Notes for: Mary Jane Josephine Bodine
This does appear to be the Mary J. Graves buried in the Saint Wilfrid Cemetery, Sanborn Co., SD. Dates at 1842-1913. I am assuming she is the twin sister of Mary Ernestine Bodine since they were both 7 in the 1850 Census. Mary Ernestine is also living with them in the 1870 Census and she and Jane are both listed as 26 and born in Illinois. Info also shows they were both born in July. Some info shows that Jane was born in July 1842, but I think that must be a mistake. Family info says that James Bodine and Mary Brown had three sets of twins. These two must be one of those. Since we have a birth date of July 5, 1843 for Jane's sister, we will use that for her, too.
From Ronny Bodine:
She was Jane, age 7 in 1850 and 17 in 1860.
1870 Austin, Mower Co., MN: Merritt Graves 33 MA boot maker, Jane J. 26 IL, Laura B. 5 MN, Mary M. 3 MN, Eveline 4/12 (Feb) MN, Mathilda BODINE 26 IL school teacher, Robt. McDonald 35 England laborer.
1880 Austin, Mower Co., MN: Merritt Graves 41 MA shoe maker, Josephine 37 IL wife, Lora 15 MN dau, Maud 12 MN dau, Eva 10 MN dau, Regina 3 MN dau, Lulu 1 MN dau.
1900 Afton, Sanborn Co., SD: Merret J. Graves Feb 1837 MA farmer, Jane July 1842 IL wife, Regenia M. April 1877 MN dau, Lulu G. Sept 1878 MN dau. Married 40 years, 16 children born, 5 living.
1910 Afton, Sanborn Co., SD: Merritt J. Graves 73 MA, Josephine 66 IL. Married 47 years, 16 children born, 5 living.
Merritt Graves was supposedly buried in the county cemetery 10 miles from Artesian, Sanborn County, and Josephine was buried in the Catholic church cemetery at Woonsocket, Sanborn County, which would be Saint Wilfrid Cemetery, where a grave is marked as Mary J. Graves 1842-1913, if that is the intended one. Neither Jane nor Merritt are listed in the state-wide South Dakota Death Index which commences 1905.