Bio-McKnight, LuzettaCottom

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Luzetta (McKnight) Cottom
(1890-1981)

Luzetta (McKnight) Cottom was born on Sept. 9, 1890 near Dawson, Fayette County, PA, the daughter of Charles and Keziah (Stimmell) McKnight. Her husband was a prominent public figure in Fayette County.

At the age of 18, Luzetta married 21-year-old William Henry Cottom (1887-1974), the son of Alsinus and Jennie (Hough) Cottom, in about 1908. They resided on a farm in the Vanderbilt area of Fayette County.

The Cottoms had eight children -- Clara Nelson, Ethel Pearl Thomas, Olive Gordon, Curtis Cottom, Donald Cottom, Charles I. Cottom, Mary Edith Linderman and a son who died at the age of 10 days in 1916.

When the 1910 census was taken, the Cottoms made their home near Dawson, Fayette County, as next-door neighbors to Luzetta's parents. Living under their roof was Luzetta's 80-year-old, widowed grandfather Henry "Foxy" McKnight. That year, William was employed as a salesman in a coal company store.

Said the Uniontown Morning Herald, William "was a member of the Bryan Methodist Church, Dawson, served on the Franklin Township School Board, was a member of the Curfew Grange, Flatwoods, and resided in the Vanderbilt area for fifty-six years" prior to his death.

William died on Aug. 4, 1974, at the age of 87. He was laid to rest in the Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery. At the time, they had produced 17 grandchildren and 23 great grandchildren.

Luzetta outlived her husband by seven years.

She passed away at the age of 91, in Vanderbilt, Fayette County, on Sept. 9, 1981. In the years the Cottoms were separated by death, the number of their offspring had swelled. The Uniontown Herald Standard reported in Luzetta's obituary that she was survived by 17 grandchildren, 18 great grandchildren and 11 great-great grandchildren.

The Cottoms' grave at Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery in Dawson

~ Son Charles I. Cottom ~

Bird's eye view of old Dawson

Son Charles I. Cottom (1909-1997) married Ada Elisabeth Salisbury (1915-2002). They had three children -- William G. Cottom, Sara Jane Cottom and Luzetta M. Booth.

They lived at Fayette City and Newell, Fayette County, where Charles was a longtime laborer for the Pittsburgh and Lake Erie Railroad. Ada was a trustee of the Newell Methodist Church and its Women's Society.

Charles died in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, PA on June 8, 1987, at the age of 88. Ada outlived her husband by five years, and passed away in Westmoreland Manor in Greensburg at the age of 86 on March 18, 2002. Burial was at Plum Creek Cemetery.

Son William G. Cottom married Betty and resided in Monroeville, a suburb of Pittsburgh. They had one son, Charles H. Cottom.

Daughter Sara Jane Cottom (1940-2000) married (?) Sheets. They had one daughter, Beverly Ann Sheets. Sara lived in Greensburg, Westmoreland County, and was "employed by the J.C. Penney Store in Greensburg and in Ross Park Mall," near Pittsburgh, said the Greensburg Tribune-Review. She died in Greensburg on July 31, 2000, with burial at Westmoreland County Memorial Park.

Daughter Luzetta Cottom (1945-2011) was born on May 8, 1945. She was married twice. She and her first husband, Charles Billy, had two children -- Constance Kay Smith Kuhns and Charles Billy II. Luzetta married again, to Albert Booth, and they had one son, Sean Patrick Booth. Luzetta made her home in Greensburg, Westmoreland County. She passed away on Dec. 28, 2011, at the age of 66.

Daughter Constance Kay Billy married Billy Smith and had two children -- Nathaniel James Smith and Angela Mae Smith. She re-married to Robert Kuhns.
Son Charles Billy II married Kathryn Robertson. They have one son, Zane Billy.
Son Sean Patrick Booth was married and had two children -- Shayne Booth and Kayla Booth.

~ Son Curtis Earl Cottom ~

Son Curtis Earl Cottom (1910-1984) was married to Hazel Franks. They made their home in Vanderbilt and had one daughter, Clara Frances Jones.

He was a coal miner and farmer, and was a member of the Juniata Sportsmen's Club.

He passed away in Connellsville State Hospital at the age of 74 on Feb. 15, 1984.

~ Daughter Clara (Cottom) Nelson ~

Daughter Clara Cottom (1911-1999) married (?) Nelson.

In 1974-1981, she lived in St. Petersburg, FL.

~ Daughter Ethel Pearl (Cottom) Thomas ~

Daughter Ethel Pearl Cottom ( ? - ? ) married John Oran Thomas and resided in Vanderbilt circa 1939-1974. Their children were John Richard Thomas, Oran Thomas, Larry E. Thomas, Katheryn Jones, Curtis Thomas, David Thomas and Raymond Thomas.

Son John Richard Thomas (1939-2009) married Darlene Marsh and had three sons. They resided at Grindstone, Fayette County. He worked at Anchor Hocking Glass Company in South Connellsville for three decades, from 1965 to 1995. He was an elder with the Church of Jesus Christ in Vanderbilt and, said the Uniontown Herald Standard, "As an Elder, he performed wedding ceremonies for a few relatives. he also played he piano on occasion during church services." John passed away on Jan. 8, 2009 at the age of 69, "after battling a long and debilitating illness," reported the Herald-Standard.

Son Larry E. Thomas (1953-2005) resided in Shrewsbury, south of York, York County, PA. Said the Connellsville Daily Courier, he was "employed at Becton-Dickson for the past 21 years," up to the time of his death. He died at home at the age of 52 on Dec. 2, 2005.

~ Son Donald H. Cottom ~

Son Donald H. Cottom (1918-2000) married Naomi B. (?) (? - 1997). They operated a farm in Vanderbilt for half of a century. The Cottoms had three children -- Donald Cottom, John Cottom and Brenda Cottom.

Naomi passed away in 1997.

Donald died in Uniontown Hospital on July 28, 2000, at the age of 82. Following the funeral at the Ralph E. Galley Funeral Home in Dawson, he was buried at Green Ridge Memorial Park in nearby Connellsville.

Son John Cottom married Mary.

Daughter Brenda Cottom married Soverns.

~ Daughter Jane (Cottom) South ~

Daughter Jane Cottom (1921 - ? ) married William H. South (1912-1993). They are believed to have had at least one daughter, Janet South.

Their home in the mid-1970s was in Pittsburgh, Allegheny County, PA.

William passed away in 1993, at the age of 81. His remains were laid to rest in the Bryan Methodist Church Cemetery. Their grave marker is seen here.

~ Daughter Olive (Cottom) Gordon ~

Daughter Olive Cottom ( ? - ? ) married William Gordon and lived on Oglevee Lane in Connellsville, Fayette County.

~ Daughter Mary Edith (Cottom) Linderman ~

Daughter Mary Edith Cottom (1931-2005) married Harold Linderman. They resided in the Flatwoods area near Vanderbilt.

Mary Edith was "employed at the former Anchor Hocking Glass Plant No. 5 in South Connellsville as a selector-packer for many years," said the Uniontown Herald Standard. (The Anchor-Hocking plant is seen here.) "But she and her husband, Harold, are best remembered by many school children because of their employment at the Franklin Elementary School where they worked as custodians for many years."