Calvert Malcolm Coleman

During their married life, Sarah and Cal Coleman lived in and about Belleville, MI. In the 1870 U.S.
Census, they were living in Denton where Cal was a farmer. By 1880, they were living in Springwells Twp.,
near Detroit, and Cal was, again, listed as a farmer.

The 1882 Detroit City Directory shows that Cal Coleman was a laborer living at 182 6th St., Detroit.
The directory doesn't mention any other family members living there. By 1884, there were eight Coleman
children; the family lived in Belleville. The Belleville Enterprise newspaper has these references to the
Coleman family:
July 28, 1886: "Will Coleman, of Ypsilanti, is visiting his parents here this week."
Sept. 15, 1886: "Monday, Calvin Coleman was removed to the asylum at Wayne."
(Cal had an ongoing battle with alcohol dependency)
Dec. 1, 1886: "Married: Cady - Coleman. At the residence of the bride's parents, Wed., Nov. 24, 1886,
at 7 p.m., Joseph H. Cady of Pittsfield was married to Miss Mary Coleman of this
place. The happy couple spent several subsequent days at Brighton."
Dec. 29, 1886: "C. Coleman has returned from the asylum cured to all appearances, and we hope he
will be able to keep up appearances."
Jan. 26, 1887: "George Coleman now peddles the Sunday Sun."
Apr. 18, 1888: "C. Coleman and family moved to Detroit last week. We understand that "Cal" has
secured a position in a shoe store."

The 1888 "Detroit City Directory" listed Cavert Coleman; clerk at C.R. Richardson and Co.;
householder at 83 Linden. Also listed at the Linden address was Cal's son, Samuel J. Coleman carpenter.
(note: 93 Linden was located between Magnolia and Poplar Streets. West of Grand River Blvd., the street
was called Linden in those days; East of Grand River Blvd it was called Selden; now both are called
Selden)

In May and June 1888, it was noted in the Belleville Enterprise newspaper that Mrs. C. Coleman had
been in town visiting relatives and friends.

The "Detroit City Directory" of 1889 and 1890 listed the Coleman family at 93 Linden, but the 1891
directory showed them living at 277 15th Ave. (near the railroad and waterfront) Cal Coleman worked as a
laborer in 1889 and 1890, and in 1891, he worked as a teamster.

In 1892, Sarah Coleman was listed as the widow of Calvert Coleman. She lived at 228 Baltimore Ave.
West, with children: Claud, butcher; George, agent; Jennie, milliner; William H., conductor. Cal Coleman
was never again listed in the "Detroit City Directory." S~ of course, was not a widow but evidently said
she was. The stigma attached to separation or divorce was great at that time in history.

Sarah is not listed again until 1897, when she lived at 886 Greenwood, with her oldest son, William. In
1898, they lived at 888 Greenwood, and continued at that address through 1902. Greenwood was an
extension of Hamilton Ave., south of Warren Ave. Today that area is where the Warren and Forest
interchange on the John Lodge Expressway is located.

Where Cal Coleman was from 1893 until 1900 is not known. Ruth Pullen Sherman said that her
grandfather, Jenks Pullen and her father, James Pullen, were friends of Cal and whenever possible gave him
odd jobs to do in Belleville. In the 1900 U.S. Census, Cal was shown living with his son, Claud E.
Coleman, and family in Belleville, MI. In the 1910 U.S. Census, he was listed as a servant for Margabette
Long, a widow whose occupation was farming. His marital state was given as divorced.

Sarah Westfall Coleman was enumerated twice in the 1910 U.S. Census; first on April 20, 1910,
Belleville, MI, with her son, George, and granddaughter, Jennie H. Coleman, and again on May 6, 1910,
Belleville, MI, as Sarah Renton, with husband James Renton.

Toward the end of his life, Cal Coleman lived in the old Clark house at Five Points in Belleville, with
Mr. Burt. Both were elderly bachelors and may have been friends through the years. Soon after World
War I had ended, the citizens of Belleville decided that the old Clark house, which was in disrepair and an
eyesore, should be demolished to make way for a city park. The house was tom down, and Victory Park was
established. Since Cal Coleman had no one who was willing to take him in, he went to live at the Wayne
County home at Eloise, near Wayne, MI. He died there 3 Mar. 1919.

James Pullen owned a funeral parlor in Belleville. Having been a friend to Cal for many years, he
handled the funeral and donated one of his single gravesites at Hillside Cemetery for Cal's burial. There is
no record of which gravesite this is, but Ruth Pullen Sherman said it was probably near the road, and on the
slope toward the Huron River.

This obituary appeared in the Daily Ypsilantian press newspaper, Ypsilanti, MI; March 8, 1919:
"Belleville: Calvin C. Coleman, aged 83 years, died at the infirmary at Eloise, Monday, March 3, 1919.
The remains were brought to the undertaking rooms of J.C. Pullen and Son at this place, Monday, and
funeral services held there Wednesday afternoon. The deceased was well known here having lived in this
vicinity for over fifty years. He is survived by four sons and two daughters."

Sarah's second husband, James Renton, was a childhood friend, and there is a family story that she was
going to marry Jim, until she met Cal Coleman. Jim Renton married and had children. He was a Civil War
veteran, and had a grocery business in Detroit until he retired. His son took over the store, and Jim went
back to his farm in the south Belleville area. When he could no longer work the farm, he bought a house in
Wayne, MI, where he and Sarah lived.


Children: COLEMAN (of Calvert Coleman and Sarah Westfall)
 i. William Henry b. 24 Sept. 1864, Wayne Co., MI; d. 2 Aug. 1941, Ferndale, MJ; mar.
about 1910, to Jessie Croton
 ii. Mary Elizabeth b. 9 Dec. 1866, Wayne Co., MI; d. 10 Apr. 1904, Ypsilanti, MJ; mar. 24
Nov. 1886, Belleville, MI, to Joseph S. Cady
 iii. Samuel J. b. 20 Sept. 1868, Wayne Co., MJ; d. 9 Apr. 1933, Ypsilanti, MJ; mar. (1) to
Vadah Shaw; mar. (2) to Jane Wood
 iv. George Calvert b. 12 Sept. 1870, Wayne Co., MI; d. 30 July 1946, Wayne Co., MI;
mar. (1) to Myrtle Warner; mar. (2) to Winifred Black
 v. Addie b. 1 Feb. 1872, Wayne Co., MI; d. 17 June 1925, Wayne, MI; mar. to William F.
Skerrett
 vi. Claud Edwin b. 12 Jan. 1875, New Boston, MI; d. 18 Aug. 1915, Belleville, MI; mar. 8
July 1894, Detroit, MI, to Jennie Maude Heath
 vii. Jennie b. 1877, Wayne Co., MI; d. 15 May 1957, Rochester, MI; mar. to Edgar Freer
 viii. Arthur Roy b. 22 Oct. 1884, Wayne Co., MI; d. sometime between 1929 and 1932,
Detroit, MI; mar. (1) to Florence Curtis; mar. (2) to Myra __ ; mar. (3) to
Margaret _
 

was very alert and had a wonderful recall of the times past. It was a pleasure to talk to him about those long

Bill remembered Grandma (Sarah Westfall) telling stories about Civil War days, and that she had a

that when Jim Renton died, Addie Coleman Skerrett heard her father, Cal Coleman, say, "This is one

Source: "The Westfall and Coleman Family History" by Clarice Koester Coleman (2003)