Person:Cora Jeffers (1)

Cora was born in Clarksburg, Ma in 1867. Her mother died giving her birth which is evidenced by her disappearance. After 1867 Phoebe Jeffers is not seen in any later records. Cora is recorded as living with her Grandparents Benjamin and Ursula Eddy in Colerain, Ma in June 16, 1870 US Census, but her mother is not recorded as being there. In August, 1870 US Census Cora is recorded as living in Clarksburg with her father Lewis and Grandmother and family. In the 1880 Census Cora is listed as Daughter to her Grandmother and Lewis is not present.

Cora's Grandmother remarries in July of 1883 and in August Cora leaves home and gets married in Vermont where you do not need parental permission, to Stephen Canedy. The marriage lasts a few years and Cora remarries to Charles Shampang and they move first to Putney, Vermont where Alfred is born in 1886 and then to Chesterfield, New Hampshire. Son Lester is born in Chesterfield, New Hampshire in 1887 as is Baby Shampang, born in 1890 who lives for one hour due to an imperfect heart. Cora is next found back in Clarksburg, Ma where Lester dies of pneumonia at age 4. Son William is born in Stillwater, New York in 1894, and Grace is born in Vermont.

It is evidenced that Otis Wilson was the natural father of William and Grace and that he married their mother so to be able to more easily adopt the two children. Otis and Cora remain married for about 3 years. As Grace is not found with Cora in the 1910 Census it is evidenced that Cora took William and Otis took Grace when they parted.

It is family tradition that Cora would walk the 14 miles to North Adams from Readsboro, Vt, where she lived, on the weekends to party. It is thought that it is on one of these weekends that Cora met Charles W. Bond. Cora divorced Otis and married Charles and completely turned her life around. She started going to church becoming a lay leader in the church.

She and her husband Charles took in troubled children, who were wards of the State, for many years giving them a stable home environment. When Charles died in 1935 Cora married a friend of the family Joseph Allen and lived out the rest of her life with him as Mrs Cora Allen. She died in 1940 leaving Joseph a widower and is buried in Southview cemetery in North Adams, with her father Lewis and her former husband Charles Bond. Joseph was buried in the family plot with them when he died in 1946.