JOHN BOTTORFF
(son of Jonathan BOTTORFF and Elizabeth KENDIG)
b. 24-Feb-1833, Wayne Co., OH, d. 14-Jul-1922, Campbell Twp., Ionia Co., MI,
buried: Clarksville Cem., Ionia Co., MI.
m1. 25-Dec-1855, to Catherine RITTER,
(daughter of John RITTER and Elizabeth SHRINER)
b. 12-Nov-1837, PA, d. 17-Feb-1900, Campbell Twp., Ionia Co., MI,
buried: 19-Feb-1900 in Clarksville Cem., Ionia Co., MI.
m2. 1905, to Elizabeth (nee MOSS) Strayer,
(daughter of Samuel MOSS and Catherine FREYH)
b. 10-Nov-1828, d. 29-Jun-1910 in Danby Twp., Ionia Co., MI;
buried: Violett Cem., Goshen, Elkhart Co., IN under the name BUTTDORFF.
on back: Grma Bottorff in Laura Brovont Saxton's handwriting
Carried candy in his pockets to give to children, Blanche Saxton Blocher remembers
her mother Laura Brovont Saxton telling her this.
Aug 7, 1899 lived in Campbell, Mich. have envelope addressed to him there.
In the same cemetery is a John Battorff, d. 11-13-1921 at age 98 yrs.
In the 1860 census for Guilford
Twp., Medina Co., OH, 306/302:
Bolloff, John, 27yr, m, farmer, 300, 75, OH
Bolloff, Emma, 2yr, f, OH
Bolloff, Amanda, 6/12yr, f, OH
(where is wife Catherine Bottorff, 22yr??)
(John Kindig, 31yr, is on the same page)
-----Bolloff, John, 27yr, m, farmer, 300, 75, OH
Bolloff, Emma, 2yr, f, OH
Bolloff, Amanda, 6/12yr, f, OH
(where is wife Catherine Bottorff, 22yr??)
(John Kindig, 31yr, is on the same page)
1870 census for Medina Co., Westfield Township, OH, page 454b, l6-12, 87/94:
Battorff, John, 37, M, W, Farmer, PA
Battorff, Cathrine, 33, F, W, Keeping house, PA
Battorff, Emma, 12, F, W, OH
Battorff, Manda, 10, F, W, OH
Battorff, Jacob, 8, M, W, OH
Battorff, Mary, 6, F, W, OH
Battorff, Ida, 8/12, F, W, OH, Oct
---
1870 census for Medina Co., Westfield Township, OH, page 454b, l19-20, 89/96:
Borlorff, Jonathan, 68, M, W, Farmer, 600, PA
Borlorff, Elizabeth, 62, F, W, Keeping house, PA
These are believed to be John Bottorff's parents as they are living only two houses away.
-----
In the 1880 census for Woodland Twp., Barry Co., MI, roll T9-0570, page 16c:
John Borttorff, self, married, m, w, 45, OH, farmer, PA, PA
Catherina Amanda Borttorff, wife, married, f, w, 43, OH, keeping house, PA, PA
Jacob Borttorff, son, single, m, w, 19, OH, farm work, OH, OH
Mary Borttorff, daughter, single, f, w, 16, OH, house work, OH, OH
Ida Borttorff, daughter, single, f, w, 10, OH, OH, OH
Laura Borttorff, daughter, single, f, w, 5, OH, OH, OH
Amanda Borttorff, daughter, ?, f, w, 21, OH, seamstress, OH, OH
(living two houses away from Isaac Smith family,
Ida Bottorff married Henry Smith, their son)
-----
1900 census for Ionia Co., S 1/2 of Campbell township, MI, page 6-6a:
line 22, living with Luther and Hannah Sweet 110/117
Bordroff, John, boarder, w, m, Feb, 1835, 65, widower, PA, PA, PA
-----
In the 1910 census for Danby Twp., Ionia Co., MI, page ?:
Bottorff, John, head, m, w, 77, married2, 5yr, OH, PA, PA, laborer
Bottorff, Elizabeth, wife, f, w, 76, married2, 5yr, 4ch, 3ch living, PA, PA, PA
-----
In the 1920 census for Lake Odessa, Odessa Twp., Ionia Co., MI, 142/142:
4th Ave. Burke Hotel
.....
Bottorff, John, Janitor, m, w, 85yr, wid, OH, PA, PA, janitor hotel
.....
(according to
Pamela K. Swiler at the Ionia Co. Gen. Soc. in an email,
address: [email protected], dated 8/17/07...
"It was one of several hotels in Lake Odessa, all on Fourth Avenue. I
would guess that you are talking about the Hotel Burke. I am not at home right now,
so I will have to get you the exact location, although I don't know if there was a mailing address then.
Most people used a Post Office box. I will get back to you on this.")
(Pam got back to me with this:
The Burke Hotel was located on the northwest corner of 4th Avenue and Third Street.
Mary A. Burke bought the business from Mrs. H.F. Miner in October of 1900 after her husband
had died the month before. Mrs. Burke was from Perry, Michigan. She operated the business under the
Miner Hotel name until October of 1906 when she changed the name of the business to the Burke Hotel.
She operated the hotel until her death in 1933. The building was torn down around 1954-55.
The Post Office stands near its place today.
Pamela K. Swiler, President
Ionia County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 516
Lake Odessa, MI 48849-0516)
address: [email protected], dated 8/17/07...
"It was one of several hotels in Lake Odessa, all on Fourth Avenue. I
would guess that you are talking about the Hotel Burke. I am not at home right now,
so I will have to get you the exact location, although I don't know if there was a mailing address then.
Most people used a Post Office box. I will get back to you on this.")
(Pam got back to me with this:
The Burke Hotel was located on the northwest corner of 4th Avenue and Third Street.
Mary A. Burke bought the business from Mrs. H.F. Miner in October of 1900 after her husband
had died the month before. Mrs. Burke was from Perry, Michigan. She operated the business under the
Miner Hotel name until October of 1906 when she changed the name of the business to the Burke Hotel.
She operated the hotel until her death in 1933. The building was torn down around 1954-55.
The Post Office stands near its place today.
Pamela K. Swiler, President
Ionia County Genealogical Society
P.O. Box 516
Lake Odessa, MI 48849-0516)
Catherine:
I now read the Mary Wehr letter as follows: Catherine Ritter born 1837 in
Wayne Co., OH had a sister Mary Ritter. It was this Mary Ritter
who married Levi H. Wehr and lived in Lehigh Co., PA.
The letter was written to her niece Laura Bottorff
daughter of Catherine Ritter Bottorff after Laura had visited with
her aunt Mary Wehr in PA. Laura Bottorff was born 1875 and was
nearly the same age as Laura Brovont her niece that's why they were so friendly.
When the letter was written in 1884 Laura Bottorff was about 9 years old.
The letter couldn't have been written to her sister Emma Bottorff as she was
married and had small children by then none of whom could have been the
niece who was visiting. The same for Amanda Bottorff.
I still don't know why Laura Brovont Saxton had the letter
unless her aunt Laura Bottorff Deuel gave it to her for some reason or
it was given to her mother Catherine Ritter Bottorff who then left it to
her daughter Emma and then to her granddaughter
Laura Saxton.
Thanks to Patricia Currigan for
copies of the death certs of both Catherine and Elizabeth
Bottorffs.
Catherine Bottorff death certificate
Elizabeth Bottorff death certificate.
Catherine Bottorff death certificate
Elizabeth Bottorff death certificate.
Children:
I. Emma BOTTORFF,
b. 23-Dec-1858, d. 21-Feb-1899.
----
II. Amanda BOTTORFF,
b. 18-Dec-1859, d. 17-Feb-1939.
----
III. Jacob I. BOTTOROFF,
b. c.16-Oct-1861, d. 13-Oct-1885.
----
IV. Mary BOTTORFF, b. 1864, d. 10-Jun-1947.
----
V. Ida M. BOTTORFF,
b. 12-Oct-1869, d. 17-Jan-1939.
----
VI. Laura BOTTORFF,
b. 20-Dec-1874, d. 2-Aug-1925.
----
Four generations photo of John Bottorff, his daughter Mary
Bottorff Barnum,
her son Perry Clement Barnum, and Perry's daughter Beulah
Belle Barnum.