ilmo  


 

Missouri and Illinois Irish
Under Construction

Valentine, Courtney and Taylor

    Arthur Jacob Valentine was born on 2 Jan 1881 in Hannibal, Marion County, MO.  He married Mattie Caroline Sorkilmo, daughter of Karsten Pedersson Sorkilmo and Marie Roberg, on 27 Mar 1915 at Primghar, O'Brien County, Iowa.  He died on 14 Aug 1945.  He was struck by a car in Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, SD at the age of 64 and was buried in Dell Rapids Cemetery, Dell Rapids, Minnehaha County, SD.

    Arthur was the son of Jacob Valentine and Matilda Courtney.  Matilda Courtney was born in 1852 at Versailles, Brown County, IL.   She is believed to have married Jacob Valentine.  We are not able to locate marriage records for Matilda Courtney to Jacob Valentine or the birth certificate for Arthur Valentine.

    Matida Courtney gave birth to a "Bastard Child" in the Poor House, Gilmer Township, Adams County, IL on 30 Mar 1878.  Nellie Courtney died the following day on 31 Mar 1878.

    Matilda Courtney married William Purvis on 9 Jul 1891 at Camp Point, Adams County, Il.  Her marriage certificate recorded this as her second marriage however she used her maiden name.  This was recorded as the fourth marriage for William Purvis.

    Matilda Purvis married William Andrew Lantis, son of Samuel Lantis and Mary Kerns, on 1 Feb 1899 at Camp Point, Adams County, IL.  This was the third marriage for Matilda and the second marriage for William Lantis.

    Matilda died on 19 Feb 1938 at Sioux Falls, Minnehaha County, SD and is buried in Dell Rapids Cemetery, Dell Rapids, Minnehaha County, SD.

    Matilda Courtney's father was Liberty Courtney who was born in 1818 in Kentucky per the 1850 Illinois - Brown County Census.  Liberty Courtney married Eliza Taylor on 27 Jun 1850 at Brown County, IL.  Liberty married Mrs. Elizabeth B. Keyte on  Jan 1865 at Quincy, Adams County, IL.  Liberty married Mrs. Phebe L. Jones on 3 May 1870 at Adams County, IL.  Liberty married Mrs. Mary E. Phillips on 9 Oct 1870 at Adams County, IL.

    Eliza Taylor was born in 1831 in Illinois.

    It is believed through family discussion that Arthur may have had a sister that moved to California.  Matilda was deaf from approximately age 8 but was able to read lips.  In the 1870 census for Quincy, IL, Matilda was a housekeeper for Dr. James Kirkpatrick.  There was a Nelson Valentine living in the next household as a border.

We have been working diligently with an internet genealogy friend named Mary on locating details on Matilda Courtney.  Please see our timeline of  Breaking Down Our Brick Wall .




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