Catharine Darling Pancake 1826-1892
2010
Catharine Darling Pancake was born in 1826 in Virginia and died in 1892 in California. She was the daughter of Thomas Darling and Demie Butler. She was one of many siblings. This portrait of Catharine was taken about 1870 as judged by several clues. Those clues include her hair, her jewelry, her collar, and her dress. Further research into the photographer and the years of his operation helps us to place Catharine in middle age in Coshocton County, Ohio. Catharine Darling married Samuel Crawford Pancake in 1844. They made their home in Jefferson Township, Coshocton County, Ohio where Catharine became the mother of at least 13 children. Not all of the children survived to adulthood. Emma, Pauline and Harry died as children. The death years for the little girls are known but for Harry, we only know that he is found with the family in a census at the age of 15 but disappears after that. Catharine’s son Marion died at 27 of consumption from his mining vocation in the mines of Utah. These children lived to adulthood and outlived their mother: Stewart Megge Pancake, Ophelia Pancake McVey, Jackson Darling Pancake, Carrie Pancake Conwell, Edith Glendora Pancake Watrous, Juliett Pancake Guthrie, Demie Seville Pancake Whiteley and Camilla Pancake Elliott. Another daughter, Nettie Pancake Cole lived to adulthood but seems to have disappeared as well. Her son-in-law, Albert Conwell, son of her daughter Carrie Virginia also died from consumption, common to miners. Catharine and her husband Samuel moved from Ohio to Blandinsville, Illinois where Samuel bought a bank with his son-in-law William McVey. There, several of Catharine’s children were married and some grandchildren were born. From Illinois the entire family moved on to Utah and invested in the mining business. As each family moved from Utah to other states, Catharine and Samuel left Utah for California, leaving three daughters and their families behind. While in the home of her oldest child and daughter Ophelia, Catharine died. She was buried in Fresno, California. Her husband Samuel returned to Utah where he died a few years later. He was buried in Utah.
This portrait was a gift to us from Mary Emma, who is the great granddaughter of Catharine Darling Pancake.
The migration of Catharine Darling Pancake
Virginia to Ohio to Illinois to Utah to California