Edwin James OTWELL, Jr. (1905-1915)

Edwin OTWELL
Photo courtesy of
Aunt Pat H.

Edna OTWELL's twin brother

Tin type photo of the twins
Photo courtesy of Aunt Pat H.

Edwin and Edna were born on 23 May 1905 in Buffalo, Erie County, NY. As children, Edna was taller and had olive skin, brown eyes and dark hair. Edwin was shorter and of fair complexion with blue eyes and blonde hair.

On 28 September 1915, 10 year old Edwin was walking to the candy store when he was struck and killed by an automobile. Cause of death was a fractured skull.  His death was devastating to the family. Verbal family history says that the driver was drunk at the time of the accident. The newspaper article portrays the driver as a hero.

Buffalo Courier, 9/29/1915
(Found on Old Fulton NY Postcards)

Father KELLY continued on as a Catholic priest, but had been relocated from the Buffalo parish soon after the accident.

Edwin's Obit
Buffalo Courier, 1915
(Old Fulton NY Postcards)

Gravestone, Photo courtesy cousin Tracy O.

Cousin Tracy O. contacted the Ridgelawn Cemetery to locate Edwin’s grave. The cemetery documents indicated that Edwin was first buried in one plot on 1 October 1915, but a few months after, the “family came into some money” and decided to purchase plots so that the family could be near each other. Edwin was moved to the new location along with baby Dorothy on 16 May 1916. Gravestones were purchased for each. The other two plots were reserved for Edwin and Mary Jane. Son Harry bought the 3 remaining plots and these were eventually used for his sister Irene MCMAHON, brother-in-law George W. SIM and himself. (Yes, George rests with the OTWELLs while his wife Edna rests with the nearby SIMs.)

The family gathered during the exhumation of Edwin’s coffin. As the coffin was moved, it fell and the lid opened. Gramma Edna said that she saw his “little blue shoe”.

This sad poem was published by the family one year after his death:

Buffalo Evening News, 28 September 1915
(Old Fulton NY Postcards)

The phrase “family came into some money” could be explained by a document found in Bill SIM’s photo album. It is a life insurance policy taken out for Edna by her mother in 1910. It is likely that Edwin had a similar policy. 

 We recently found probate records for Edwin dated 27 October 1915 (case #51897), but have not found the files on-line, yet. This file should confirm if the money was obtained through the life insurance policy or through a lawsuit.

Probate records index, Buffalo 1915

Edwin, Harry and Edna, circa 1915, Buffalo

Elizabeth’s Twin Sister - Mary Ann GRUER-SIM (1832-1916)

Mary Ann GRUER-SIM

Photo courtesy cousin Sherry T.

George SIM's grand aunt, paternal line

 Mary Ann was the twin sister of our ancestor Elizabeth GRUER (1832-1907).  We do not know if they were identical or fraternal twins.  They were born 12 May 1832 in Hastings, Sussex, England and were christened 17 March 1833 at St. Clements Croft Congregational Church in Hastings.

Mary Ann had a relationship with William ANDERSON that produced a son, William Gruer ANDERSON in 1855 Scotland.  This child remained in Scotland and was reared by his father.  The photos of Mary Ann were obtained from William's descendants.  On the back of the photo #1 (above) is written, "To my dear Willie from his dear mother, Mrs. Wm Sim, Trinity Square, Toronto, Ontario, December 22, 1879" according to cousin Sherry T.  Photo #2 (left) was dated 12 May 1892.

Mary Ann married William SIM (1823-1881) who was the younger brother of our ancestor James SIM (2 brothers married twin sisters).  By 1861, they moved to Colborne, Northumberland, Canada.  (James and Elizabeth moved there about 1855-56.)  William was a baker/confectioner and a tea merchant.

In the 1861 census, they had one child, Sarah Ann SIM-CROWDEN (1853-1886).  If this date of birth is correct, she is likely not the biological daughter of Mary Ann.

Between 1861 and 1870, the family had returned to Aberdeen.  Sarah married in 1870 in Aberdeen and remained in Scotland.

By 1881, William and Mary Ann were living in Toronto, Ontario.  Elizabeth’s daughter Maggie SIM was living in their home in 1881.  In August of that year, William passed away of "uremia" or "disease of the kidneys".  On his death registry, he was listed as a commercial traveler, so he must have continued with his tea trade while in Canada.  He is buried in the Necropolis Cemetery in Toronto and interestingly, the plot was owned by “J SIMS”.  James must have helped pay for his burial.

William's obit from the Sim Scrapbook

 
Mary Ann was still in Toronto for the 1891 census.  In 1911, she was living in Elizabeth’s daughter’s (Sarah COX) home in Northumberland.

Mary Ann died 24 November 1916 in Wooler, Ontario, age 84, due to old age and myocardiac gastritis.  She is laid to rest next to her twin sister in Salem Cemetery in Colborne.  James, Elizabeth and Mary Ann share a gravestone.

Visit her on-line memorial:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=153020327