Cora Effie Miles was born on October 22, 1880 in Wymore, Gage County, Nebraska. Cora married James Solomon Conlin on June 19, 1901, in Onaga, Pottawatomie County, Kansas. Cora Miles Conlin died on January 27, 1954 in Topeka, Shawnee County, Kansas.
Cora Effie Miles was born in Wymore, Nebraska, the 6th of 8 children born to David Franklin Miles and Mahetable Casterline. Cora's father was a cook and hotel proprietor and at the time of Cora's birth, made his living providing lodging to the workers of the newly expanding railroads. The family was in Wymore due to the expansion of the B & M Railroad. Prior to Cora's birth, the family resided in Kansas. When the railroad construction was completed in Wymore, Cora and her family returned to Kansas.
Cora grew up primarily in Pottawatomie County, Kansas, but also lived for a while in neighboring Nemaha County, Kansas. Between 1885 and 1900, Cora's father ran several establishments, moving the family between the cities of Onaga, Oneida and Sabetha. It was while her father ran a hotel in Oneida that Cora met James Solomon Conlin, also known as Jim Conlin.
In 1900, Cora's father was ill and in October of 1900 he died. Cora's mother returned to Onaga with Cora and her two younger siblings. Jim Conlin made trips to Onaga to court Cora, a distance of about 40 miles.
On June 19, 1901, Cora and James Solomon Conlin were married in Onaga, Pottawatomie, Kansas. Cora and Jim were the parents of the following known children:
- Harold Miles Conlin
- Cleo Lauree Conlin
- James Wendel Conlin
Cora and Jim made their home in Sabetha, Kansas, where Jim worked. Cora was very happy living in Sabetha which was much larger than Onaga or Oneida.
In 1902 a son was born, Harold, and in 1904, a daughter, Cleo.
About 1917 Jim was offered a position as manager of a new lumber yard that T. M. Wherry was building in Oneida. Cora did not want to leave Sabetha, but the position was too good for Jim to pass up. Jim with the help of his brother Ed, and lumber from T.M. Wherry, built a brand new, two-story home for Cora.
In 1923 as their oldest child Harold left for college, Cora gave birth to another son, James Wendel, also known as Jimmy. The birth was difficult and it took a while for Cora to recover. Little Jimmy was small and spent a few weeks in an incubator. Cleo helped care for the baby and for her mother.
In 1924 Cleo married Willis Wood and in 1927, Harold married Wilhelmina Bressem. Cleo gave birth to a son Jack, also known as Jackie, prior to divorcing Willis Wood in 1928. Little Jackie moved in with Jim and Cora while Cleo worked first in Omaha then Sabetha, living with her older brother, Harold and his wife. Jimmy and Jackie were less than three years apart. Cleo remarried in 1932 and Jackie rejoined his mother and his step-father Ed Zimmerman, who would adopt Jackie.
Cora and Jim lived in Oneida for the next 20 years, raised their young son and were near Jim's parents. In January of 1947, son Jim married Lois Carpenter. By March, Cora's husband Jim was dead. In October of 1849, the widowed Cora moved to Topeka, Kansas, to live with Cleo and her family.
Cora Effie Miles Conlin died on January 27, 1954, in Topeka, Kansas, at the age of 74. Cora was buried in Oneida Cemetery.
Genealogical Research and Life Sketch Updated: June 2022
Sources:
"Kansas State Census, 1895", database with images, FamilySearch, Cora Miles in entry for Miles, 1895.
"United States Census, 1900," database with images, FamilySearch, Cora Miles in household of David Miles, Gilman Township Oneida, Nemaha, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) 115, sheet 2A, family 27, NARA microfilm publication T623 (Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1972.); FHL microfilm 1,240,492.
"Kansas Marriages, 1840-1935", database, FamilySearch, Cora E. Miles in entry for James S. Conlin, 1901.
"United States Census, 1910," database with images, FamilySearch, Cora Conlin in household of James Conlin, Sabetha Ward 1, Nemaha, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 129, sheet 2A, family 32, NARA microfilm publication T624 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 1982), roll 450; FHL microfilm 1,374,463.
"Kansas State Census, 1915," database with images, FamilySearch, Corra Conlin in household of James S Conlin, Sabetha, Nemaha, Kansas, United States; citing Sabetha, Nemaha, Kansas, United States, 34, 5, Kansas Historical Society, Topeka.
"United States Census, 1920", database with images, FamilySearch, Cora Conlin in entry for James Conlin, 1920.
"United States Census, 1930," database with images, FamilySearch, Cora Conlin in household of James Conlin, Oneida, Nemaha, Kansas, United States; citing enumeration district (ED) ED 6, sheet 2A, line 20, family 43, NARA microfilm publication T626 (Washington D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2002), roll 713; FHL microfilm 2,340,448.
"United States Census, 1940," database with images, FamilySearch, Kansas > Nemaha > Gilman Township, Oneida > 66-6 Gilman Township, Oneida City > image 3 of 6; citing Sixteenth Census of the United States, 1940, NARA digital publication T627. Records of the Bureau of the Census, 1790 - 2007, RG 29. Washington, D.C.: National Archives and Records Administration, 2012.
“Conlin, James S.”. News Item. The Onaga Herald (Onaga, KS). June 27, 1901.
“Conlin, James”. Obituary. Sabetha Herald (Sabetha, KS), March 12. 1947.
“Conlin, Mrs. Cora”. News Item. Sabetha Herald (Sabetha, KS). October 21, 1949.
“Conlin, Mrs. Cora E.”. Obituary. Sabetha Herald (Sabetha, KS), February 3, 1954.
