Rev. Ira Malcolm Corman, BORN 26-Feb-1904, Wilmore, KY, DIED 30-Jul-1930 Vesta Jane McCord, BORN 22-Nov-1902, Bartholomew, IN, DIED 5-Apr-1995 my granduncle and grandaunt
Ira (22yo) married Vesta Jane (23yo) on Wednesday, July 28, 1926, in her hometown in Bartholomew County, IN. He attended seminary at Manhattan Bible College (present-day Manhattan Christian College) which opened in 1927 as Christian Workers University in Kansas. How did they meet? Still working on that detail.
Wedding Day, July 28, 1926 “Ira and Vesta Jane”
They were married only four years when Ira died July 30, 1930, of typhoid fever while living and preaching in Erlanger, KY. Typhoid fever rates had declined since the advent of drinking water purification efforts and is caused most commonly by exposure to Salmonella bacteria (see Johns Hopkins references) At the time, there was less than a 20% chance (20 in 100K) incidence of typhoid fever, according to The CDC, so somewhat rare. They had no children. They had only just celebrated their 4-year wedding anniversary two days before his death. Maybe he was already sick and they could not celebrate.
Brother’s calling card
As recorded in the 1950 US Census just released this year, Vesta J. Corman was a 47 year old widow, “lodger” who “teaches grade school” living in Fort Thomas, Campbell Co, KY. The handwritten letters of the census taker appears to be on “Alex Pine” with “River View” street on one side and “So. Fort Thomas Ave” on the other side. I will map this eventually.
Although Vesta Jane remarried following Ira’s untimely death, they are buried together in Section 50, Garland Brook Cemetery, Columbus, Barthlolomew County, Indiana.
Interestingly, Vesta Jane’s second husband Howard Long was the widower of Ira’s eldest step-sibling, Minnie Pearl Corman Long. Minnie Pearl, a nurse, died at 58 years old on Dec. 28, 1948, due to a stroke.
In the 1940 Census, Howard Long, his wife Minnie, their adopted son Alan and Howard’s mother Elizabeth (Vandiver) Long lived at 220 Forest Park Road in Lexington, Fayette Co, KY. Eight years later, Minnie died.
The 1950 Census places Howard Stanley Long still living at Forest Park Road. He is 56 years old, widowed and working for the water company in the occupations of “Reading and Repairing Water lines” with an income of $3,730. Living in the residence are 14 year old son Alan B. Long, 87 year old mother Elizabeth P. Long, and Stella J. Hamilton, the 60 year old nurse who’s occupation is listed as “Nursing and companion.” Presumably, this was for the senior Mrs. Long.
Sometime between 1950 and Howard’s death in 1959, Vesta and Howard married. Vesta Jane lived another 36 years as a widow again and joined the cadre of Corman women who lived to their ripe old ages caring for others and for each other. They were my role models, these women in community.
It’s That Kentucky Girl
that.Kentucky.girl
A 6th-generation Kentuckian on a journey to find out – follow along
JOHN MATHEWS – This man has eluded me for several years now. Finally, I was able to connect the Mathews line back to him as my 3rd-great-grandfather. Records confirm mostly as his headstone reports his birth date as February 20, 1773, and death on December 18, 1813. I commonly find references to Augusta County, Virginia, his birthplace in my research. I am learning much about the development of land boundaries, the morphing of counties and the complexity of searching in multiple locations for the same thing. What was called Augusta County might soon be called Staunton but refers to the same spot.
The name John Mathews was common and was (is) often misspelled as Matthews, also a common surname at the time. (Yes, that extra “T” is a mistake, an assumption on your part, but I digress…). His father was William and his mother Mary. Also, common names. In fact, I have located two sets of William & Mary Wright Mat(t)hews parents of large families. John is reportedly the 9th of 11 children born to William and Mary Wright.
I find it curious that John was comparatively older for the time period when he married. I will continue to look for evidence of any first marriage or otherwise an explanation for his relative delay in starting a family. That being said, John Mathews (31yo) married Sarah “Sallie” McDowell (20yo) in 1804 and they had four children:
Son, Joseph McDowell Mathews, b. December 8, 1804 in Augusta, VA
Son, William Harvey Mathews, b. December 29, 1806 in Augusta, VA
Daughter, Margareet Mathews, b. October 29, 1808, died 1809 in Augusta, VA
Son, Caleb Moffett Mathews, b. October 27, 1810 in Staunton, Augusta, VA
John, his young wife Sarah and their three boys – 9yo Joseph, 7yo William and 3yo Caleb, settled in Fayette Co, KY in 1813. (I am fully prepared to discover that Fayette Co was formed from Augusta VA.) There was a William Mathews who died in Augusta, VA in 1811 who named his executor as his son, John Mathews.
In December of the year following their arrival to KY, John died at 41yo. Sarah, 30yo, was far away from her family, had three young boys and was a widow in winter, grieving at Christmastime. I am learning other family members settled in the area and she may not have been facing the dire circumstances on her own the entire time. The way these three children grew up appears to have effected them with a drive for pursuits. They each realized a level of professional success as an educator, a merchant and a judge. They were sent to school, a now historic school, known as Kentucky Academy, Marshall Academy, and other names, will be covered in more depth later.
Fayette County Records
June 2022: I had the best experience visiting the Fayette County Clerk‘s Office in downtown Lexington twice this year. The land records division is headed by a Kentucky native, Deputy Clerk Mr. Shea Brown, who I later saw featured in a KET broadcast about the Digital Access Project. The equipment they utilize yields quality images and they are extremely helpful so I am really happy they have this opportunity to provide virtual access for a wealth of records. But, as I can attest, the in-person experience with this office was wonderful and fruitful.
DEED 1793: John Mathews, Fayette County
The Fayette County 1793 deed signed by Levi Todd, grandfather of Mary Todd Lincoln.Other names referenced include: John Rogers, Jacob Troutman, Adam Troutman
ESTATEINVENTORY February 1814: John Mathews, deceased – This confounds me because his recorded death date is December 1814. So, was there more than one John Mathews in Fayette County?
DEED November 10, 1818: George Moffett for Mathews, Joseph, William H. & Caleb.
A deed of indenture was written in 1818 between George Moffett (again with the Moffett name and further research needed) and the three heirs of John Mathews for $6,570 along with 120 acres of land in Fayette Co on the waters of South Elkhorn. Another deed references being part of a “settlement” lying in Fayette Co on Davey’s Fork, a branch of Elkhorn. The General Index references David’s Fork.
My Dad, who trained as a surveyor while attending UK engineering school, provided his analysis of the land as described in the deed. To his calculations, the parcel exceeded the 100 acres noted in the deed. With so many references to ephemeral landmarks – black walnut, elm and buckeye, it might be virtually impossible to determine exactly. Or that is his assessment. He did sketch the shape, distance and degrees.
The culminating depiction through these three documents appears consistent. As best I can estimate, their home was near present-day Keeneland and the Kentucky Castle, perhaps somewhere along US-1967 (the year I was born, by the way). I fear that will be a much bigger undertaking that may end up inconclusive. It is on the list for later.
This parcel of land crossed over into Woodford Co and adjoined the land of Sarah (Mathews) Price, who had remarried in 1816 to Larkin Price. It appears Sarah had five children by Price, including Larkin Foster Price, a noted lawyer, state legislator and Judge in Texas who is buried in Alamo Masonic Cemetery, San Antonio, TX.
It is possible Sarah’s mother, Margaret Moffett, died in Woodford Co that same year and possibly the same month as the marriage. What are the circumstances for Margaret’s death? It is very easy to get your head turned around in trying to navigate the McDowell and Moffett families. More on that to come.
Sarah Mathews Price is buried in the Pisgah Presbyterian Church cemetery, Versailles, Woodford Co, KY, between John Mathews, her first husband, and Larkin Fahr Price, her second husband. She outlived them both, so she had the final say.
My Dad with me on a recent research trip who was surprised to find Happy Chandler’s headstone as we wandered. After looking around a good while in fairly cold temperatures, we found the graves of John Mathews and Sarah McDowell Mathews Price, his great-great-grandparents. I do not think my Dad had ever been to their graves before this day. The taller, much older headstone belongs to Larkin Price, Sarah’s second husband. Both John and Sarah’s headstones have been updated. My question: by whom and when?
This is where I have paused. I feel the need to have more proof before I move beyond this generation. If the details I’ve compiled from records are accurate, Sarah’s parents’ families – the McDowells and the Moffetts – were Patriots and Revolutionary War heroes. Seeing the “McDowell” and “Moffett” middle names of the children supports the theory that Sarah was, in fact, from this same prominent family. But, I continue to explore these connections for additional confirmation.
Mayme Cook Mathews, my great-grandmother born 1869 and died 1940 in Jessamine Co
Mrs. John S. Mathews – Mayme Cook
MATHEWS
Mrs. John S. Mathews, 71, died at her home on Brown street here Monday after a two-day illness. She is survived by her husband and two sons, Pleas C. and John Mathews, both of Nicholasville.
Deceased was the daughter of the late Mr. and Mrs. Pleas Cook one of Jessamine county’s oldest families. She was a kind Christian woman and was loved by a large host of friends and acquaintances.
Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock Wednesday morning at the Baptist church, the Rev. J. A. Stallings officiating. Interment in Maple Grove cemetery here.
Mamie Mathews’ death certificate is missing details and has her name misspelled. Was the authorizer hurried? The cause of death is noted as “cerebral hemorrhage” which could be due to an injury or a stroke. The Lexington obituary cites paralysis, which again leads me to believe she had a stroke.
Nicholasville Resident Succumbs to Paralysis
Nicholasville, Ky., April 16 (Special) – Mrs. Mayme Cook Mathews, 72, of Nicholasville, died at her home at 5 o’clock Monday afternoon after a short illness of paralysis. She was a daughter of the late Pleas Cook of Jessamine county. She is survived by her husband, John Mathews; two sons, John and Pleas Mathews, Nicholasville; a brother, Melvin Cook, Jessamine county, and six grandchildren. Funeral services will be held at 10 o’clock Wednesday morning at the Nicholasville Baptist church with the Rev. John T. Stallings officiating. Burial will be in the Maple Grove cemetery.
The Lexington Leader, Lexington, KY, Tuesday, April 16, 1940 – Page 11
Maple Grove Cemetery, Nicholasville, Jessamine County, KY image borrowed from Find A Grave
FOR FURTHER RESEARCH: Why is her address listed as Brown Street? Brown Street is in town and runs off Main Street near where the new library was opened. I thought John & Mayme Cook Mathews lived on the farm until John died, ironically about a month after Mayme died.
You can have V-8 performance – and gas economy, too!
An 85 h.p. Ford gave 24.92 miles per gallon in the annual official Gilmore-Yosemite road test, open to all cars. This was best mileage of all standard-equipped cars in this class!
You can have easy-handling – with big-car room and ride!
Everyone knows how easy it is to drive a Ford. But no one would know, til he gets in side, how big this Ford is in leg-room, seat-room, knee-room . . . nor what a thrillingly soft, steady, big-car ride it gives!
You can have low cost upkeep – and enjoy real fine-car features!
You shift gears on a Ford with the easy-acting type finger-tip shift used on costly cars. You get a semi-centrifugal clutch giving lower pedal pressure at shifting speeds, also typical of costly cars . . . to say nothing of the biggest hydraulic brakes ever used on a low-cost car. Your Ford Dealer’s ready and willing to trade . . . See him now!
You can have a FORD V-8 – and that’s what you’ll want when you try it!
I made a visit to the home place of four family generations just up the hill from Jessamine Creek spring sometime in the 1990s.
The camera I carried with me was disposable and, truthfully, might never have been processed to the light of day. (I believe I still have undeveloped Kodak 35mm rolls from my youth somewhere in my boxed packrat tendencies. The canister with lid tale-tale (but not always of the contents, iykyk.))
Fortunately, I took those pictures that day – long before the genealogy bug bit down or the common use of cellphones, for that matter. And, not long before the building was razed. It had fallen into disrepair and sadly is no more.
My memory of visits to the home I called “Uncle Johnny’s” began when a very young child. The more prevalent in memory are those visits with Cutters, my mother Phyllis’ mother. I may have visited Grandmother Mathews more often than I have memories but they followed my grandmother’s move into town when she sold the property to eldest child, her step-son John Shepherd Mathews. Johnny’s wife Nannie Katherine died way too young in September, 1974. He and their four daughters stayed on the farm. Cousin Susan is a sweet wealth of stories from her life on the farm.
This picture is the view at the back, and I believe an east-southeast-facing side of the house just above the kitchen. I THINK and my Dad will hopefully correct me when he reads this if not. A second-story bedroom above is where my cousin Angie and I had spent hours jumping out of a closet loft onto a bed.
At the time of this photo, the floor was strewn with remnants of the lives that had made this home along with leaves and other debris blown in from the outside through the missing window pane. Perhaps you can imagine pausing amongst the random relics, and glancing out an opening between peeling wallpaper and broken beams and witness the irony in its framing the exterior beauty of Kentucky blooming and a farmhouse in the distance.
If you came across Abandoned Kentucky (@Abandoned.ky), this would have been a perfect feature, had timing been different.
![[ARTIFACT] 1984: The Jessamine Journal, Thursday, October 18, 1984](https://thatkentuckygirl.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/07/screen-shot-2023-07-24-at-6.11.07-pm.png?w=89)
that Kentucky girl 