Coykendall, Sophronia (Mrs. C. A.), 1857-1926

COYKENDALL HUGGINS, PERRY

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 6/13/2021 at 20:33:34

From the Hawarden Independent, July 22, 1926:

PASSING OF AN EARLY PIONEER
Mrs. S. Coykendall Passed Away Wednesday
Was One of the Earliest Settlers of Union County.—Will be Laid to Rest at Alcester Friday

Mrs. Sophronia Coykendall, a pioneer resident of this community, passed away at her home in this city at 8:15 Wednesday morning, following a lingering illness. She had been in poor health for some time and had been bedfast since February. A year ago last winter she suffered a paralytic stroke but she practically recovered from the effects of it. She had a second stroke July 1st which with other complications was the cause of her death.

Sophronia Huggins was born at Rutland, Vt., Oct. 11, 1857, and died July 21, 1926, and so had reached the age of 68 years, 9 months and 10 days. She came west with her parents when but a child and located on a homestead with them in Union county, nine miles northwest of Hawarden. She was united in marriage with Cash. Coykendall in April, 1886, and this union was blessed with one daughter, Annie May, who survives her mother. She continued to make her home on the homestead until 22 years ago when she moved to Hawarden and she lived in this city continuously since then.

Mrs. Coykendall was one of the pioneer settlers of Union county and went through many hardships during her early days. She was a member of the Presbyterian church of this city. Besides her daughter she is survived by one sister, Mrs. Annie Houser of Sioux City. She was a kind mother and her thoughts were ever of the welfare of her daughter who will greatly miss the companionship of her mother. Sincere sympathy of all goes out to the grief stricken daughter in her bereavement.

Funeral services will be held at the Associated church at 2:30 Friday afternoon with Rev. Edwin Booth, pastor of the church, in charge. Interment will be made in the Alcester cemetery with her parents.

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RESEARCH NOTES

News notes in the Hawarden Independent, July 29, 1926 mention attendees at her funeral: her sister Mrs. Anna Houser, along with Mr. and Mrs. Walter Houser and two sons of Sioux City, and nephew and niece Thomas Faith and Mrs. Holmes of Elk Point.

Her death certificate has her as Sophrona Coykendall, resident of Hawarden 20 years; married, but no husband’s name given; born Oct. 11, 1857 in Rutland, Vermont; father Orrin Huggins, mother Perry; informant Anna May Coykendall; died July 21, 1926, at 8:30 a.m., cause, pneumonia complicating cerebral hemorrhage and left sided hemiplagia; buried July 23 at Alcester.

FindaGrave.com has her as Sophronia Huggins Coykendail, buried in Pleasant Hill Cemetery, Alcester. A photo of her headstone confirms the spelling of her forename. The photo of the family stone is unclear as to whether the spelling is Coykendall or Coykendail. One other family member is noted: daughter Anna May Coykendall (1887-1969).

The 1910 U.S. census for Hawarden shows her (age 52) and daughter Anna M. (22) sharing a dwelling with sister and brother-in-law Anna E. (63) and Daniel H. (69) Houser. Her occupation is given as “own income.” She is listed as married, for 23 years. The 1920 U.S. census for Hawarden has her and daughter Anna M. living in a house with two other women, Mary A. Cook (76) and Ione Roach (51). None has an occupation given. She is still noted as married.

Other news notes and court actions in the online Hawarden Independent show her obtaining a divorce from C. A. Coykendall in March 1922, on grounds of desertion, and in the same month selling a quarter section farm northeast of Alcester. She and Anna May appear to have been living together in Hawarden for a number of years, apparently since 1902, when C. A. Coykendall of Virginia Township left for Washington to spend the winter and look over the area with a view to locating there. In May, 1924, G. L. Roark is appointed Sophronia’s temporary guardian, on petition by Anna May Coykendall, on grounds that due to ill health and advanced age she is no longer able to manage her own affairs and that she has property in excess of $13,000.

City directories on Ancestry.com show a C. A. Coykendall living in Spokane, Washington, in 1904 and in Wenatchee, Washington, in 1907 and 1909. A family tree entry on Ancestry.com shows Cassius A. Coykendall, born 1850 in New York, death date and place unknown; married Sophronia Huggins (1857-1926) in 1886 at Elk Point, SD; daughter Anna May, born 11 May 1887 in South Dakota. The 1910 U.S. census for Entiat Precinct, Chelan County, Washington shows Cassius A. Coykendall, age 60, married 30 years but living alone, a farmer.