Cora May was the daughter of John Henry and Amanda (McGoogan) Crites. She was born on October 22, 1876. In the 1880 Federal Census, John Henry, Amanda(Emma) and Cora are living in Uniondale, Indiana. Cora was four years old. John and Emma Crites had two daughters; Cora May (1876) and Dessie (1886).

Cora Crites about 1880

John, Dessie, Emma and Cora (standing behind) –  taken about the time of Cora’s wedding in 1892.

She married Alvin Smith on December 24, 1892, in Zanesville, Indiana. Cora and Alvin had two daughters who both died in infancy; Edith was born on Sept 8, 1895, and died on September 21, 1895, and Ida May was born on February 20, 1898, and died on March 16, 1898. (I recently learned of these two babies when a cousin sent me family pages from Cora’s Bible. In the 1900 Federal Census, Alvin and Cora were living in Wells County, Indiana.

Everett Alton was born August 16, 1904, and James Fredrick Smith was born on July 23, 1907. In the 1910 Federal Census, Cora and Alvin are living in rural Wells County, next door to his brother, William Smith and his family and five houses from Alvin parent’s, James W and Oella Smith, with their two young sons.

 Fredrick James Smith and Evertt Alton Smith – 1910

In the 1920 Federal Census, Alvin and Cora are living in Burton Michigan, Alvin’s brother, Francis and his son James W are living with them. Alvin and Francis have obtained employment with the newly established “Auto Industry” in Flint. They are sheet metal workers. Cora is a housewife and their sons, Everett and Fred, are growing young men. On January 19, 1925, Alvin suddenly died on the assembly line at work.  It was thought that he had a heart attack.

A forty-nine-year-old widow, Cora Smith married John Daly of Clio Michigan on May 11, 1929. They moved to his home in Clio on Johnson Street and that is where they are found in the 1930 Federal Census.

Seventy-eight years ago, my Great Grandmother, Cora May Crites Smith Daly died on January 16, 1940. She was sixty-three years old. Rest in peace Cora!

Love, Jan