Great Grandma Mays was born in Clarion County, Pa. in 1840. She smoked a corncob pipe, which she kept in a little striped pouch beneath her apron. (Still in our family). The pouch bears a small burn hole in it, which I am told happened when the preacher showed up at her door and she hastily shoved the pipe in the pouch so he wouldn't see it. We believe our Native American ancestry is through her line.

Grandma Mays was the daughter of Francis Patton and Mary Coursin Anderson, who are buried in Churchville Cemetery, Curlsville, Clarion County, Pa. She married her first husband, who is listed on the 1860 Federal Census as Evans Fuller and they had two children, David C. and Mary Catherine (Aunt Cass). It was presumed that Evans Fuller passed away at the age of 24, however, Evans apparently also went by Charles E. Fuller according to his civil war records. Mary was granted widow benefits in 1890 by the government so not sure what happened there. She married our Great Grandpap, Moses Mays, on September 3, 1861. Together they raised her two children and had eight more, six of whom lived to adulthood, Peter Francis, Hanna Elmira, Nancy Effie, Reuben Caldwell, Elsie Cordelia, and our grandmother, Laura Belle. It is believed Lorenzo T. and Jessie E. may have died as infants or small children.

After Grandpap Mays died in 1903, she lived for a while with Uncle Pete (according to the 1910 census) and then eventually came to live with my grandparents, Laura and Homer Smeltzer in Altoona until her death in 1929. She is buried in Greenwood Cemetery near her son Reuben and his wife Annie (Bartow) Mays.

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The following obituary appeared in both the Altoona Tribune and the Altoona Mirror on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, respectively:

Mrs. Mary A. Mays, widow of Moses Mays, died at 7:20 o'clock this morning (Wednesday) of complications at her home, Fourth Avenue, Lakemont. Mrs. Mays was born in Sligo, Clarion County, July 28, 1841, and was twice married. She was a member of the United Brethren Church.

Surviving are five daughters and one son; Mrs. C. L. McCandless, Bellview, Mrs. Mary Chatfield, Brockway, Mrs. Hanna Bloom, R. C. Mays, Mrs. Nancy Hite, and Mrs. Laura Smeltzer, Altoona; 32 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were not completed last night.

And on Feb. 23:

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary A. Mays will be held at the Lakemont Methodist Episcopal church at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. Interment will be Greenwood Cemetery.

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