Thomas Corley's obituary

Thomas Corley was great great grandfather of Thomas Earl Crider and grandfather of Clarence Tom Crider (son of Mary Corley Crider). Photos are of Thomas Corley and Eliza Smith Corley.

Thomas Corley was married to Eliza Smith. They had 4 children: Catherine who died as a child; Mary, b. 1840, d. 1884; John H., b. 1844, d. 1913, and Kate, b. 1851, d. 1885.

The following obituary appeared in the Skaneateles (New York) Press, March 19, 1897.

Thomas Corley was born at Castle Blaney, Ireland, February 12, 1812, and died in this village (Skaneateles) March 8, 1897, after an illness of three days duration. He came to this country at the age of 19 years, making the journey from New York to Albany by Hudson River steamer, from Albany to Schnectady by railroad, from there toJordan by canal, thence to Skaneateles by private conveyance. He first entered into employmenet with Deacon David Hall, working for him one year, after which he learned the trade of a wood workman with George Gray. He afterwards worked for Hanum & Arnold, Fuller & Frances, James Drake and others at the manufacture of horsepowers, threshing machines, plows, etc. With the exception of a few years spent in the West he resided in Skaneateles from 1831 to the time of his death.

Sometime about 1835 he married Eliza, daughter of Jared Smith. Four children were born to them, only one of whom, John H. Corley of Terrell, Texas, is now living. Mr. Corley was a very industrious man, a good mechanic in his day, always commanding the respect and confidence of his employers and of the people generally in the community where he lived. He was frugal and economical and achieved financial success in a marked degree for a man whose life had been spent wholly as a wage earner. Some five years ago he suffered the loss of his sight, but this affliction was mitigated in some degree by a retentive memory and a mind well stored with a fund of information upon general topics. His knowledge of history, ancient and modern, and geography was little short of marvelous. The locations of the several states of the United States of America and their boundaries were almost as familiar to him as the fingers on his hands, and the geography of foreign lands was almost equally as familiar to him.

The closing years of his life was spent in peace and quietness, and he came down to his death full of years, with little to regret in the way of wasted opportunities.

His only son, John H. Corley, was present and saw his father’s remains laid quietly at rest in Lake View Cemetery, by the side of his mother who died in 1869

Mary Corley Crider's photo album

After Tom Hugh Crider, known to many who loved him as "Pappy", died, an old photo album was found in a dresser that had been given to him by his sister Gladys who died a few years before he did. The album had belonged to Tom's father, Clarence Tom Crider, son of Mary Corley Crider. The album was in dreadful shape, with the pages deteriorating and the pictures fallen out of their slots. Some of the pages had names written on it, but the pictures had fallen out and we didn't know what pictures belonged with the names. Other pictures had names or some inscription written on the back of it. We began a mystery search to identify the pictures. We knew some basics, particularly a picture of a young Mary Corley that I posted in a previous post. There was also a photo previously identified as Thomas Corley, father of Mary Corley.

So we started really studying the photos and listing the things about each photo that we could deduct, such as any markings on the back of the photos, including the name of the town and/or the photography studio that had taken the photo.

We found we could separate the pictures into groups that had been taken in Missouri. Skaneateles and Albany New York and Terrell, Texas. We knew that Mary Corley and her siblings were born in Skaneateles, New York to Thomas Corley and Eliza Smith Corley (from census records).

Another thing we looked at was style of dress and portrait poses. I did some research on clothing of the period and found I could safely identify decades of the 1800s based on the clothing/hairstyles. This helped in grouping people and places. The backdrops of the portraits, especially in the New York photos, were also helpful in determining some information. Granted we made some assumptions, but feel fairly confident in these assumptions.

The smallest of clues were most helpful. After talking by e-mail with Enid Barnes (reference Part II of FInding Mary Corley), we were able to definitively identify Kate Corley Kimler, sister of Mary Corley Crider, by the grosgrain ribbon that was in her hair. In fact, Enid, who is Kate's great-granddaughter, has the ribbon framed on her wall.

This is Kate's picture to the right.

I replaced the album pages using paper as similar to the original as possible, and in addition, recreated the gold outlines around the picture frames. The original album cover had been torn and we replaced the leather, keeping an original cutout of the cover mounted on the front. Below pictures are Thomas and Eliza Smith Corley, parents of Mary, Kate and John. More about how we found John Corley in another post!

Searching for Dayton and Mary Crider and Mary Corley Crider

Tom and I (Tom and Shirley Crider) traveled in Missouri the week of Oct 1 2007 doing genealogy research on the Crider ancestry and had some incredible finds. Tom is the son of Hugh Tom Crider, grandson of Clarence Crider. The purpose of our trip was to:

Locate graves of Dayton Crider (b. 1811, d. 1867) and Mary (Polly) Emison/Emerson Crider (b. 1811, d. 1852) as well as any other information. Dayton Crider is the great, great grandfather of Tom.

Locate grave of Mary Corley Crider (b. 1840, d. 1884). Mary was the Mother of Clarence Crider, Tom's grandfather.

Find any information possible on the above, as well as James Crider, husband of Mary Corley Crider, and any documents showing the “bonding out” of Clarence Tom Crider and his siblings (children of Mary Corley and James Crider) to different families after the death of their mother Mary Corley Crider. After this happened, we have no information as to what happened to James Crider except that he remarried 6 months after Mary Corley Crider's death.


This story is written in two parts; PART I will cover finding Dayton and Mary Emerson Crider. PART II covers finding Mary Corley Crider

PART I - Searching for Dayton and Mary Crider

PART I covers finding Dayton and Mary Emerson Crider.

We first went to Hannibal, which is in NE Missouri on the Mississippi River, and was the home of Mark Twain and the setting for “Huckleberry Finn”. Hannibal is about 20 miles north of Louisiana MO which was the location of a number of old photos depicting Mary Corley Crider and family. These old photos provided us some clues into the search for the family history. At the library in Hannibal, we found two books that provided invaluable information:

“The Mudd Family of the United States”, Richard D. Mudd, AB., MA., PhD., M.D. (Samuel Mudd was the doctor implicated in the assassination of Abraham Lincoln). From census records we knew that Ann Marie Mudd was the second wife of Dayton Crider, which took us to this book. There we found numerous connections between the Crider and the Mudd families, as well as the Corley and the Mudd families. The following citations provided information on the location of Dayton Crider’s grave. From page 98: “The old Crider home where Francis Sylvester Mudd and Julia Annie Crider (who was the daughter of Dayton and Mary Crider) was situated at Rock Point three miles down the river from Louisiana, Mo. Both parents of Julia Annie Crider Mudd were buried at “Buffalo Knot” (should read Knob) which is near the old Crider home.”

We looked in a number of books with cemetery listings and tried to find Buffalo Knob on the map; there was in fact a cemetery at Buffalo Knob but it was inland about 12 miles and did not fit the description as being three miles downriver from Louisiana so we had to keep looking.

We found the book “Pike County, Missouri – People Places & Pikers” Compiled and edited by Karen Schwadron, under the auspices of the Pike County Historical Society. From page 12:

“In a lovely cemetery on the southern slope of the bluff known as Buffalo Knob overlooking the Mississippi south of Louisiana, is buried a relative of the American poet, Ralph Waldo Emerson. Just below this burial ground was once a thriving wharf with pens for the livestock and sacked grain waiting for the packet boats to ship them down the river to St. Louis. This wharf was known as “Crider Steamboat Landing”. In 1981 the Hercules, Inc. plant occupies part of this area.”

These two citations provided important clues for our discoveries.

We also found references in “People, Places and Pikers” to Ann Marie Crider giving land to St Joseph’s Catholic church. From page 253, “…in 1861 Archbishop Kenrick purchased the Ann Mary Crider property about two and one-half miles south of town for a cemetery. In 1878 this property was sold back to Ann Mary Crider. The Archbishop reserved the graves that were in place on this property at that time….”

So we set out on a search to find the property fitting the above descriptions. South of Louisiana about 3 miles we found an island marked on the current County map by the name of Crider Island. We drove down Hwy 79 south from Louisiana to see if we found land fitting the above description. We did find the Hercules plant, and south of it only one location that looked like it could be what was then known as Buffalo Knob. There was a long driveway leading up a hill to a home at the top of the hill. The location certainly did look like what was described as “the southern slope of the bluff known as Buffalo Knob overlooking the Mississippi south of Louisiana”. It also had a location that would have been perfect for boarding livestock at a landing. We were hopeful that this might be the place; however, we did not find anyone at home. Here is a view of the "southern slope of the bluff overlooking the Mississippi".

We spent time in Louisiana MO which was the location of pictures taken of Mary Corley as well as several others (the information about the town and studio where pictures were taken was on the back of the original photos that we have). Based on the name and address of the photography studio (photo taken in Louisiana MO, S.A. rice & Bro’s, Photograph & Portrait Gallery, N.W. Cor. Third & Georgia Sts) we found the location of the building in Louisiana. It was thrilling to know that the very streets we walked on had been visited by these relatives in the 1860s/1870s/1880s.

We spent the night in Bowling Green MO, Pike County seat. We found several interesting documents there, among them Dayton Crider’s probate papers, and confirming that he indeed was the Crider of Crider Landing, and some deed information showing property transfers. In addition, we were able to locate a survey map of this area as the land was laid out in 1837. On this map we found land bordering the Mississippi River belonging to D. Crider and Mrs. Crider. We decided to drive the 15 miles back to Louisiana and again try to find if anyone was home at the spot we thought would have been Buffalo Knob.

When we drove up to the house, we found that the owners home and they came out to greet us. We told them we were Tom and Shirley Crider and they greeted us as if they knew who we were! We had actually FOUND the very small cemetery where Dayton and his first wife Mary Emerson were buried. The property belonged now to Ann and Jerry Narramore who had purchased the property in the 1970s. They were so hospitable and showed us about 6 graves that were still located there very close to their home among a stand of trees. Apparently St Joseph’s church had moved all but Crider family graves to the cemetery that is now located in the town of Louisiana. We found Mary Emerson Crider’s gravestone (died in 1852) that was in good shape, but Dayton Crider’s stone was broken in a number of pieces by a huge tree that had displaced his stone (he died in 1867).

This was such a thrill to actually find these long-lost graves and we enjoyed very much the visit with Ann and Jerry who helped clean off and decipher some of the inscriptions on the stones. They had never found any evidence of the “old Crider home” but it must have been close in the area. In 1866 this land owned by Dayton was transferred to his second wife (they married in 1854) (I have copies of several deed transactions). It turns out that when we had stood the previous day looking down the slope that we thought perfect for a cemetery, we were only about 50 feet from the actual graves that were actually at a little higher elevation on the slope. We were the first people to come searching for these graves and it gave us a great deal of satisfaction to actually solve the mystery.

There has been confusion over the spelling of Mary Emerson's name and ancestry. On their marriage certificate, it says "Polly Emison" married Dayton Crider. I had found on ancestry.com the ancestry of Mary "Polly Emison" who is listed on several family charts as the wife of Dayton Crider. However, the information on the tombstone is different and identifies Mary as the daughter of E. D. Emerson. It says she was born on Dec 11, 1811. So the information I previously found on ancestry.com for Mary Emerson is incorrect, as it showed she was born in 1805. However, I feel the information on the gravestone to be the accurate information and have corrected the information in my genealogy chart.

PART II Seaching for Mary Corley Crider

PART II - Finding Mary Corley

We spent time in Louisiana MO which was the location of this photo of Mary Corley as well as several other family members and friends (the information about the town and studio where pictures were taken was on the back of the original photos that we have). Based on the name and address of the photography studio (photo taken in Lousiana MO, S.A. rice & Bro’s, Photograph & Portrait Gallery, N.W. Cor. Third & Georgia Sts) we found the location of the building in Louisiana. It was thrilling to know that the very streets we walked on had been visited by these relatives in the 1860s/1870s/1880s. This photo of Mary Corley Crider was taken in the late 1860s or early 1870s I believe.

Mary died in 1884. After her death, her husband James Crider "bonded" their three children out to different families. We have been unable to find what happened to James Crider.

Our next stop was to Troy, county seat of Lincoln County. This is where the township of Millwood was located which was listed as the home of James and Mary Crider and children in 1870/1880 census, as well as Kate Corley Kimler, husband Claudius and children. Here we found some truly fantastic information in the deed records. We had previously found a reference to Henry Corley in the Mudd family history book. He also married a woman from the Mudd family, Rose Ellen Mudd. Form page 982: “In a letter dated 6-5-1856 from {Judge} Henry T. Mudd to his future wife Mary D. O’Brien, he stated: ‘Mr. Corley, who by the bye is one of our best men will be married to Rose Ellen Mudd, daughter of John L. Mudd. I have a high regard and opinion for them both and believe it will be a good match. Henry Corley, husband of Rose Ellen Mudd, was born in Carracloughan Co., Monoghan, Ireland and emigrated to Pennsylvania and thence to Millwood, Mo. He was a wheelwright in Millwood, Mo. in his early days.”

So, both Criders and Corleys married into the Mudd family, as did some of their children!

We had wondered how Mary, Kate and John Corley had ended up in Millwood, MO from Scaneateles New York. The first record we found in a deed book was the sale of property from Henry Corley to Thomas Corley! So indeed, we found a connection and the likely reason they were in Millwood. Henry Corley was born in the same county in Ireland as Thomas Corley. I have tried to find out something about Carracloughan but haven’t been able to yet. I will continue searching. We are thinking perhaps they might have been cousins, but hope to confirm their relationship at some point in further research.

In subsequent searches of the deed books, we found several records showing transfer of land from Thomas Corley to Mary Crider and Kate Kimler (Mary’s sister), as well as others. I am currently “digesting” – rather, interpreting these deeds now, though I believe we must have missed records because the information seems to be incomplete as to the many transfers of land. We especially wanted to find out what happened to the land owned by Mary Crider and whether or not James Crider ended up with it. We found a plat map that shows the location of the property and it does have J. Crider owning the land at some point.

There is a genealogical society in Troy that was only open on Thursday and Saturday. We were there on Tuesday/Wednesday and I called the number for the person to see if it was possible for them to open it on Wednesday (it was not). However the woman asked who we were researching and when I told her Mary Crider and Kate Kimler, she gave me the name and number of a woman who had done research on the Kimlers. I then called her, Alice Foster, who was the granddaughter of Claudius Kimler (Kate Corley was his first wife) and his second wife (Alice Kimler). Alice Foster told me that she knew right where Mary Crider and Kate Kimler were buried in the Sulphur Lick Cemetery about halfway between Troy and Millwood. She also gave me the name and number of Enid Barnes, who was a great-granddaughter of Claudius and Kate Corley Kimler. Enid lives in St Louis and we had a wonderful conversation about all the research we each had done. She did not know much information about the Corley’s and we are exchanged pictures and information to help fill in the blanks we each have.

We were able to find Mary and Kate’s graves and actually placed some flowers on them. Mary died in 1884 at age 43 and Kate died in 1885 at the age of 35. Their graves were side by side, among several other Kimlers, including Claudius and two of Kate’s sons who died young and under mysterious circumstances, so I have been told. It was so rewarding to find these graves and know that the sisters rested together.

Picture of Tom Crider at tombstones of Mary Corley Crider and Kate Corley Kimler.

We found the land that belonged to the Corleys, Criders, and Kimlers (two different sections of land). We located plats describing the locations of the land and drove past each of them. One section of land was about 120 acres and the other was 196 acres. The 196 acres were the location where the James and Mary Corley family and the Claudius and Kate Kimler families were listed sequentially in the 1880 census.

We also went to the St Alphonsus Cemetery at Millwood where Ann Marie Crider and hers and Dayton Crider’s son Enoch were buried, as well as Henry and Rose Ellen Corley (died 1899 and 1928 respectively). Curiously Henry and Rose Ellen’s stone was new and we would like to know who had it put there (another thread to follow!).

We also traveled to Jefferson City, state capital, and found a couple of other references – one a record of James Crider’s service in the Civil War, another a record of Henry Corley’s Civil War service, as well as a deed that we had missed in Lincoln County and plat locations of the property. We then went to the state historical museum at the University of Missouri in Columbia and found newpaper articles concerning the deaths of Mary Crider, Kate Kimler, Rose Ellen Corley, and Claudius Kimler.

I am continuing research into the “bonding” out of James and Mary’s children (Clarence, Tom and Lilly) after her death in 1884. Clarence Tom Crider (Tom’s grandfather) was very unhappy in the home in which he was placed and ultimately committed suicide when Tom’s father (Hugh Tom Crider) was 3-4 years old. I found a reference to Guardian and Curator Bonds for the period 1875-1902 that are available at the Missouri State Archives but requested research by e-mail to see if there is any reference to Clarence, John and Lilly Crider and the answer was negative. There is more work to be done!

I'll have another post later about more history of Mary Corley and a mystery we would love to be able to solve!

Following is a copy of the obituary of Rose Ellen Corley, referred to in comment 4 below: