Clement Herman Kettmann, known to his family as ‘Clay,’ was born in Hanover, Germany, the third of eight children. He came to America with his family in 1897 when he was 12. Like many young farmers he only completed elementary school and went to work at a young age.
A big part of the family’s life was the Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Paterson - a German speaking center for the community and Clay was no exception. There he met other German families with similar backgrounds. In 1907 he was a member of the Catholic Gesellen Verein men’s club at Saint Boniface.
In 1910, when he was 25, he married 17-year old Josephine Osar, daughter of Joseph Osar (1860-1928), another local truck farmer. A newspaper article describes the wedding in some detail. Clay’s older brother Henry was the best man, and they honeymooned at Niagara Falls.
Clay and Josephine had a daughter early the next year, also named Josephine. Sadly Clay’s wife died that same year, perhaps from birth complications. Farmer Clay was unable to properly care for his infant daughter who went to live with and was raised by her Osar grandparents. We don’t know what role her father and the Kettman family played in her life, but she kept her Kettman name and at her wedding shower in 1929 her aunt Marie Huff was present.
After his wife’s death Clay lived on the farm with his mother Minnie and unmarried brothers. Eventually it would be just Clay and Garry living and farming together. His 1942 draft card indicates he was a slight man, just 5’ 5” and 142 pounds.
The family seemed to have been a tight unit, including spouses and their children. The men often spent time at sister Marie Huff’s cottage in the country.
Clay lived until almost 65 and was the first of his siblings to die in 1950. One of his obituaries mentions a son Gary, which is probably an error referring to his brother as they still lived together. His daughter Josephine married Cyrile Gielen in 1929 and lived to be 99 years old.
Learn more about her Kettman family at http://www.roefamily.info/genealogy/huff/kettman_family.htm
Contributed by Jon Roe.
A big part of the family’s life was the Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Paterson - a German speaking center for the community and Clay was no exception. There he met other German families with similar backgrounds. In 1907 he was a member of the Catholic Gesellen Verein men’s club at Saint Boniface.
In 1910, when he was 25, he married 17-year old Josephine Osar, daughter of Joseph Osar (1860-1928), another local truck farmer. A newspaper article describes the wedding in some detail. Clay’s older brother Henry was the best man, and they honeymooned at Niagara Falls.
Clay and Josephine had a daughter early the next year, also named Josephine. Sadly Clay’s wife died that same year, perhaps from birth complications. Farmer Clay was unable to properly care for his infant daughter who went to live with and was raised by her Osar grandparents. We don’t know what role her father and the Kettman family played in her life, but she kept her Kettman name and at her wedding shower in 1929 her aunt Marie Huff was present.
After his wife’s death Clay lived on the farm with his mother Minnie and unmarried brothers. Eventually it would be just Clay and Garry living and farming together. His 1942 draft card indicates he was a slight man, just 5’ 5” and 142 pounds.
The family seemed to have been a tight unit, including spouses and their children. The men often spent time at sister Marie Huff’s cottage in the country.
Clay lived until almost 65 and was the first of his siblings to die in 1950. One of his obituaries mentions a son Gary, which is probably an error referring to his brother as they still lived together. His daughter Josephine married Cyrile Gielen in 1929 and lived to be 99 years old.
Learn more about her Kettman family at http://www.roefamily.info/genealogy/huff/kettman_family.htm
Contributed by Jon Roe.
Clement Herman Kettmann, known to his family as ‘Clay,’ was born in Hanover, Germany, the third of eight children. He came to America with his family in 1897 when he was 12. Like many young farmers he only completed elementary school and went to work at a young age.
A big part of the family’s life was the Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Paterson - a German speaking center for the community and Clay was no exception. There he met other German families with similar backgrounds. In 1907 he was a member of the Catholic Gesellen Verein men’s club at Saint Boniface.
In 1910, when he was 25, he married 17-year old Josephine Osar, daughter of Joseph Osar (1860-1928), another local truck farmer. A newspaper article describes the wedding in some detail. Clay’s older brother Henry was the best man, and they honeymooned at Niagara Falls.
Clay and Josephine had a daughter early the next year, also named Josephine. Sadly Clay’s wife died that same year, perhaps from birth complications. Farmer Clay was unable to properly care for his infant daughter who went to live with and was raised by her Osar grandparents. We don’t know what role her father and the Kettman family played in her life, but she kept her Kettman name and at her wedding shower in 1929 her aunt Marie Huff was present.
After his wife’s death Clay lived on the farm with his mother Minnie and unmarried brothers. Eventually it would be just Clay and Garry living and farming together. His 1942 draft card indicates he was a slight man, just 5’ 5” and 142 pounds.
The family seemed to have been a tight unit, including spouses and their children. The men often spent time at sister Marie Huff’s cottage in the country.
Clay lived until almost 65 and was the first of his siblings to die in 1950. One of his obituaries mentions a son Gary, which is probably an error referring to his brother as they still lived together. His daughter Josephine married Cyrile Gielen in 1929 and lived to be 99 years old.
Learn more about her Kettman family at http://www.roefamily.info/genealogy/huff/kettman_family.htm
Contributed by Jon Roe.
A big part of the family’s life was the Saint Boniface Roman Catholic Church in Paterson - a German speaking center for the community and Clay was no exception. There he met other German families with similar backgrounds. In 1907 he was a member of the Catholic Gesellen Verein men’s club at Saint Boniface.
In 1910, when he was 25, he married 17-year old Josephine Osar, daughter of Joseph Osar (1860-1928), another local truck farmer. A newspaper article describes the wedding in some detail. Clay’s older brother Henry was the best man, and they honeymooned at Niagara Falls.
Clay and Josephine had a daughter early the next year, also named Josephine. Sadly Clay’s wife died that same year, perhaps from birth complications. Farmer Clay was unable to properly care for his infant daughter who went to live with and was raised by her Osar grandparents. We don’t know what role her father and the Kettman family played in her life, but she kept her Kettman name and at her wedding shower in 1929 her aunt Marie Huff was present.
After his wife’s death Clay lived on the farm with his mother Minnie and unmarried brothers. Eventually it would be just Clay and Garry living and farming together. His 1942 draft card indicates he was a slight man, just 5’ 5” and 142 pounds.
The family seemed to have been a tight unit, including spouses and their children. The men often spent time at sister Marie Huff’s cottage in the country.
Clay lived until almost 65 and was the first of his siblings to die in 1950. One of his obituaries mentions a son Gary, which is probably an error referring to his brother as they still lived together. His daughter Josephine married Cyrile Gielen in 1929 and lived to be 99 years old.
Learn more about her Kettman family at http://www.roefamily.info/genealogy/huff/kettman_family.htm
Contributed by Jon Roe.
Family Members
Parents
Siblings
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Henry Garret "Hen" Kettman Sr
1877–1967
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Garret "Garry" Kettman
1883–1958
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Marie Kettmann Huff
1889–1974
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GerhardJoseph Bernard Josef "Josef" Kettman
1891–1969
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Maria Bernhardina Katharina "Catharina" Kettmann Schanz
1893–1954
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Bernhard Theodor "Ben" Kettman
1896–1958
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Elizabeth "Betty" Kettman MacFadden
1900–1994
Children
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