- Birth: April 3, 1854
- First Marriage: John Franklin Hazell, 1874
- Second Marriage: Eli Cochran, 1910
- Death: November 5, 1929
Early Life
Amelia Mary Christenot was born on April 3, 1854, to Benjamin Franklin Christenot and Lucretia O’Cain near Baraboo, Wisconsin. Her father was the eldest of six living siblings, and his family lived had lived in the areas since 1950. Lucretia died in 1858. Benjamin, 30, married Eliza Jane Bodine, 19, called Jane or Janey, in 1860, and the Census that year shows them living in Carlyle, Clinton Cunty, Illinois, with 6-year-old Amelia.
In 1863, Amelia’s father, Benjamin, was mining for gold in Virginia City, Montana. It may be that Jane joined him in Montana at some point and Amelia was cared by Christenot cousins. His business ventures came to cause an ore-crushing mill to be built near Virginia City. The machinery for the mill was hauled by a freight oxen train along the Bozeman Trail. In May 1866, Amelia headed west with the train accompanied by Benjamin’s cousin, Azubah R. Smith, 24. Amelia’s grandfather, Frederick Christenot, 58, brought second wife, Margaret, 33. Her uncle, Charles Christenot, 32, brought his second and recent wife, Martha Christenot, 20, and her daughter, Alice Wilton, 3. Amelia was twelve years old.
Amelia’s father divorced Jane in 1867, and married Azubah R. Smith on October 16, 1867. Amelia lived with them at a hotel in Summit, near the Christenot Mill, and other locations around Virginia City. In the 1870 Census, Amelia, 16, continues to live in the area, but the family of three eventually moved to California.
First Marriage – John Franklin Hazell
Amelia was known as “Mary” in adulthood. In 1874, at age 20, she married John Franklin Hazell. They had five children who were all born in San Francisco, California. John died in 1892. In the 1900 Census, Mary is noted as a Widow living in Wyandotte Township, Butte County, California. It appears that she and her children are living with her father, Benjamin, as she’s listed as ‘Relation to Head of House: Daughter’.
Children of Amelia “Mary” and John Hazell
- Mary Azubah Hazell
- John Franklin Hazell
- Frank Alphonso Hazell
- Daisy F. Hazell
- Edward Alexious Hazell
Second Marriage – Eli Cochran
In 1910, at age 55, Amelia “Mary” married Eli Cochran, in Burlington, Washington. No known children came from this union.
Later Life
Mary Amelia died in Cottage Grove, Oregon at age 75.
Sources
Mary’s information was last updated in March 2021. Detailed Family Trees are available. Please contact us with content, questions or corrections.