My Family Tree

USA Social Security Death Index
Age 99
Given Name A
Middle Name H
Surname Chatfield
Birth Date 10 Jan 1900
State Ohio
Last Place of Residence Rockport, Knox, Maine
Previous Residence Postal Code 04856
Event Date 14 Jun 1999
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A.H. CHATFIELD, Jr.
1900-1999

With sad and heavy heart we report the passing of a unique and outstanding gentleman, A.H. CHATFIELD, Jr., late in the evening June 14, 1999 at his home at Aldermere Farm, Rockport, Maine. The article below is reprinted from U.S. Beltie News, July, 1999. A scholarship fund has been established in his memory. Donations are invited.
A.H. CHATFIELD, Jr.

It's going to be difficult for those of us who worked with A.H. CHATFIELD, Jr. to get used to the idea that he has gone. And many of us worked with Chat, because he was involved with everything to do with the Belted Galloway breed, right to the last day of his long and estimable life.

We could easily insert a history of his accomplishments and honors here – development of one of the earliest and finest herds in the U.S., the many committees worked on and offices held, shows judged, meetings hosted, foundation animals supplied to new breeders, the years he spent bringing Aldermere's frame sizes up not one, but several notches – but all of these topics have been documented in our early Herd Books, in our current Handbook, on the Beltie and Galloway World Internet pages.
Click for larger image
What is more difficult to write about is Chat, the man himself. And this is due in no small part to his reticence on the subject. Interviews with him over the years have always sidestepped the personal and centered on the breed, the herds, the Society, the progress made and projects yet to be tackled. Chat's eye was always on the horizon.

From the unfailingly respectful and affectionate references to his late wife Marion we determine that he enjoyed a very happy marriage. But it took twenty years of conversations to learn that he'd met his lovely wife in 1923 while on a cruise in the Mediterranean. The bond made when he was a stripling in his early 20s endured 69 years.

No retiring violet, Marion was integrally involved with development of the Aldermere herd and Chat reserved for her his highest praise, "She was a good judge of cattle."

Chat had his prejudices. For one, he never flew on a plane. His visits to Europe were leisurely cruises, his travels in the U.S. were accomplished by rail or in later years in the comfort of his ‘house on wheels' – he was very fond of traveling by motor home.

The Chatfield family made their home in Cincinnati, Ohio for many years. Chat's youthful career was with the U.S. Playing Card Company, later he was financial adviser to an investment counseling firm, and in retirement he continued to peruse portfolios as manager of the family's trusts and investments.

Click for larger image.Though the old Daniel Barrett sheep farm on the edge of Rockport, Maine had been purchased in 1899 by Chat's father Albert H. CHATFIELD, Sr., it was primarily the family's summer home until 1950 when Chat and Marion made the rocky coast of Maine their year-round residence, with visits welcomed from their three children. In 1953 the famed Aldermere Belted Galloway herd began with a foundation of a half dozen females and a bull purchased from Harry Prock of Pennsylvania and was augmented over the years by imports from Great Britain.

Chat had a wonderful ability to gather dedicated and loyal people around him, and his herd profited greatly from a long association with expert cattleman and farm manager Dwight Howard, who has called Aldermere home for 35 years. More recently herdsman Kevin Woltemath was added to the roster, a top flight ag man from Nebraska who knows his way around both paddock and show ring.

Chat was an interesting study in contrasts. We enjoyed long conversations where he debated the merits of $17 copies of photographs vs. $34 originals. But when we called to ask for support for a project, he simply said, "What do we need?" And it arrived.

Recent member interest in the Beltie as a beef animal pleased Chat enormously. Ahead of his time, as always, he'd begun preaching the bottom line use of the animal well over ten years ago, when many of us were still thinking of Belties as pets.

Chat never slowed down, never stopped learning. Many of us have enjoyed gracious Aldermere tours where at age 94 or 96 he gallantly opened paddock gates and pushed bulls aside to show us just one more group, one more animal. But I'm sure there are those who will appreciate my surprise a couple of years ago when his deep voice on the phone said, "Jane? Chat here! I was noodling about on the Net today and ... " Noodling about on the Net! At age 97, he'd decided to learn to navigate the mysteries of cyberspace and was doing a pretty fair job of it. He was very approving of the Beltie pages Paul Breslin developed for the Society, and made a weekly foray to check on the site's progress. We heard from him if our i's weren't dotted and our t's crossed.

Click for larger image.Mr. Chatfield was a towering force behind the development of the Belted Galloway breed in this country, and we won't soon see his like again. It will take a bit of time to get used to a world without his abruptly cheery phone sign-off, "Right-oh!"

PS. Belted Galloway breed of cattle come from Galloway, Dumfrieshire in south west Scotland, GBR.

"ALBERT HAYDEN CHATFIELD JR. '22, of Rockport, Me., died June 14. He was a retired investment counselor and businessman. He worked for U.S. Playing Card Co., in Cincinnati, until 1931, when he entered the investment field, first with the firm of Haydock, Lamson & Co. and then with Brundage, Story & Rose. He was vice president of Chatfield & Woods Co., paper merchants, and secretary to Chatfield Manufacturing Co. After retiring to Maine in 1950 he raised Belted Galloway cattle for breeding and became an acknowledged authority on the breed, both in this country and in Scotland."
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Bangor Daily News - June 16 1999
Text: "CHATFIELD, Albert H. Jr., 99, Rockport, June 14, 1999. Service 10 a m. Saturday, June 19, at St. Thomas Episcopal Church. Chestnut St., Camden."
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USA Census, 1930
Name Albert H Chatfield Jr.
Titles and Terms Jr
Event Place Columbia, Hamilton, Ohio
Gender Male
Age 30
Marital Status Married
Race White
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Birth Year (Estimated) 1900
Birthplace Ohio
Father's Birthplace Ohio
Mother's Birthplace Ohio
Sheet Letter B
Sheet Number 21
Albert H Chatfield Jr. Head M 30 Ohio
Marian W Chatfield Wife F 27 Ohio
Robert B Chatfield Son M 5 Ohio
Marion Chatfield Dau F 3 Ohio
Ann Chatfield Dau F 1 Ohio
Evelina Collins Servant F 49 Illinois
Edna Butler Servant F 20 Ohio
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USA Census, 1940
Name Albert H Chatfield
Titles and Terms Jr
Event Place Columbia Township, Hamilton, Ohio
Gender Male
Age 40
Marital Status Married
Race White
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Birthplace Ohio
Birth Year (Estimated) 1900
Last Place of Residence Same House
Albert H Chatfield Head M 40 Ohio
Marian Chatfield Wife F 37 Ohio
Robert P Chatfield Son M 15 Ohio
Marion Chatfield Dau F 13 Ohio
Ann Chatfield Dau F 11 Ohio
Carl Dunning Servant M 51 Indiana
Les Dunning Servant F 47 Indiana
Dale Rieman Servant M 22 Indiana
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USA Public Records
Name A H Chatfield
Titles and Terms (Original) JR
Also Known As Name Albert H Chatfield
2nd Also Known As Name A H Jr Chatfield
Residence Date 01 Jun 1997-01 Jul 1999
Residence Place Rockport, Maine
Phone Number (207) 236-2739
Phone Number Recorded Date 01 Apr 2000
Address Blue Hl., Rockport, Maine 04856
2nd Address Russell, Rockport, Maine 04856
2nd Address Date 01 May 1997-01 Jan 2000
3rd Address Russell Ave., Rockport, Maine 04856
3rd Address Date 01 Apr 1996-01 Apr 2000
Record Number 518585393

Records not imported into INDI (individual) Gramps ID I12857:

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