Notes for: Mary Creveling Bodine
Her inscription says she is the wife of Erasmus Darwin (Curtiss), Dau of Joseph and Eliza Creveling. Her name on the stone is Mary C. Bodine Curtiss. Joyce Cook has her birth date as 1829. I did have her death date as March 24, 1922. RB found an obit stating it was March 26, 1922. The obit seemed to have several mistakes, though. It could be incorrect.
Info from Ronny Bodine:
From The Batavia Times (Batavia, N.Y.) of 19 June 1920:
Mr. and Mrs. Darwin Curtiss of North Oakfield will celebrate their seventieth wedding anniversary on Sunday at their home and without doubt, they have the distinction of being the oldest wedded couple in Western New York and possibly in the United States. Mr. Curtiss's bride on June 20, 1850, was Mary C. Bodine; and the wedding took place on the farm at North Oakfield now owned by William O. Hale, the Rev. Sheldon H, Baker of West Barre, officiating. Not one of the guests who attended the wedding is living to enjoy the celebration with Mr. and Mrs. Curtiss.
In June 1900, Erasmus and Mary Curtiss lived in the home of their son Ernest Curtiss in Barre, Orleans County, New York and in 1920 in Oakfield, Genesee County, New York. In 1900, tt was reported that in 49 years of marriage, Mary had borne 2 children of whom only their son Ernest survived. Erasmus and Mary Curtiss were buried in West Barre Cemetery, Orleans County.
Obituary, The Daily News (Batavia, N.Y.) of 29 June 1921.
North Oakfield, June 29.---Erasmus Darwin Curtis was found dead in bed yesterday at his home at West Barre. He was 93 years old. He died of natural causes. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis celebrated the 71st anniversary of their marriage on Monday of last week. They probably had the distinction of being married longer than any other couple in Western New York. Mr. Curtis was born in Williamston, Wayne county, on October 7, 1827. He married Mary C. Bodine on June 20, 1850, at North Oakfield, on the farm now owned and occupied by William O. Hale. The Rev. Sheldon H. Baker of Barre performed the ceremony. No one who attended the wedding is now living. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis went to housekeeping in the fall of 1851 in Mt Morris and lived there 16 years. While in Mt. Morris Mr. Curtis manufactured farm implements. They went to Waterloo, la., in 1868, where they resided seven years in hopes that life on a prairie would be beneficial to the health af their oldest son, Hayden Herbert Curtis, who died in 1872 at the age of 19 years. Three years after their son's death Mr. and Mrs. Curtis returned to New York state and had since resided in Orleans or Genesee counties. For twenty years Mr. and Mrs. Curtis resided on a farm at West Bethany. Besides his wife Mr. Curtis is survived by a son, J. Ernest Curtis of Fort Angeles, Wash.; a grandson, Thomas Stillson Curtis, and a granddaughter, Edith Clark Curtis both living in the state of Washington. Mr. and Mrs. Curtis have been living alone and have been enjoying good health. The funeral will be held at 2 o'clock tomorrow afternoon from Mr. Curtis's late home, the Rev. W. W. Neville of West Barre officiating. The interment will be Mt Albion cemetery.
Obituary, The Evening Courier and Reporter (Waterloo, Iowa) of 31 March 1922.
Mrs. Mary C. Bodine Curtiss, 99 years old, a former resident of Waterloo, died at Albion, N. Y., March 26, according to the Buffalo (N. Y.) Evening News. The article giving a biographical sketch of deceased says that she and her husband, in an early day, lived here for a short time and that Mrs. Curtiss was a member of St. Mark's Episcopal church. Inquiry among some of the early residents today failed, to recall anv remembrance of the couple. Mrs. Curtiss was born in Washington, N. Y., Aug. 3, 1828. On April 27, 1833, she came with her parents to Orleans county, N. Y., the trip being made by ox team and consumed nine days. On June 20, 1850, Miss Mary C. Bodine was wedded to Erastus D. Curtiss at West Barre, N. Y. On June 20, 1920, the pair celebrated their seventieth wedding anniversary. It was thought they had achieved a national record for the number of years they had been married. Mr. Curtiss died June 29, 1921. Mrs. Curtiss was a bright woman, well versed in current topics and interested in political affairs. [Note: Although this obituary refers to Mr. Curtiss as Erastus, his name was Erasmus.]