In Memory of the Ancestors I Have Lost in My Lifetime

I spent the end of last month in Florida attending the funeral of my paternal grandfather. I lost my maternal grandfather just six months ago so it was difficult. On the drive back home, I was thinking about the ancestors I have lost in my lifetime.

Some I knew quite well, having spent a lot of time with them growing up. Others, like most of my great grandfathers, I don't really remember. They either passed away when I was really young or I didn't get to spend a lot of time with them. From the time I was born in 1982, I have lost:

Paternal great grandfather Argial Waitman Carson (1916-1985)

Maternal great grandfather Clifford Eugene Sweat (1911-1986)

Maternal 2nd great grandmother Eva Mae Sanders Boling Cooper (1907-1988)

Paternal great grandfather Charles William Radcliff (1915-1992)

~picture coming~

Maternal step great grandfather Clark L Sutter (1906-1994)

Maternal great grandfather Clyde Thomas Vanzandt (1922-1994)

Maternal great grandmother Virginia Leigh Boling Vanzandt Sutter (1925-2000)

Paternal great grandmother Evelyn Edna King Carson (1919-2007)

Maternal great grandmother Alice Isabel Hayes Sweat (1920-2009)

Maternal grandfather Thomas Walter Sweat (1941-2010)

Paternal grandfather Charles Leo Radcliff (1938-2011)

Sunday's Obituary: Eva Sanders Boling Cooper

Image from Browning Obituary Database

Eva Mae Sanders Boling Cooper was my maternal 2nd great grandmother. I've always been fascinated with her. According to my mom, she was married eight times, outliving every husband. She met her last husband in a nursing home after the family put her there thinking she couldn't take care of herself. They escaped from the nursing home together and got married. I've always thought it was such a romantic story.

In researching the story, I haven't been able to prove that she was married as many times as believed. I've only been able to find two husbands that I'm sure of, my 2nd great grandfather, Lora D Boling and her final husband, Andrew Cooper. However, it does appear that the story of the nursing home elopement is probably true.

Eva was the daughter of Delaney Sanders and Louetta Smith. She married Lora D Boling around 1921, probably in Hancock County, KY. The couple had six known children, five girls and one boy. They moved to Evansville, IN, probably between 1925 and 1930.

Lora passed in 1961 and at some point after this, Eva eloped from the nursing home with Andrew. He passed in 1975. She apparently never remarried after Andrew's death, staying alone until her death in 1988.