Mary Catherine (Arnold) Sims (abt. 1831 - 1879)

Born about 10 Jan 1831 in Slocum, Slocum Township, Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

Ancestors

Descendants

Died 30 Apr 1879 at about age 48 in Luzerne, Pennsylvania, United States

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Biography

Catherine was born 10 Jan 1831. She was the daughter of Abraham Arnold and Elizabeth Schliker.

Her date of birth is taken from the Sims Family Bible. which was in the possession of Catherine's granddaughter, Emma Beatrice.^[1]

According to her obituary published 5 Mar 1879, she passed away the preceding Friday at age 47. That would have put her death at 30 Apr 1879, and her date of birth between 29 Apr 1831 and 30 Apr 1832.^[2]

Her Find A Grave memorial page, however, reports that she died 28 Feb 1878 at age 47.^[3] No transcript is provided. This date most likely came from Emma Beatrice (Sims) Wilson's notes about the family Bible. Those notes say, "Death records of Catherine was found recorded in an old family hymnal."

Zura and Catherine married in Newport on 4 Sep 1853.^[4]

A History of Slocum Township and Environs states, "Catherine Arnold Sims was the wife of Zura Sims. She was the daughter of Abram Arnold who owned the next tract of land in Slocum east of the Zura Sims tract: the plot north and south of the Frank Willis farm and including his farm."^[5]

Mrs. Z Simms appears on the Beers atlas map of Slocum Township for 1873.^[6] Two properties labeled "A Arnold" appear to the east. These most likely belong to her father and brother. She was a widow then; Zura died in 1872.

She is included among the list of the 27 first coverts to Evangelism in Slocum that appears in the History of Slocum Township.

Zeurah Simms, 30, and Catherine Simms, 31, appeared in the 1860 census for Slocum Township.^[7] Also in the household were daughters were Jane, 3, and Nancy, 0.

Helen Julia Sims wrote in a 1985 letter, "My father rarely talked about his people because while his father was at civil war his mother deserted them leaving 3 girls and 1 boy and took up with a man named Arnold--lived in Illinois." The girls would have been Susan Jane, Nancy Alice, and Elizabeth. The only known boy, however, was Simon and Catherine was pregnant with him most of the time that Zura was away--Simon was born in March 1865. Zura enlisted in Sep 1864 and mustered out in May 1865.

Other branches of the family don't share this story, although they have heard of a trip to Illinois. It was possible she was visiting one of the members of her family who relocated to Illinois along with most of Zura's siblings. She and Zura had lived there in the 1850s. None of the children would have been old enough to fend for themselves but their grandparents lived right next door.

Regardless, Zura and Catherine, age 39, were together in Slocum in the 1870 census.^[8] The children at home were Susan Jane, 13, Nancy A, 10, Elizabeth, 7, Simon A, 5, and Julia Ann, 3.

Like her husband, she died of tuberculosis, which Zura most likely brought back from the war.

According to her obituary, published 5 Mar 1879, "Mrs. Catherine Sims, widow of Zura Sims and daughter of the late Abraham Arnold, died of consumption on Friday last and was buried on Sunday at Stairville. Owing to the severe illness of Rev. Mr. Roskelly of Nanticoke, the funeral service was omitted. Mrs. Sims was a hospitable, kind-hearted woman and a good neighbor. She leaves three small children to mourn her loss."

There were actually four children alive at the time of Catherine's death, although they may not have been living with her at the end because of her illness. On April 10, 1879, the Orphan's Court of Luzerne County assigned George Engler to be the guardian of Nancy Alice, Mary Catherine, and Julia A. On May 7, Henry Fairchild was appointed guardian of Simon A. Sims.

This was from a Wednesday edition, which means she would have been buried on Sunday, March 2. She is buried at Stairville Cemetery.

Children

The family bible reports that Zura and Catherine had 2 boys and 5 girls. This suggests that there was an older son who died prior to the 1860 census. If there is any truth to the story of Catherine going to Illinois and leaving behind a young boy, that also raises the possibly of a second boy. There was certainly time for another child between their marriage in 1853 and Susan Jane's birth in 1857,

1. Unknown son, d. bef. 1870. (?)
2. Susan Jane Sims, b. 1857, d. 1875
3. Nancy Alice "Nan" Sims, b. 1859, d. 1930, m. Norman Stair
4. Elizabeth Sims, b. 1862, d. 1877
5. Simon Albert Sims, b. 1865, d. 1944, m. Helen Stout
6. Julia Ann Sims, b. 1867, d. 1953, m. Wellington Lamont Seigel
7. Mary Catherine Sims, b. 1870, d. 1952, m. Edward Whitebread

Sources

1. ↑ Notes provided by Emma Beatrice (Sims) Wilson, one-time owner of the Bible. Contributed by Ralph Doggett. Accessed on 04 Sep 2021 at https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/100657909?p=27706286&returnLabel=Mary%20Catherine%20Arnold%20(K2VN-WYF)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FK2VN-WYF.
2. ↑ Record of the Times, Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, 05 Mar 1879. Page 2.
3. ↑ Find a Grave, database and images (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/31770483/catherine-sims : accessed 04 September 2021), memorial page for Catherine Arnold Sims (10 Jan 1831–27 Feb 1878), Find A Grave: Memorial #31770483, citing Stairville Cemetery, Luzerne County, Pennsylvania, USA ; Maintained by KenR Jr. (contributor 49966516).
4. ↑ Marriage certificate of Zura Sims and Catherine Arnold. Collection of Ralph Doggestt. Accessed on 04 Sep 2021 at https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/100658485?p=27706286&returnLabel=Mary%20Catherine%20Arnold%20(K2VN-WYF)&returnUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.familysearch.org%2Ftree%2Fperson%2Fmemories%2FK2VN-WYF.
5. ↑ Whitebread, Helen Smith. A History of Slocum Township and Its Environs. Slocum Township Bicentennial Commission, 1976.
6. ↑ Luzerne County: From actual surveys by and under the direction of D.G. Beers. Philadelphia: A. Pomerory & Co., 1873.
7. ↑ "United States Census, 1860", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MXTZ-FFH : 18 February 2021), Catharine Simms in entry for Zeura Simms, 1860.
8. ↑ "United States Census, 1870", database with images, FamilySearch (https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:MZP1-SJ5 : 29 May 2021), Catherine Sims in entry for Zura Sims, 1870.