Letters from Willis Gregg CORBITT

CORBITT, GREGG, JENKINS, LONG, WILLIS, CRAMER, MCELHANEY, HENDERSON, DICKEY

Posted By: Joey Stark
Date: 7/5/2006 at 15:32:08

Letter dated Nov. 29, 1963, from Willis Gregg CORBITT, 707 S.W. Westwood Drive, Portland, Oregon (grandson of Eleanor (GREGG)(CORBITT) LONG):

"William H. CORBITT was born Jan. 8, 1830, Jeffersonville, Fayette Co., Ohio, and died Oct. 7, 1862, at Bookwalter, Fayette Co., Ohio, at the age of 32, due to a relapse after an attack of typhoid fever. He was buried in the same cemetery, near his father, Samuel Kay CORBITT, and mother, Catherine JENKINS, in the town of Jeffersonville, Ohio. I saw the headstones when I visited the cemetery in 1958. That of S. K. CORBITT was in good condition but the other two were considerably weathered. That of Catherine JENKINS CORBITT had been broken and knocked from the original location. I have pictures of the monuments. After the death of William Hickling CORBITT, his wife returned to Jefferson County, Iowa, to live with her parents, Andrew GREGG and wife, until she married David LONG. That is why the two CORBITT children are buried in the LONG lot in the City Cemetery at Fairfield."

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Letter dated Dec. 26, 1964, from Willis Gregg CORBITT:

"Jacob JENKINS, born July 21, 1782, in Berkeley Co., Va.; died Feb. 8, 1861, in Jeffersonville, Fayette Co., Ohio; married, first, April 18, 1804, in Belmont Co., Ohio, Margaret WILLIS, who died Oct. 18, 1822; Jacob JENKINS married, second, Aug. 28, 1823, Jeffersonville, Ohio, Ruth Elizabeth CRAMER, who died Jan. 9, 1833; Jacob JENKINS married, third, Jan. 23, 1844, Rebecca McELHANEY, born 1794 in Kentucky. Jacob JENKINS and Margaret WILLIS were parents of Catherine JENKINS CORBITT."

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SEARCHING IN CEMTERIES
Willis G. CORBITT
October 17, 1958

In the northeastern section of the City Cemetery at Fairfield, Iowa, beneath the drooping boughs of a Pine, a Spruce and a Hemlock tree there stands a squared monument about six feet tall. At the top is carved the word "HOPE" and on all four sides of the base the name "LONG". In addition, the information that:

David LONG died Aug. 19, 1885, aged 57 yrs. 9 mo. 23 days.
Sarah HENDERSON, wife of David LONG, Died Mar. 30, 1863, Aged 33 years, 11 mo. 23 days.
Samuel G. LONG, born May 6, 1869, died May 23, 1871.
Urban S. LONG born May 22, 1880, died Oct. 1, 1880.
Anna Mylema LONG born July 23, 1858, died Jan. 6, 1861.

To the south of this monument are smaller stones in a row marked: Father, Sarah H., Infant, and Anna M., evidently head stones for four of the people named on the tall stone.

At the base of the Pine tree close to the LONG monument were found smaller stones marked Samuel L., Urban L., and one blank stone which may have been for Ehumia LONG.

Adjacent to the LONG graves is a shorter squared monument marked Alfred E., son of W.H. & E. CORBITT, died Aug. 20, 1868. On the opposite is E. (rest obliterated but should be Elizabeth C.) dau. of W.H. & E. CORBITT, died Aug. 20, 1868. On another side is the quotation. "Such is the kingdom of heaven. Let little children come unto me, nor from my arms be driven, for these are such as they shall be, the massed heirs of heaven." The record associated with these stones may be in order here.

Eleanor GREGG, daughter of Andrew and Elizabeth GREGG, who were buried in the cemetery at Bernhart Station, married first William Hickling CORBITT and had children Elizabeth Catherine CORBITT (Nov. 1, 1857 - Aug. 20, 1868); Charles Hickling CORBITT (May 15, 1859 - Sept. 8, 1935) and Alfred Ellsworth CORBITT (Oct. 1, 1861 - Aug. 20, 1868.) William H. CORBITT (Jan. 8, 1830 - Oct. 8, 1862) died and his widow then married, July 4, 1865, widower David LONG (Oct. 31, 1827 - Aug. 19, 1885), whose first wife Sarah HENDERSON (April 7, 1827 - March 30, 1863) had passed away.

On August 20, 1868, when Andrew GREGG, with his three grandchildren, Elizabeth, Charles and Alfred CORBITT, were returning to his home near Bernhart from a trip to the town of Fairfield, the wagon in which they were riding was struck by a locomotive west of town. The horses and two children were killed. Andrew and Charles were injured.

To the west of the CORBITT graves is a granite monument marked LONG at the top and along the base:

Margaret A., 1877-1955
Arthur D., 1871-1952
Eleanor, 1836-1906

The full dates for these three persons are:
Eleanor GREGG-CORBITT-LONG, Oct. 15, 1836 - June 29, 1906; Mother
Arthur David LONG, April 25, 1871 - Feb. 29, 1952; Son
Margaret Cella DICKEY LONG, Jan. 28, 1875 - Oct. 2, 1955; wife of A.D.L..

*Transcribed for genealogy purposes; I have no relation to the person(s) mentioned.