Laura S. Hill

Died
In this city
at 6:30 o’clock
P.M.
Dec. 13, 1881
Laura S.
wife of
E. P. Hill
Aged 27 yrs.
2 mos. & 10 days
Not Dead but Gone Before

Photo Credit: Rosa G. Gonzales

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Biography

This young lady died December 18, 1881 at a little more than 27 years old.  Her tombstone announces that she is the wife of “E. P. Hillâ€.  Nueces County Marriage Records (Vol. E) report the marriage of E. P. Hill to Laura Cook in April of 1877.  An article from the Corpus Christi Weekly Gazette (page 3, col. 2) of April 28, 1877 details the wedding of Edward and Laura before Rev. C. M. Rogers.  The newspaper notes the assembly was so large that some guests were obliged to stand.  This may be because Mr. Hill was an active mason and had been the head of the Perham Chapter, No. 91 and also active in the Star Rifles (who appear to have attended the wedding as a group, marching in and out as part of the ceremony).   The 1880 census lists Edward and his young wife Laura, living on Kinney Avenue.  Edward is a 30 year old native of Ireland who is working as a clerk in a dry goods store.  Laura is 25 years old, a native of Texas.  She reports that her father is from Alabama and her mother from Georgia.  Possibly Laura died childless as she and Edward have no children by the 1880 census (though married since 1877), and she died in 1881 at only a little more than 27 years old or it may be that she died in child birth as was relatively common in those years.

Research and transcription: Michael A. Howell