Monday, March 1, 2021

X00306 Solved!



Thomas James Decatur (1848-1887) was the first husband of Helen Douglas. They were married 20 December 1880 in Toronto [D03207].

While researching what happened to Thomas James Decatur, I found his death registration, but oddly no date of death was given in it [D02963]. He died in 1887 of consumption, but no specific date of death was given.



I also couldn't find him in any listings for the Owen Sound cemeteries or any other cemetery listing to that point, so I couldn't get any information there.

So, I put this X-File aside to go and work on other issues. But then just the other day I was looking at my research and realized that this issue was still outstanding and so decided to have another look on Find-A-Grave. To my surprise, someone had added the gravestone for Thomas James Decatur in March of 2020. The stone is in Forest Lawn Cemetery in Orangeville, Dufferin County, Ontario and not only do the birth and death years match but his parents are also listed on the stone, so I'm confident that this is the right person.

The dates given on the stone are:
Birth: 9 May 1848
Death: 5 Jan 1887

So, I now have an answer to the question, as well as a burial location. Some times if you wait long enough these mysteries just take care of themselves.



Sources:
[D02963] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Deaths, MS935; Reel: 49: 225, 15838; digital image, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Deaths," Ancestry.ca

[D03207] Ontario Archives of Ontario, Ontario, Canada Marriages 190, 13286, Decatur-Douglas; digital images, Ancestry.ca, "Ontario, Canada Marriages,"

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