Ionia County MI Archives Obituaries.....Catt, Robert 1937
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Sandy Heintzelman sheintz@iserv.net December 3, 2010, 12:29 am

Lake Odessa Wave, 14 Jan 1937

Robert Catt, 96, Died Friday Eve

G.A.R. Veteran Was Odessa’s Oldest Citizen.  Funeral, with Full Military 
Honors, Held Monday.

Odessa’s township’s oldest citizen and one of Lake Odessa’s three remaining 
members of the Grand Army of the Republic, Robert Catt, 96, answered the final 
call Friday evening at the home of Mrs. Robert Musgrove where he had made his 
home for the past several months.

Mr. Catt had been in failing health for about three years.  However, up till 
this last fall he had gone to Florida, where he spent the winters, every year 
for the past twenty-five or more years.  During the last two or three winters 
he had suffered severe spells of sickness for three or four week periods while 
in Florida, but always recovered sufficiently so he was able to return to his 
home here each spring.

While here he was up and around town the most of the time until about three or 
four months ago when he began to be confined to the house more and more, and 
during the last eight or ten weeks he had become quite enfeebled.  Until about 
the last year he had made his home, for several years, when in Michigan, with 
his nephew-in-law and niece Mr. and Mrs. Frank McDonald.

The funeral was held at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Walter E. Wortley, Monday 
afternoon, The Rev. E. H. Humphrey, pastor of the Congregational church here, 
officiating.  Bearers of his American flag-draped casket were local Spanish 
American war veterans John Ward, Frank Gidings, Norman Barker, John Hunter, 
Will Gavit, Louis Terry, and W. E. Gardner.  Interment was made in the family 
lot at Lakeside cemetery, LaVerne Demaray post of the American Legion 
conducting the burial services with full military honors.

Mr. Catt is survived by a 90 years old sister Mrs. Charlotte Baker at Aberdeen, 
S.D., and several nephews and nieces, those living here being George and Will 
Tasker, Miss Ida Catt, Mrs. Frank McDonald, and Orvin Catt.

Robert Catt was born on November 30, 1840, just a few miles outside of London, 
in Sussexshire, England.  When about twelve years old he came with his parents 
to the United States, they settling near Rochester, N. Y.  The war of the 
Rebellion was precipitated on April 12, 1861, and on February 28, 1862, he 
enlisted at Buffalo in the 78th New York Volunteer Infantry.  His enlistment 
having been for a three-year term, he received his honorable discharge from the 
army at Goldsborough, N. C., on April 5, 1865.  shortly after, Gen. Robert E. 
Lee of the Confederate army surrendered his command to the Union forces at 
Appomattox, Va., on April 19, and the Civil war came to a close after four 
years of bitter, internecine warfare.

In 1866 or 67 Mr. Catt came to Michigan and purchased 120 acres of wilderness 
about three miles west of where Lake Odessa is now located.  With the 
assistance of Joseph Johnson, who now is in his 90th year, he cleared a good 
share of the land and erected the buildings necessary for a farm home.  Shortly 
after, his parents came and made their home with him until their deaths many 
years ago.  Following the loss of his parents he came to Lake Odessa and has 
lived here since.  He never had married.

When Mr. Catt could be more active in business affairs he accumulated 
considerable property, both real and personal.  He was a director for many 
years of the old Lake Odessa Savings bank, and at the time of his death was a 
stockholder in the new Union Bank.

He had attended practically all of the state and national encampments of the 
GAR held throughout the later years and usually appeared in the line of march 
when the aged veterans were on parade.  Politically, he had been a staunch 
republican practically all his life.

There is much more of interest that might be written about the life of Mr. Catt 
but as The Wave-Times, in years gone bye, has published several articles about 
him and letters from him when he was wintering in Florida we feel that the 
record of his activities and interests has already been pretty well chronicled.


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