Cora

Was Cora Really Daniel Bryant’s Daughter? Untangling a Family Puzzle

Have you ever tried to sort out a confusing family connection on the FamilySearch tree and questioned whether a child might be linked to the wrong parent? That’s exactly the puzzle I faced while researching the descendants of Sarah Nafus Merriss.

Sarah’s grandson, Daniel R. Bryant, is shown on FamilySearch with five children—three sons and two daughters (Cora and Helen)—with his first wife, Mary Lois Andrews. But when I reviewed the 1900 census, something didn’t add up.

That census lists three sons in Daniel’s household:

• Otto DeForest Bryant
• Clayton Carl Bryant
• Winfred Andrews Bryant

However, the daughters—Cora and Helen—are conspicuously absent.

According to the tree, Cora would have been 18 in 1900, possibly already married. Helen, supposedly ten years old at the time, should have been in the household. However, it’s reasonable to believe that, as a widower, Daniel may have placed his younger daughter in the care of others.

Upon further research, I concluded that Helen was actually the daughter of Daniel’s third wife, Sarah Caruthers, and was born in 1902, not 1890.

But what about Cora?

The Clue in the Census

The 1900 census includes two key entries:

• Stepson Sterling Andrews
• Stepdaughter Cora Andrews

Their mother is not listed in the household, but this offers an important clue. FamilySearch shows Daniel married Mattie Kenney (listed as Mattie Andrews in a source) in 1893. Prior to that, Mattie was married to Myron Joseph Andrews and had two children—Sterling and Cora.

This census supports the conclusion that Cora was not Daniel’s biological daughter, but rather his stepdaughter—Cora Jean Andrews, daughter of Mattie and Myron Andrews.

What the Obituaries Reveal

Obituaries for Cora’s brothers provide further support:

• In Winfred Bryant’s 1954 obituary, Cora is listed as a sister:
  “two sisters, Mrs. Cora Vale of Port Arthur, Ore., and Mrs. Helen Hutchens of Clarkston, Ga.”
• In Otto Bryant’s 1977 obituary, only Helen is listed as a surviving sister.
• In Cora’s own 1970 obituary, she is survived by step-brother O.D. Forrest Bryant, confirming her stepchild status in the Bryant household.

Cora Jean Vale obituary excerpt:
“Mrs. Vale was born Aug. 21, 1882, in Hebron, Ind., and died Feb. 21 in Coos Bay… Surviving… step-brother, O. D. Forrest Bryant…”

Confirming Cora’s Identity

Researching Cora Andrews (rather than Cora Bryant) revealed two marriages:

• To James Fraser Green in 1910
• To John Herbert Vale in 1951

Her children and name changes across records further solidify her identity as Cora Jean Andrews, not the biological daughter of Daniel Bryant.

Final Conclusion

Based on census records, obituaries, and marriage records, I’ve concluded that Daniel Bryant did not have a daughter named Cora. Instead, he had a stepdaughter, Cora Jean Andrews, the daughter of Mattie Kenney and Myron Joseph Andrews.