CAUTHERS FAMILY


Thomas III and Elizabeth Flatt Cauthers

The Cauthers were married on 5 December 1872 in a Methodist Church in Stanton, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. In 1892/3 they emigrated to Gardner, Cass County, North Dakota. They later homesteaded in Deering Township in McHenry County. In 1908 Elizabeth was granted a land patent for Section 19 of Deering Township and son James for Section 18. James lived on Section 19 and only farmed Section 18. They were members of the Free Methodist Church in Deering.
From McHenry County Centennial 1885-1985:
"Thomas and Elizabeth Cauthers homesteaded in Deering Township in 1901. Thomas returned to Gardner, North Dakota to dispose of their former home, contracted pneumonia and passed away there in January, 1903.
Recollections of the Cauthers family in McHenry County consequently revolve around Elizabeth or Grandma Cauthers as she was best known. She continued to live on the homestead until she passed away in 1941 at 86. Her son James had an adjacent homestead, never married and lived with his mother on the farm. After her death James moved to Seattle, Washington, passing away there in 1977 at age 99. The youngest daughter Velma married Roy Cowin in 1915. They raised a family of seven in Deering, later moving to Seattle, Washington. Roy passed away in 1970, Velma in June 1983. A son Robert Cauthers was a well known Deering G. N. Depot Agent and also Manager of the Deering Farmers Grain Elevator. He passed away in California in 1967.
Grandma Cauthers loved to have her grandchildren around. First she raised Roger Williams, her second daughter's son when the parents died at an early age. Roger left Deering In 1933, was employed by Ford Motor Company 33 years, now retired and living in Fargo.The oldest son William was frequently in Deering where his family was well known. Frank Cauthers, his youngest son was with Grandma from an early age through college. A Boeing employee in Seattle for 35 years, now retired there. His younger sisters Irene and Etta went to Deering High School. Irene lives in Newport, Oregon. Etta in Port Townsend, Washington. Another brother Charles passed away in 1974.
Only grandchildren and great grandchildren remain [1985] of the Cauthers family and they have all moved from McHenry County to distant areas."

Elizabeth Cauthers was the daughter of Josiah (Jesse) (1828-1910) and Rachel Lyons (1835-1872) Flatt; she the daughter of John and Elizabeth Ireland Lyons. Josiah Flatt was the son of James (1776-1864) and Judah Betts (-1857) Flatt; he the son of Richard (1745-1808) and Mary Elsey (1741-1827) Flatt; she the daughter of George (1704-1771) and Hannah (1726-1769) Elsey.

The children of Thomas and Elizabeth Cauthers:

William Henry Cauthers

William was born 21 September 1873 in Stanton, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. On 12 July 1899 he married Eva Clarissa Flewell in Cass County, North Dakota. They are later divorced after 1910 when they lived in Sidney, Towner County. Their children included Ralph (1900-1942), Maude Elizabeth (1901-2001), Edith Clarissa (1904-1981), Charles William (1906-1974), Frank Leroy (1908-1984), Irene Evelyn (1911-2005), and Victoria "Etta" (1915-2012). In 1920 William and his daughter Etta are living on his mother's homestead and in 1930 they are joined by his son Frank. In Goldendale, Klickitat, Washington on 12 May 1938 he married Mary Lenora Newport previously married to Charles G. Hulse. In 1940 he and his wife are in Moro, Sherman County, Oregon. William died at Moro in 1946. Eva died at Jamestown, Stutsman County on 21 November 1956. Lenora died in Moro on 24 November 1965.

Emma Jane Cauthers

Emma was born 28 June 1875 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. On 24 April 1895 she married George Alfred Sugg in Cass County, North Dakota. Their children included Clifford (1895-1954), Ellen Elizabeth (1897-1899), and Samuel (1900-1984). In 1900 the family was farming in Gardner, Cass County. Emma died on 21 January 1907 and is buried in Bethel Cemetery. George went back to Canada and died there in 1951.

James Thomas Cauthers

James was born 17 November 1877 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. James never married and died on 15 April 1977 in Seattle, King County, Washington.

Robert E. Cauthers

Robert was born 29 July 1879 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. On 15 Octobert 1908 he married Eva May Baker Batchelder in Tekamah, Burt County, Nebraska. They had one child Mayetta Fern (1909-1992). His employment in the railroad industry moved him around and by 1920 they were in Ransom County, North Dakota; by 1930 Rolette County, North Dakota and by 1940 Renville County, North Dakota. The family was in Orange County, California when Robert died in 1967 and Eva died in 1974.All three are buried in Santa Anna, Orange County.

Maude E. Cauthers

Maude was born 19 February 1881 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada and died as a teenager in Cass County, North Dakota on 22 November 1895. She is buried in Gardner, Cass County.

Sarah Elizabeth Cauthers

Sarah "Sadie" was born 5 September 1883 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. On 20 November 1901 she married Charles John Williams in Cass County, North Dakota. They moved to Deering prior to the birth of their only child, Roger Charles who was born on 21 June 1902. In the month that Roger was born, Charles died in an accident on the 12th. In 1908 Sarah became very sick and died from the illness on 28 March. From that time Roger was raised by his grandmother Elizabeth and his uncle James. Roger married Beatrice Van Fossan on 5 September 1937 in Fargo, Cass County, North Dakota where they made their home until 1998. He died in Reno, Washoe County, Nevada on 27 Mar 1999 and is buried in Riverside Cemetery in Fargo. Obituary. They had three children; John, Richard, and Sandra.

Wilford Charles Cauthers

Wilford was born 1 July 1885 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada. On 12 March 1906 he married Katherine Georgina Ferguson in Grand Forks County, North Dakota he never again lived in McHenry County. After their marriage they lived in Canada then returned by 1910 to North Dakota then to Montana and finally in Oregon. They had five children; Wilford, Howard J., Marion Eli, Thomas Ferguson, and Bruce. Wilford died in Portland, Multnomah County, Oregon in 1955 and Katherine died there in 1951.

Eva May Cauthers

Eva was born 21 December 1887 in Mulmur, Dufferin County, Ontario, Canada and died there as an infant on 27 June 1888.

Velma Lillian Cauthers

The only child born in the states.
From McHenry County Centennial 1885-1985:
"Velma Cauthers was born in Gardner, North Dakota, Sept. 7,1894. She came with her parents, Thomas and Elizabeth Cauthers and her brother James to Deering in 1901. Her father died in 1903. Her mother one of the community's oldest and most beloved pioneers living there until her death in 1941.
Roy Thomas Cowin was born March 12, 1878 in New York. Roy came west in 1897 by bicycle to Minneapolis where he was employed by "The Grain Exchange". Later he was a grain elevator agent at McKenzie, Fessenden, and then Victoria Elevator in Deering in 1912. Here he met Velma Cathers; married in June,1915. Roy and Velma have seven children, all born in Deering at home: Lillian (Mrs. Ralph Kraft, Jamestown) retiring with Ralph after 30 years of teaching. Mary (Mrs. Ed Crawford, Beaverton, Oregon) now retired after 22 years of teaching. William Robert and Roy James, Seattle, Washington, both employed at Boeing Aircraft for many years. Albert is employed by Warm Beach Free Methodist Conference Center. Marion (Mrs. Byron DeHart, Olympia, Washington) employed by Seattle First Bank. Helen (Mrs. Jack Mulinix, Seattle, Washington), housewife.
After many years of farming and milk delivery, the Cowins decided to sell and move to Seattle in 1942. At age of 64 Roy was employed with Boeing Aircraft Company for 15 years until he retired. Retirement did not curtail Roy's interests or activities such as gardening or building a summer cottage. When he was 90 he displayed his adventursome spirit by traveling with his wife to Alaska.
Roy and Velma celebrated their 55th anniversary a few months before Roy's death in December 1970.
Velma died June 5,1983 in Seattle leaving her seven children, 21 grandchilren and 19 great grandchildren. She was a lifelong member of The Free Methodist Church and also Women's Christian Temperance Union."

The below are links to FindAGrave Memorials for some of the Cauthers children. Most of these memorials contain links to other members of the family and some have additional information:
Thomas Cauthers
Elizabeth Flatt Cauthers
William Henry Cauthers
Emma Jane Cauthers Sugg
Robert E. Cauthers
Maude E. Cauthers
Sarah Elizabeth Cauthers Williams
Roger Charles Williams
Velma Lillian Cauthers Cowin

Click on pictures for larger views.
The Thomas Cauthers Family by Roger Williams and the Cowin Family by Lillian Kraft pictures were provided to the Centennial. The portrait photo sources are unknown.
Anyone interested in saving their McHenry County ancestor family information on this NDGenWeb McHenry County website please contact Mike Peterson - lineage40@cox.net. I would be happy to do what I can to publish it for you within our Families Section.