* A portrait has been posted on-line at http://homepages.rootsweb.com/~westklic/wcportrait.html
EZEKIEL H. WATERMAN, deceased. No one who has dwelt in Wasco county needs an introduction to Ezekiel Waterman. He was known as one of the bright and enterprising business men of this part of the state, and indeed, he operated all over the state, and withal, he was better known as a man of uprightness and generosity, having always bestowed the abundance of wealth which his labors brought him, in a manner to benefit and assist all needy ones, who came within the range of his personal acquaintance. His death was universally mourned and he left a place in the hearts of his fellow citizens where fond memories of a good man will remain for many years to come.
Ezekiel H. Waterman was born in Cayuga county, New York, on February 24, 1812, and died at his farm residence just southeast from The Dalles, on December 3. 1903, aged ninety-one. His father, John W. Waterman, was born in New York and came from Dutch and Scotch extraction. The mother died when our subject was small. He was reared and educated in his native state and in 1852 came thence to California. Four years later he made his way from the Golden State to Oregon and bought land near Jefferson. He opened a mercantile establishment there and also handled a pork packing house. Later he sold his interests there and came to the vicinity of Fort Watson in Grant county where he spent six years in raising stock. Then he sold his property there and repaired to The Dalles, where he did a loaning business for ten years. It was in this latter capacity where the true generosity of Mr. Waterman shone out most. It is well known that human nature as a rule takes ad-vantage of this business to show its greed, but with Mr. Waterman it was used to assist and help others. In any case where he was forced to take a piece of property on a loan, he never hesitated to pay in addition cash to its full value to the unfortunate party and many have given him sincere blessings for these kind and truly benevolent acts. During the time he was loaning money he purchased three farms and after his son, as mentioned in connection with that young man, had operated them successfully for a year, Mr. Waterman removed to the place where his widow now resides. There he spent the remaining years of his life esteemed and beloved by all. At the advanced age of ninety-one, nearly ninety-two, the angel summoned him and he quietly lay down to sleep to awake in the better world where the scenes of time fraught with sorrow never more arise. He was a devout Christian all his life and a liberal supporter not only of the denomination to which he belonged, which was the Methodist, but of all worthy causes.
On September 18, 1866, Mr. Waterman married Mrs. Nancy Miller, the daughter of Martin and Eliza J. (Mitchell) Smith. The wedding occurred in Marion county, near Jefferson, and, Mrs. Waterman was born in Iowa. Her father was a native of Ohio and comes from an old colonial family. His father, the grandfather of Mrs. Waterman, fought in the Revolution under the noted general "Mad Anthony Wayne," and it was his lot to endure great hardship and suffering. Still he was of the true patriotic blood and fought through to the end and assisted materially to achieve the victories that gave to the American people the heritage of a free country. Mrs. Waterman's maternal grandfather fought with Perry when he gained his brilliant victory on Lake Erie. To Mr. and Mrs. Waterman, one son, Martin, and one daughter Jennie, were born. The former is mentioned elsewhere in this work and the latter is the wife of Howard Percy, a farmer on Eightmile creek. When Mr. Waterman was nineteen he married and this wife lived for thirty years. By her he had two sons, John W., retired in The Dalles, and Oscar, killed in a mine cave-in, in California. Mr. Waterman was a well informed Democrat and a public minded man as well as patriotic citizen. Mrs. Waterman is a member of the Methodist church and she has taken up the added burdens of handling her husband's large property, in which capacity she shows marked wisdom and excellent judgment. She is a woman of many virtues and stands well in the community. Her father is ninety-one and her mother ninety, and they are both in good health for that advanced age. She is sixty-seven and the years of her life sit lightly as she is of a long lived family and is now in excellent health.
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Submitted to the Oregon Bios. Project in January 2005 by Jeffrey L. Elmer. Submitter has no additional information about the person(s) or family mentioned above.