William True Doty

My great-grandfather, George Washington Doty,

son of Joseph and Sarah True Doty, had five siblings:

Emeline, born 1840, died 1903

Sarah, born 1842, died 1921

William True, born 1845, died 1918

Charles, born 1846

George Washington, born 1848, died 1910

Helen Maria, born 1850

(Siblings, L to R) - William True Doty, Sarah Doty McIntire and George Washington Doty

William True Doty was the third child and oldest son of Joseph and Sarah True Doty.  As the eldest son, he was given his mother's maiden name as a middle name.  He was born May 22, 1845 in Raisinville Township, Monroe, Michigan at the Doty homestead where he lived and worked his whole life.

He married Jennie E. Vincent on August 25, 1874.  His mother, Sarah, had died in June of that year.  At some point the Doty land was transferred over to William and George, and William would know that he could support a family on his own farm.

Front Row - brothers William and George
Back Row, George's wife, Alice (my great-grandparents), Sarah Doty McIntire and Jane (Jennie) Vincent Doty, William True Doty's wife

On the marriage record, William Doty was 29 and a farmer and Jennie E. Vincent, sometimes called Jane, was 24 years old.  Both resided in Raisinville Township, although Jennie was born in Seneca County, New York.

In the 1880 census, William's family was living next door to brother George W.  On June 15, 1880, the census taker found William, 35, and Jane, 30 with children, Ida M., 4, and Viola, 1/12 (born in April).

Tragedy struck this family on February 7, 1899, when William and Jane lost their son, Willie Vincent, who was born on June 15, 1886, to pneumonia.  

In the 1900 census for Raisinville Township, taken June 27, 1900, William Doty, 54 and his wife, Jennie, 50 had five children, but only three were living.  We know Willie had died, but what about Viola?  The children listed on this census were I. Mae (Ida), born September 1875; Martha Belle, born May 1880; and John J.(Joseph), 17, born June 1882. 

Note Martha's birthday - May 1880.  In the 1880 census, note that Viola was born, according to the census taker, in April 1880.  So is Martha really Viola?  Was she renamed?  They could not be twins as only one child was listed in 1880 as born that spring.  Two other sources give Martha's birth as May 7, 1880, so perhaps a neighbor was the informant in 1880 and got the birth month mixed up. Further information is needed here and would be welcomed. 

In 1910, William, 64, and Jennie, 61 had been married 35 years.  This census noted that now only two children were living.  Ida Mae,  married to William S. Perker in LaPorte County, IN on November 9, 1903, lived in Adrian, but died only two years after her marriage of tuberculosis. She had no children. Son John, 27, was still at home working on the home farm.

William True Doty lived until November 14, 1918.  The Monroe Evening News reported his death on Friday, November 15, 1918 on page 1:

"FARMER DIES WHILE AT DINNER TABLE...

While sitting at the dinner table and surrounded by several members of his family, William Doty, a well known farmer of Raisinville Township, died suddenly Thursday noon.  Death was due to heart failure, and while he was 72 years of age, he was apparently in good health.  Mr. Doty had been a life long resident of Raisinville township and had many friends.  The funeral arrangements will be announced later."

and on November 18, 1918:

"In a Few Lines - Doty Funeral Largely Attended.

Many friends and relatives gathered at the Doty home Sunday afternoon to attend the funeral of William Doty of Raisinville township who died suddenly Thursday.  The service was conducted by Rev. Somlers of the M.E. church of Dundee and burial was made in the Doty cemetery at Grape."

A few years later, in 1920, the census taker found Jennie Doty, 71, a widow, still living in her home.  Her son, John, 37, lived next door with his family - wife Rose, and sons, Vincent, 7, and Byron, 5.

Jennie Vincent Doty lived until Tuesday, November 30, 1924.  The Monroe Evening News reported on that same day:

"MRS. JENNIE DOTY DEAD

Mrs. Jennie Doty, aged 77 years, died in her home in Raisinville township this morning, following an illness of about a year.  Mrs. Doty was well known in Raisinville township, where she had lived for many years.  She leaves one son, John Doty, who lived with his mother, and one daughter, Mrs. Belle Veemer, of Libertyville, Ills.  Funeral arrangements have not been completed."

Jennie was also buried in the Doty cemetery.  It seems, from the information given, that perhaps, John and family moved in with his mother to care for her.  Martha Belle married John Veemer (sometimes seen as Zeemer), living in Illinois until her death in 1943, while John lived until 1949 in Monroe County.