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Sarah Elizabeth SMYSER

Female 1852 - 1937  (85 years)


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  • Name Sarah Elizabeth SMYSER 
    Birth 5 Sep 1852  Cincinnati, Hamilton County, OH Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Gender Female 
    Name Sarah Elizabeth "Sallie" SMYSER 
    Name Sarah Elizabeth "Sally" SMYSER 
    Death 23 Dec 1937  Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Burial Olive Cemetery, Wakarusa, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location 
    Notes 
    • (1) Elizabeth Ann Grubb:

      NOTES:

      In her declaration for widow's pension in December, 1930, Sarah MORRIS gives her date of birth, her place of birth and her maiden name. Apparently there had been some confusion about the maiden name with the Bureau of Pensions, since a letter from John M. BLOCHER accompanied her application, and vouches that Sarah and "Sally" E. MORRIS are the same person, and that she is the widow of Cornelius MORRIS. Affidavits sworn by three witnesses on her behalf all mention the use of both names.

      One affidavit, dated 11 March 1931, was taken from Ida M. DELCAMP of Elkhart County, IN. She says she is 73 years old and that she lives in Wakarusa...she then continues that she is personally and intimately acquainted with Sarah E. MORRIS . . . the widow of Cornelius MORRIS . . . that she was personally acquainted with Sarah before she married and ". . . that during the young girl-hood days of said Sarah E. MORRIS her name was Sarah E. SMYSER . . . she was known in company as Sallie E. SMYSER and was also so called by her brothers, sisters and parents although her real name was then Sarah E. SMYSER . . . that the person Sallie E. SMYSER mentioned in the Certificate of Marriage, showing the marriage of Cornelius MORRIS and Sallie E. SMYSER . . . and the Sarah E. MORRIS whose pension claim is No. 1682124 is one and the same person. . . ."

      Joseph DELCAMP also of Wakarusa, Indiana swears that he too knows Sarah to also be "Sallie E. MORRIS." He was also personally acquainted with Cornelius MORRIS prior to his death, and ". . . for more than forty years. . . ." He testifies that Cornelius and Sarah MORRIS lived together as husband and wife prior to 1900 and ever since ". . . up and until the death of said Cornelius MORRIS and that they never had been divorced. . . ."

      David HERRINGTON of Wakarusa stated that he was 86 years old, and that he too was personally and intimately acquainted with Cornelius MORRIS and his wife, Sarah E. MORRIS. He had known them more than fifty years and that they had never been divorced. This affidavit was taken 12 March 1931.

      The pension file ends with these documents, and does not reveal whether Sarah MORRIS was granted the Widow's Pension from her husband's time in the Civil War. Compiler suspects that there may be a separate file for Sarah, or at least additional documents not copied in the packet received March, 1996. The fact that reference is made in the affidavit of Ida DELCAMP to a different pension number from the other documents in the file would seem to indicate the existence of more than one file in the MORRIS couple's name.

      On papers signed by Cornelius MORRIS, Sarah's maiden name is spelled "SMYSNER," as it is on her "Declaration for Widow's Pension." Witnesses, however, all three spelled it "SMYSER."

      Sarah also gives the place of her marriage to Cornelius MORRIS as "farm home near Mishawaka, Indiana."

      REFERENCES:

      1. Civil War Pension File XC-2-637-185/7198: Cornelius MORRIS; National Archives, Washington, D.C. (Copy owned by compiler and Emma GILCHRIST.)

      (2) Sarah SMYSER is listed in a household headed by her father, Cornelius SMYSER, in the 1870 census of the Penn Township, St. Joseph County, IN.

      Sarah is listed in the 1870 census as then being 17 years of age; therefore, according to the 1870 census, she was born in about 1853. According to the 1870 census, she was born in OH.

      (3) www.findagrave.com:

      Sarah Elizabeth "Sally" Smyser Morris
      Birth: Sep. 5, 1852, Hamilton County, Ohio, USA
      Death: Dec. 23, 1937, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA

      Wakarusa Tribune - 30 December 1937: Mrs. Sarah E. Morris for many years a resident of Wakarusa, died last Thursday morning at her home in Wakarusa, after being an invalid for several years. She was born in Cincinnati, Ohio, Sept. 5, 1852, the daughter of Cornelius and Eliza Smyser. When she was four years old her parents moved to Mishawaka. Her marriage to Mr. Morris took place in November, 1872. He died Nov.4, 1930. She had lived 31 years in the home where she died. Surviving are three sons, Bert and Eddie Morris of North Liberty, and Cornelius Morris of South Bend, eight grandchildren and 16 great-grandchildren. Three daughters, Mazie, May and Anna, died in infancy. She also leaves a brother, A. C. Smyser of Logansport, and a sister Mrs. Charles Doolittle of Mishawaka. She was a member of the Wakarusa Methodist Church. The funeral services were conducted by the Rev. E. E. Lawshe at the Methodist church, Sunday afternoon and was attended by a large number of friends.

      Family links: Parents: Cornelius Smyser (1820 - 1905), Ann E Smyser (1828 - 1891); Spouse: Cornelius O. Morris (1845 - 1930); Children: Anna Liza Morris (1873 - 1874), Emma May Morris (1877 - 1881), Bert A. Morris (1882 - 1970), Cornelius J. Morris (1885 - 1950), Mazie Morris (1887 - 1887), Eddie N. Morris (1893 - 1963)

      Burial: Olive Cemetery, Wakarusa, Elkhart County, Indiana, USA

      Created by: roots56
      Record added: Apr 28, 2011
      Find A Grave Memorial# 69048594
    Person ID I2461  Frost, Gilchrist and Related Families
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

    Family Cornelius MORRIS, Sr.,   b. 9 Dec 1845, Olive Township, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 4 Nov 1930, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location (Age 84 years) 
    Marriage 19 Nov 1872  St. Joseph County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location  [1
    Children 
     1. Anneliza MORRIS,   b. 4 Jul 1872, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1898 (Age 25 years)
     2. Emma May MORRIS,   b. 11 Dec 1877, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1898 (Age 20 years)
     3. Bertie MORRIS,   b. 20 Oct 1882, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location
     4. Cornelius MORRIS, Jr.,   b. 12 Feb 1885, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location
     5. Mazie MORRIS,   b. 10 Mar 1887, Elkhart County, IN Find all individuals with events at this locationd. 1898 (Age 10 years)
     6. Eddie L. MORRIS,   b. 18 Feb 1893, St. Joseph County, IN Find all individuals with events at this location
    Family ID F1767  Group Sheet  |  Family Chart
    Last Modified 26 Mar 2024 

  • Sources 
    1. Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Details: Citation Text: (1) Indiana, Marriage Collection, 1800-1941 [databaseonline], Provo, UT: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005: Name: Cornelius Morris Spouse Name: Sallie E. Smyser Marriage Date: 19 Nov 1872 Marriage County: St. Joseph.