My Genealogy Hound

THEODORE F. VAN DUSEN, an active business man of Jamestown and one of the coroners of Chautauqua county, is a son of Benjamin F. and Mehitable (Lovell) Van Dusen, and was born in Jamestown, Chautauqua county, New York, June 8, 1846. His remote ancestors on the paternal side were natives of Holland. Several members of this Van Dusen family came from their home in that country and settled at an early day at Claverick, in what is now Columbia county, New York. In 1720 Abraham Van Dusen, a descendant of one of these Van Dusens, went to Connecticut, where he settled at Salisbury. He was the father of John Van Dusen, who was the grandfather of Theodore F. Van Dusen. John Van Dusen had a son, John Van Dusen, Jr., who married Mary Forbes and reared a family of six children: Alonzo, Marshall, Harry, Elizabeth, Benjamin F. and Edwin, who enlisted as a soldier in the Federal army during the late war and was killed in one of the battles of that great struggle. Benjamin F. Van Dusen, the fourth son and fifth child of the family, was born in Perry, Wyoming county, New York, January 3, 1815. He learned the trade of cabinet-maker and came in 1842 to Jamestown, where he was engaged for many years in the cabinet-making business and where he has resided ever since. He is a republican in politics and a member of the Baptist church. He married Mehitable Lovell, who is a daughter of William Lovell, a native of Massachusetts. Their children are: Judge Almon A., whose biography appears in this volume in connection with the Mayville sketches; Theodore F. and George C., an attorney-at-law (see his sketch). Theodore F. Van Dusen was reared at Jamestown, where he received his education, in the public schools of that city. Leaving school, he learned the trade of cabinet-maker with his father, and in 1870 removed to Sugar Grove, Warren county, Pa., where he embarked in the undertaking business. Four years later he returned to Jamestown, where he formed a partnership with his brother, George C.Van Dusen, in their present undertaking business, under the firm-name of Theodore F. Van Dusen & Bro. Mr. Van Dusen gives a considerable portion of his time to his well-established and prosperous business, and is amply prepared to furnish anything to be found in a first-class undertaking establishment. He is secretary of the Chautauqua County Undertakers' Association, and was elected coroner of the county in 1887.

He married, February 20, 1866, Frances A. Smith, a daughter of Ezra Smith, a farmer of the town of Poland. To their union have been born four children: Vesta M., Nellie G., Theodore E. and Alice L., who died young.

Theodore F. Van Dusen is a member of the First Baptist church and a member and Past Grand of Ellicott Lodge, No. 221, I. O. O. F. In political matters he is a republican. For the last ten years he has been a member and the secretary of the board of health of Jamestown. He is also serving his city, at the present time, as register of vital statistics.