Sarah Catharine Cripe was born into a Brethren family in 1833 in Rossville, Indiana, a town which as late as 1997 had only one flashing light. At 16 she married Andrew H. HUFFORD, a young man from another local Brethren family. She birthed their first of 14 children a year later.

In 1864, at age 31, she delivered a baby who died the same day. The baby was buried among family at the Pleasant View Cemetery, Rossville, Clinton Co., Indiana. At 43, she delivered her 13th child; at 48, her 14th child.

Eight months after giving birth at the age of 48, she lost her husband in an accident as he was working to dig a well on their property. She had him buried next to the baby they'd buried 17 years before.

Sarah Catharine was a 48-year-old widow with an 8-month-old baby, a 5-year old, a 12-year-old, a 15-year-old, a 16-year-old, and an 18-year-old. She had children older than that who certainly helped out the widow woman and her children, and she was surrounded by family -- both hers and her late husband's. Still, she was a 48-year-old widow with an 8-month-old baby in the dead of winter in the corn-belt of Indiana.

Two-and-a-half years later, she married again on May 18, 1884, in Carroll Co., Indiana, to John H. THOMAS, also Brethren. He was himself widowed, with three children, ages 9, 8, and 7. He survived Sarah Catharine when she died 23 years later. She was buried with her first husband and the baby they lost in 1864.

Her obituary was found glued to the inside cover of the Bible of her daughter Elizabeth. The obituary appeared to have been cut from a church bulletin:

Thomas, Sister Sarah Catharine, nee Cripe, died at her home in Pyrmont, Indiana, Feb. 2, 1907, of paralysis, aged 73 years, 1 month and 8 days. She was born in Clinton County, Indiana. She was married to Andrew Hufford at age of 16. Soon after she, with her husband, joined the Brethren church, and remained faithful. To this union were born fourteen children, all living but one. The father died Dec. 6, 1881. She was married a second time to Bro. J. H. Thomas, who survives her. Some time before her death she called for the elders and was anointed. Services by A. G. Crosswhite at the Pleasant View church.

She was the daughter of David CRIPE and Jane F. DANIELS. All of Sarah's children were born to her marriage to Andrew Hufford: Elizabeth, David, George, Andrew, Robert, John, Noah, Sarah, Samuel, Isaac, Daniel, Reuben, Jennie.

BURIAL SITE