Let me put her life into perspective. Emily was born 1 Sept 1848 in Metamora, Franklin, Indiana. Now let's think about that for a minute. She would have been 15 when the Civil War began. Knowing what I've learned about this side of my family I believe they were very loving and very likely against slavery. When she was a child slavery was still legal, travel was horse and wagon, the west was still being discovered!
In 1850 Emily is found in the census as a two-year-old living with her parents and her maternal grandmother in Center, Marion, IN. Next, we see the family in the Iowa state census for 1856 in Union, Lucas, IA. There are now two more family members; A.F who is 5 (Alexander) and M.E who is 2.
So far no more records have been found for any of the family members between 1856 and 1866 when Emily shows up on 12 Jul 1866 in Platte City, Platte, MO where she marries James W Hoard. According to a deposition, Emily gave for her pension file they left for Jackson co., MO in 1868 and then back to Platte co., MO in the spring of 1869.
There are then no records found for George and Aner, or the boys, until 1880. In 1870 Emily and James are in Carroll, Platte, MO. It's very likely that George and Aner are in this part of Missouri at this time, just no records have been located. In 1870 census Emily and James have two boys; Thomas - 3 and George - 1. During this time period, she would have likely heard of many of the Indian wars that happened in and around the states she was living in. As much as I believe the US government wronged the Native Americans I can also understand the fear of Indian attacks that someone like my 3rd great grandmother would have felt. One of the saddest and most disturbing Indian battles was the Battle of Wounded Knee, which occurred on 29 Dec 1890. It's likely Emily and James would have been in NE or MO at that time. I would have loved to have known how this affected her.
In 1880 George and Aner are living in Plum Creek, NE while 160 miles away Emily and James are in Vesta, NE. Vesta is just over the MO border from where George and Aner are buried in Mulberry, Crawford County, Kansas, USA.
Emily would then live out the rest of her life in Kansas from 1900 until she dies in 1948. She lived in Harvey, Latham and Union, Kansas. In 1903 The Wright Brothers Make the First Flight at Kitty Hawk and the First Silent Movie, The Great Train Robbery comes out. I wonder if she would have seen it, or maybe her boys and their families? Her husband, James Hoard, died on the train to Arkansas to visit family on 14 Jun 1911. A year later The Titanic Sinks. She would have witnessed both World Wars and seen sons and grandsons go off to war. She must have been a woman with wonderful Karma because from what I've seen all of her sons and grandsons that would have served returned home to have families and live long lives. In many cases, her sons and daughters lived into their 80's and a couple of the daughters to 98. I'd say the longevity gene was strong in her family.
In the 1920's she would have seen the beginning of Prohibition in the U.S., The First Talking Movie, The Jazz Singer, and First Mickey Mouse Cartoon. In 1920 she is living alone at the age of 71 in Union, Butler, KS. In 1929 the Great Depression began. I do not know where she was in 1930 after the Depression began. I can only imagine that she must be living with one of her children at this point, but my 1940 she is once again living along in Latham, Butler, KS. Though Roy is living nearby it is still amazing that a 91-year-old woman is living on her own. In 1934 she would have been in the midst of The Dust Bowl and yet she stayed. The Hoard family was not one easily driven out of the Great Plains.I've often been asked if I could go back in time and spend time with one ancestor, who would it be? Emily would be one such ancestor. I can only imagine the stories that she could have told. Nearly 100 years of life spanning the most volatile, industrious, changing, progressing two centuries in American history.
Emily died, just shy of her 100th birthday on 28 Mar 1948 in Wichita, Sedgwick, KS. She was then laid to rest beside her husband, James in the Latham Cemetery in Latham, KS.
In the photo L to R: Emily (Scott) Hoard, Thomas Hoard, Roy Hoard and Fontana Hoard. 4 generations of Hoards. #52Ancestors, #100years, #Longevity
