My Great Grandfather, Oscar Decato

· Born in Canaan, New Hampshire, April 6, 1862

· Died August 20, 1931 in Enfield, New Hampshire

· He is buried in the St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery on Clark Hill Road in Canaan, New Hampshire.

Oscar's Obituary Wife Parents

Taken and edited from "Descendants of Pierre Lefebvre".

843.   Oscar C.9 Decato (Charles8 Lefebvre dit Descoteaux, Charles7, Joseph6 Descoteaux, Ange-Gabriel5, Claude4 Lefebvre dit Descoteaux, Ange3, Pierre2 Lefebvre, Pierre1) was born April 06, 1862 in Canaan, New Hampshire (Source: Certificate of Death.), and died August 20, 1931 in Canaan, New Hampshire (Source: Certificate of Death.).   He married (1) Delia Bourgeois May 20, 1882 in Lebanon, N.H., daughter of Sigfroy Bourgeois and Delina St. Cyr.   He married (2) Clara Rosana Laporte February 09, 1889 in Lebanon, NH, daughter of Olivier Laporte and Julie Robidoux.   He married (3) Sophie Theriault July 06, 1895 in Franklin, New Hampshire (Source: Canaan Town Records.), daughter of Jacob Theriault and Olive Morin.   He married (4) Carrie D. Wescott April 18, 1907 in Canaan, NH (Source: Canaan Town Records.), daughter of Alonzo Wescott and Ellen Simons.

Notes for Oscar C. Decato:
Buried in St. Mary's Cemetery, Canaan, New Hampshire on Aug 22, 1931

According to Emile Choinard, Leandar and Oscar inherited the Decato farm (Canaan, NH, Clark Hill Rd next to St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery) when Charles died.   Leander purchased Oscar's interest in the farm for $600.

Oscar was the youngest of six sons, but by the time of the death of his parents, he had already suffered great personal losses.   Oscar was 20 years old when he married his first cousin, Delia Bourgeois on May 20, 1882 in Lebanon, New Hampshire.   Delia was his mother's brother's daughter.   A year after they were married, his first son, Oscar Jr., was born.   Two years later Oscar and Delia had their first daughter they named Mary.

On March 18, 1886, just a year after Mary was born, his son Oscar died from diphtheria, and two days later young Mary died. On the following day, his wife Delia died as well. (see their grave at: http://www.decato.net/graves2.htm).   A vaccine for diphtheria was not developed until 1890.

On February 09, 1889, Oscar, at the age of 27, married his second wife. Clara Rosana Laporte was a twenty-one year old girl from Lebanon, New Hampshire.   Within a year Oscar was once again a father.   On July 10, 1890, Dora Belle Decato was born.   It seemed that Oscar was finally on his way to maintaining a happy family when their second child, Clara Albina Decato was born January 08, 1892.   Tragedy struck again when his wife Clara died just two weeks after their second daughter was born following birth complications.

For a period of three years Oscar was left to raise his two daughters by himself.   In 1895, Oscar married Sophie Therriault,   an attractive 31 year old French Canadian school teacher .   They married on June 19 in Franklin, New Hampshire.   His daughter Dora was five years old and Clara was just three so Sophie immediately had a small family when she was married.   (See Sophie's picture at:   http://www.decato.net/sophie.htm)

In 1897 Oscar's sister Mary died at the age of 27, and just two months later Oscar lost his mother. Theotiste died February 20, 1898 at the age of 72. Oscar was just 36 years old.

In 1899 Oscar and Sophie had their first child, Romeo Oscar Leander Decato.   He was born August 12 in a little log cabin that had been built on his father's property in front of the old house in Canaan.

On December 03, 1901 another daughter was born, Mary Rose D. Decato.   Just three months later Oscar's father died February 11, 1902 from an asthmatic attack.   Oscar buried Charles next to Theotiste in St. Mary's Catholic Cemetery on his father's property on February 13, 1902.  

Incredibly five days after Oscar lost his father, on February 18, 1902, his young baby Mary Rose died.   Oscar was not yet forty years old.   When Charles died the old farm was left to Oscar and his brother Leander.   Leander purchased Oscar's share of the property for $600.

Sophie died on April 14, 1905 at the age of 41, leaving Oscar with three children: Dora age 15, Clara age 13 and Romeo, age 5.   Sophie was buried near Oscar's parents and first two wives in the cemetery on his father's property.

Oscar had lost three wives, three children, both his parents, and a sister by the time he was 43 years old.

On April 18, 1907, Oscar married his fourth and final wife, Carrie D. Wescott, who had previously been married to Orrie Powell.   Carrie had a young daughter from her previous marriage, Florence, who was 3 years old at the time Carrie and Oscar were married.   Oscar and Carrie had their first child, Doris J. Decato, on February 10, 1908.   Their second child, Harold Edward Decato, was born November 03, 1909.  

Oscar died at his sister Elizabeth's home on August 20, 1931.   He suffered from Aterio Sclerosis and had been ill from a "weak heart" for a month prior to his death.   His body was brought to his daughter Dora's home in Enfield where it lay in state.   He was buried near his parents in the family cemetery in Canaan.   Oscar was survived by his two sons Harold and Romeo, and his daughters Dora, Clara and Doris.

Harold raised a large DECATO family in Merrimack, New Hampshire.

His half brother Romeo (my grandfather) stayed in Grafton County.   Romeo and his wife Gladys Valia from Grafton had two children (Albert Oscar and Romeo Jr.)   He died in 1961 from a massive stroke after a long battle with heart disease.

Gladys lives in a retirement home in Lebanon, New Hampshire.   She is 93 years old (March 2004).

Romeo Decato and his wife Regina live in Enfield, New Hampshire.   Romeo's brother Albert and his wife Marie live in Canaan.

Oscar's photograph and obituary can be found here:   http://www.decato.net/oscar.htm

Back to family photo index