Person:Abner Van Norman (1)

Abner Everitt Van Norman was named after his uncle Abner Everitt who had married the sister (Hannah Cummins) of his mother (Catherine Cummins-Van Norman).

There is considerable confusion as to the identity of Abner’s first wife. H. Langford (S1) wrote that it was Catherine Haines of Dundas suggesting that she was a relative of Abner’s mother’s sister, Elizabeth (Betsy Cummins) Hanes of Dundas. This cannot be true. Betsy Cummins Hanes lived all her life on her father’s farm in Rock Chapel. She and her husband had only one daughter, Christine Hanes (1838-1906) who married Peter C. Pool.

Others (S2) reported that Catherine Bell (1821-1852) was his first wife.

Langford (S1) wrote that Abner and Catharine lived with Abner’s father, Isaac Van Norman in the brick house until after 1852 (when both Isaac and Abner lost their wives). Abner’s wife apparently died of consumption and she was nursed by her sister, Elizabeth Bell, who was listed living with them in the census of 1851.

On Catherine's death, Abner married (S2) her sister, Elizabeth.

Abner and his second wife, Elizabeth Bell, moved to Hamilton (Langford S1 claimed Norwood), Ontario prior to 1861.

His 25-year-old son Marshal Eugene Van Norman came home to Hamilton (S4) to die in 1867.

In his father’s 1874 will (S3), Abner E. Van Norman was described as a gentleman living in Hamilton.

Abner attended the 61st wedding anniversary love feast of his paternal and maternal aunt & uncle, Charity Cummins and Abram Van Norman in 1874 in Tillsonburg and he was described as being from Hamilton.

It has been suggested (S5)that Walter H. Van Norman (born ~1853) may have been a son of Abner and Elizabeth of Hamilton and that Walter married Eliza Lilly Cook 22 Nov 1877 in Minneapolis MN.

1.   A History of Mount Vernon Cemetery: A Pioneer Methodist Cemetery
   ~1973.

   by H. Langford published by Burlington Historical Society in Burlington, Ontario, Canada.

2.   Genealogy of Murray R. Cummins
   <1988.

   Mr. Cummins of Millgrove Ontario collected and recorded family names and dates until his death in 1988.

3.   Will of Isaac Van Norman
   1874.

   Halton County Surrogate Court

4.   Christian Messenger
   p. 48, Mar 18 1868.

   Marshall Eugene Van Norman son of Abner Van Norman and grandson of Isaac Van Norman who was a local preacher for 60 years was born in Nelson Feb 16 1842. As a young man he lived in Baltimore but had to return to Hamilton due to consumption in the autumn of 1867 and died there Feb 18 1868 survived by his father and step mother.

5.   Barbara Blake-Klebs
   1999.

   Posting on Wentworth County Genweb page