CORSE, John_Family - Fountain County INGenWeb Project

Among the early settlers of this county was John Corse, a prominent citizen who lived at the old Hinds mill. He had three daughters. Mr. Corse died and some time afterwards his wife married again. One night the oldest girl, Lydia, and her sister, Eliza, were sleeping up stairs and in the morning when their mother called them Lydia awoke and thinking her sister had already arose, went down stairs. Her mother enquired for Eliza and they thinking she had gone out doors, prepared breakfast, and called for her. They had just begun to become alarmed when Mr. McGonigal (Mrs. Corse’s second husband) came in with a note written in Eliza’s hand writing, that he said he found under the scoop shovel in the wagon. It said for her mother not to worry about her as she was going where she would be treated right. That was the last heard of the girl. Excitement was high and there were many reports of a sensational nature. The family left here soon afterward and the mysterious disapearence of Eliza Corse has often been discussed by the older settlers. Recently the younger daughter found her sister and not knowing that Uncle Bob Coats was dead wrote him the following letter, which explains all: . OSKALOOSA, IOWA, Oct. 13, ‘99. Mr. W. R. COATS, Veedersburg, Dear Friend: I suppose you will be surprised on receiving this. I will tell you who I am. I am a daughter of John Corse, who was a neighbor of your father’s for several years. I am the one younger than Lydia. The reason I write to you is to clear up a mystery in connection with my sister Eliza. She left home very mysteriously in 1853 and we never heard a word from her until a short time ago. She left her home and was married to a young man by the name of Jason Brown, known by the nickname of “Jim” Brown, who lived near Covington, in the same neighberhood that Joseph Evans lived. They went to Illinois and lived there until 1856, when they moved to Missouri and have lived in Schuyler county ever since. It is not a hundred miles from where we have lived since 1856, and we never heard a word of her in all these long years. I think the reason she never wrote was because Brown got very mad at my stepfather, Charles McGonigal, and he never got over it. Eliza died in March, 1897 and Brown died last January. They never had bat one child, a daughter, and after her father died she began to hunt us. She had a time of it, but finally through the post master found J. H Evans at …….. us. She is married and has a son 19 years old. Her name is Dora Bunch, her address is Lancaster Mo. She went to Burlington and made Evans a visit and Evans came with her and they made me a visit and just left a few days ago. Dora is finely educated and very much of a lady. They are well to do, have plenty of property. Eliza has been a member of the Christian Church for thirty or forty years. Dora says Eliza lived as clean, pure a life as any woman ever did. She was willing to die and she thinks she is in Heaven. Dora and her son are members of the Christian church. We were so glad to hear from Eliza, if it had been so long. My brother, Will Corse, died in California last November. He was thrown from a horse and injured internally and only lived three or four days afterward J. H. Evans looks young and is quite spry on foot; he is nearly 80. I have two children, a boy and a girl. I will send you my photo soon and see if you remember me. My brother, Daniel, is in Kansas City Mo.; he never married. If there is anyone in your place who remembers us and would like to hear tell them what I have written. If you care to hear more if you will write I will answer you. I am Your Friend, JENNIE CORSE MENDENHALL. – jlr