Children of James and Cynthia Corbin: Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder

This blog shall provide information about the fourth child of James and Cynthia Ann (Casteel) Corbin, Mary Elizabeth Corbin, who was born February 4, 1844 in Michigan City, Lake County, Indiana.  According to her descendants, she was called Mary which is how I will refer to her in this blog.

Mary Corbin lived a full life, passing away at the home of her daughter on June 3, 1941 in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska at the age of 97.  It is notable that Mary Corbin and her sisters Martha Jane and Nancy Anna all lived much longer than the typical life expectancy for that time.

Mary Corbin moved with her parents and brothers and sisters many times.   She was born near Michigan City, Lake County, Indiana but before she was 8, she moved to Dodge County, Missouri with her parents and maternal grandparents, the William Casteels.  They are living there when the 1850 U. S. Census was taken.    According to an oral history interview on her 95th birthday, the Corbin family moved to Texas for two years "when I was about 10."   That would place the move between 1854 and 1855.    The family then moved back to Missouri, settling on a farm near West Liberty in Putnam County.

Mary's father, James Corbin, her brothers William T. and Elmer Nathaniel Corbin, and her brothers-in-laws Loren H. Wilder and John Marshall served with the Missouri Volunteers during the Civil War.  Her brother William T. Corbin was killed near Pine Bluff, Arkansas under mysterious circumstances.

Soon after his return from the Civil War, Lorenzo H. "Loren" Wilder proposed to Mary Elizabeth Corbin.   They were married on August 26, 1865 in Central City, Putnam County, Missouri.

Since his family all called him Loren H. Wilder, I will also use that name in this blog.   Loren was the son of James and Anna Jane Pressley Wilder and was born February 6, 1842 in Pennsylvania. 

James Wilder was born on April 24, 1808 in Dummerston, Windham County, Vermont and died in 1872 in Putnam County, Missouri.   He was married to Anna Jane Pressley in about 1826 or 1827.   They were the parents of nine children:
Joseph Pressley (1836 - 1904)
Eliza D. (1836-1881)
James E. (1839-1881)
Alonzo Artemus (1840-1905)
Lorenzo H. "Loren" (1842-1884)
John (1844 -  )
Sarah Jane (1847-1896)
Minerva (1853-1932)
Anna Jane (1856-1921)

Two of the Wilder Children, Lorenzo "Loren" and Sarah Jane would marry Corbin siblings Mary Elizabeth and Elmer Nathaniel.

According to U. S. Census records, all of the children except the last, Anna Jane, were born in Erie County, Pennsylvania.   Anna Jane Wilder was born in Illinois.   That would indicate that the Wilder family lived from 1836 until at least 1853 in Erie County, Pennsylvania and then moved west to Illinois in the mid-1850s before again moving west to Putnam County, Missouri by 1860, where they are found on the U. S. Census living in Jackson Township.

The U. S. Census in 1870 records that James, Anna Jane (Pressley) Wilder and their youngest daughter Anna Jane were all living in one household in Putnam County, Missouri.   Living nearby were two of their children.   Joseph P Wilder (40) and his wife Malinda (43) and their children Stephen, Franklin, and May J. F. Wilder were all living on a farm about a mile from his parents, James and Anna Jane Wilder.   Joseph Wilder's occupation is listed as "blacksmith."   On another farm nearby are Alonzo Artemus Wilder and his wife Mary A. Wilder along with their son William W. Wilder age 4.   Although they were by then married, I did not find Lorenzo "Loren" Wilder and his wife Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder living in Jackson Township, Putnam County, Missouri on the 1870 Census.

These are both photographs of Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder taken when she was past 90 years of age and living with her daughter, Mrs. Estella Parsons at 835 S. Denver, Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska.

According to family members, Loren and Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder and Elmer Nathaniel and Sarah Jane (Wilder) Corbin were partners in the ownership and operation of a general store in West Liberty, Putnam County, Missouri.   I have not searched land or tax records to find out when they bought or sold the store.    According to the obituary of Mary E. (Corbin) Wilder, the family moved to Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska in 1872 where Loren Wilder farmed.    They remained there until 1883, when the family moved to Walla Walla, Washington where they rented a farm.   They returned to Adams County, Nebraska in March of 1884.  Irene Radcliff, a Plummer descendant, sent this information taken from the Hastings Gazette Journal of August 19.1884:  "L.H.Wilder who was injured on the tumbling rod of a threshing machine last week, died Saturday. His remains were followed to the grave Sunday by a large number of friends and neighbors of the deceased."  L. H. Wilder died on August 15, 1884 in Hastings, Adams County, Nebraska. 

His widow, Mary E. (Corbin) Wilder lived another 57 years and passed away on June 3, 1941 at the age of 97.  Lorenzo H. "Loren" Wilder and Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder were the parents of four children:

James William Wilder born September 15, 1886 and died the same day, West Liberty, Missouri
Lillie Florence Wilder born July 10, 1870 at Unionville, Putnam County, Missouri
Fred or Frederick M. Wilder born in 1876 at Ayr, Adams County, Nebraska.
Estella Mae Wilder born August 23, 1883, at Walla Walla, Washington.

This is the obituary from the Hastings, Nebraska newspaper for Mary Elizabeth (Corbin) Wilder.  She passed away on June, 3, 1941 at the age of 97.  The article states that she was believed to be the oldest resident in town at that time.


I do not have any photographs of Lorenzo H. "Loren" Wilder but I have several of Mary Elizabeth and her siblings.