I am on the trail of Catherine and keep coming up cold. All I have to confirm her connection to Michigan is her death certificate. She was born 17 June, 1823 in NY (probably at the Town of Schagticoke, Rensselaer Co.) to Peter and Elizabeth (GRAUBERGER) Weatherwax. She died at Evangeline Twp., Charlevoix Co., MI on 10 February, 1903 at the age of 79 years and 8 months. She was buried in the Bay Springs Burial Ground on 12 February, 1903. I am simply not finding her even though it appears that she was the recipient of surrogate court papers from NY while living in Charlevoix Co. in 1877. It also doesn't help that I am very leery about the spelling of her married surname. The only whiff of a clue I currently have to work with is that the informant on her death certificate was John A. Dornburg.

I found this on the 1900 Census:
Name: Catherine J Cowan
Home in 1900: Kalkaska, Kalkaska, Michigan
Age: 73
Birth Date: Jul 1826
Birthplace: New York
Race: White
Ethnicity: American
Gender: Female
Relationship to Head of House: Mother
Father's Birthplace: New York
Mother's Birthplace: Vermont
Marital Status: Widowed
Residence : Kalkaska Village, Kalkaska, Michigan
Occupation: View on Image
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members:
Name Age
Hattie Crawford 39
Fay Crawford 14
Loa Crawford 9
Catherine J Cowan 73

Kalkaska is very close to Charlevoix.

Marly

I am the great grandson of John Anson Dornburg.I wrote you a bit ago concerning Catherine S. Weatherwax Coan. She is said by the Heaton family that she is the mother of John A Dornburg and comes out of New York as your records indicate. Do you have proof that this was true or is she a surrogate mother of John Dornburg. The family records indicate that they lived in the Detroit area where John received his education, that they came to Boyne Fall/Boyne City. It is said that Catherine remarried in this area (Coan/Cowan). I know that she died and is buried at age 80 in Bay Springs, Charlevoix Co. Michigan, where John Anson Dornburg resided. I am looking for more information on the Dornburg and Weatherwax line. Please respond! Signed:heatonh@theheatonfamily.org

I am working on this couple from the Weatherwax side. This is proving to be a quite a genealogical puzzle. At this point, I really have no answers for you. From what I have been able to find out from censuses, etc., I think Sylvanus/Sylvester Coan and Catherine Weatherwax had been married about 30 years when he died 25 August, 1876. The children I have for them are Ellen Coan (born circa 1847), Orlando Augustus Coan (1849-1937, married 1. Lucinda ?, 2. Dora B. ?), Priscilla Anna Coan (born circa 1853) and Marcia Coan (born circa 1863, married Thaddeus KELLOGG by 1880).

Sylvanus/Sylvester, Catherine and family can be found on the following censuses:

1850 US Census for the Town of Parish, Oswego CO., NY
Taken 17 July, 1850
Name: Sylvenus Coan
Residence: Oswego , New York
Age: 30 years
Estimated Birth Year: 1820
Birthplace: New York, United States
Gender: Male
Film Number: 444293
Image Number: 00287
Reference Number: 27
Dwelling Number: 58
Household ID Number: 58

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1860 US Census for the Town of Parish, Oswego CO., NY
Page Number:17
Lines: 27-31

COAN, Sylvanus. age 40, male, farmer, real estate valued at $1200, personal estate valued at $542, born NY
COAN, Catherine, age 37, female, born New York
COAN, Ellen, age 13, female, born New York
COAN, Orlando, age 10, male, born New York (NOTE: Appears to be son Augustus listed in 1850 USC.)
COAN, Pricilla, age 7, female, born New York

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1870 US Census for the Town of Parish, Oswego CO., NY
Page Number: 4
Lines: 31-35

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As far as I can tell, the last census that Catherine appears on is the 1880, as follows:

1880 US Census for the Town of Parish, Oswego CO., NY
Family History Library Film: 1254915
NA Film Number: T9-0915
Page Number: 23D

Catherine Coan Self W Female W 58 NY Keeping NY NY
Thadeous KELLOGG SonL M Male W 19 NY Farmer NY NY
Marcia KELLOGG Dau M Female W 17 NY At Home NY NY

Where was Catherine in the 1900 USC? That's something I haven't quite nailed yet. Unfortunately, the DORNBURG surname does not ring a bell with me at all. However, I will keep digging and will let you know if anything crops up.

Thankyou for your reply. I would have you look at the 1900 Federal Census for Kalkaska, Mi. Catherine Weatherwax Coan is living with her daughter Hattie Crawford and her childern Fay and Loa. Catherine is 73. This response from Mpk1414 puts John Anson Dornburg in the picture. When she passes she is buried in Bay Springs the home town of John Anson Dornburg. Again,if you come across more information on either the linage of Catherine Weatherwax Coan(Cowan) or John Anson Dornburg, I would appreciate you sharing. Thanks again.

Is there any possibility that you could fax me a copy of the surrogate court papers involving Catherine S. Weatherwax Coan (1823-1903)? fax no. 1-810-239-4636 I would gladly reimburse you for cost of the same. heatonh@theheatonfamily.org