MARIE ANTOINETTE (MARBLE) FREEMAN

Marie Antoinette (Marble) Freeman gravestone
(Photo by Vernon B. Paddock)

B. November 14, 1828 in Willoughby, Lake County, OH
D. June 17, 1854 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL
Find A Grave memorial (click here)

  • Father: Levi Marble born May 10, 1790 in Williamsburg, Hampshire County, MA, son of Ephraim Marble (1767-1825) and Anna (Dunham) Marble (1769-1832); married Elizabeth “Betsey” Granger on February 19, 1809 in Sodus, Wayne County, NY; Levi died March 4, 1874 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL (See section pertaining to Levi Marble buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)
  • Mother: Elizabeth “Betsey” (Granger) Marble born March 22, 1791 in Sandisfield, Berkshire County, MA, daughter of John Granger (1764-1812) and Sarah (Morse) Granger (1767-1850); Elizabeth died August 22, 1878 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL (See section pertaining to Elizabeth “Betsey” (Granger) Marble buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)
  • Husband: James Clark Freeman born March 19, 1828 in Willoughby, Cuyahoga (now Lake) County, Ohio, son of Zebulon R. S. Freeman (unknown-1870) and Susan Freeman (1793—1883); married (1) Marie Antoinette Marble on August 9, 1850 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL; married (2) Emily E. Granger (1837-1920) in 1857, daughter of Elisha Granger (1795-1847) and Sarah “Sally” Granger (1798-1880) (NOTE: Sarah was Marie’s cousin and sister of Elizabeth “Betsey” (Granger) Marble); James died February 17, 1904 in Chicago, Cook County, IL (See section pertaining to Sarah “Sally” (Granger) Granger buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery); James Clark Freeman and his second wife, Emily E. (Granger) Freeman are buried in Riverside Cemetery, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, WI

According to the Oshkosh Northwestern (Oshkosh WI) Thursday, February 18, 1904, page 3:

“JAMES FREEMAN DEA.
Pioneer Attorney and Veteran of
Civil War Passes Away at Home
of Daughter in Chicago After an
Extended Illness Brought on by
Wound Received in Army.

   Information has been received here of the death of James Freeman, for fifty years an attorney in this city, who passed away Wednesday afternoon about 12:40 o’clock at the home of his daughter in Chicago.  He was seventy-six years of age and was a pioneer of Oshkosh as well as of the bar.  He has been in poor healthy for a number of years and suffered from a disease of the lungs brought on by a wound received during the civil war.  A few months ago Mr. Freeman became so ill that he went to Chicago to be under the care of his daughters, Nettie and Margaret Freeman, who live there, the latter having an art studio there.  He was given the best of medical treatment in Chicago, but the benefit was but temporary.
   The remains will arrive in Oshkosh this evening at 7:11 o’clock over the Chicago & Northwestern railroad, and will be taken to the undertaking rooms of the Soper Furniture company.  The funeral will occur Friday afternoon with services in Masonic Temple at two o’clock.  The remains will be in state in the Temple from 10:30 to two o’clock Friday, so that friends may view them.  It was the wish of the deceased that the services be Masonic in character, as he belonged to Oshkosh Lodge, No. 27.
   James Freeman was born in Willoughby, Cayuga county, Ohio, March 19, 1828.  His early education was obtained in the common schools and he afterwards studied in the North Western university at Kirtland, Ohio.  He studied with a view of fitting himself for his life’s calling, that of an attorney.  Until he was fourteen years of age he lived at Willoughby.  In 1842 he removed with his parents to Lake county, Illinois.  Four years later he went to Cleveland, where he read law in the office of Hon. Samuel Starkweather, continuing the association until he was admitted to the bar in December, 1850.  From Cleveland he went to Waukegan and afterwards to Chicago and was engage in the business as an attorney until 1854, in December of which year he came to Oshkosh.  For the past fifty-four years he practiced law almost continuously in this city.
   When the rebellion came, Mr. Freeman, who was a very patriotic citizen, inheriting not a little of this patriotism from his father and grandfather, decided that it was his duty to fight for his country.  As a result he devoted his time to the recruiting service and went as captain at the head of Company D, Thirty-second Wisconsin regiment.  The command went to Memphis and was attached to the corps of General Sherman and later to the Sixteenth Army corps under General Stephen Hurlburt.  Afterwards the regiment was assigned to the Seventeenth Army corps.  The Thirty-second Wisconsin regiment had an eventful career in the war and Mr. Freeman was one of the soldiers in the great campaign which will live forever on the pages of history as “Sherman’s March to the Sea.”  Captain Freeman served throughout the war and was mustered out at Milwaukee, June 23, 1865.  His life as a soldier was a most honorable one and was fraught with dangers and hardships.  Deceased was descendent from a family of brave soldiers.  His grandfather, Nathan Freeman, was a soldier in the war of the revolution and was in the Continental army at Valley Forge.  His father was a soldier in the war of 1812 and served under General Harrison.
   James Freeman was an honored member of John W. Scott Post, No. 241, G. A. R., and he also belonged to Oshkosh Lodge, No. 27, F. and A. M.  In his pioneer days as a lawyer he was a member of the firm of Freeman & Hancock.  For a number of years up to the time he went to Chicago a few months ago, Mr. Freeman had an office in the Algoma block.
  Those surviving are his wife, two daughters, Miss Nettie Freeman and Margaret Freeman of Chicago, and two sons, Shepard Freeman, agent at the Keshena Indian reservation, and Charles Freeman, who is at the reservation with his brother.
   The Oshkosh members of the bar association will attend the funeral in a body.
   Deceased was president of the Old Settlers’ club of Oshkosh in 1896 and the organization will be strongly represented at the funeral.”

  • Children:
    1. Shepard Freeman born 1853 in Illinois; Shepard died January 4, 1918 in Houston, Harris County, TX, spending most of his life in Wisconsin before becoming a government agent on the Keshena Indian Reservation and Menominee Indian Reservation

According to the Oshkosh Northwestern (Oshkosh WI) Thursday, January 31, 1918, page 8:

“SHEPARD FREEMAN DEAD.
Former Well Known Resident of the
City of Oshkosh Passes Away in a
Texas Hospital

   Information has been received in this city of the death of Shepard Freeman, a former well know (sic) resident of Oshkosh, who passed away at Houston, Tex.  Mr. Freeman was the eldest son of James Freeman, one of the pioneer attorneys of this city, and was for many years employed in capacities of trust and responsibility by the Paine Lumber company.  He was also for several years United States agent on the Keshena Indian reservation, but for the last few years he had resided at Alvin, Tex.  He was ill but a few days and died in a hospital where he had been taken for an operation.  Mr. Freeman was sixty -four years of age and had one son, Clark L. Freeman, who is in Company D, Engineer’s Camp, at Travis, Tex. And one daughter, Mrs. Alexander M. Ward, and one grandson, Robert Ward of Alvin, Tex.  His mother, Mrs. E. E. Freeman lives at Bertrand, Neb. With her daughter, Mrs. Sarah Dobbin.  Two other sisters are Miss Anna Freeman and Mrs. H. M. Eberhart of Hubbard’s Woods, Ill., Charles H. Freeman of Washington, D. C. is the only surviving brother.”

  • Siblings:
    • Sarah Ann Marble born about 1810 in Ohio; Sarah died in Ohio, unmarried
    • Amy (Marble) Morse born about 1815 in New York; married Enoch Morse (1807-1883) on February 7, 1835 in Cuyahoga County, OH, son of Enoch Death Morse (1777-?) and Delila (Bartlett) Morse;  Amy and Enoch gave birth to an infant son that died at the age of 3 months (See section pertaining to Infant son Morse buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery);   Amy died March 10, 1890; Amy and Enoch are buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Waukegan, Lake County, IL.

According to “An American Family – Botsford-Marble Ancestral Lines” compiled for Otis Marble Botsford by Donald Lines Jacobus. New Haven, Connecticut. 1933; page 132:

ENOCH DEATH, b. 14 Dec. 1777; a Judge, lived in Sodus, N. Y. and Allen, Ohio; m. (1) DELILA BARTLETT, who d. 19 Nov. 1830; m (2) POLLY (BARTLETT) TOWER. A son by his first wife was Enoch, b. 12 May 1807, who lived at Fort Hill, Ill., and m. Amy Marble, dau. of Levi Marble, q. v.”

According to the Painesville Telegraph (Painesville OH) October 25, 1883:

“Death of Enoch Morse. Waukegan (Illinois) Gazette.
   On Friday, October 12th, at the ripe age of seventy-six years, Enoch Morse died at his home in this city.  He was a son of the late Judge Morse, of Wayne county, N.Y., and was born in Vienna N. Y., May 12th, 1807.  In 1827 he removed to Ohio, and in 1834 was married to his present wife, who was a daughter of the late Levi Marble, Esq., subsequently a resident of this county.  Mr. Morse was a pioneer in this county, having come here from Ohio in 1839, settling first upon his farm in the southwest part of the township of Avon.  There he lived for some ten or twelve years, when he removed to Waukegan, which has since been his constant home except that he has once or more moved upon his farm for a short time.  During his active years he followed the trade of a gunsmith.  He was successful in his business, and accumulated a considerable amount of property, being the owner, at the time of his death of more than a section of valuable farming land in this county and of a fine homestead in this city.  He was a robust, healthy man up to within two years ago, when he first stricken with paralysis.  Since that time he has sustained two strokes, the last one on Monday last.  The first ones prostrated him quite fully and confined him to the house for a few weeks, but he had regained his strength so far as to be able to walk over town and to do some light work.  Even on Monday last he spent a considerable part of the day about the city, but that evening sustained the stroke which caused his death.  He was conscious until near the close, but did not fully regain the power of speech, and failed throughout the week until Friday, when he died at about 11 o’clock in the forenoon.  He lived respected and gained and retained the confidence and esteem of all who came to know him well through his long life.  His sympathy for those in trouble was quick and practical, and there will be many besides those of his own family who will experience a sense of sorrow at the knowledge of his death.  His wife and two children, Col. C. C. Morse, of Avon, and Mrs. Julia Fredericks, of this city, survive him.  The funeral will be held from the family residence at 2 o’clock on Sunday afternoon. Deceased was a former resident of Painesville, and a brother of our townsmen, Messrs. Chauncey and Christopher Morse.”

According to the McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry IL) Wednesday, April 7, 1886, page 4:

“Fort Hill Precinct – Lake County
I hear that Amy Morse will teach the Summer term at Fremont Center.”

    • Hannah (Marble) King born April 29, 1819 in Willoughby, Lake County, OH; married Chauncy King; Hannah died October 30, 1903 in Fox Lake, Lake County, IL; Hannah and Chauncy are buried in Sheboygan Falls Cemetery, Sheboygan Falls, Sheboygan County, WI

According to the McHenry Plaindealer (McHenry IL) Thursday, August 28, 1902, page 5:

“Mrs. Hannah King is very low at her home at Sheboygan Falls, Wis.  Mrs. Marble has gone to care for her mother.”

According to the FindAGrave.com website, Memorial ID# 127442390 created by contributor “Diane F”:

“Death of Hannah King
   Mrs. Hannah King, widow of the late Chauncy King, died Friday, Oct. 30, 1903 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Con, Marble, at Fox Lake, Ill., of general debility, age 84 years, 60 months, and 6 days.  The deceased was born in Willoughby, Ohio and moved to Wisconsin in 1949, locating at Oshkosh.  Some 20 years or so later she moved to Sheboygan Falls where Mr. King died about twenty-two years ago, at their home a short distance west of the village on the Dye road.  She has continued to reside here since, except an occasional period when she was at the home of Mrs. Marble.
   She is survived by four children as follows: Mrs. Con. Marble, of Fox Lake, Ill.; and three sons, Levi, Clarence and Walton, of LaCrosse, Wis.
   The remains were brought to Sheboygan Monday, afternoon, accompanied by Mr. and Mrs. Marble, Mrs. Bottsford, a sister of the deceased, of Waukegan, Ill., and Mrs. Lovejoy, a niece of the late Mr. King, of Genosa Junction, Ill. Clarence King, Mrs. Levi King and Mrs. Walton King of LaCrosse, also met them at the depot in Sheboygan and the remains were taken direct to the Falls cemetery for burial.  Rev. E. E. Dresser made a few remarks at the grave.
Sheboygan Press, Nov 4, 1903.”

    • George Marble (1820-1820); George died in infancy
    • Delilah (Marble) Seeber born May 20, 1821 in Willoughby, Lake County, OH; married Abraham I. “Abram” Seeber (1814-1897) on January 25, 1841 in Lake County, IL, son of John William Seeber (1766-1851) and Elizabeth (Waldrath) Seeber (1777-1843); Delilah died April 14, 1903 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL (See section pertaining to Delilah (Marble) Seeber buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery) (See section pertaining to Abraham I. “Abram” Seeber buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)
    • Otis L. Marble born July 5, 1823 in Willoughby, Lake County, OH; married (1) Elizabeth L. Crosby (1828-1855) on October 20, 1853 in Lake County, IL, daughter of Thomas Baker Crosby (1793-1872) and Mary “Polly” Salls Crosby (1798-1878) (See section pertaining to Thomas Baker Crosby buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery); Elizabeth died May 16, 1855 in Lake County, IL (See section pertaining to Elizabeth L. (Crosby) Marble buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery) ; Otis married (2) Mrs. L. Elizabeth “Eliza” (Wood) Coleman (1832-1895) about 1859; Eliza was the widow of Milton Coleman (?-1857) and daughter of Jonathan Wood, also of Lake County, IL; Elizabeth died May 21, 1895 in Oshkosh, Winnebago County, WI; she is buried in Riverside Cemetery, Oshkosh, Winnebago County, WI; Otis died January 10, 1861 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL (See section pertaining to Otis L. Marble buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)
    • Mary Helen (Marble) Huson born December 1829 in Willoughby, Cuyahoga County, OH; married Judson M. Huson (1819-1854) as his second wife on June 30, 1849 in Lake County, IL, son of Elijah Huson (1792-1860) and Alzada (Tyler) Huson (1795-1875); Mary died March 18, 1850 of consumption in Lake County, IL; (NOTE: The gravestone indicates 1849 as the year of death but the stone was erected some years after her death and in error); Judson married (1) Rhoda Ann Stafford (1822-1841) about 1839; Rhoda was born December 18, 1822 in Yates County, NY and died May 22, 1841 in Dundee, Yates County, NY ten days after the birth of her only child, Rhoda Ann Huson; wife Rhoda was buried at Dundee Old Baptist Cemetery, Dundee, Yates County, NY; he married (2) Mary Helen Marble; he married (3) Catherine B. Alvord (1820-1913) on April 21, 1852 in Lake County, IL (NOTE: after the death of Judson in 1854, Catherine married Stephen Lawson (1809-1883) on February 23, 1858 in McHenry County, IL as his second wife); after the death of Mary, Judson and his daughter, Ann, from his first wife lived with his younger sister, Louisa (Huson) Booth (1827-1883) and her husband, Marshal H. Booth (1812-1906) in Wauconda Township; Judson died November 15, 1854 at age 34; (See section pertaining to Mary Helen (Marble) Huson buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery) (See section pertaining to Judson M. Huson buried in the Fort Hill Cemetery)
    • Elizabeth Electa (Marble) Botsford born September 22, 1833 in Bedford, Cuyahoga County, OH; married Captain Reuben Smith Botsford on January 9, 1859 in Fort Hill, Lake County, IL, son of Reuben Lay Botsford (1806-1898) and Nellie Eliza (Smith) Botsford (1809-1894); Reuben was born July 31, 1833 in Albany, Albany Countyf, NY and died August 21, 1918 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL; Captain Botsford was a Civil War veteran officer of Company F, 39th Illinois Infantry engaged in twenty-five battles; Elizabeth died May 27, 1910 in Waukegan, Lake County, IL; Elizabeth and Reuben are buried in Oakwood Cemetery, Waukegan, Lake County, IL

According to An American Family – Botsford-Marble Ancestral Lines (1933), portions of “Obituary Published by the Loyal Legion” of Reuben Smith Botsford:

“In 1854, the rest of the family landed at Dickinson’s Pier, Waukegan.  A farm was secured in Fremont Township, near Fort Hill, and Reuben S. constructed the family home, a structure of wooden blocks.  He also manufactured the primitive furniture.  For the next few years he lived with his parents, still working at his trade, and erecting nearly all the pioneer building in the vicinity of Waukegan…  He was married on January 9th, 1859 to Elizabeth E. Marble, daughter of Levi and Betsy (Granger) Marble, pioneers of Lake county, Illinois, who descended from distinguished ancestry.  This estimable lady was born in Bedford, Ohio, September 22, 1833, and died at Waukegan, May, 1910.  Seven children were born to this couple – three surviving – Otis M., president Botsford Lumber Company, of Winona, Minn.; Nellie E. Person, and Anna D. Botsford, of Waukegan, Ill.  Seven grandchildren survive, to wit; Mortimer and Reuben Botsford, of Waukegan; Marian, Blance and Anna Person, of Waukegan; Martha and Elizabeth Botsford, of Winona, Minn.”

According to “An American Family – Botsford-Marble Ancestral Lines” compiled for Otis Marble Botsford by Donald Lines Jacobus. New Haven, Connecticut. 1933; pages 84-85:

“OBITUARY OF MRS. REUBEN S. BOTSFORD

   The light of glory-gates ajar has fallen upon the face of Elizabeth E. Botsford, and she has journeyed forth to meet her Maker face to face.
   Elizabeth E. Marble was born in Bedford, Ohio, Sept. 22, 1833.  She was the daughter of Levi Marble, a native of Conway, Mass., and Elizabeth Marble, whose maiden name was Granger and whose birthplace was Sodus, N. Y.  In 1838 Levi Marble and family moved to this state.  They were members of a large company of pioneers of Lake County who came by boat to Kenosha and secured government lands in northern Illinois.  Levi Marble located at Fort Hill.  Among these early settlers Mrs. Botsford has a host of friends.  Not many, however, of the pioneers remain, and a few of them have lived in the county as long as did Mrs. Botsford, for she came here over 71 years ago.
   The pioneer home of Levi and Elizabeth Marble was blessed by the birth of seven daughters and one son.  Of this large family Mrs. Botsford was the last to pass away.  She had a vivid memory of early family experiences and cherished the early family ties.  Relatives came to her as to one whose acquaintance was widest and whose store of information about the early days seemed almost exhaustless.
   As a child and young woman Mrs. Botsford received the educational training afforded by the public school and the old Waukegan Academy.  On Jan. 9, 1859, she was married to Reuben S. Botsford, well known in the county since the Civil War shortly after which he was county sheriff.  To Mr. and Mrs. Botsford were born seven children, Charles M., Otis M., Elizabeth, Levi, Nellie E., Anna D., and Reuben.  Of these only three, Otis M. Betsford, Mrs. Nellie E. Persons and Miss Anna D. Botsford, together with their father, survive the mother and wife.
   With the exception of 10 years passed in Dakota, the home of Mr. and Mrs. Botsford was in Waukegan continuously from almost the time of their marriage until she passed away.  Her death occurred Friday, May 27, 1910, when she was 76 years, 8 months and 3 days old.
   In the years of her womanhood Mrs. Botsford made confession of her faith in the Fort Hill Christian Church.  She was a sincere Christian.  Her ideals were high, her life was purposeful and in her home was ever the fragrance of her beautiful character.  She made her home a source of blessing, and many, by reason of the benevolence of “Aunt Lib”, cherish as sacred the memory of her kindly deeds.  All her years she kept a deep trust in her Maker, a loyalty to her Saviour and walked “wearing the white flower of the blameless life.”
   The character of Mrs. Botsford revealed a certain richness of the years, the fruits of the spirit which have ripened as decade after decade passed by.  That fruition of time, the sweetening of the cup of life, that mellowness of character which is the most precious possession of age, was hers.  In her home circle Mrs. Botsford gave token of her energy, her intelligence and her ceaseless love.  Was there toil?  She did not hesitate. Were there burdens?  She was strong.  Was there sacrifice?  She had the courage to endure.  In every place where she came her vivacious cheer brought sunlight, her calmness and serenity gave good heart, her dignity and her ideals were a tribute to the worth of noble Christian womanhood.  To her belonged these “more precious treasures which time cannot supply and the years cannot remove – Friendship, Virtue, Patience, Faith and Love.”  the radiance of her life spoke the message of those last lines by Mrs. Oliphant:

On the edge of the world I lie, I lie
Happy and dying, and dazed and poor,
Looking up from the vast great floor
Of the infinite world that rises above
To God, and to Faith, and to Love, Love, Love.
What words have I to that world to speak,
Old and weary, and dazed and weak,
From the very low to the very high?
Only this – and this is all;
From the fresh green sod to the wide blue sky,
From Greatness to Weariness, Life to Death,
One God have we on whom to call;
One great bond from which none can fall;
Love below, which is life and breath,
And Love above which sustaineth all.
R.L. Handley.

Additional Information:

According to the 1850 U.S. Census in the Town of Avon, Lake County, IL the household members were:

“Levi Marble, age 61, occupation: farming, born in Massachusetts; Betsy Marble, age 59, born in Massachusetts; Otis Marble, age 27, occupation: farmer, born in Ohio; Antionet Marble, age 22, born Ohio; Elizabeth Marble, age 17, born in Ohio; Almeron Walden, age 20, occupation: farming, born in Ohio”