The Delph Sisters - Cora

Great-Grandmother Elizabeth “Lizzie” Delph Ordway, born in 1878,  had three sisters, two older and one younger. 

Cora Delph Babcock

Known as “Corrie,” Cora was the oldest child of Philip and Elizabeth Witzgall Delph, born November 17, 1871 in Monroe Township, Henry County, Ohio. 

Corrie first married Francis Spangler on December 27, 1891, when she was twenty years old.  The marriage ended in divorce, and she moved back in with her parents at some point.  When the census taker came around in 1900, Cora was reported as single at 28, with the Delph name. When she applied for a marriage license to marry Jacob Babcock on October 11, 1903, written in the marriage book was a notation that she was Cora Spangler, a divorced woman.  Undoubtedly, it was much more of a scandal in those days to be divorced.

Cora and Jacob had no biological children, although she gave birth to one child who did not survive.  She and her husband took in two boys as foster children or wards: Martin Gilligan (born about 1909) and Chester Fisher (born about 1910).  The boys show up with them in the 1920 census and Martin was still with them at the age of 25 in the 1930 census. 

Elizabeth Witzgall Delph and Martin Gilligan

Jacob Babcock was a farmer his whole life and in the early years, Cora described herself as a dressmaker.  Later she wrote as a Malinta correspondent for the Northwest-News.

Cora died first at the age of 63 on September 4, 1933, and Jacob followed a few years later in 1935.

Obituary - Napoleon Northwest-News, September 7, 1933, page 1

"Northwest-News Correspondent at Malinta Dies
Mrs. Cora Babcock, past 61 years of age, died sudenly at her home in Malinta early Monday morning from heart disease.  Mrs. Babcock had been in poor health during the summer but her death came as a shock to that community.  She was a devoted christian lady and has been a Northwest-News correspondent for several years past, having written her regular correspondence in last week's issue.  Mrs. Babcock will be missed by all who knew her.  She leaves to mourn her departure, a husband who is quite ill at this time, an aged mother, four brothers and three sisters.  Funeral services will be conducted at the residence today at 2 p.m."

Hoy Cemetery, Henry County, Ohio

From the Napoleon Northwest News, September 14, 1993:

"Those from out of town that attended the funeral of Mrs. Cora Babcock were: Mr and Mrs. Frank Temple of Vanlue; Jerry Semler, Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Semler and daughter from Findlay, Mrs. Sarah Rule of Clyde and son, Carl Rule of Toledo; Chester Fisher, Jeane Chalker and Alice Brady of Chicago; Mr and Mrs. John Weaver, George Taylor and wife, Sam Weaver and wife, all of Bucyrus;Bruce Robison and wife of Portage; C. P. Delph and wife, Napoleon; Jasper Long and wife of Crestline; Leo Bruback of Deshler; Wm Poth and wife, Lorson Poth and family, Robert Sommers and wife and Aaron Babcock all of Lorain; Mrs. Nella Wells of Swanton; Mrs. Cleo Meinen and Harry Stevens and family of Holgate and George Stickley of Swanton; Charles Baker and wife of Woodburn, Ind."

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