Back to Anna Clara Alexander-part 2

I have solved the husband problem I ran into last time. I had found a James Wright and Anna Alexander marriage document. It would have been her 2nd marriage. But I have found that there must have been two people named, Anna Alexander in the county. I will try to prove that later. The Wright/Alexander marriage took place in 1905, and I think Anna would have been listed as Anna Lane in any record at that time. She married David William Lane on December 12, 1891. They were together 29 years. He was 49 years old when he died.

I found the obituary for David Lane in the November 10, 1920 issue of the Jackson County Banner in Brownstown Indiana. Anna was his widow. His obituary was very short.

"David W. Lane was born July 4, 1871, and died November 4, 1920, aged 49 years and four months. Besides his widow he leaves six children, Clifford, Benny, Harley, Frank, Russell and Mildred. He also leaves his mother, Mrs. Clarinda Lane, and two brothers, Frank and Thornt, of Terre Haute. Funeral services were conducted by E. C. Norman at Liberty church Saturday followed by burial in the Liberty cemetery. The family has our sympathy."

I was not able to find David Lane's death cert. I could possibly try at the county level instead of state.

On March 2, 1921, Anna and Ryan Fish were married. There were no children with Ryan, and he died April 16, 1947. They were together 26 years. Here is his obituary from the Seymour Tribune in Seymour, Indiana. It was published on April 16, 1947:

"Ryan Fish, 74, Dies After Long Illness

Ryan Fish, 74, life-long Jackson county resident, died this morning at the residence near Norman after an illness of a year.

He was born September 11, 1873, in Jackson county, the son of John and Elizabeth Wray Fish. He was married in March, 1921, to Anna Lane, who survives.

Funeral services will be conducted at 1:30 o'clock Friday afternoon from the Liberty Church, with the Rev. Mr. McFarland in charge. Burial in Liberty Cemetery."

I did find a death cert for Ryan Fish. He died of stomach cancer. Anna was the informant. Ryan was 73 years, 7 months, and 3 days old when he died.

On August 28, 1947, Anna and Alonzo Borders, also known as Lon, were married. They probably knew each other for many years, neighbors perhaps. Maybe it was a marriage for companionship in their older years. Alonzo was 69 years old and Anna, 68. This time the marriage did not last long. Anna Clara Borders died on March 11, 1950. She was 70 years, 11 months, and 29 days old. Her death cert lists her cause of death as hypertensive heart disease. She died in Indianapolis, Indiana, at the home of her daughter. Her obituary from the Seymour Tribune, May 13, 1950:

"Rites Conducted for Mrs. Anna Borders

Funeral services for Mrs. Anna Borders, 71, Norman RR, Were conducted from Liberty Church at 2 o'clock this afternoon with the Rev. Edward McFarland, Bloomington pastor who was formerly of Kurtz, in charge. Burial in Liberty Cemetery.

Mrs. Borders, who died Saturday morning in the Indianapolis home of a daughter, Mrs. Clarence Craner, had been ill with a heart ailment for three years.

She was born March 12, 1879, at Surprise, a daughter of the late John and Amanda Alexander. Several brothers and sisters preceded her in death and she was believed to be the last of the family.

Survivors include the husband, Lon Borders; three sons, Clifford, Harley and Russell Lane, all of Indianapolis; two daughters, Mrs. Craner and Mrs. John Harris, both of Indianapolis, and five grandchildren."

Alonzo Borders did not last long after Anna passed away. He died on October 21, 1953 at the Pike Nursing Home in Indianapolis, Indiana. His death cert lists his cause of death chronic Lymphatic Leukemia. He was 78 years, 9 months, and 8 days old. I found his obituary in the Jackson County Banner in Brownstown, Indiana, issue on October 28, 1953:

"Aged Norman Resident Dies At Indianapolis

Funeral services were held Friday afternoon from the Liberty Church, near Norman, for Alonzo Borders, well-known retired Jackson county farmer, who died last Wednesday evening at Pike's Nursing Home in Indianapolis. He had been ill for more than a year.

Mr. Borders was born in this county on January 13, 1875, and was married in Brownstown in 1948 to Anna Fish, who died two years ago.

Surviving are five step-children: Clifford Lane, Harley Lane, Mrs Fern Craver and Mrs. Mildred Harris, all of Indianapolis, and Mrs. Roxie Tatlock, of Dayton, Ohio. A brother, Frank Borders of Bedford also survives.

The Rev. Paul Pumpelly of Pineville, La., officiated at the last rites and interment was in the church cemetery."

The marriages have been sorted out. Now I must get to the children. I have solved one mystery about one daughter and found another to solve. So I am not finished with this family yet.

Sources:
David W. Lane Obituary; Jackson County Banner; Brownstown, Indiana; Wednesday, November 10, 1920; Page 6.
Ryan Fish Obituary; The Tribune; Seymour, Indiana; Wednesday, April 16, 1947; Page 1.
Anna Borders Obituary; The Tribune; Seymour, Indiana; Monday, May 13, 1950; Page 1.
Alonzo Borders Obituary; Jackson County Banner; Brownstown, Indiana; Wednesday, October 28, 1953; Page 9.
Ryan Fish; Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1947; Roll: 05; Ancestry.com.
Anna Clara Borders; Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1950; Roll: 03; Ancestry.com.
Alonzo Borders; Indiana Archives and Records Administration; Indianapolis, IN, USA; Death Certificates; Year: 1953; Roll: 11; Ancestry.com.

Anna Clara Alexander Part 1

A Productive Weekend!

This past weekend I had a lot of success on several fronts! The one I am going to talk about today is my grandmothers favorite aunt, Annie Alexander. She was reported to be very sweet and funny. I did not know her middle name until this weekend. She was actually Anna Clara Alexander.

I knew she had been married more than once, I knew that. I thought she married a Lane and when he died, a man named Fish  I found that she was married 4 times! Surprise! This was a really big surprise to me. I have checked and rechecked her birth date with every source I can find and the outcome of that is horrible to me. If her birth date is truly March 12, 1879, which every source except a census says, she was first married at 12. Even my program screams at that one. This kind of thing makes me crazy.

Husband number one was David Lane, who was 20 when he married Anna. He and Anna married on December 12, 1891. He died November 4, 1920. He left 6 children and widow. But all is not as it seems.

I can't find one of the six children. Perhaps that one I can't find was a second marriage on his part?

Husband number 2 was James A. Wright. I had heard of husband number one and three. Not this guy. I have little on him so far. But he and Anna married on the 11th of April, 1905. You know what that means? She was divorced from David Lane. What?

Number 3 was Ryan Fish. I knew that she was married to him. They married in 1921. My grandmother always called her Anna Fish. Simple, right? Not so much. Very confusing actually. I don't know when Mr. Fish died. I must find that date.

Husband number 4 was Alonzo Borders, also known as Lon. They married on August 28, 1947. Anna was 68 when married this time. Sad fact about this is it didn't last long. Alonzo died in 1953 in Indianapolis. He listed Anna as his wife, who died 2 years previously.

Now, Anna died at her daughter Fern's house in Indianapolis in 1950. Mr. Borders died in Pike Nursing Home in Indianapolis in 1953. Her obit says her survivors are her children (5), and Lon Borders. They both listed their home address as rural Jackson County, Indiana. Anna was 70 when she died and Lon Borders was 75. They had went to live with Fern, Anna's daughter, in their last years.

I'll flesh these people out more and write the story with sources then. I even have a photo of her I will add then. What a surprise this has been! And another reminder that what we call pedophilia now, they simply thought of as normal. I hate this. But I keep running onto it.