hogarth from County Kilkenney, Ireland, at the time of the Potato Famine with their son James. They went first to New York City, then to Cleveland, Ohio. They bought a farm near Bronson, MI in 1854.¹³¹^,¹³²^,¹³³ She was mentioned in the local paper when she "received $97 back pay for her son's services that was killed in the Custer massacre." Beginning in 1888, she received $12 a month from the Army for the rest of her life.¹³⁴^,

¹³⁵ Her obituary reads:

Death of a Pioneer. Mrs. John Dorn died at the home of her son, John, west of town, April 9, 1896. Bridget Hanley was born in Kilkenny county, Ireland, Feb 2, 1822, and left her native land for America when whe was 24 years of age; she stopped in New York city a short time and then went to Cleveland, Ohio, where whe stayed one year, and then came to Bronson, where, up to the time of her death she resided, about 49 years, and was one of the oldest settlers in Bronson township. John Dorn, her husband, died some 33 years ago, and three sons are left to mourn her loss - William, who lives in N. Dakota, Mike and John of Bronson. the funeral was held Saturday at St. Mary's church, conducted by Ref. Fr. Schaeper, and was largely attended.

¹³⁶

6. JAMES ALEXANDER³ PETERSON (William, #11)¹³⁷^,¹³⁸^,¹³⁹^,¹⁴⁰^,¹⁴¹ was born on 6 Sep 1826 at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.¹⁴² He married Oleaf Saxton (see #7), daughter of Lt. Col. Alexander Saxton and Elizabeth Saunders, circa 1845 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁴³^,¹⁴⁴^,¹⁴⁵ He died on 17 Nov 1885 at Port Huron, Michigan, at age 59 from complications of hernia surgery.¹⁴⁶^,¹⁴⁷ He was buried in Lakeside Cemetery, Port Huron, Michigan.¹⁴⁸
He was a farmer and inherited land from his father in 1861 at Wainfleet, Ontario.¹⁴⁹ He and Oleaf Saxton were listed in the 1871 Census at Wainfleet Twp., Welland Co., Ontario, Canada, (Religion: W. Meth., Origin: German, Occupation: Farmer).¹⁵⁰ He and Oleaf Saxton immigrated to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1874 from Canada following stories of opportunity brought back by their son who worked on Lake Erie steamers.¹⁵¹^,¹⁵²
Children of James Alexander³ Peterson and Oleaf Saxton (see #7) were as follows:

i. WILLIAM CAMPBELL²¹⁵³^,¹⁵⁴ was born in 1850 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁵⁵ He married Amanda Turrell.¹⁵⁶
William and Amanda had two sons and one daughter. Amanda died when the children were still young, and one son Johnny, was raised by John Burwell Peterson (William's brother) and his wife Hetty Ann. He farmed out his daughters to live with their mother's family in Canada. William then lived in Wisconsin with his brothers. He ran a trap line and once a year would bring all his tanned skins to Hetty who sewed them up in burlap and mailed them to Oskosh, Wisconsin to a furrier. Mary Peterson Walker to Jane Fleury.¹⁵⁷
ii. JOHN BURWELL¹⁵⁸^,¹⁵⁹ was born on 31 Mar 1855 at Niagara Falls, Ontario, Canada.¹⁶⁰ He married Hetty Ann Flewelling on 12 May 1882 at Gardendale, Michigan.¹⁶¹^,¹⁶² He died on 26 Oct 1915 at Port Huron, Michigan, at age 60.¹⁶³
3. iii. SUSAN EUGENIA.
iv. KATHERINE¹⁶⁴^,¹⁶⁵ was born in 1861 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁶⁶ She married George Norton.¹⁶⁷ She married Sam Eldridge Aunt Kate ran away with a travelling salesman who was staying in the local hotel (which was owned by George Norton her husband). Her brother John Burwell Peterson refused to speak to her, and never patched up the tiff. Mary Peterson Walker to Jane Fleury.¹⁶⁸^,¹⁶⁹
v. ROLAND¹⁷⁰^,¹⁷¹ was born in Mar 1867 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁷² He married May Rockwell.¹⁷³ He married Bridget O'Shea in 1900 at Nebagamon, WI.¹⁷⁴
He was employed as Laborer, Planing Mill in 1900.¹⁷⁵ He was also known as ROLL PETERSON.¹⁷⁶
vi. CHARLES¹⁷⁷^,¹⁷⁸^,¹⁷⁹ was born in 1871 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁸⁰
vii. .
JAMES¹⁸¹^,¹⁸² had two daughters.¹⁸³ At the age of 21 decided he wanted to see the world. He left home on horseback and was never seen by his family again. The years passed and his mother, Oleaf Saxton, wrote many letters to post offices in attempts to find him. Many years later his sister Kate Norton came across him in Oregon. He was married and had two daughters. She encouraged him to write to John which he did. The corresponded for several months, making plans to travel together and see the old homestead in Niagara Falls which had been willed to them and their brother William. But Jim got sick and died before they got together and John and William never went to Niagara Falls. The homestead reverted to two cousins who were still living in Niagara Falls. (Mary Peterson Walker to Jane Fleury)¹⁸⁴
viii. HELEN JANE¹⁸⁵^,¹⁸⁶^,¹⁸⁷^,¹⁸⁸ was born in 1846 at Ontario, Canada.¹⁸⁹ She died of tuberculosis.¹⁹⁰
Her married name was HINES.¹⁹¹ Helen contracted tuberculosis within a few years of her marriage. Her husband was paymaster on the narrow gauge railroad. At that time, the men were paid in cash. He carried it. While Helen was dying her husband was hit over the head, robbed of the payroll, and thrown in the river where he drowned. She was never told and died not knowing that her husband was already dead. (Mary Peterson Walker to Jane Fleury)¹⁹²

7. OLEAF³ SAXTON (Alexander, #13)¹⁹³^,¹⁹⁴^,¹⁹⁵^,¹⁹⁶^,¹⁹⁷^,¹⁹⁸^,¹⁹⁹ was born on 1 Nov 1826 at Port Burwell, Ontario, Canada.²⁰⁰^,²⁰¹^,²⁰²^,²⁰³ She married James Alexander Peterson (see #6), son of William R. Peterson and Elizabeth Lownsberry, circa 1845 at Ontario, Canada.²⁰⁴^,²⁰⁵^,²⁰⁶ She died in Apr 1903 at Hawthorne, WI, at age 76 at the home of her son Roland.²⁰⁷^,²⁰⁸ She was buried in Hawthorne, WI.²⁰⁹
Her nick name was Leafy (and also Olive, Oliva, and Olivia). She sold the farm inherited from her father to her brother Charles Batot Saxton in 1873.²¹¹ She and James Alexander Peterson immigrated to Port Huron, Michigan, in 1874 from Canada following stories of opportunity brought back by their son who worked on Lake Erie steamers.²¹²^,²¹³ Oleaf had a sister Margaret who left her a house (or property) in her will. Every year in December, "just before Christmas," she received money, probably rent, from it. (Mary Peterson Walker to Jane Fleury.)²¹⁴