VIII. MARSHALL BIDWELL CAVERLY 1854 - 1938
(Charles H., Philip Jr., Philip Sr., John Sr., Peter I, Peter Gerardus, Jean)

No pictures of Marshall Bidwell Caverly have been found but various Michigan census and land records provide quite a bit of information. Marshall Bidwell Caverly was born May 28, 1854 in Rawdon Twp., Hastings Co., Ontario to Charles H. and Rebecca (Smith) Caverly. His father had died in 1869. The 1870 census for the Town of Bingham, Huron Co., MI shows that at age 15 he was the eldest child to remain at home with his widowed mother Rebecca. Huron Co. Land Book #15, pages 268 and 319 shows Marshall as Grantor’ for the NW 1/4 of the NE ¼ of Sec 30, TN 15, RN 13 to Edwin Hurford and Neil Sinclair in 1877. He first married Alla M. Chambers Sept. 22, 1878 in Sanilac Co., MI but she died in 1882 in Huron Co., MI and is buried in the Bingham Twp. Cemetery with other Chambers family members. In about 1885 Marshall married Mary E. carpenter. They had sons Wilbur F. (1886-1963) and Marshall Martin (1890-1987).

Mary had been previously married and shows up on the 1880 U.S. MI Census for Bay/Arenac Co., Clayton Twp., pg. 622 with her then husband Philip Marvin, 34; Mary, 27; Ida, 8; Ezra, 7; and William, 4. All had been born in New York. Her daughter Ida married George Woodcock in 1890; William married Cloa Whiting in 1894; and Ezra
married Annie Biship in 1897, all of them at Maple Ridge, Arenac Co., MI.

Marshall’s oldest sister Cinderella had married and moved to Alpena and evidently he and Mary also moved to the area since both sons were born there. In the Diary of James W. Carpenter 1880-1907, James Carpenter bought land in the Alpena area for $2/acre in December 1884 and moved there the following year. A Nov. 10, 1888 entry shows
that the rain turned to snow so Robt. McLeod, Jas. Carpenter, and Marshall Caverly left the Beekman Lumber camp at 2:30 to go home. A Mar. 26, 1889 entry reads “...held a caucus and got up a ticket. James W. Carpenter Supervisor, Geo. W. Stovel Clerk, James Early Treasurer, Marshall Caverly Highway Commissioner, ......”. An Oct. 7, 1889 entry says that Mrs. Marshall Caverly had come to visit and have supper with them. On Nov. 8, 1889 we find “Marshall Caverly gave me a bid to his sawing bee tomorrow.” The following day they had cut 28 cords of dry pine at the sawing bee. On Mar 23, 1890 James Carpenter’s wife died of pneumonia and Marshall Caverly, brother William, and their wives had been listed as some of those who tried to lend assistance to James in the days leading up to his wife’s death. A similar diary with additional entries, Diary of James W. Carpenter 1894-1907 has only one entry for Marshall Caverly on Nov. 20, 1898. It says that Marshall, his wife, and youngest son had come for dinner and afterward James gave them some cabbage heads to take home.

Marshall and family must have moved in 1899 because they show up in Dayton Twp., Arenac County in the 1900 Federal census for Michigan. Marshall’s occupation is listed as a farmer and he is renting his farm. It also shows that Mary had had nine children, six of which were still alive.

Arenac Co. land records show:

1905, Feb 3-Libre 19, pg. 228, Arenac Co.:
Marshall B. Caverly to C.H. Macomber:
This Indenture between Marshall and Mary his wife of Mason Twp. and Clarence H.
Macomber of Omer, Arenac Co., party of first part for sum of $100 W 1/2 of NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Sec. 17, Twp. 20 North Range 5 east with conditions, $100 one year after date hereof with rate of 7% per annum payable at Arenac Exchange Bank according to one certain promissory note of this date, executed by Marshall B. Caverly.

1905, Feb 16-Libre 36, pg. 276:
Wm. Marvin and wife to Marshall B. Caverly
This Indenture made Feb. 13, 1905 between Wm. Marvin and Cloa his wife of Clayton Twp., Arenac Co. and Marshall B. Caverly of Mason Twp., Arenac Co. For the sum of One $1 dollar land in Town of Mason W 1/2 of NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Sec. 17, Twp. 20 North Range 5 east (William was Mary’s youngest son from her first marriage.)

1905, Sept. 9--Libre 35, pg. 97, Arenace Co.:
Marshall B. Caverly to Nelson J. Fuehr:
This Indenture made Aug. 30, 1905 between Marshall B. and Mary E. Caverly, man and wife of Maple Ridge, MI to Nelson Fuehr of Turner, MI. Land in Mason Twp. for 350.00 W 1/2 of NE 1/4 of NE 1/4 of Sec. 17, Town 20 North of Range 5 east.

In the U.S. Census for 1910 we find that they have moved to Logan Twp., Ogemaw Co., MI. It shows Marshall and Mary to be married for 25 years, he is a farmer, Mary born in NY, her father born in PA, and her mother born in NY. Mary died in 1916 and the 1920 U.S. Census for Ogemaw shows Marshall Bidwell residing with his youngest son Marshall Martin and his young family.

Per the Tuscola Co. Advertiser, March, 1937, Bidwell Caverly was present at the 97th. birthday party of Redford Caverly in Kingston, MI. Mr and Mrs. Wilber Caverly of Flint, MI, Bidwell’s son and daughter-in-law Ethel were also present.

Both Marshall Bidwell (1854-1938) and his wife Mary E. (1854-1916) are buried in Logan Cemetery, Ogemaw Co., MI.

The two pictures below show Wilbur and his wife Ethel Whiteside who he married in 1907 in West Branch, MI. They settled in Flint, MI where they raised a family of four. Wilbur did painting and wallpapering. He continued to do that even after he hired into the Buick manufacturing plant leaving no time for hobbies. Ethel died in 1958 in Flint, MI. Ten months later Wilbur married Ida Fern Carson and they moved to Lupton, MI. Wilbur died there in 1963 of congestive heart failure. Ida moved to Clio and at some point married Mr. Mudge. Ida died in 1991.

For a brief time, 20 year old Marshall Martin worked as a laborer in lumbering in Cheboygan, MI. He married Mary E. Streeter in May 7, 1912 in Logan Twp., Ogemaw Co., MI, Record #742. Thereafter he farmed in the Prescott, MI area where they raised ten children.

Mary died in 1977 in Bay City, MI and Marshall died in 1987 in West Branch, MI. They are buried in the Logan Cemetery in Ogemaw County, MI.

michigan@thecaverlys.com

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