Home Page  

Wijckel church 

Family of Opal^9 Van Wicklin

(Photo of John and Opal (Van Wicklin) Trottman--all photos on page--courtesy, Marg Graham-Trottman)

Opal^9 Beatrice Van Wicklin (Charles^8, James^7, Garret^6, Isaac^5, Paul^4, Garret^3, Gerrit^2, Jentie^1 Jeppes), b. 5 May 1896, Cramahe Township, Ontario, Canada

Married: John Trottman (1881-1938) (who predeceased her); Second marriage to Josh Anderson (who predeceased her); Third marriage to Roy Shopland (no children by the latter two marriages)

(Photo of John J. Trottman in military uniform in his youth.)

Children:
1. Helen Trottman (Mrs. Don Farrow), of Brighton, Ontario (b. April, 1920)
2. Herbert Trottman, of Dundonald, Ontario (b. April, 1920)
3. Charles Trottman, of Trenton, Ontario (b. August 1921)
4. Harold Trottman, of Trenton, Ontario (b. January 1924)
5. Frank Trottman, of Port Hope, Ontario (b. July 1926)
6. Vernon Claire Trottman (b. 16 June 1928; died of pnuemonia as a child 6 January 1929)
7. Viola Trottman (Mrs. Douglas Potter), of Brighton, Ontario (b. June 1933)
8. Alice Mae Trottman (Mrs. Clarence Hadwen), of Brighton, Ontario (b. November 1935)

Photo of final resting place of Vernon Claire Trottman

Photo (R to L): Helen and Frank Trottman (Frank pictured as a child in photo below), Mark and Jo Anne Graham (grandchildren of Frank and Helen and children of Marg), and Marg Graham-Trottman--daughter of Frank and Helen. They are standing in front of the property where the farmhouse of Opal Van Wicklin once stood. Across the street is the brick home 
of Thelma Trottman, wife of Herbert Trottman (deceased). The road on which they are standing is Trottman Road.

Parents:
Opal's parents are Charles and Ella (McDonald) Van Wicklin
John's parents are John and Anna (Schrodel) Trottman, both of Germany.

(Photo is of 1938 Dundonald School class with Frank Trottman in Row 2, fourth from left and two down on the right side (same row, is Frank's brother, Harold.)

(Photo of Opal (Van Wicklin) Trottman in her later years.)

Background information:
Opal^9 Van Wicklin (Charles^8, James^7, Garret^6, Isaac^5, Paul^4, Garret^3, Gerrit^2, Jentie^1 Jeppes) was b. 5 May 1896 in Cramahe Township and lived there her whole life until she died 12 December 1978 in Brighton, Ontario. She is the dau. of Charles and Ella (McDonald) Van Wicklin and she m. John Trottman (b. 1881-1938) who predeceased her. Her second 
marriage to Josh Anderson was of short duration because he died. Her third husband, Roy Shopland, survived her. All of Opal's children are by her first marriage to John Trottman. She had eight children and at the time of her death in 1978 she was survived by 21 grandchildren and 8 great grandchildren. Opal was a housewife and mother and a member of the United 
Church. She is buried in Walker's Cemetery, Dundonald, Ontario.

In the 1891 Cramahe Township Census, Opal's parents, Charles Van Wicklin and Ella McDonald are not married. Opal is born in 1893. The 1901 Census lists Opal Beatrice McDonald and Ella McDonald living with the McDonald family--Charles has left. This suggests either that Opal's parents split up or were possibly never legally married. According to Opal's granddaughter, Marg Graham-Trottman, Opal always referred to herself as Vanwicklin. Helen Trottman remembers driving north (to Sundridge area?) to pick up Opal's father, Charlie, who had been living with his sister (Lillie May (Van Wicklin) Vowels). Charlie went totally blind near the end of his life and he spent his last days in Opal's home where Frank Trottman (a young man of 13 at the time) remembers the wake for Charlie in the living room of their home. According to Charlie's funeral card, he is buried at Lakeport Cemetery.

John Trottman's parents, John and Anna (Schrodel), both of Germany, settled in Rochester, NY and are buried there. John Trottman, Snr. worked on the ferry that travelled between Ontario and New York. Apparently, Captain Radfern took John to the hotel in Grafton, Ontario. He met Opal at a dance and the rest is history.

Children: Helen Trottman (Mrs. Don Farrow), of Brighton, Ontario (b. April, 1920); Herbert Trottman, of Dundonald, Ontario (b. April, 1920) (Helen and Herbert are twins.) Charles Trottman, of Trenton, Ontario (b. August 1921); Harold Trottman, of Trenton, Ontario (b. January 1924); Frank Trottman, of Port Hope, Ontario (b. July 1926); Vernon Claire Trottman (b. 16 June 1928; died of pnuemonia as a child 6 January 1929); Viola Trottman (Mrs. Douglas Potter), of Brighton, Ontario (b. June 1933); Alice Mae Trottman (Mrs. Clarence Hadwen), of Brighton, Ontario (b. November 1935). They have a daughter Pam Hadwen.

Source:
Marg Graham-Trottman, of Port Hope, Ont. (Based on a 10 May 2000 email and several items received by mail, 19 April 2000 
including Funeral announcements, 1891 and 1901 Cramahe Township Census; Cramahe Township Cemetery listings, IGI 
Records, Farmer's Census from 1884, and pages copied from The History of Cramahe Township by George Blyth, 1992.) (Marg 
Graham-Trottman is the granddaughter of Opal (Van Wicklin/McDonald) Trottman/Anderson/Shopland and the daughter of Frank Trottman.)