The Wife of Col. William Birch Corley Miss. Elizabeth [Betsy]Mcgruder

The Wife

of

Col. William Birch Corley

Miss Elizabeth Betsy McGruder

Name: Elizabeth [Betsy]Mcgruder
Alias: Aunt Betsy
Born: July 14, 1814 Virginia
Died: November 11, 1898 Christiansburg Shelby County Kentucky
Spouse: Col. William Burch Corley
Parents: Dennis McGruder, Elizabeth Sutherland
Occupation: Housewife
Cause of Death: Arteriosclerosis
Interment: Corley—Neal Cemetery Cropper Shelby County Kentucky

NOBLE WOMAN FULL OF YEARS AND HONORS, PASSES TO HER GREAT REWARD.

Mrs. Elizabeth Corley, wife of Col. W. B. Corley, familiar know though out the county as “Aunt Betsy,” died at her home in Christiansburg last Friday morning at half past eleven O’clock of infirmities incident to her great age which was eighty-six years.

Her maiden name was Magruder, and she was born and reared and lived all her life in the same neighborhood. She was descendant of the Old Kentucky pioneers, and a noble specimen of Kentucky womanhood, she was beloved by everyone one for her kind and gentle ways and her home was always the seat of true hospitality. Her venerable husband, who is two years her senior, survives her. Many will remember her the occasion of their golden wedding celebration thirteen years ago when all the surrounding country turned out to honor them. Besides her husband she leaves seven children, one son, Mr. J. R. Corley and six Daughters, Mrs James For, Mrs. Amos Davis, Mrs. Squire Davis, and Mrs. John Thomas all of this County. Mrs. Tom Overstreet, of Louisville, and Mrs. James B. Young of Kansas.

The funeral services were conducted Saturday afternoon at one O’clock by Rev J.J. Johnston, of Louisville, and Rev. Strother, of Pleasureville, at the Methodist Church in Christiansburg in the presence of a large concourse of friends and relatives. The interment took place in the old family burying ground near Cropper, where several generations of the family have been buried.

Ford Files
Ford Genealogy Page #17

Elizabeth Magruder was born in Shelby County Kentucky, July 13, 1814, of Scotch parents and she inherited many of the Scotch Characteristics of her ancestors. Frugal and industrious, but generous. Married William Birch Corley November 19, 1835.They had 3 sons and 7 daughters, namely Sarah Elizabeth Corley [Corley], [2 Turk], Mary Magruder Corley Overstreet, Josiah Magruder Corley, unmarried died, Richard Johnson, [M] Mirtie [Fannie] Estes, Lucy Ann Corley Ford, Susan D. Corley Young, Pricilla James Corley Davis, Isabelle Corley Davis, William Butler Corley, 1851, died at the age of 12 years, Martha Wilson Corley Thomas..

There were 39 grandchildren born and 31 lived to be grown. She possessed a placid disposition and was kind.

It was a beautiful picture to see her in her cap as she would lake her long stemmed pipe from the mantle, fill it with tobacco, scoop a live coal of fire from the fire place and settle back in hear easy chair and puff away in perfect contentment.

She died November 11, 1898, and both her and her husband William were buried on the old Magruder farm in the family grave yard 2 miles north east of Cropper Station, Kentucky.

She loved and trusted James Henry Ford more than any of her sons-laws and he loved her as if she were his mother. When problems would arise she sent for James who always responded and hand led the difficulty. To James she was Mama Betsy. It was from and through her that much of the-- was

1860 United States Federal Census Record
Name: Elizth Corley Age in 1860: 45 Birth Year: abt 1815 Birthplace: Kentucky Home in 1860: District 2, Shelby, Kentucky Gender: Female Post Office: Christiansburg Image Source: Year: 1860; Census Place: District 2, Shelby, Kentucky; Roll: M653_395; Page: 0; Image: 33.

1870 United States Federal Census Record
Name: Elizabeth Corley Estimated Birth Year: abt 1816 Age in 1870: 54 Birthplace: Virginia Home in 1870: Christiansburg, Shelby, Kentucky Family and neighbors: Race: White Gender: Female Value of real estate: Post Office: Christiansburg Image Source: Year: 1870; Census Place: Christiansburg, Shelby, Kentucky; Roll: M593_498; Page: 456; Image: 198.

1880 United States Federal Census Record
Name: Elizabeth Corley Age: 66 Estimated birth year: abt 1814 Birthplace: Kentucky Occupation: Keeping House Relationship to head-of-household: Wife Home in 1880: Christiansburg, Shelby, Kentucky Marital status: Married Race: White Gender: Female Spouse's name: W. B. Corley Father's birthplace: VA Mother's birthplace: VA Image Source: Year: 1880; Census Place: Christiansburg, Shelby, Kentucky; Roll: T9_441; Family History Film: 1254441; Page: 203.2000; Enumeration District: 184; Image: 0716.


DESCENDENTS OF MADDOX & CORLEY
VII. WILLIAM BURCH CORLEY [COL.] m. ELIZABETH [BETSY] McGRUDER,
b. Feb 23, 1812 Culpeper CO VA daughter of Josiah and Elizabeth
d. Oct 21, 1900 McGruder, Nov 14, 1935 by Rev.
William Gunn
b. July 14, 1814 d. Nov 11, 1898


MADDOX-CORLEY-DAVIS Lineage
VII. WILLIAM BURCH CORLEY [COL.] born in Culpeper Co Va. Feb 23, died in Shelby Co. Ky. Nov 11, 1899. Married Elizabeth McGruder, daughter of Dennis and Elizabeth Magruder

Shelby County Cemeteries Volume II page 92
Corley-Neal Cemetery B-42 pg 92 of Shelby County Cemeteries Location: From Cropper Ky., travel east on Ky. 43 for .6 mile and turn left on the Shipman-Magruder Road. Drive northeast for 1.3 miles and turn right into the farm now owned by Linnie Shaw. The cemetery is about 1,000 feet due south of this point, and near the eastern fence line of a pasture.

CONDITION: The family cemetery is fenced on two sides but lies open on the south and west. As a result, most of the stones are down and a few are broken. The area occupied by the cemetery measures, 20’ x 20’. There are no trees in the area and the ground is covered by orchard grass. This survey was made on May 21, 1978


Pg. 92/4A. . . ELIZABETH CORLEY/JULY 14, 1918/NOV 11, 1898—OSSW William B. Corley

Married: Nov ember 14, 1835 Henry County by Rev William Gunn
McGruder Elizabeth Carley/ Corley William S. Page 32 Henry County marriages 1789-1850