Civil War Vet and Rural Mail Carrier in Mark Township - Curtis Sylvander Elder

 The Hicksville Tribune, January 2, 1908, p. 8:

"This post card was received by the R.F.D. News in Chicago, Illinois -

Mark Center: - We are in receipt of a souvenir post card, showing the portrait of C. S. Elder, the only carrier of Mark Center.  Mr. Elder is standing by his mail wagon and intelligent looking horse, and in the wagon stands his little daughter, Ruth, a charming child of five years of age.

Mr. Elder is a veteran of the civil war, enlisted in 1863 at 17 years of age and rode with Sherman to the sea in Kilpatrick's famous cavalry division.  Mr. Elder has been carrying mail since February 15, 1905."

This photo is a part of the Mary G. Smith Photo Collection and was provided by Dianne Grimm.

Curtis Elder's little girl, Ruth, was 5 at the time of photo, dating it to about 1913, and her father was 68.  She was the youngest of eleven children through two different wives.

Born in Pennsylvania on November 19, 1845, Curtis came to Ohio with his family and settled in Seneca County, Ohio.  In the Federal Census of 1860, he lived with his widowed mother, Eliza, and five siblings.  His mother, widow of Achor Elder, was only 39, and she was left with real estate worth $2150; Curtis was 15 at the time.  Just two years later he would enlist for the Union side.

Curtis enlisted on November 5, 1863 into the 9th Ohio Volunteer Cavalry, Company K at the age of 17. He was all over the south with the Cavalry and often in some large battles, including the Battle for Atlanta.  He rode with Hugh Jackson Kirkpatrick who advanced to a brevet general by the end of the war.  However, Kirkpatrick was not always respected by his soldiers.  Kirkpatrick was a man who took risks with his soldiers, using battle tactics that put them in danger.  Discharged on July 25, 1865, Curtis made his way back to Seneca County, Ohio.

He married Tena (Dinah) Stahl on 23 September 1869 there and the couple had five children: Estella E., Ollie E., Charley, Earl and Lillian.  Tena died on the Elder homestead in Seneca County on March 10, 1881. (Another source gave the death date as 8 March 1882). She was buried in the Zion Lutheran Church Cemetery in Jackson Twp., Seneca County. In 1881 - 1882, some of the Elder family, including the widower, Curtis, and his children made their way to Mark Township, Defiance County, Ohio. 

A second marriage to Emma Jane Crawford occurred on January 21, 1883.  Emma was significantly younger than Curtis by about 15 - 16 years.  They added to their family: Carrie, Clyde, Glenn, Rodney, Levon, Thelma, and Ruth (born 1903). In 1888, Curtis purchased his own farm - 80 acres in Sections 14 and 15, Mark Township.  The Federal Census enumerator found him and his family there in 1900 - 1920. 

He was a farmer, but at some point he became the rural mail carrier, the one and only in Mark Township.  His brother, Clyde, known for his store in Mark Center, was his substitute, both having passed the civil service exam necessary. One newspaper described him as Mark Center's genial and obliging mail carrier,  a "jolly" man.

Photo is from the Mary G. Smith Photo Collection and was provided by Dianne Grimm.

Curtis Sylvander Elder died at his home in Mark Township on October 31, 1923. The Defiance Crescent-News reported on November 6, 1923 on page 5:

"Curtis S. Elder.  The funeral of Curtis S. Elder of Mark Center, who died suddenly Wednesday, was held Saturday afternoon at 1:30 at the house, and at 2 p.m. at the M.E. church in Mark Center with Dr. J. F. Olive officiating, assisted by Rev. Arthur, Rev. Colgan and Rev. Hurtig.

Pall bearers were the four sons: Clyde, Glen, Dale and Levon Elder and grandsons, Harry Brubaker and Noah Hull. 

Flower bearers were Class No. 8 of the Mark Center Sunday School which Mr. Elder taught for several years.  Interment was in Sherwood Cemetery."

Curtis' wife, Emma, lived twenty more years, passing away on October 11, 1943. 

"EMMA ELDER, 80, TAKEN BY DEATH.  

MARK CENTER WOMAN DIES AFTER SEVERAL MONTHS ILLLNESS.

Mark Center, Oct. 11 - Mrs. Emma Elder, 80, widow of Curtis Elder, who died in 1923, passed away this morning at her home here, following an illness of several months due to infirmities of age.

The body was removed to the Perkins and Reeb funeral home in Hicksville, and will be returned to the residence at noon on Tuesday.  Burial will be made in Sherwood cemetery following services which will be arranged later.

Mrs. Elder was born and reared in Mark township and was a member of the Methodist Church.

She leaves six children: Mrs. Carrie Heater, South Ridge, Mass.; Clyde and Lavon Elder, both of Mark Center; Glen Elder, Hicksville; Mrs. Thelma Conley, Inglewood, Calif.; and Mrs Ruth Decker, Sherwood; three step daughters, Mrs. Lillian Hull, of Kendallville, Ind.; Mrs. Stella Brubaker, West Mill Grove, Ohio, and Mrs. Ollie Frazer, Paulding; a sister, Mrs. Ella Deardorf, Hicksville; 15 grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.

A son, Dale Elder of Defiance preceded her in death last January."

Note - For those researching the Elder family more in death, here are two sources:

1. In the archives of Bowling Green State University, a file on Sarah V. Elder, born 1840, sister to Curtis, letters, photocopies, transcripts from the Civil War and later, 1854 - 1896 archived.  Sarah married Joshua Dicken who served in the Civil War.

2. The Historical Record of the Elder Famiy by Lillian Elder Hull, daughter of Curtis. It can be found in its entirety online.