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WHO WAS WHO in PLUM TOWNSHIP
~ Titusville Herald
By H. W. Strawbridge ~ 1950s - 60s

Henry V. Corey

Henry Van Buren Corey was born at Kane, Pa., on Sept. 7, 1853. He was one of five children of Martin V. and Sarah Baugher Corey. They Coreys were of Irish descent. Henry spent his childhood in the Kane area.
Eventually, the parents moved near Tryonville, Pa., before departing to the state of Nebraska. All the children except Henry went west too, to make their permanent homes.
Henry, or “Hank”, as he was called by his friends, met Miss Nancy Kightlinger of Diamond in a manner now unknown by the descendents. They were married in 1874 or 75 in Diamond by Rev. John Wright. Nancy was born at Diamond on May 2, 1851, having been the sixth child of Samuel and Nancy Proper Kightlinger, who were early residents of Diamond. Nancy, the daughter, was thing and of medium height. She was a lady who endeavored in hard work.
Hand and she first lived at the August Fabian residence in Diamond where their first two daughters were born.
In 1878 or 79, Hank’s father, who was living in Harvard, Neb., sent word back that he’d like Hank to come out west. So, Hank went out, then sent for his wife and two daughters to come. No railroad bridge was across the Mississippi River then. It was winter time, so the train officials laid ties and rails on the thickly frozen ice over the great river and thus the Coreys crossed over in this manner. It is said that several of the passengers were quite uneasy while crossing the river. They Coreys were in Nebraska only a short time when they came back to Pennsylvania.
Hank and Nancy then lived in a small house which he built on the dirt road that leads south from the present Diamond post office. Their house sat about halfway between the post office and the former Robert Kightlinger property. It was here that the Coreys’ third daughter was born. Their fourth and last daughter was born at Breedtown. Eventually the family moved to Little Cooley and, while there, Hank and Nancy joined the United Brethren Church.
The couple’s four daughters and birthdates were as follows: Dora Alma Corey, April 24, 1876; Sarah Alta Corey, June 5, 1877; Jessie Ethel Corey, Sept. 27, 1880; and Fannie Elizabeth Corey, Feb. 3, 1884. All are living except Dora.
Dora married Roy W. Guild of Cherrytree Township on March 30, 1897. They first lived at Stone Springhouse Corners, then at Rocky Grove for years where he worked in a refinery. They last lived on a farm near East Troy. Dora died on Sunday, Dec. 29, 1940, and her husband in 1943. They had the following children: Arthur L. Guild, who died in Ohio in 1937, Mrs. Grace Miles of Fostoria, O., Mrs. Alma Brown of Linesville and Frank Guild of California.
Alta married Claude Burdick on Dec. 25, 1900. They lived their married life at Titusville where he was in the carpenter business. Alto operated a grocery store for several years. They had the following children: Leroy Burdick of Titusville, Mrs. Irene Blanchard of Oil City, Mrs. Virginia McCammon of Titusville, little Frances Burdick and Mrs. Frieda Amboyer of Titusville. Frances is deceased. The father, Claude Burdick, died in 1945, and Mrs. Burdick presently lives with her daughter, Mrs. McCommon, on Main Street, Titusville.
Jessie married Ed Willey of Diamond on Aug. 3, 1898. They lived at Enterprise for many years. They were engaged in farming and store keeping. Mr. Willey died in 1953 at Erie. Their children were Harry Willey of Fairview, Pa., Mrs. Cedell Wright of McKean, Mrs. Isabell Curtis of near Wattsburg, Edward Willey of McKean, and little Archie H. Willey, the only deceased one. Mrs. Willey, the mother, spends her time between the homes of her children.
Fannie married Milton Coyle on June 7, 1911. They lived awhile at Gilson Ridge, then spent the main portion of their married life near Meadville. Mr. Coyle was engaged in farming, and Fannie taught school for years. Mr. Coyle died in 1945. They had two children, both of whom are living: Mrs. Nancy Gesamen of San Antonio, Tex., and Mrs. Marjorie Parker of Dallas, Tex. Their mother presently lives in San Antonio.
An unusual incident happened concerning the Burdicks’ daughter, Frances, 3, and the Willeys’ son, Archie, 2. Both little children were playing together on a day in the latter part of September, 1911. Shortly afterwards both took ill, and Frances died, followed in a very few days by Archie’s death (on Oct. 3). It was never known what caused their deaths.
Hank Corey, the subject, was a tall, raw-boned man, probably reaching six feet. He was partially bald and his hair was iron grey at last. He was a good visitor and possessed a jovial, witty nature. He was a very good singer and once had a chance to join a musical troupe, but he refused. He sang to himself during most of his spare time.
He never experienced good health and was unable to lift weight. He was a market hunter and took to the fields and woods in quest of small game, such as rabbits, grouse, etc. He never hunted big game. He also fished and trapped. In those days it was legal to sell game meant and there were quite a few market hunters.
In 1891, while living at Little Cooley, Hank’s father again wrote, asking him to come out west. Hank, same as before, went first, then later sent money home for Nancy and their four daughters to come. They arrived at Harvard by train. They stayed there four years that time.
In 1895 a bad drought his Nebraska. It caused Hank’s health to worsen, so he decided to come back to Pennsylvania for the final time. He traded his house and lot in Harvard for five horses and two wagons, having decided to come back this way instead of by train. He converted the wagons into covered wagons and prepared to start on the journey. History often records of “the covered wagons moving west”- it was in reverse this time-”covered wagons were moving east!”
At least one of Hank’s teams was large Norman-Clyde horses. This team was hitched to one of the wagons. The other team took the second wagon, while the fifth horse was hitched to the buggy. Hank and Nancy were in the buggy, and he hired two men to drive the two wagons. Their names were John Council and Clarence Croft. The wagons contained the household goods. It was impossible to sell the goods because the residents out there said they might be the next to leave. They party left Harvard on June 5, 1895, which was their daughter, Alta’s 18th birthday.
They had arrived on this side of Omaha when some difficulty arose. It seems that the one man, Council, had tied a rope on one of the Clydes in such a way that it worked itself into the bone. This wasn’t too bad, only that the man treated it with wrong medicine and the sore became much worse. Hank disciplined the man for such a trick, and the fellow left the party. Hank traded the horse for a colt, which was broken, and continued on the journey, minus the one man.
It kept Nancy busy cooking for all the members of the party on a small sheet-iron stove. They bought bread and other produce from farmers and stores along the way. In one town they had stopped and parked along the side of a narrow street. The parents and Croft had gone to a store to buy some groceries, leaving the girls with the wagons. A man came riding by and his horse took fright at the covered wagons. The man got angry and cursed, saying they had no business there; that the road was wide enough only for himself. Alta quickly told him that they had as much business there as he did, and that It was wide enough for them too.
They were ten miles from a tornado in Iowa. A lady there came out and directed the party to drive in and park alongside her house until the danger was over.
They were on a rise of ground outside Peoria, Ill., on the Fourth of July, and saw the fireworks there that evening.
They were 61 days on the long road, finally arriving at Diamond, Pa., on Aug. 6. They stopped at the home of Mrs. Corey’s mother, Mrs. Nancy Kightlinger, and brother and sister-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Jared Kightlinger. They stayed there two weeks until Hank could find a house into which to move. The Kightlinger house is presently owned by Mr. and Mrs. C. R. Stephenson, the latter being a daughter of Jared and Etta Kightlinger.
Covered wagons were very unusual in this area, to say the least, and they drew quite a bit of attention from the area people. The three surviving daughters of Henry V. Corey can proudly say that they are included in very few people in the United States today who have ridden a genuine, long dusty trail in the historic covered wagons.
The hired man, Clarence Croft, stayed and worked in the East vicinity for a few years. Hank finally found a house in Diamond torrent and the family moved from the Kightlinger home into it. This house was a vacant house which sat on the bank immediately west of the Diamond Creek and was owned by the Wright family. The fall before it had served as a temporary U. B. parsonage while a new parsonage was being built in Diamond. This house on the bank has been gone now for many decades. Only the cellar can be seen today.
From here the Corey family moved northeast of Diamond onto the present Harrison Wescoat place; then to a place that once stood across the road and east a ways on land presently owned by Howard Alexander. They later moved to Gilson Ridge and lived on what was called the Stetheimer place. It was on a hill not far from Shelmadine.
It was on this place that Henry V. Corey took sick with Bright’s disease and died on Saturday, Dec. 1, 1906, that the age of 53. He was sick only a brief time, and was in a coma his last two days. The funeral was at the residence on Tuesday, the 4th, and the precession traveled to Diamond for interment in the cemetery there.
He was survived by his aged father living at Harvard, Neb., and his three brothers and sister- James Corey of Council Bluffs, Ia., Sylvester Corey of California, John Corey of Hastings, Neb., and Mrs. Emma Corey Webster of Harvard, Neb.
Mrs. Nancy Corey and her daughter, Fannie, lived at Gilson Ridge for several years, during which time Fannie was married. They also lived at Buells Corners for some time, then moved to Meadville where Mrs. Corey lived the remainder of her life.
She died on Friday afternoon, Jan. 8, 1943, at the good age of 91. She survived her husband by 36 years. She was buried beside him at Diamond.

Transcribed by Chrissy Wolfgong

Disclaimer:there may be errors due to transcription of information from both early and late (current contributors) work.