Nelson E. Chatterdon's funeral flowers.

I occasionally see photographs of floral arrangements from funerals. I purchased this image from Ebay. It has two insets, one of a man's face and another of a document. The G.A.R. floral tribute indicated that this was a Civil War soldier. Under high magnification the name Chatterdon is visible on the document and as it turns out, Nelson Chatterdon died in Traverse City on 24 February 1900.

Most photographs from this time period were studio portraits. This one is probably the interior of the Chatterdon house on Washington Street. Visible furnishings include a dressing table with a mirror (covered), two end tables, a wicker stool, and two homemade stools covered with carpet scraps. The walls are covered with wallpaper, the floor has a commercially woven rug. An adjustable blind covers the window on the left.

Two wreaths, several bundles of flowers, and at least seven vases filled with flowers were present. Nelson died in February 1900, and it is interesting to see what flowers were available at the time. I can identify calla lilies, roses, carnations (the most popular), and some type of daisy. Many of the flowers are starting to wilt, suggesting the picture was taken a few days after the funeral, perhaps at the very end of February.


Click on the image for a larger view.

Smith & Price Traverse City.

And the answer about the flowers- in 1893 J. K. Gunton had a greenhouse and was providing cut flowers to the community (Grand Traverse Herald, 16 February 1893, page 5, column 5). The 1902 Traverse City city directory lists two men as florists- Frank M. Paine and Ernest F. Holcomb.

Nelson E. Chatterdon was born on 22 February 1847 in New York or Lenawee County, Michigan, son of (–?–) Chatterdon and May Dennison..

            Nelson was married first on 30 December 1865 in Washington County, Michigan  to Caroline Theyr [Thayer?]. ¹

            Nelson enlisted as a Private in Company A of the 17^th Michigan Infantry on 3 February 1864 at Detroit, Michigan. He was transferred to Company A of the  2^nd Michigan Infantry on 31 May 1865. He was mustered out at 28 July 1865 at Delaney House in Washington, DC.²

            On 22 June 1880, Nelson and his daughter May lived in Traverse City with George Upton. The two men were harness makers.³

            Nelson was married on 7 June 1884 in Grant township, Grand Traverse County to Jennie A. Skinner.⁴ Nelson was a harness maker in Traverse City in 1884.⁵ In 1890, Nelson lived in Traverse City.⁶

            Nelson applied for Civil War invalid pension in February 1896.⁷

            Nelson died on 24 February 1900 at his home on Washington Street from a cerebral apoplexy.⁸ In March 1900, Jennie applied for a Civil War widow’s pension.⁹

            Jennie died on 7 May 1954 in Traverse City.¹⁰ Nelson and Jennie are buried in Oakwood Cemetery.¹¹

Nelson and Caroline (Thayer) Chatterdon were the parents of one child:

i.          MAY B. CHATTERDON was born circa 1871 in Michigan.

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¹Chatterdon-Theyr entry, Michigan Marriages 1822-1995 database, online at FamilySearch.org.

²Nelson Chatterdon entry, US Civil War Records and Profiles database, online at FamilySearch.org.

³George Upton household, 1880 US census, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, population schedule, Traverse City, ED 82, SD 2, sheet 18B, dwelling 140, family 166; NARA microfilm T9, roll 578.

⁴Grand Traverse County Marriage Records, Vol. 2:74.

⁵Michigan Western, 1884 Directory, online at Ancestry.com.

⁶Nelson Chatterdon, 1890 US census, Grand Traverse County, Michigan, population schedule, Traverse City, page 9, line 1; NARA microfilm M123, roll 21.

⁷Nelson Chatterdon entry, Civil War Pension Index, Application no. 803,377, Certificate no. 620,415.

⁸Grand Traverse County Death Records, Vol. 1:184.

⁹Nelson Chatterdon entry, Civil War Pension Index, Application no. 714,968, Certificate no. 494,407.

¹⁰Death Takes Grant Pioneer, Traverse City Record Eagle, 7 March 1954, page 9, column 6.

¹¹Oakwood Cemetery, 1^st Addition, Block 306, Lot 02, #9.