Notes: According to family sources, Henry C. Detwiller and Mathilda Moore were married 8
Jun 1870 in Fullarton Twp., Perth, Ontario. This differs from the Ontario, Canada
Registration of Marriages, 1869-1922 (see Source No. 905), which gives the date as
8 Jun 1871 in Blanshard Twp. Their first child Mary was born 4 Jun 1871, in Blanshard
Twp., just 3 days before the recorded marriage date. Mary died 9 Jun 1871,
just 4 days old. While this all seems very strange, the marriage was probably
recorded at the same time that the birth and death of the baby were recorded, and
the wrong year (i.e. 1871 instead of 1870) was inserted.
Henry and Mathilda's second child John H. was born in 1872, followed by
another named Mary in 1874, William in 1876, Alexander (Alex) in 1878, Fredrick (Fred)
in 1879, and Andrew Mathieson in 1881. They made their home near St.
Marys, Blanshard Twp., where their children were born.
In 1882, Henry traveled to Griggs County, North Dakota, by way of Port Huron.
He filed a premption claim in Tyrol Township, 7 miles north of Cooperstown.
He returned to Ontario in the spring of 1884. In 1886, the family moved to the
claim in North Dakota. They traveled by train, and family history is that
they saw Indians on the way. The family's first home had two rooms downstairs
and two rooms upstairs. The children attended Tyrol School #3.
In 1891, their last child Harry Russell was born, the only family member
born in the United States. In 1895, William died at the age
of 18. In the 1900 U.S. census, Mathilda and Henry were still living in Tyrol Twp.,
with only their four youngest sons, and a servant named Bettie Bell. John was living
nearby, and Mary, who had married Robert Pratt was also nearby. Henry died 1 Dec 1900,
and is buried in the Cooperstown Cemetery. The photograph
at left shows the Henry Detwiller Family, taken after Henry had died in 1900. In the
1910 U.S. census, Mathilda was living with her sons Fred and Harry. She died 22 Oct
1919, and is buried next to her husband in the Cooperstown Cemetery,
Cooperstown, North Dakota. |
Photographs} Henry and Mathilda 
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