Nice to know you!

Your Uncle Frank and Aunt Rose were my grandparents. Yes Frank died of
diabetes in 1953, both his legs were amputated. They had a son Leo who
died the same year. My grandmother passed away in 1970.

Their oldest surviving daughter, Ozina, also remembered the accident and

told me about it before she died in 1989. She remembered when it
happened and how tragic it was. The car got stuck on railroad tracks
when the train came and hit the car. One of the women she said was
pregnant.

The name change, according to my father, his older sister Ozina (my
godmother), and Albert, my younger uncle, was as follows:

John Bitney, William's father, went to the Civil War under an assumed
name for a rich man. They said this is what changed the family name. I

approached all 3 on this subject at different intervals and they all
were adamant about this. Uncle Albert had an enlarged photograph of
John Bitney and his death certificate in the Union Army in 1864.

The story never made sense to me, because the names should have been
switched if such was the case. Then my research contradicted this
further. The name change didn't take place until much later. William
Vincent was born William Bitney and married Rosella Gouette (Goyette,
Gouyette, Gauette, Gowett???) as a Bitney, but he died a Vincent. The
name change seemed to take place between the time he married and the
time he died (1881-1917).

I wonder if the children (or grandchildren) of William Bitney was lied
to about the name change to cover up some kind of scandal? Nothing else

makes much sense. I discovered many relatives in East Charlotte and
Middlebury, Vermont, (records are now in Montpelier), under the name of
Bitney. They all seemed to migrate to Conneticuit, uncle, aunts,
cousins, etc, under the new name.

I have the marriage certificate of William and Rosella as well as
William's death certificate. I also have the death certificate of
William's mother Sophia Masters. Sophia died a Bitney in 1884. My
grandfather, Frank, was born in 1885, four years after his parents
married. In his obiturary, (which I also have) brothers Henry and
Alfred and sister Marceline were mentioned - no other siblings. Was my
grandfather your fathers older brother?

My mother, Agnes (Lajeunesse, Vincent) Mellen, used to visit Plainfield
in the late '40s and '50s. Did you know her? She was married to Franks

grandson. She remembers someone knicknamed "Red". I think it was an
older uncle of mine.

I was researching the family tree in the 1980's and then got
frustrated. My brothers renewed my interest.

It was nice to hear from you "cousin".

David C. Vincent