The first member of the Crouter Family was likely of Dutch or German origin. Family recollections indicate that he came to America as a British soldier, having likely been recruited in Germany. It is related that he served as a soldier of the British force under General Bradstreet which captured and destroyed Fort Frontenac on the site of the city of Kingston in August of 1758. After the war he is said to have taken his discharge , following which he settled in Duchess County NY
Crouter was a very uncommon name in the Eighteenth Century with only three families of this surname in the 1790 New York Census all three residing in the community of Haverstraw in Rockland County, forty five miles south of Poughkeepsie, and twenty five miles above New York City, being also on the western bank of the Hudson River. It is almost a certainty that those three families were closely related, and that one of them became the first of the families to settle in Canada. The names found in the census were:
John Crouter a wife, one son over sixteen, two sons under sixteen and one daughter.
Mary Crouter, a widow , three sons under sixteen and a daughter.
Peter Crouter a wife, two sons under sixteen years, and three daughters
This Peter Crouter with his wife and five children is undoubtedly the first Crouter who came to the Bay of Quinte area in 1796, one child being born in the interim. Peter settled in the first Concession of Ameliasburgh Township of Prince Edward County evidently on Lot 88 in the first Concession, A short distance west of Rossmore. In the following year 1797 Peter made an application for a grant of land. This petition is recorded in these words :
To His Honor Peter Russell, Esquire, President
Administering the government of the Province of Upper
Canada Gc Hc in Council ____ ____ ______
The Petition of Peter Crouter of the township of A
Ameliasburg County Prince Edward ____
Humbly Showeth _____ _____ ____
That your Petitioner has been in this province since 1796 __
& received no land he brought with him a wife and six children and has taken the Oath ___ ____ ____ ____ ____ _____
Wherefore your Petitioner prays your Hon
to be pleased to grant him and his family such quantity of the unallocated lands of this Province as your Honor my Deem meet and your
Petitioner as in Duty bound will ever pray
(signed) Peter Crouter
Witness Alexander Chisolm J.P.
Peter Crouter drew this two hundred acres of land in Haldimand. Although by acceptance of the grant he had assumed additional responsibilities, he did not dispose of the homestead which he recently purchased in the Township of Ameliasburgh. Now he had responsibility for two pieces of land 35 miles apart one on the south shore of the Bay of Quinte the other two hundred acres in the hinterlands of Haldimand Township north of Grafton. Before he could receive Crown Grants of this land he must build a habitable house , clear five acres around it and have it fenced. As if this wasn’t enough to worry about he must serve in the militia. During the War of the Revolution it is rumored he was identified with a reserve unit under Colonel Ruttan and he was the only member of the family who came with the Loyalists to Canada
Life in the new land was not easy requiring work from dawn to dusk with few things to work with even necessities were hard to come by. Going from place to place on only small pathways with industry and perseverance much of what we have today was developed and certainly merits our respect and appreciation.
Peter Crouter born July 30, 1762 married Catherine Stephens born sometime in 1758.
They had nine children Anthony, David, Peter, Abraham, Edward, Catherine, Maria, Jane, and Olive
Peter Crouter born 1801 married Clarissa Benton and settled in Murry Township.
They had five children David, Nelson, Peter S. ,Egbert and Miranda
Peter died June 6 1866 (recorded in Sarah Jane Hoyt Family Bible)
Peter S. Crouter Born Duchess County NY October 8,1824 had two children
that I know of. He was a preacher of
the Gospel and beyond that I do not know very much about him. Peter S. married Sarah Jane
Hoyt, February 25,1850 probably near Brighton County, Ontario, Canada, Sarah Jane purchased a family Bible about this same time in which are recorded the oldest records I could find of this family. This family Bible was handed down from Sarah to W.E. to S.E. to L.E. and
then to C.W. who has it in his possession now. When Sarah died Peter married Hester A. Bradley June 24, 1863.
Peter S. died September 22, 1866.
Sarah Jane died June 7, 1861.
Children : Willis Edward born October 9, 1852
Ella Francis born March 21,1859 Married Edwin Story December 31 ,1875
There were no children by Hester.
Hester was born May 15, 1833.
Willis Edward Crouter born in Brighton , North Hampton Ontario October 9th 1852 married Elizabeth Ann Weaver born August 4, 1855 daughter of Octavis and Millisa Ann Weaver in Rowdan, Hastings County, Ontario, Canada September 22, 1872. He started out as a Dentist in Canada. In 1882 Doctor W.E. Crouter moved to Marlette, Michigan. While in Sanilac, county Willis E. Crouter went before the district court and applied to become a citizen of United States of America, April 1, 1886. He lived in Marlette for about six years before he moved to Faulkton, South Dakota in 1887 living there until 1890 when he moved to the Black Hills going first to Hill City and then to Newcastle Wyoming, where he received his citizenship September 25, 1894 (His origional citizenship papers I have here in hand) he lived there three more years before moving to Custer, South Dakota serving as a dentist there for ten years before he went to school as a minister of the gospel and was called to the ministry as an ordained Baptist minister in Custer S.D. In 1915 he moved back to Marlette, Michigan to continue his church work and in 1923 he was called to the First Baptist Church of Tacoma, Washington. He had two wives Elizabeth Ann who died September 16 1928 in Tacoma, Washington, and Mary Eliza Borden who also preceded him in death February 1, 1938 , in Tacoma Washington. He died November 9,1938 in Custer, South Dakota and is buried in Tacoma Washington.
Children by Elizabeth Ann:
Stephen Edward Crouter May 28,1878 Widby , Ontario, Canada
Aggie Albertha Crouter July 07, 1874 birth place unknown died February 18, 1953 Tacoma, Washington
Lewis Adolphus Crouter October 11, 1880 place of birth unknown died October 22, 1901 in Custer ,South Dakota in the Holy Terror Gold mine with three others , gas leak
Stephen Edward Crouter married Mabel Lottie Cortleyou October 25, 1899 in Olricks, South Dakota. She was born April 18, 1877 in Kendall ,Wisconsin. When only four years old he moved with his parents sister and brother to Marlette, Michigan. Dr. Crouter while still a young boy, wanted to be a dentist . The story is told that one of his classmates was brought to his fathers dental office by the boy’s father and finding the doctor gone, they suggested that S.E. do the job which he did. He was then 13 years old . S.E. took up mining a few months before he married Mabel in the Holy Terror Mine at Keystone, South Dakota. Later he attended dental schools in Iowa City, Iowa, and in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he received his degree in dentistry. He set up his first office in Merna, Nebraska May 30, 1908. Each week he traveled to Dunning and Anselmo to take care of patients there. In 1915 he set up his office in Buffalo, Wyoming and served Sheridan, Wyoming and Buffalo , Wyoming .until 1949, when he sold his office there. Not happy to retire he went over to Upton, Wyoming and opened up practice for two more years for a total of 54 years of dentistry. He was often recognized for being the dentist with the most years of practice in Wyoming. Well liked by everyone in the town, he was a member of the Odd Fellows, Rotary, Masons, and the Baptist Church. Mabel divorced Stephen February 03, 1925. She died February 14,1934 in Lyons, Colorado.
In Sheridan , Wyoming on October 20, 1928 Stephen married Martha (Mattie) Belle Misemer who was born October 29, 1891 in near Albany , Missouri . Mattie lived with him until he died July 29, 1968 in Buffalo, Wyoming where he is buried. She then moved to King City , Missouri ,where she died September 17, 1973 and is buried in Buffalo , Wyoming.
Children by Mabel Lottie
Leslie Edwin Crouter December 6, 1900 Keystone, Pennington County, South Dakota
Lewis Leroy Crouter April 18,1902
Earl Clinton Crouter August 14, 1903 Married Neva Crain September 13,1930 in Sheridan , Wyoming and had two children Mary Catherine (Crouter) Leitch Portland Oregon and Richard Earl Crouter in Minnesota.
Ernest Melvin Crouter June 27, 1905
Dorothy Charlotte (Crouter) Justus Sept. 23, 1907 had five children and is still living in Annapolis, MD Children John, Ruth, Earl, Lee, Ralph
Gerald Royal Crouter June 1, 1910 in Merna, Nebraska. had daughter Ann Crouter. He died April 29, 1983 in St Paul, Minnesota
Leslie Edwin Crouter married Celia May Dayton January 3, 1931 in Goldendale, Washington. Leslie attended Billings, Montana Polytechnic Institute for high school and went on to Bozeman, Montana State College to get a B. A. Degree in Electrical Engineering. During his college days Leslie played a clarinet in the band and traveled extensively giving concerts and playing for college games. In 1925 Leslie went to work for Mountain States Bell Telephone Company in Billings , Montana, and remained in that job until 1972 . In 1933 he joined the Naval Reserve and in 1941 he was called into active duty in the Navy and came out with the rank of Lt. Commander. He was active in HAM AARL and served many times as club president. He was instrumental in many fellows learning code and becoming HAM’s. He was member of the Helena Rock & Mineral Club, Masonic Lodge No. 113 AF&AM and the Congregational Church. He gave many hours to the Telephone Pioneers repairing tapes for the blind. Maybe one of his more enduring traits was his great ability to be a good host to the many people that came through town , missionaries, church leaders and workers, HAM’s friends, acquaintances and family were all welcome to come have a feast and spend as much time as they wished. Many took advantage of the great fishing on the lakes in Les’s Boat. Leslie Edwin died in Helena , Montana May 23, 1984 and is buried there. Celia May died October 09, 1993 in Redding CA and is buried with Les in Helena , Montana.
Children :
Charles W. Crouter born June 27, 1932 in Butte, Montana
Celia Jean Crouter born August 30, 1941 in Billings , Montana. died September 1941
Charles Willis Crouter married Carol Mae Wood January 5, 1957 in Helena , Montana. She was born August 19, 1938 in East Helena , Montana, the daughter of Emory Charles Wood and Ella Mae Maronick. Charles led quite a gypsy life moving to Billings, Montana, at the age of 5 then to Grandview Washington, at the age of 7 then to Miami, Florida, at the age of 10 and then to Rhode Island, when he was 12, then moving back to Billings , Montana , at the age of 13 and stayed until graduating from high school. Almost getting drafted into the Marines he sneaked out of that by joining the Navy in 1952. In his Navy career he served on the Destroyer USS Eugene A. Greene and sailed the Atlantic to Greenland England, Scotland, France, Portugal, Spain, Italy, Greece and Turkey while in Italy he took a bus trip to Switzerland. In 1954 he transferred to the Destroyer USS Owens and went to Panama, Hawaii, China, Taiwan, Japan. While in school Charles worked as butcher , paperboy and electronic repairman for Radio Equipment Co. in Billings, Montana, After his tour in the Navy where he was an ET he Fell in love a beautiful young lady just down the street from his parents. So he proposed and much to his surprise she accepted. Well they got married and he went to work for the FAA as an Electronic Nav-Aids Specialist. With 34 years of creditable service with the FAA he retired and worked as jeweler and then a computer builder for Ross Computers. Carol had a full time job raising James Edwin and his brother and sister but when they left home she went back to school for a degree to enable her to work at the County Board of Education as a library clerk. When Charles finally finished building computers and Carol retired from the library they took off for Alaska and retirement which they are still enjoying. Charles was active in the work of the Lord serving as a church leader by being deacon, treasurer, Sunday school superintendent, prayer meeting and Bible study leader, class teacher and usher. Building buildings in several areas, building sets for cantatas, building sound systems, wiring buildings, Building web sitesand many other incidental jobs.
Children: 1 Julia Stephanie Crouter August 13,1958
2 Eric Charles Crouter Feb. 24, 1960 died Feb. 17, 1961
3 James Edwin Crouter November 24,1961
4 John Paul Crouter December 26, 1964
1. Julia Stephanie Crouter married Robert Hocker born June 22, 1954 Son of Frances and Charles August 24 1976 in Red Bluff California in the home of her father
Child of JULIA CROUTER and ROBERT HOCKER is:
1. CRYSTAL DAWN HOCKER, born. July 10, 1982, Dallas, Oregon.
3. JAMES EDWIN5 CROUTER married SHARON ELAINE ENGLAND June 27, 1982 in
Red Bluff, Tehama County, Ca.
Children of JAMES CROUTER and SHARON ENGLAND are:
i. KIMBERLY ROSE CROUTER, b. May 01, 1987, Sacramento , CA; d. May 02, 1987, Sacramento , CA.
ii. BENJAMIN JAMES CROUTER, b. July 25, 1988, Deerfield Il.
iii. JONATHON CHARLES CROUTER, b. February 27, 1992, Redding, California.
4. JOHN PAUL5 CROUTER (CHARLES WILLIS4, LESLIE E3, STEPHEN EDWARD2, WILLIS EDWARD1) was born December 26, 1964 in Yreka, California. He married CARRIE ELIZABETH NELSON June 06, 1987 in Red Bluff, California.
Children of JOHN CROUTER and CARRIE NELSON are:
i. JESSICA ELIZABETH6 CROUTER, b. December 23, 1989, Mountain Home, California.
ii. KATHLEEN NICOLE CROUTER, b. July 14, 1992, Folsom, California.
Children: Crystal Dawn Hocker July 10, 1982
James Edwin Crouter married Sharon Elaine England born October 26, 1961 daughter of John England and Rose Saylor June 27, 1982 in Red Bluff, CA by Pastor Alvin Barber in the North Valley Baptist Church.
Children: Kimberly Rose Crouter May 01, 1986 Died May 01,1986
Benjamin James Crouter July 25, 1988
Jonathon Charles Crouter February 27, 1992
John Paul Crouter married Carrie Elizabeth Nelson born September 16, 1967 daughter of Robert Nelson and Anna Myrtle Webster September 14, 1957 in Red Bluff, CA by Pastor Alvin Barber in the North Valley Baptist Church.
Children: Jessica Elizabeth Crouter December 23, 1989
Kathleen Nicole Crouter July 14, 1992