Cornelius L. Airhart & Family

"Thought you might ALL enjoy reading about a minister who could easily have preached your ancestors funeral. He was quite a man, preaching for more than 70 years and living to be over 95. Read on!"

Karen Zach
Coordinator - Montgomery County, INGenWeb
 

Descendants of Cornelius L. Airhart


Generation No. 1

1. CORNELIUS L.2 AIRHART (HENRY^1) was born 10 Sep 1860 in near Advance, Boone County, Indiana -- may have marr 9-20-1911, and died 12 Jan 1956. He married (1) ADA MAY CANINE 10 Jun 1883 in Boone Co Indiana - Marriage license in Bk 10 p 261 Montgomery Co. She was born Abt. 1866, and died Bef. 1911. May be Ida daughter of Richard Canine & Ellen J. Ensminger.

He married (2) EVELYN VANCLEAVE 20 Sep 1911 in Montgomery Co IN BK 19 p 5, daughter of RANSOM VANCLEAVE and SARAH SURFACE. She was born 06 Apr 1878 in near New Market, Montgomery County, Indiana, and died 23 Jul 1957 in 610 E. College, Crawfordsville, IN.

 

Rev. Cornelius L. Airhart

Crawfordsville Journal Review
Jan 12, 1956
New Market

Rev. Cornelius L. Airhart, 95, veteran minister who began his career in the pulpit at the age of 21 in 1881 and who had served churches in Boone, Montgomery, Parke and Putnam counties, died Thursday at 3:50 p.m. at his home here. He became ill last month and death resulted from complications. Rev. Airhart was ordained on May 30, 1885. He was active in the ministry until two years ago, serving as pastor of the Browns Valley Primitive Baptist Church of which he was also a member. In addition to his long service with the church, he held political office on two occasions, serving as a representative to the Indiana legislature from Boone County in 1901 and an auditor of Putnam county from 1910 to 1914. Rev. Airhart was a member of the Odd Fellows and Masonic Lodge. Born Sept 10, 1860 near Advance in Boone County, he was the son of Henry and Mary Galliday Airhart. He was first married in Boone County in 1882 to Adda May Canine and was later married in Montgomery County to Evelyn VanCleave in 1911. Surviving are his wife; two daughters, Mayme Tate of Cortez, Fla; and Mrs. Blanche Jackson of North Salem; a son, Paul of Union, NJ: 8 living grandchildren; 8 great grandchildren; 12 great great grandchildren and several nieces and nephews. Two sons, Claude and Jesse and a daughter, Maude preceded him in death. Funeral services will be held Sunday, Jan 15 at 2 p.m. from the Noble Reeves Funeral Home with burial in Pisgah Cemetery in Boone County.

Tri-County News
Thursday, Jan 19, 1956

The Rev. Cornelius L. AIRHART, 95, retired minister, who was the first person to appear in this newspaper's series of Personality Sketches, died last Thursday Jan 12, 1956 at his home in New Market. Rev. Airhart began his long ministerial career in 1881 at the age of 21 and served a number of churches in Montgomery, Parke, Boone and Putnam Counties. In addition to his ministry, he also served as a representative to the state legislature in 1901 and as auditor of Boone Co. from 1910 until 1914. Funeral services were held Sunday with burial in Boone Co. Surviving are the widow; Evelyn; two daughters, Mayme Tate of Cortez, Fla; and Mrs. Blanche Jackson of North Salem; a son, Paul of Union, NJ; 8 grandchildren, 8 greats; 12 great greats and several nieces and nephews.

Boone Magazine
June 1981, p 14
by Pauline Randel Walters

The AIRHART family belongs to both Boone & Montgomery for they lived near the borderline of the counties and generations married and some lived in Boone County other in Montgomery but never far apart. Peter Airhart, born 1-18-1781 Va son of Christian Airhart married Elizabeth FULWIDER born 9-13-1787 (Va.) on 12-2-1806 Augusta Co Va and they came to Parke County Indiana for awhile, then moved to Boone just across the line from Montgomery Co about 1834. Peter died 3-16-1857 and Elizabeth 2-22-1856 and they are buried in Providence Christian Church Cemetery NE of New Ross, Montgomery County (Between the two Baptist Churches referenced later). They had 14 children all b. Va

David 9-10-1807
Polly (Mary?) 8-13-1809
Lilly 2-14-1811
Catherien 12-22-1812
John 8-24-1814
Margaret 3-24-1816
Elizabeth 5-3-1818


Andrew Loop, son of Christian and Eva Airhart Loop and Lopps and Airharts all came to Boone and Montgomery Counties at the same time in 1834.

Mary 1-11-1820
Lydia 11-6-1821
Phillip 2-3-1826 died 9-10-1835 buried with parents
Henry 10-5-1825 d. 10-20-1891 - marr (1)Mary BECK married (2)Mary M. GALLIDAY d/o Jonathan Galliday Boone Co IN
Jacob 4-5-1828
Nancy 4-21-1830
Fanny 6-27-1832.

Elizabeth Airhart Loop and 3 of her sisters walked here from Virginia a distance of 600 miles.

Henry and Mary Galliday Airhart had 7 sons and daughters and they were Rhodelphia; Louella; Deann; Cornelius L, VG; Adda; Losith and Lord Airhart.

Cornelius L. was the third child and he was born 9-10-1860 near Advance, Boone Co. He attended the old Bush school in Jackson Twp. He preached his first sermon in 1882 and his obituary said he was ordained May 30, 1885 but another article said 1883. He preached first in a Baptist Church that was on the north side of the road in Sec 29, Jefferson Twp, Boone Co. Then this church had a dissension among the members and church split and part of the congregation went to Sec 11, Montgomery Co. west of Beckville and they built the Mt. Pisgah Primitive Baptist Church on the south side of the road then later a cemetery was established on the north side of the road. Rev. Cornelius Airhart preached at both churches. He had four pastorates at same time; Mt. Pisgah; Old Pisgah; Mt. Mariah and Walnut Creek Baptist Churches, in both counties. He alternated conducting services Saturday evening and Sunday at the 4 churches. In those early days he drove a horse hitched to a cart, as those were the days known as "horse and buggy days." He would drive his horse and cart to one of the churches every Saturday afternoon, and remain over until Sunday afternoon and besides preaching a couple of sermons, he would conduct other services, such as wedding and funerals and he called upon all the members who were ill, and he also called on non-members to try to get them to become Primitive Baptist Church members.

Nowadays, funerals are very short, but not Rev. Airhart's. He conducted the funeral services of my mother-in-law and father-in-law, Frank and Rose Scott Walters, and both services were extremly long, but they were not dull or tiresome for he knew them so well, he made his services very intersting. All of his funerals were long and I presume his church services were
too. He was interested in community affairs wherever he lived. In 1901, while living in Advance, Boone Co. he was elected from Boone Co. to Indiana State Legislature and served one term. He was engaged in farming and while in Advance he had a hardware store there and then he was in Putnam Co and was elected Auditor and served Jan 1, 1912 to Jan 1, 1916 but after 1916, he devoted all his time to the ministry. He also owned a hardware store at Roachdale, Putnam Co, Indiana.

He married #1 Addie CANINE and married #2 Evelyn VanCLEAVE, daughter of Ransom and Sarah SURFACE VanCleave. He had married Addie in Boone Co, 1883 and Evelyn in Montgomery 1911. He had six children: 9 grandchildren and one great grandchild. Juanita BURRIS HIMES, wife of Norman Himes, one of his granddaughters was a classmate of mine at Ladoga School. His children were Mamie (Burris) Tate; Blanche Jackson; Paul; Jesse; Claud L; and Maud Ruth Airhart, last 3 dying before father. He belonged to Odd Fellows Lodge & Masons. He and his wife lived at New Market, Montgomery County in their later years. In 70 years of ministry he had more than 4000 funerals, 30 in one family. For 40 years he was a pastor of Browns Valley Baptist Church, Montgomery County and on his 94th birthday, the Browns Valley Church had a birthday celebration for him, as they also did on his 95th. His wife's nephew, James HARDEE, from Cleveland's Bakery made a 3-tiered cake decorated with pink and white roses each time, and on his 94th, a replica of Christ was on the top, on his 95th birthday cake a minister and pulpit.

He had always enjoyed good health and he retained his keen mind and remained active all his life. At age 93 he was able to mount a horse without assistance although a son-in-law was nearby in case he did need help. Even though he gave up pastoring at 93, he always helped all he could at church and church activities. He died in 1956, age 96 and his wife died 1945 age 79 and they were buried at Pisgah Cemetery, west of Beckville, one mile west of his native Boone County, besides his parents and a daughter and husband, Bert and Mayme Burris. He was a tall, thin man very congenial and was well liked in Boone & Montgomery Counties and his 70 years of ministry in both counties was very rewarding.


More About CORNELIUS L. AIRHART:

Burial: Ordained May 30, 1885 -- buried Pisgah Cemetery, Montgomery Co IN


More About ADA MAY CANINE:

Burial: Name may be Ida vs. Ada

Notes for EVELYN VANCLEAVE:

Crawfordsville Journal Review
July 24, 1957

Mrs. Evelyn Airhart, widow of Rev. CL Airhart, died at 5:40 p.m. Tuesday at the home of her sister, Mrs. Shelby Hicks, 610 E. College Street, Crawfordsville. She had been ill two months. Mrs. Airhart was 79. She was born near New Market April 6, 1878, a daughter of Ransom and Sarah Surface Vancleave and married Rev. Airhart in Crawfordsville Sept 20, 1911. She had lived all her life in New Market, Crawfordsville and Greencastle. Rev. Airhart died Jan 12, 1956. Mrs. Airhart was a member of the Primitive Baptist Church at Browns Valley and OES and Pythian Sisters. Surviving besides Mrs. Hicks are another sister, Mrs.. Betty Hardee of Crawfordsville and two brothers, Jesse and Jont Vancleave, both of New Market. Funeral services will be held at 2 p.m. Thursday at Noble Reeves Funeral Home in New Market. Rev. Shelby Fisher of Greencastle will officiate and interment will be in Pisgah Cemetery at New Ross. Friends may call at the Hicks residence in Crawfordsville after 4 p.m. Wednesday.


Children of CORNELIUS AIRHART and ADA CANINE are:

i. MAYME3 AIRHART, b. Abt. 1883; d. Was evidently marr to a BurrisAddie Airhart/ w/o Rev CL Airhart and d/o J. T. Canine
Mayme BURRIS d/o Mrs. Airhart and wife of Bert Burris near Rosedale; m. (1) ? TATE; b. Abt. 1885; m. (2) BERT B. BURRIS; b. Abt. 1883.

ii. BLANCHE AIRHART, b. Abt. 1885; m. ? JACKSON; b. Abt. 1885.

iii. JESSE E. AIRHART, b. 30 May 1886, Boone Co IN; d. 08 Mar 1950; m. BERTHA M. HOVERMALE, 30 Jan 1912, Bk 19 p 109 Montgomery Co IN; b. 16 Apr 1886, Hendricks Co IN.

Notes for JESSE E. AIRHART:

Record of Marriages in Montgomery County, Indiana 199 p 154

Bertha M. Hovermale, 26, b. Hendricks Co IN, resides Ladoga, single, Father; Judson Hovermale, Mother: Lucinda Clark
1-30-1912

Jesse L. Airhart, 26, Deputy Auditor, b Boone Co, Resides Greencastle In, single, Father; CL Airhart Mother: Adda M. Canine, married at Greencastle by C. L.  Airhart, Witness: Claude
Airhart

More About JESSE E. AIRHART:

Burial: buried Pisgah Cemetery, Montgomery Co IN

More About BERTHA M. HOVERMALE:

Burial: IN cem. index (C'ville library) death date not filled in


iv. CLAUDE L. AIRHART, b. Abt. 1887; d. 10 Jan 1953, Veterans Hospital, Los Angeles, IN.


Notes for CLAUDE L. AIRHART:

Crawfordsville Journal and Review
1-12-1953, p 6

Claude L. AIRHART, 51, son of Rev. C. L. Airhart of this place died Saturday Jan 10 at the Veterans Hospital at Los Angeles. he had been in declining health for the past year. He was born at Advance, Indiana and spent his youth in Indiana. he is survived by his father, Rev. Cornelius L. Airhart of New Market; two sisters, Mrs. Blanche Jackson of North salem, Indiana and Mrs. Mamie Tate of Indianapolis and a borther, Paul Airhart, who lives in New Jersey. A brother, Jesse Airhart and an infant sister preceded him in death. Mr. and Mrs. Paul Jackson of North Salem left Monday for Los Angeles to be present at the burial which will take place in that city. The father, who is past 92 and other members of the family were unable to make the trip to attend the rites. Mr. Airhart has made his home in California since his discharge from military service in WWI and he has been employed by the 20th Century Fox Film Company for many years, in special photographic work which took him to many interesting places throughout the world. "During the past year, in connection with his film work, he visited Italy, Australia, South America and Mexico and many other places."

He visited his father and Mrs. Airhart and others of his relatives in Indiana in the summer of 1950 and intended a return for a visit in September of last year but ill health prevented him.



v. MAUDE AIRHART, b. Abt. 1890; d. Bef. 1956.

vi. PAUL THOMAS AIRHART, b. 12 Apr 1896, Indiana; m. MARY BELLE LONG, 04 Sep 1920, Bk 23 p 145 Montgomery Co IN Marriages; b. Abt. 1896, Indiana.

Notes for PAUL THOMAS AIRHART:

Record of Marriages 1920, p 330, Paul Airhart, resides Kenosha WI, mechanic, age 25, b. Indiana, Father; Cornelius Airhart, Mother; Adda Canine, 1st marr

Bride; Mary Belle Long, resides C'ville, age 26, b Indiana, Father; Homer Long, Mother: Lizzie Myers, 1st marr

Married by C. L. Airhart in C'ville, 9-4-1920, witness Paul Jackson


More About PAUL THOMAS AIRHART:

Burial: at marr, resided Kenosha WI