Valiquet, John / Valiguish, S. died 1883
VALIQUET, VALIGUISH, SARGENT, ELY
Posted By: Reid R. Johnson (email)
Date: 11/24/2016 at 11:21:01
Elkader Register, Fri., 6 April 1883. Home News column.
S. Valiguish, an inmate of the county insane asylum, died on the 29th ult., at the age of 90 years. He was formerly a resident of Cass township, where he lived a number of years. He was a veteran of the war of 1812.
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Research notes compiled by S. Ferrall, coordinator Clayton co. IAGenWeb in an effort to determine that this obit is for John Valiquet and that John B. Valiquet is the soldier buried in the Poor Farm cemetery … not a veteran of the War of 1812, rather of the 21st Iowa Infantry, Civil War.
Clayton county death records, Book I, page 30, give age as 75 years, which is in conflict with the above obituary, giving age as 90 years. If he was 75 y/o at death, he could not have been in the War of 1812.
Census records:
--1860 U.S. census, Cass twp. living with Ira H. Sargent & Mary Sargeant. His name on the original census image is difficult to read: John B. Celecat or Boelecat, age 50, born Canada, laborer.
The ancestry.com transcription = Celecat, the transcription on the Clayton co. IAGenWeb = Boelecat. I looked at the original on Ancestry and can see why the transcribers had problems figuring it out.
--1870 U.S. census, Cass twp. a man named John Betteas is living with Ashley Ely, wife Samantha & 4 children. Despite the surname written by the enumerator, this must be John Valiquet. Other info. given: age 'about 70'; farm laborer; born Canada; can not read or write.
Betteas (or variation) may be John Valiquet's middle name. Other records give 'B' as middle initial. Samantha Ely was the daughter of Ira & Mary Sargent.
--1880 U.S. census, Cass twp. - he is living with Ashley Ely, Samantha Ely & their daughter Ettie. He's named John Valiquette, listed as a 'boarder', age 80y, born Canada, blind.
--The 1885 Iowa State census enumerates Ashley Ely, Samantha Ely & 28 y/o son? William in Rock Rapids, Lyon co. John is not in the household.
Samantha (Sargent) Ely had cared for John over the years, so it seems out of character to that she & Ashley would leave John, a helpless blind man, without taking him or arranging for his care. A reasonable explanation is that he was taken to the poor farm and died there.
Because John wasn't sure about his birth date, I don't give a lot of weight to the importance of the various ages given in records.... ie: 1860 census = 50y (1810); 1870 census = about 70y (1800); enlistment in 1864 = 44y (1820); 1880 census = 80 (1800); 1883 death record = 75y (1808)
Additions or corrections would be appreciated.
See also, a biography of John Valiquet written by Carl Ingwalson, for much background information and military service …….
(views: 846) (views: 301)Clayton Obituaries maintained by Sharyl Ferrall.
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