Cynthia May (1832-1859) - Find a Grave Memorial

Cynthia May

Birth

1 Sep 1832

Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA

Death

29 Sep 1859 (aged 27)

Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA

Burial

Ellsworth Cemetery

Clyde, Sandusky County, Ohio, USA Add to Map

Memorial ID

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daughter of Rev Isaac May & Nancy McMillen.
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Cynthia May was born in Sandusky Co, OH on 1 Sep 1833, the daughter of the Rev Isaac May (1796-1874) & his second wife, Nancy (McMillen) May (1810-1884). Cynthia grew up in Sandusky Co, where she lived out a short, tragic life.

On 22 June 1850, she married Decatur May, son of Joab May (1800-1885) & Mary (Griggs) May (1806-1869). Since Decatur May's father was Joab May, a son of Harvey May (1773-1849), and Cynthia May's father was Isaac May, also a son of the same Harvey May, Decatur May and Cynthia May were 1st cousins on the paternal side. (Unconditional 1st cousin marriages are still legal in 19 states, though no longer in OH). To their brief union were born at least 2 children - Mary Ella (May) Wiley (1852-1948) who died in Lenawee Co, MI, and Albert Decatur May (1853- 1929) who died in Bloomingdale, Van Buren Co, MI - and possibly one other daughter born in 1855. Decatur May died in 1855.

On 15 Jan 1859, Cynthia remarried, her second husband being Levant May (1831-1906). His parents were Harvey May Jr. (1806-1894) & Ruth (Griggs) May (1808-1894). Harvey May Jr. was another a son of Harvey May Sr., making Levant May another of Cynthia's 1st cousins on the paternal side, who in turn was (likely) a double 1st cousin of her 1st husband. (The assumption that Mary Griggs and Ruth Griggs were sisters needs to be proven).

Their marital union was short-lived indeed, as Cynthia subsequently died on 29 Sep of 1859, after a marriage of only 8 months.

According to the mortality schedule which accompanied the US Census of 1860, Cynthia had died the previous September at age 26 of "white swelling" sickness (i.e. referred to today as tuberculosis of the bone). The orphaned May children were presumably raised by relatives. Mary E. May age 18 and her younger brother Albert. May age 16 (along with a Cynthia S. May age 15, possibly their younger sister) are shown in their grandfather Isaac May's household in Sandusky Co in the US Census of 1870. Cynthia May was an unfortunate example of the transitory nature of life, especially before the advent of modern medicine.