Capt. John Francis Outten, son of James and Mary Lingo Outten, was born in 1839. He shipped as a cabin boy, and spent most of his life on the water. He married Mary Haley, and they were the parents of two children, Harry and Mamie Jane. At the time of his death, his family lived at Morristown, New Jersey.
On August 15, 1893, he sailed from New York in command of the good ship "Gertie M. Rickerson," and was on his way to the Caribbean Sea, south of the West Indies Islands. Two very severe hurricanes came on shortly after he sailed, one on the 19th and the other on the 23rd of August. It is supposed that he was about off Cape Hatteras when he came in contact with the storm. But neither the ship nor any of the crew were ever heard of again. Capt. Outten was at that time about 54 years old. His only son, Harry, was with him, serving as navigator, and was about 25 years old.
After the loss of Capt. Outten and his son, the widow and daughter moved to Philadelphia first, and then to Wilmington. Mrs. Outten only lived two or three years after the death of the Captain. Mamie Jane, the daughter, married Spencer H. Boyce, son of Daniel H. Boyce of Wilmington, and grandson of Capt. James Boyce, and Sallie R. Outten of Concord. They have one child, Edith Outten Boyce, who was born in 1903.