Charles J. and Emelina Lucretia “Cloah” Perry Kilborn–Trotter Cemetery, Lewis, Edwards County, KS

Many early pioneers and settlers of Edwards County had weathered the storms Mother Nature threw at them, but there were other tragedies which could happen to a family.

Charles and Cloah were married in Indiana on the day before Christmas in 1873. They were blessed with six children with Ardella, Sarah Alice, and Albert being born in Indiana.

The family of five arrived in Franklin Twp., Edwards County in 1880 where daughters, Mabel and Gertrude, joined the family.

On January 2nd, 1885, Cloah gave birth to their sixth child and sadly passed away four days later. The young infant died on the 24th of January. The baby is buried in Old Kinsley Cemetery.

Charles was left a widow with six children ranging in age from nine to two years old. He had to make the difficult decision to put his children up for adoption.

Ardella was nine years old at the time of her mother’s death. She was adopted by Jared and Elizabeth Malin. She married Albert Baker, Sr. in 1897 and was mother to four children. She is buried in Illinois.

It is unknown if Albert was adopted or not. He was six years old. He must have returned to relatives in Indiana as he was married there in 1906. Albert died in 1933 and is buried in Florida.

Sarah Alice was five at the time of her mother’s death and was adopted by Michael and Elizabeth Delp. In 1895, Sarah married Daniel Delp and was blessed with twelve children. She is buried in Browns Grove Cemetery in Burdett, Kansas.

At the age of four, Mary was adopted by Frank and Louise Fulton. She did not marry until the age of 70. She died in 1966 and is buried in Arkansas.

The youngest of Charles and Cloah was two-year-old Gertrude. She was adopted by Colah’s sister, Charlotte, and her husband, George Fisher. Gertrude married Harry Klein in 1906 and were the parents of ten children. She is buried in Browns Grove Cemetery.