Catherine Doan, the daughter of Joshua Doan and Elizabeth Dodge,[1] was born on November 2, 1836 in Humberstone, Welland, Ontario and died there February 14, 1925.[2]
According to Maxwell F. Doan, in The Doane Families of South-Western Ontario, Catherine married first, William Furry, however, I don’t believe that she ever married anyone named Furry. You can draw your own conclusions from the following:
Let’s start with the assumption that Catherine Doan was Warren Furry’s mother. This is a reasonable assumption as she is listed as such on his Death Certificate, is living with him from 1901 to at least 1911 and is listed as his mother on both census. So where did the surname Furry come from? What I think happened is that Catherine had a child out of wedlock with Martin Minor and their child, Nelson Newlove Minor was born October 10, 1864. Since Catherine was not married her sister Rhoda, who was married to Sylvanus Furry, took the boy in and raised him as her own or perhaps even adopted him and that is how Warren Minor became Warren Furry.
Warren was living with Rhoda and Sylvanus in 1871, 1881 and 1891. In 1890 Warren married Maude Estella Graybill and listed Rhoda and Sylvanus as his parents. His new wife Maude is found living with him at his Sylvanus and Ruth's home in the 1891 census (this is important because it links this Warren to the one found in the 1901 and 1911 census). Whether or not at this point Warren knew who his real parents were we will never know but he did know by 1901 when his real mother, Catherine Doan, is living with him, his wife Maude and their children.
There are three reasons why I don’t think Catherine ever married Martin Minor. Firstly, in 1871 I believe she is living/staying at Luther Boardman’s hotel in Cook’s Mill and she is listed as Catherine Doan not Minor or Furry. Secondly, in The history of the county of Welland, Ontario, Its Past and Present, I found this passage: “The present Mrs. Boardman was Catharine Doan, a daughter of the late Joshua Doan, of Humberstone.” If she had been married previously it probably would have been mentioned. Thirdly, Martin Minor did not die until 1915 so she wasn't widowed. Of course there is always the possibility that she married and divorced Martin Minor and reverted to her maiden name.
Therefore, my conclusion is that she married first, as his second wife, Luther Boardman. They were married after 1871 but before 1881. Luther's first wife was Marjory Doan a daughter of Robert Doan and cousin of Catherine. Luther was born August 27, 1827 in Norfolk, Ontario and died May 22, 1893 in Crowland, Welland, Ontario. He was a grocer, a hotel owner and farmer. He was also the postmaster at Crowland for over twenty years and township treasurer for several years as well. Catherine and Luther did not have any children of their own, however, they adopted a son, Herbert Drew, sometime between 1881 and 1891.
Catherine married second, Job Barnhardt, on April 5, 1898 in Welland, Ontario. Job was born April 8, 1857 in Humberstone, Welland, Ontario, and died there on November 5, 1926. The marriage did not last long and they divorced or separated sometime before 1901 when we find Job living alone and giving his marital status as single. Catherine, oddly enough, on the 1901 census gave her marital status as married but had reverted to the name Boardman. Catherine did not marry again and went by the name Catherine Boardman until she died. She appears to have lived with her son Warren until his death in 1912 but I am not sure where she stayed after that. She was buried as “Catherine Doan wife of Luther Boardman” at Doan’s Ridge Cemetery on February 17, 1925.
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