The Sordid Tale of Otis H. Lee

Back in late April, I wrote about my walk through the local cemetery with a group of strangers that I met on the internet. I shared with you interesting headstones that I saw along the way but I left out the best ones - Otis H. Lee and his three wives.



It looks like Otis (a.k.a. the playah!) was 72 when he died in 1874:


I'm assuming that at the time of his death, he was still married to Minnie who died 3 years later at the age of 44:
Judging from the 30 year difference, I'm assuming Otis was quite the catch even when in his later years.


Before Minnie, came Phebe who died in 1850 at the age of 37:
Obviously our playah liked them young and, much like my grandfather, liked to have a 'female friend' around to do his laundry. Unlike my grandfather though, Otis chose to marry them. Kudos for that!


While the dates are hidden, I'm assuming the first Mrs. Otis H. Lee was Lucy (or as one of the idiot group members asked: "Is it Lucky or Lucy?":

I'm assuming she was the first due to how much her headstone had sunk into the ground. Or maybe one of the upcoming Mrs. Lee's was a jealous sort who took a mallet to the headstone and pounded it in when she finally couldn't take Otis's grieving or the constant "You don't make biscuits like Lucy did" comments.

Just out of curiousity, as I was writing this entry, I decided to Google "Otis H. Lee" and found the blog of our local historian in which he mentions Otis and the wives:

Otis Lee
In Highland Cemetery there is a family plot with four square headstones standing in a row. These are the graves of Otis H. Lee and his three wifes. Mr. Lee was born in Dudley, Massachusetts inn 1802. He moved to Ypsilanti in 1838, and with the exception of four years residence in Janesville, Wisconsin, lived in Ypsilanti the rest of his life. He was engaged in the dry goods and grocery trade.

A member of the Whig party he occupied leading positions in the community. Lee was appointed postmaster at Ypsilanti by President Zachary Taylor in 1849, and held the office until the election of President Pierce in 1853. He would alos hold offive on the school board and was a trustee of the Presbyterian Church.

His first wife Lucy died in 1847 and his second wife Phebe died in 1850. He married his third wife Nancy in 1852, and she survived him. His wife Nancy died in 1877. Otis Lee had no childern.

"His life has been a peculiarly chequered one," noted The Ypsilanti Commercial in its obituary published November 14, 1874, "marked by misfortune and loss of property. His virtues many, his frailties few, and over these we throw the mantly of charity."

Otis H. Lee died at Ypsilanti on November 8, 1874 of delirium tremens.


I guess I wasn't too far off the mark (and I'm sure neither Phebe or Minnie/Nancy could make biscuits as well as Lucy). I wish obituaries were written more like these than the touchy, feely, possibly false information as they are now.