Left to right:
Ludora Coleman, b. about 1926, daughter of Smylie Coleman and Joanna Benson
Elijah "Puddin" Smith b. about 1921, son of Asimane Smith and Carrie Jackson
Believed to be a sister of Elijah
The Smith siblings and Ludora were cousins, related through their maternal lines. Elijah had a crush on Ludora's sister Dorcas and he was told he could not marry her because they were cousins. It was said that anyone you had a romantic interest in the Caseyville area was likely a cousin but that didn't stop Elijah from marrying another Caseyville cousin, Velma Scott.
4 comments:
Hope it worked out well for the married cousins.
It worked until Elijah developed a wandering eye for the ladies. After Velma gave birth to three children, the marriage ended in divorce.
Years ago there were some second cousins who married in my extended family. It seems like it was more accepted in the past than it is now.
There were several cousins' marriages in my family. Socializing outside of their rural communities was limited for many of them.
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