HomeMy WebLinkAboutWortman, OrsemusORSEMUS WORTMAN
Orsemus: Latin: “Let Us Pray” (Wikipedia)
Orsemus Wortman was born in 1821 to John and Ida (Viscelius) Wortman either in the Town of Ulysses
or the Town of Enfield (which had been formed that year from Ulysses). When Orsemus was 4 years old,
his father and older brother Azariah died in 1825. The father, 35, in April and the brother, 9, in August.
Both are buried in the Old Log Meeting House Cemetery located at the intersection of Perry City and
Podunk Roads in Ulysses.
Ida, the widow, with four children: Theodore V. (1818-1864), Orsemus (1821-1897), Jacob R. (1823-
1904), and John G. (1825-1894) who she was pregnant with, remarried to Nathaniel Gray (1778-1849).
Together they had Naomi Gray who was born in 1830.
When the 1850 Census was taken, Orsemus, at 29, was Head of the Household that consisted of his
widowed mother Ida (55) (Nathaniel had died the previous year), his brother John G. (25) and his new
wife Elizabeth (23), and his half-sister Naomi Gray (20). Orsemus was single and owned a 100-acre farm
with 5 horses, 3 cows, 15 sheep.
In 1865, Orsemus had given up farming and had moved into Ithaca, living with his younger brother Jacob
and his family. (Jacob was a butcher). Their single half-sister Naomi Gray was also living in the
household. Within five years, Orsemus was back in Enfield living with another brother John G. Wortman
and his family. John was an Undertaker and Orsemus was listed in the Census as a ‘Merchant”. It is
presumed, based on their occupations, their home was in or near Enfield Center.
In the New York State Census of 1875, Orsemus was boarding with farmer James and Loraine Bagley and
was recorded as ‘Orsey” and was a Store Clerk. Meanwhile Naomi was working on the west side of the
Town on Town Line Road (now Black Rock Rd.) in the household of George and Hannah Bodle as a
Domestic Servant. By the summer of 1876, Naomi (46) had married the widower Annanias Smith (66) of
Catherine, Schuyler County. A year later, he died and was buried in Cayutaville Cemetery in the Town of
Hector with his first wife Sally. According to Annanias’ Will, Naomi received his entire estate.
By 1880, Orsemus had purchased a 12-acre lot where he and his widowed half-sister Naomi were living.
He owned a cow, a horse and 7 chickens. They lived here until his death in 1897.
‘Orsemus Wortman died at his home in Enfield Center yesterday morning at 6 o’clock, aged 76 years. He
leaves to mourn his loss a brother, J. R. Wortman, of this city [Ithaca], the only surviving member of a
family of five sons. The funeral will be held from his late residence Wednesday at 2 p.m.’ (The Ithaca
Daily News, Tuesday May 4, 1897)
Orsemus Wortman (1821-1897) is buried in Enfield Village Cemetery with his half-sister Naomi (Gray)
Smith who died in 1908. The grave marker is labeled SMITH.