I found Elmer when I was researching Ezekiel Sutton and found them living together in Polk County Florida on the 1900 Census. I knew it had to "my" Ezekiel because of the birth locations of Elmer's parents. Upon research I found and proved that both Elmer and Ezekiel belong to the Steuben County Suttons.
Elmer is the son of George W. Sutton and Margaret Brode. He is born 2 Sep 1883, the beginning of a life that is too short. The beginning is marred by the death of his mother during child birth, which is shown in the Michigan Death Records for her.
The only other record I could find from his birth is the 1900 census. I do not know who had custody of Elmer when both his parents passed. His father died 27 Oct 1888, this according to Elmers obit.
On the Steuben County GenWeb site under town news 7 Aug 1901 there is a mention of Elmers death. I sent for the obit from the Carnegie Library and received a small obit that confirms this Elmer is in fact the son of George W and Margaret Brode Sutton. That both parents are dead and only his sister Edith Mabel and brother Arthur Franklin survive him.
Armed with his date of death, I found that Elmer died while an inmate at the Indiana Reformatory in Jeffersonville, Indiana. He was sent to the reformatory on 4 Oct 1900 with a sentence of 1-3 years for petit larceny. While there he contracted Typhoid Fever and died 28 Jul 1901 at the age of 18.
As of now I am trying to locate the graves of all the members of this family. I know that Elmers body was sent to his sister and brother in Angola. There is no mention of him in the Cemeteries of Steuben County books. Both of his parents died while living in Michigan, but I have yet to confirm where they were laid to rest.
Sources:
Birth: Michigan Birth Record Lake County 1883
Death: Obit from Steuben Republican 7 Aug 1901
Report of Paroles, Discharges and Deaths at the Indiana Reformatory for July 1901
Census: 1900 Polk County, Florida
Inmate: Indiana Reformatory Log for Sutton Elmer inmate 3104
