Family/Spouse: Arnold DEVRIES. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Sharon DEVRIES
2. Janet DEVRIES
3. Sally DEVRIES

Family/Spouse: Boyd SWEET. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: F8ED3E44BCED43239B2C7731693095485B84

Notes:

Middle name likely Claude

Burton married Marjorie BROAD in 1933. Marjorie was born on 24 Jan 1912; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 6CE36F6CFD99493DB0E8073847F61209754E

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: F91AB926DEDF43F2AE7494DDF900887D7515

Claude married Maggie M MCGINNIS. Maggie was born on 18 Aug 1886 in Demorestville, Sophiasburgh Township, Ontario, Canada; died on 20 Sep 1912 in Sophiasburgh Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 33977E5236AA440DB4310808018A3DC14936

Notes:

KOTCHAPAW M M age 26, wife of Claude, born at Demorestville, died at Sophiasburgh 20 Sep. 1912 - cancer. (Maggie M. McGinnis)

Died:
Cancer, Aged 26

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: 3F20E985E20A4A2CAF0E8CE969608A1DD169
• Name: Episcopal Methodist

Notes:

(Research):John Ryerson Kotchapaw was born on a cold January day in 1853 (13 Jan) on a farm in Sophiasburgh Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario. He was the first of seven children ( of whom five made it to adulthood).

His father, Reuben, settled on and farmed Lot 18, concession 2 with a mailing address of Demorestville RR 2. The computerized Land Records Index show registry on 3 Oct 1857 concerning CL Deed # 01 C113.

John farmed with his father.

He grew up in the same concession as Sarah Gorsline who he married on 11 Jun 1879 when he was 26.

John's father died a few months after their wedding, Reuben ,as the eldest son, inherited his father's farm. He continued to farm growing barley, hay and other cereals. They had a large barn (with hay loft) for the dairy cows, pigs, chickens and a horse or two. They lived in a large two storey farm house. They lived without electricity or indoor plumbing.

Sarah gave birth to 2 sons - Claude in 1885 and Bill in 1891. The boys helped with the milking of the cows by hand and with the large vegetable garden. They grew all their own vegetables. Sarah churned the cream and butter

In July 1899, Sarah became paralyzed and died .

John married Deborah Anderson on 23 Jan 1901. They did not have any children.

John's grandchildren Marion and Bill spent a whole summer in 1937 at the farm of their grandparents. Marion remembers John as being strong and handsome with a great white mustache. He loved to call people "Darlin". Grandma Deborah was a dear. Marion recalls that the horse that they had then was called Hazel. One of Marion's chores was to fetch the eggs (about 4-6 eggs) each morning. At that time, her uncle Claude was living across the street where he farmed. Claude's son Burt, 29 had attached/ latched a house onto his grandfathers and was farming there.

John died on 6 May 1940 at the age of 87.

John married Sarah Matilda GORSLINE on 11 Jun 1879. Sarah was born in 1856; died on 25 Jul 1899 in Sophiasburgh Township, Prince Edward County, Ontario, Canada. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• _UID: E8C6A732D8384815884BCDF5F463A839C141

Notes:

Sarah was a practising Quaker.She gave birth to 2 sons - Claude and Bill. She died when her son Bill was 8. Her husband remarried but his new wife was not loving towards her stepson Bill.

Someone showed Meliisa rather than Matilda as her middle name.

Her son William writes: " Yes the Gorslines were Quakers and well I remember going to church shared with the Methodists. We might sit for in church an hour and then (Isse Wilson) would get up and reach her sermon.

(Research):Sarah was born on 12 November of 1857. Her parents Jacob and Roxanna were third generation Canadian farmers. Their grandparents had cleared the forests and homesteaded in Prince Edward County, an island on Lake Ontario south of Belleville.

Jacob and Roxanna named their firstborn child after Jacob's mother Sally Adams who had died three years before.

Jacob was a farmer who inherited his farm from his father. It was the original homestead of his grandfather. It consisted of 200 acres, lot no. 26, 2nd concession, Sophiasburg, Prince Edward County (near Picton, Ontario).

Sarah's parents were Quakers with a strong belief in listening to the still small voice of God within every person. They believed in acts of goodness and generosity and in pacifism. Sarah embraced this faith and went to Quaker services all her life.

When she was nine, her adored brother Will was born. When Sarah was thirteen, her sister Edna was born. It was hard on all of them when Edna died five years later.


When she was 22, Sarah married John Kotchapaw.

Sarah gave birth to her first child Claude six years later. When she was 34, she gave birth to her second and last child Bill. She named him after her beloved brother Will.

Sarah and her sons attended Quaker services held in the Methodist Church in the village of Demorestville. They shared the church with the Methodists. Her son Bill wrote in a letter "well I remember going to church with my Mother. We might sit in silence for an hour and then Isse Wilson would get up and preach her sermon."

John did not embrace Quakerism. In the census, he reported that he was an Episcopal Methodist and indeed took visiting grandchildren to services at the Methodist Church using their horse and buggy to get there.


She and her husband were a hard working and energetic team tackling the challenges of farming, parenthood and good citizenship with confidence and a positive attitude. These were the days before electricity and indoor plumbing. They grew their own food, milked the cows by hand and churned their own butter and cream.

In the year of 1899, three days before her son Bill's eighth birthday, Sarah died. She was 44. The death certificate indicates hemorrhage of the brain and cancer

Died:
Paralysis Age 42