Person:Jane Bresett (2)

Her granddaughter, Sadie Hosler LaNore, in her notes about the family, gave the names of Jane's parents as John Bresett and Jane Bresett and the names of their children as Joe, John, Peat, Oshel and Jane. In 1850 Jane and William were living next to a Joseph & Peter Bresett. And in 1860 a Michar Brizett lived 4 houses near them. All in DeKalb Twp. St. Lawrence, New York.

   Dewey Hosler said she was half French and half Native American.  Izetta Hosler Kent said she was a full-blooded Native American from New York. Belle Sweet said Jane's father was French.  In Grace Hooper's Pioneer Notes, it states Jane was a French girl who worked in a poor house.  The Native American connection was difficult for some family members to talk about.  Pictures of Jane seem to indicate a strong Native American heritage.  In 2002, William 'Harold' Towsley supplied DNA for mitochondrial testing.  The results confirmed Native American heritage.  Mitochondrial DNA follows the maternal line and stops at the male. Harold's line was: Harold; his mother, Harriet Murphy; her mother, Margaret Hosler; her mother, Jane Bressett.
  Concerning the French name, Bresett, there are a couple possibilities.  When an Native American  became a Christian he/she took a white-man name (a 'dit'). John Bresett, or his ancestor, may have been a Frenchman or a Native American with a 'dit'.  Through DNA we believe we have identified Jane's brother, Joe, who told his grandson, Carlton, that the Bresetts were from Montreal and left there in the early 1800's, before the War of 1812.    
  In 1900, 1910 & in her obituary, it states she gave birth to 13 children.   The homestead papers and Pioneer Notes  indicate William raised 12 children.   When they came to Michigan they had 10 children and 2 were born in Michigan. It appears there was a child born and died in New York.
 Looking at the calendar of her life, if we have the dates correct, in 1879 two sons and her husband died.  Three months before her husband's death, he and Jane sold their homestead to their son, John, and Jane was given a life-lease. In 1884, four years after her second marriaage, Jane released her life lease to the property.
 Belle Sweet said everyone loved her.  She loved children and called them 'Burdie Lamb' and Belle felt that in heaven she is rocking children. Laura DuFore, granddaughter, remembers her sense of humor. Dewey Hosler said she was a grand lady, and doctored many people with herbs and doctors brought patients to her.  Dewey's wife, Leda, said Grandma Hosler was really loved by everyone.  She was the best doctor around and doctors brought her patients.  She called herself 'the old squaw', and use to say, "Bring it to me, the ole squaw can take care of it. Many tell of her working with herbs.  She was also a midwife and is written about in Michigan History, September/October 1989, 'Michigan Midwives' by Paula Stofer, pg 41-43. When she died, she was not as old as tradition says.  

Obituary

   One of the oldest residents of this part of the country in the person of Mrs. Jane Morehouse, passed away on December 9th* 1912.  She was born in St. Lawrence County, N.Y. in 1817 being past 95 years of age when she died.  She came to Michigan 42 years ago.  She married William Hosler who died thirty-three years ago.  To this happy union thirteen children were born, of whom eight are left to mourn her loss.  Namely, Alexander, Joseph, Margaret Murphy, Mary Duefore, Henry, George and John all of Antrim County and Isabell Briggs of Walloon lake.  She married Ira Morehouse who died seventeen years ago.  She was well and favorably known by all, a faithful wife, a loving mother and a kind friend.  The funeral took place on Sunday afternoon the sermon being preached at the Churchill Schoolhouse by Rev. T. Porter Bennett. of East Jordan.
Source: Charlevoix County Herald, Sat. Dec. 28 1912.

• Believe this should be 19th.

Charlevoix County Herald, Saturday, December 28, 1912

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Compiler: Antrim Co. MI. County Clerk. Antrim County Michigan Deaths
   Pg 75 No 42.

   Calculated month and day 6m 13d.

2.   Obituary, in Charlevoix County Herald.

   Saturday, December 28,1912.

3. ↑ Through DNA we believe we have identified Jane's brother, Joe, who told his grandson, Carlton, that the Bresetts were from Montreal and left there in the early 1800's, before the War of 1812. He was born in Kingston, Ontario, Canada, in 1812-13, and left there when he was 12 years old and later brought his parents to New York. Jane's birth could have been in either Canada or New York.
   
   There are several birth dates for Jane. The month and day were calculated from the death record. The year, 1828, was taken from 1850 & 1860 censuses. Other birth years are: 1833 (1900 census), 1817 (obituary) and 1811 (death record). Dewey Hosler also felt she was not as old as rumored and that the 101 and 95 years of age at death were an error.
4. ↑ Her tombstone was purchased in the 1990's by Howard Hosler, a ggrandson.