My great-grandmother Ila Sanders was born 19 February 1881, in Martin County, Indiana. Family legend tells that she was being courted by one of John Armstrong's older boys. Their mother, Catherine Holt, had died in 1897 leaving him to raise eight children on his own. The boy (either Claude or Robert) brought Ila by the farm to introduce her to the family. Great-grandpa became smitten with her himself. Ila and John were married 24 November, 1901. They had 12 children together, including my Grandmother Maxine. In 1941 the US Government sized land comprising the township of Trinity Springs, their farm, and several other neighbors farms for the creation of Crane Naval Surface Surface Warfare Center. While they were paid for their lands, being removed for their home was an unpleasant experience. Ila died in 1949, twenty years after her husband.
On a side note, several family members (on both my father's and mother's side) worked at Crane in various capacities. As the nearest military instillation, my grandmother would visit the PX, Commissary, and the family graveyard frequently. Members of the family can be escorted to the graveyard for visits still.
*Image: cindy47452 via photopin cc
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