When Mary Ann Bodkin was born on March 14, 1811, in Virginia, her father, John Bodkin, was 17, and her mother, Jane Curry, was 16. She married Henry McCoy and they had 13 children together. She then married George Kiracofe in 1874 in Highland, Virginia. She died on March 6, 1903, in Doe Hill, Virginia, at the impressive age of 91, and was buried in McKendree Methodist Church Cemetery in Highland County, Virginia.
Another Old Land-Mark Gone
Source: The Library of Congress, Chronicling America, Highland Recorder March 13, 1903, Image 3
Died, at the home of her son-in-law Mr Jacob B Siron, March 6, 1903, at 5 a.m. Mrs Mary A Kiracofe, aged 91 years, 11 months and 20 days.
She was sick only a short time and her mind, which was very little impaired by old age, remained clear until a few days before her death She was twice married. Her first husband was Henry McCoy, who died of smallpox, during the Civil war, when the neighborhood of Doe Hill, was smitten with that terrible scourge, and she with her own hands, helped to bury the dead, there not being men enough at home to bury the dead, and many will remember her help fullness, and kind minstrations to the sick, and dying at that time.
To them were born 13 children, ten of whom are living. Her oldest son Jackson preceeded her only a few months ago. Her next oldest son, Benj. McCoy of Webster City, Iowa, a very worthy son, when notified of her illness, hastened to her bedside, arriving too late to see her in the flesh, but while standing by her body, paid this beautiful tribute to her: “If I am anything in this world, I owe it to that dear mother.” God be praised for christian mothers – would there be more of them.
She leaves 86 grand children and 90 great- grand-children, and 5 great, great-grand-children.
Her life was a very eventful one and her memory was remarkable. One of the incidents of her child-hood which she often related is well, worthy of mention. At that time, there was quite an exodus from the country to Ohio, among them her parents. After being there a short time, they were deserted by a faithless husband and father. Her uncle James Curry, hearing of their trouble, went to their relief. There were two other children besides herself, Eliza, aged 5, and a brother of two summers. The difficulty of carrying the three children was soon solved. The mother took a bed blanket, sewed up the ends, and part way up the sides, leaving an opening in the center large enough to admit the two girls, Mary and Eliza, one in either end, which they threw across the uncle’s horse, the mother carrying the baby, and in this way they came home through an almost trackless wilderness, camping where night over took the, fording the Ohio river, it being low, at that time, but not so low but that the blankets dipped in the water and gave the children a bath.
Her early married life was one of sore trials. She was very industrious, manufacturing the goods and making with her own hands the clothing for her large family. It can be said of her as of Dorcas of old. “Her life was full of good works and almdeeds which she did,” Having made, after she was past sixty 132 counterpanes, most of which she presented to her children and friends, who will appreciate them all the more, since the hands that made them are cold in death.
Her second husband was Geo. Kiracofe of Augusta county, a soldier of the war of 1812, who died some twenty years ago, and as his widow has drawn a pension all these years which she used, for the benefit of her children and friends in need, and enclosed the old family graveyard, marked the graves of her husbands, father and mother, children and other friends.
Mrs Kiracofe joined the Methodist church more than seventy years ago, of which she has been a worthy member ever since lending a liberal support to all its institutions. She had been a number of years and was still at her death a member of the W.F.M. Society at Doe Hill also a member of the Sunday school, probably, the oldest S.S. scholar in the State.
Five of her children were present at her funeral, which was held in McKendree church, services conducted by her pastor, Rev. M.P. Weikle after which she was laid to rest in the cemetery, which was once the old camp-ground, almost, if not quite on the exact spot where Rev A Q Flaherty’s tent stood, and within a few hundred yards of her birth place, a very fit spot for her last resting places, and as her voice mingled in the songs and shouts of loved ones on the old camp-ground, so, on the morn of the resurrection, a glorified being, will she be reunited with them on the great camping-ground above, where her voice will mingle with theirs in one glad song of rejoicing forever and ever.
One who loved her
Doe Hill, Va.
From her obituary in The Highland Recorder in March 1903. She was twice married,her first husband was Henry McCoy, who died of smallpox, during the Civil war, when that neighborhood of Doe Hill, was smitten with that terrible scourge, and she with her own hands, helped to bury the dead, there not being men enough at home to bury the dead, and many will remember her help fullness, and kind ministrations to the sick, and dying at that time. Her second husband was Geo. Karicofe of Augusta county. A soldier of the war of 1812, who died some twenty years ago, & as his widow has drawn a pension all these years which she used, for the benefit of her children and friends in need, and enclosed the old family graveyard, marked the graves of her husbands father and mother, children and other friends.She was very industrious, manufacturing the goods and making with her own hands the clothing for her large family. Having made, after she was past the age of sixty 132 counterpanes, most of which she presented to her children and friends, who will appreciate them all the more, since the hands that made them are cold in death…….
Died at the home of her son-n-law Jacob Siron near Doe Hill.