1900, 1910: mother of 10, 8 living. 5-generation photograph taken at her 84th birthday party in Lakemont included her, Hannah Mays Bloom, Valeria Bloom Freeman, Mable Freeman Weakland and Carl Weakland.

Mary (Anderson) Fuller Mays. Great Grandma Mary Mays was born in Clarion County, PA in 1841 [sic]. She smoked a corncob pipe, which she kept in a little striped pouch beneath her apron.

There is speculation that our Indian ancestry may have came from her line, but I am not certain of that fact. Her maiden name was Anderson. Her parents were Francis Patton and Mary (Coursin) Anderson, who are buried in Churchville Cemetery, Curllsville, Clarion County, PA.

She married her first husband, who is listed on the 1860 US Federal Census as Evans Fuller. The 1860 census lists the family as living with her parents. Mary and Evans had two children: David C. and Mary Catherine (Cass). He apparently passed away shortly after the birth of Aunt Cass. She married Grandpap Mays on September 3, 1861. They had several other children that we are aware of: Hannah E., Nancy E., Reuben C., Peter F., Elsie Cordelia and Laura Belle (our grandmother). There are two children unknown to us listed on the 1870 and 1880 census: Lorenzo T., and Jesse E. Per Clearfield County Historical Society, the little boy Jesse E. died as a small child. They had no information on Lorenzo T.

My suspicion is that he may have also died as a young child.

Grandma Mays was 89 when she died on 2/21/1929 of left cerebral appplexy, and is buried in Greenwood Cemetery. Her grave was unmarked for several years, however, a few years ago Uncle Bill had a headstone placed to mark her grave. He remembers Grandma Mays always asking our grandmother “where's that little Billy?” He said he used to help her out of her chair and to walk to the table, etc. He said she always had a special love for him as a little boy and he felt she deserved to have a headstone.653
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Great Grandma Mays was born in Clarion County, Pa. in 1840. She smoked a corncob pipe, which she kept in a little striped pouch beneath her apron. (Still in our family). The pouch bears a small burn hole in it, which I am told happened when the preacher showed up at her door and she hastily shoved the pipe in the pouch so he wouldn't see it. We believe our Native American ancestry is through her line.

Grandma Mays was the daughter of Francis Patton and Mary Coursin Anderson, who are buried in Churchville Cemetery, Curlsville, Clarion County, Pa. She married her first husband, who is listed on the 1860 Federal Census as Evans Fuller and they had two children, David C. and Mary Catherine (Aunt Cass). After her first husband passed away at the age of 24, she married our Great Grandpap, Moses Mays, on September 3, 1861. Together they raised her two children and had eight more, six of whom lived to adulthood, Peter Francis, Hanna Elmira, Nancy Effie, Reuben Caldwell, Elsie Cordelia, and our grandmother, Laura Belle. It is believed Lorenzo T. and Jessie E. died as infants or small children.

After Grandpap Mays died in 1903, Grandma Mays came to live with my grandparents, Laura and Homer Smeltzer in Altoona. She is buried in Greenwood Cemetery near her son Reuben and his wife Annie (Bartow) Mays.
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The following obituary appeared in both the Altoona Tribune and the Altoona Mirror on Feb. 21 and Feb. 22, respectively:

Mrs. Mary A. Mays, widow of Moses Mays, died at 7:20 o'clock this morning (Wednesday) of complications at her home, Fourth Avenue, Lakemont. Mrs. Mays was born in Sligo, Clarion County, July 28, 1841, and was twice married. She was a member of the United Brethren Church.

Surviving are five daughters and one son; Mrs. C. L. McCandless, Bellview, Mrs. Mary Chatfield, Brockway, Mrs. Hanna Bloom, R. C. Mays, Mrs. Nancy Hite, and Mrs. Laura Smeltzer, Altoona; 32 grandchildren, 31 great-grandchildren, four great-great-grandchildren.

Funeral arrangements were not completed last night.

And on Feb. 23:

Funeral services for Mrs. Mary A. Mays will be held at the Lakemont Methodist Episcopal church at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow. Interment will be Greenwood Cemetery.3677