Section 8 – Deuel, Benedict

Written by Sandy Kinter, from Waterford Genealogical Society E-Newsletter Volume 18 Number 8

The eastern boundary of Section 8 is mostly followed by Airport Road until the road has to go around the western point of Huntoon Lake. Airport Road then makes one of those quirky dog leg maneuvers popular in the lakes area, but totally confusing for nonresidents, and, with a little jaunt to the east, continues north to Waterford Village. Hatchery Road makes up the southeastern corner of the section and now makes its way along the southern shore of Williams Lake to connect with Williams Lake Road.

In 1872 much of Section 8 is owned by the Whitfield family, Waterman P. Grow, and Emily Huntoon. Waterman P. Grow resided in Waterford Village and he is reported with other village residents.The Huntoon family has a large presence in Sections 5 and 8. All of the family is reported on in Section 8 with a two-part series.

Today the farmlands of Section 8 are covered by homes with some small businesses along Williams Lake and Airport Roads

Horace Edward Deuel
Cecelia C. Benedict

The 1870 census entry for H.E. Dewell (sic), says he is 25 years old, a farmer, born in New York. In the household is wife, Cecilia, age 25, born in New York, and children Clara H. age 3 and Kittie S., age 4 months, born in January. Both girls were born in Michigan. Also with the family is Loretta Dewell, age 47, born in Vermont, and John Levis, age 19, farm laborer, born in Michigan.

The 1872 plat map for Waterford Township does not show any property for H.E. Deuel and this agrees with the 1870 census, for H.E. ”Dewell” has no dollar amount given in the Value of Real Estate column. It was difficult to determine exactly where the Deuel family resided. They may have lived in one of the two residences shown on property owned by Emily Huntoon in either Section 8 or Section 9.

Horace Edward Deuel was born 28 May 1845 in Genesee County, New York, the son of Gideon Deuel and Loretta Green. (1) In the 1850 census, Horace Deuel and his mother, Loretta, are residing in the household of her father, Zadoc Green, the Town of Alabama, Genesee County, New York. (2) On 15 December 1863, Horace signed up as a private in Company H, 8th Regiment New York Heavy Artillery. In May 1864, Horace participated in the Battle of Spotsylvania. (3)(4) Horace Deuel married Cecelia C. Benedict, 8 August 1865, in Jefferson County, New York. (5) Edward H. Duel is reported to be a resident of Waterford Township when he purchases Lot #22 in the Village of Waterford, with a deed dated 14 August 1865. (6) Horace E. and Cecelia Deuel will sell this same lot in October 1871. (7) Cecelia’s obituary reports that Horace worked for the Pere Marquette Railroad and sometime after October 1871 the family moved first to Saginaw, Michigan, and, in 1882, to Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County, Michigan. (6) H. Edward Deuel died 8 September 1937, in Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. (1)(8) He is buried in the Riverside Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. (9) Horace’s obituary calls him Major H. Edward Deuel, the last Civil War veteran of Mt. Pleasant, and he was a mayor of Mt. Pleasant for eight terms. (8) Two sources give Horace the rank of private during the Civil War and at his death he is now a major. (3)(10)

Cecelia Charlotte Benedict was the daughter of Henry Benedict and Lydia Cadwell, (11)(12) born 18 September 1846, Oswego County, New York. (5)(12) She died 14 February 1923, in Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County, Michigan. (5)(12) Cecelia is buried with her husband in the Riverside Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan. (9)

Sources:

  1. Death Certificate, Edward H. Deuel, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952;
    Isabella (Mt. Pleasant), 1921-1944, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
  2. 1850 Census, page 320, the Town of Alabama, Genesee County, New York
  3. New York, Town Clerks’ Registers of Men Who Served in the Civil War, ca 1861-1865,
    page 5, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
  4. U.S. Civil War Soldiers, 1861-1865, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com
  5. Obituary, Cecelia Deuel, Isabella County Enterprise, Mt. Pleasant, Michigan, Friday,
    23 February 1923, page 5, Digital Michigan Newspaper Portal,
    Clarke Historical Library, Central Michigan University,
    www.cmich.edu/library/clarke/Pages/Michigan-Digital-Newspaper-Portal.aspx
  6. Deed Records, Oakland County, Michigan, Volumes 91-92, 1867-1868; Volume 91,
    page 420, Image 221, FHL #0975450, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org
  7. Deed Records, Oakland County, Michigan, Volumes 105-106, 1871-1873; Volume 105,
    1871-1872, page 5, Image 9, FHL #0975457, FamilySearch, www.familysearch.org
  8. Obituary, Maj. H. Edward Deuel, Detroit Free Press, Detroit, Michigan, Thursday,
    9 September 1937, page 26, Newspapers.com, www.newspapers.com
  9. Riverside Cemetery, Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County, Michigan, Find A Grave,
    www.findagrave.com
  10. 1890 Veterans Schedules, page 1, Mt. Pleasant, Isabella County, Michigan
  11. The Genealogy of the Benedicts in America, Henry Marvin Benedict, Joel Munsell, Albany, NY,
    1870, page 298, Hathitrust Digital Library, www.hathitrust.org
  12. Death Certificate, Cecelia Charlott Deuel, Michigan, Death Records, 1867-1952;
    Isabella (Mt. Pleasant), 1921-1944, Ancestry, www.ancestry.com