Simon D. Ostrom was the third child of five born to Simeon Charles Ostrom and Frances Knight and the only boy. I know little about Sim, but as time goes on I get little glimpses of his life. He was born September 11 1884, (1) Hope Township, Durham, Ontario. In 1891,(2) he was in Toronto East with his mother, siblings, and grandparents but has been omitted from the census. It is hard to believe he was elsewhere due to his age. Then, in 1901,(3) he can be found living with his mother and working as a tinsmith in Toronto's east end. I do know that he moved out west with his mother to homestead several years before the death of his older sister Frances in Toronto, and according to a book written by homesteaders of the Orillia District, they settled there. The book mentions that they first went to Drinkwater where Frances older brother John was and then moving further west to where her brother Harry lived.(4) They bought land near Cantuar, Saskatchewan and this is where he remained with his mother.(5) A few years later after the death of his sister her two children were sent to live with their maternal grandmother. The family is present on the 1916,(6) census and Simeon is identified as the head of the family with Frances and the two children Frances and Edgar McEwan. Sim and his mother both had a quarter of land and lived together until he married. At that point Frances had a small house built on her quarter. Sim met a girl Annie Vickers, originally from Ontario and married her sometime after 1916. They had a girl by the name of Geraldine and in 1921,(7) Sim, Annie, Geraldine and Frances lived in Cantuar, Saskatchewan on the homestead. Frances McEwan and her brother Edward were not present on the census. Sometime after the 1926 Census for Saskatchewan, Sim and his family moved further east. I have been told that Geraldine had a wonderful singing voice and sang on the radio in one of the larger western cities (possibly Calgary). According to the Book about Success, Geraldine died at a young age. However I question this as I find Geraldine in Ontario at a later date with her mother. Sim and Annie lived near or in Courtright, Ontario but then moved to the Detroit to find work, near his nephew Edgar McEwan. (See immigration papers below) Some interesting facts on the immigration papers. Sim was 5'6" with brown hair and blue eyes. His wife Mary Ann was living in Courtright at the time.
Further investigation regarding Sim appears to show he did not remain in the United States but returned to Calgary at some point. I have found his death in Calgary September 19 1930. Whether he worked in Detroit or not I do not know. He is buried in Burnsland Cemetery, in Calgary, Alberta. Sim was only forty-six when he died(9).
Funeral services for Simeon Ostrom, 46 years of age, who died Friday in a local hospital, will be held Monday morning at 10:30 o'clock from Foster & Foster's funeral home, Rev. M. Hall officiating. Interment will be made in the Burnsland cemetery. Mr. Ostrom was born in Port Hope, Ontario, and had been a resident of Calgary for one year. He leaves his wife and a daughter, Geraldine; his mother, Mrs. Frances Ostrom, of Swift Current, and two sisters, Mrs. J. Metford, of Pennant, Sask., and Mrs. J. Clark, of Cabrai [sic], Sask. The Calgary Herald, September 20, 1930, page 10 Alberta Death Reg. #202-572
Sim like many other of the Ostrom men was not always truthful about his age. In the 1926 census he lists himself as thirty-six years of age. Four years younger than his forty.
More information to be investigated
With regard to Simeon D, I was told that Geraldine is actually buried in Woodland Cemetery in London, Ontario, as is her mother Annie Vickers. However, I have found who I believe to be Mary Ann (Vickers) Ostrom buried in Burnsland Cemetery out west. My reason to think this to be her, as she is in the same plot number as Sim. The information I have found on Geraldine would lead me to believe that she died in Ontario not out West as previously thought Annie was born most in Kirkton, Perth, Ontario in 1898 daughter of Harvey Vickers and Margaret Hanna. Her marriage to Sim was more than likely in Saskatchewan around 1918. The fact that Geraldine had a wonderful singing voice and lived near the famous tenor Jon Vickers had me search to see if there was a relationship. (i.e. cousins). I have just confirmed that to be the case. Jon Vickers (famous Canadian opera singer) was the son of Annie's older brother William.
Citations
(1) B. 1884 Ostrom Simeon Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913Ontario, Canada Births, 1858-1913 Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; MS929; Series: 66; Reel: MS929 (2) C. 1891 Census of CanadaCensus Place: St Mathews Ward, York East, Ontario; Roll: T-6379; Family No: 341 *Simeon is not present on the census (3) C. 1901 Census of Canada Census Place: Toronto (City/Cité) Ward/Quartier No 3, York (east/est), Ontario; Page: 2; Family No: 14 (4) “Success – History of a District” published 1981 pg. 346 (5) 1911 Census of Canada Census Place: 79, Moosejaw, Saskatchewan; Page: 1; Family No: 15 (6) 1916 Census of Manitoba, Saskatchewan, and Alberta Census Place: Saskatchewan, Swift Current, 16; Roll: T-21945; Page: 17; Family No: 176 (7) 1921 Census of Canada Census Place: Reference Number: RG 31; Folder Number: 162; Census Place: Swift Current, Saskatchewan; Page Number: 7 (8) C 1926 Census Saskatchewan District: Swift Current District: 228 Sub-District: 53 Family: 77 Pg: 7 Line Number: 14 Ref: RG31, Statistics Canada Item Number: 6674681 (9) D. 1930 Ostrom Simeon Canada, Find A Grave Index, 1600s-Current Mary Ann Ostrom is also buried here in 1991