Oh Canada

Our Sim and Otwell ancestors originally came from Scotland, England and Ireland.  However, five of our ancestors were born in Ontario, Canada.  All five of them later immigrated to the United States where they died and are buried.

Jane ASH-OTWELL was born in Toronto on November 13, 1847 and died in Detroit on January 18, 1935.

Mary Ann WALLACE-SIM was born in Owen Sound in May 1869 and died in Buffalo on May 2, 1945.

John Wm. SIM was born in Colborne on August 7, 1870 and died in Buffalo on July 4, 1954.

Edwin J. OTWELL was born in St. Mary's on October 11, 1871 and died in Buffalo on June 2, 1920.

Mary J. CHARNOCK-OTWELL was born in London, ON on March 3, 1874 and died in Buffalo on October 18, 1935.

Two of our relatives were returned to their beloved Canada for burial.   James SIM died in Batavia, NY and his body was returned to Northumberland County, Ontario, Canada for burial.  John Franklin Otwell died in Detroit, Michigan and was buried in London, Ontario.

Canada was a stepping stone in our journey to the land of opportunity, the United States.  Eleven other ancestors are buried in Canada.  They include Elizabeth Gruer-Sim, William Wallace, Mary Huston-Wallace, William Huston, Esther Park-Huston, Robert Charnock, Eliza Scott-Charnock, Maurice Otwell, William Ash, Anna Maria Marks-Ash-Atwell and Mary H. Taylor-Otwell.

Ontario Map with Locations of Families

Mary Ann WALLACE-SIM (1870-1945)

John William and Mary Ann, 1941, Buffalo

50th Wedding Anniversary

Photo courtesy of cousin Mary Ellen F.

George SIM>Mary Ann WALLACE-SIM

Early years- Mary Ann was born in 1869 in Sarawak Township, Grey, Ontario, Canada to Irish immigrants William WALLACE and Mary HUSTON.   (This area was also known as Owen Sound and today, it's part of Georgian Bluffs ).  She had an 8^th grade education.

Immigration and Citizenship- The family immigrated to the US about 1898.  In 1915, Mary Ann became a US citizen.

Religion- Mary Ann was Presbyterian.

Work History- prior to marriage to John William SIM  in 1891, she was a waitress in Toronto, York, Ontario.  As was common, she did not work outside of the home during marriage.

4 Generations: Judy & Doris CHAPIN, Alice MCCALL and Mary Ann, 1944, Buffalo

Photo courtesy of cousin Judy B.

She was the mother of Alice, Edith, George, Bertha and Esther Sim.

Death- Mary Ann died 2 May 1945 in Buffalo.  She was 75 years old and the causes of death were pernicious anemia and cerebral hemorrhage.  Her remains are interred at Ridge Lawn Cemetery in Cheektowaga.

Clipping from the SIM Scrapbook
Courtesy cousin Wendy P.

From the Buffalo Courier Express

found on Old Fulton NY Postcards website

Visit her on-line memorial at:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=92409196

See photos of the SIM Family here.

See the SIM Family Bible with Mary Ann's hand written notes

John William SIM (1870-1954)

John Wm, Buffalo
Photo courtesy of cousin Mary Ellen F.

George SIM >John Wm SIM



Early years- John Wm was the youngest child of James SIM and Elizabeth GRUER.  He was born on 7 August 1870 in Ontario, Canada. The SIM family lived in Cramahe Township in the Village of Colborne, Northumberland, Ontario.  He had an 8^th grade education and was also known as “Jack”. 

Military service- He served 5 years in the Canadian armed forces; 2 years as a private and 3 years as a Gunner in the Canadian Field Artillery (C.F.A.) 37th Regiment.  This likely occurred some time between 1891 and 1898.

Work history- In the marriage registry on 1891, he was listed as a bartender.  From 1900 through 1920, he was a lineman and electrician for a telephone company.  He next owned a couple of speakeasies, I mean "soda shops", in Buffalo.  By 1940, he worked as a security guard at the Fowler Plant (an airplane manufacturing) in Buffalo.  

Immigration and Citizenship- John Wm immigrated the family to the US about 1898.  In 1915, he became a US citizen.   Later, in Canada during WWI, he signed draft documents pledging his loyalty to the crown.

Physical: John Wm was 5' 8", fair complexion with auburn hair and blue eyes.

Religion: In the marriage registry, he was listed with no religious affiliation.  In a 1911 Canadian census, he was listed as Presbyterian (same as wife).

Family- At age 18, John Wm met Mary Ann WALLACE (1870-1945), a waitress at a Toronto restaurant.  Two years later, they were married on 11 September 1891 in Toronto, York, Ontario. 

From the Gloversville Leader Republican, 1941: 

 They had at least 5 children:

• Alice Elizabeth SIM-MCCALL (1894-1966)
• Edith May SIM-FOLEY (1895-1968)
• George William SIM (1899-1941)
• Bertha M. SIM-HOFMAR (1901-1959)
• Esther Jemima SIM-MAHONEY-UNGER (1908-1992)

In the early years, they lived in Mary Ann's hometown of Owen Sound and their first 2 children were born there.  Then things got confusing:
They appear on the 1900 census in Rochester, Monroe, NY and it is likely that they moved there because his sisters where living there (Mary, Jemima and Jessie).  It appears that they owned several properties in Western New York and Ontario.  By 1905, they appear in the Batavia, Erie, NY census.  In 1905, there was a newspaper article stating that they were moving to Toronto.  In a 1907 obituary, they are listed as living in Springville, NY.  They appear in the 1910 through 1940 census in various locations around Buffalo.  In 1911, they appear in the Owen Sound, Canada census.  We found out from Aunt Pat and Aunt Joan that they owned several properties in Western New York and Ontario.  Here are the Buffalo addresses:

• In 1910, they lived at 91 Peach Street in Buffalo.
• In 1915, they lived at 106 Congress Street in Buffalo.
• In 1917, they lived at 500 Niagara Street in Buffalo.
• In 1920, they moved to 330 Hudson Street in Buffalo.
• In 1930-1940, they lived at 217 LaSalle Avenue in Tonawanda.
• By 1945, they lived at 150 Norwalk Avenue in Buffalo.

Death- John Wm died 4 July 1954 at the Betty Storck Nursing Home in Buffalo.  He was 83 years old and died of coronary thrombosis.  His remains are interred at Ridge Lawn Cemetery in Cheektowaga.
Documents we have found tell us he was 5'8", fair complexion, auburn hair and blue eyes.

From the Buffalo Courier Express, 1954

Visit the on-line memorial at:

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=343001&GRid=92409185&

Read more on how the SIM Family came to Buffalo, NY

How did we get to Buffalo, NY?

John William SIM and his wife Mary Ann WALLACE met and married in Toronto, Canada.  John William grew up in Colborne, Ontario and Mary was from Owen Sound, Ontario.  They initially immigrated to Rochester, NY where John William's sisters were living.  They came to Buffalo about 1899 and owned properties in Batavia, Springville and Owen Sound.  George was the first SIM born in the US. 

John William worked as an electrician and lineman for a telephone company and it is likely he moved to Buffalo due to his job.