Ida Vincent (1863-1938), was Aaron Vincent's daughter and Oakley Vincent's sister. She never married and explained why in a 1905 letter (see below) to her cousin Marion Kelly (1881-1955), Maud McLure Kelly's sister. In the letter Ida says: "I
do not like to have my age
thrown interruptuously in my face nor stigmatized as 'old maid.'
... If
I have cheated some man of a wife it is not wholly my fault...
I
do not oppose marriage except when they are unsuited to each other,
i.e. disparities in education, moral training, temperament and race. I
have never married, more because I was never in a position to form a
suitable alliance."
This is a priceless example of 19th century values and the wisdom and independence of this post-Civil War woman. -Ron.V Link to the 1905 Letter from Ida Vincent to Marion Kelly or click HERE for a transcript It seems Ida was concerned about who would be her caregiver in her old age. She wasn't married and, after Oakley and Oma moved, all of her siblings had moved away. This was long before Social Security. Perhaps she actually was insane but I like to think she only acted insane so that her family would have her committed. She spent the last years of her life, from 1917 to 1938, in Bryce Hospital which was the state insane asylum. CLICK HERE for a letter I received about her stay at Bryce's which also tells where she was buried. As we've discovered in our family conversations on Facebook, several of the Vincent woman developed cancer of the female organs later in life. Ida died in 1938 from uterine cancer according to her death certificate. CLICK HERE to view a copy of it. |