Quick note about Jack Trice's marriage with a photo of Cora Mae

[Kagavi]

I'm not even sure how this became a thing, but I was asked about this enough a few times this past week so I figured I would set the record straight.

When Jack Trice married Cora Mae, she was NOT 15 years old. Not even close. She actually graduated high school a couple years before Jack. She was probably 20 when she married Jack and it wasn't uncommon for women to fudge their age to be younger. (Marriage certificate listed her as 19.)

Wikipedia and many other stories have this wrong. Is anyone on Wiki - change it?

Since I'm here I also thought all of you would enjoy seeing Cora's graduation picture, which is not online (see comment #15). I have the full one somewhere. It's something that really helps drive home the tragedy. That's the face that Jack was looking at when he died. I should mention that Alex at the Ames History Museum put together an excellent Jack Trice exhibit a few years ago with correct info (sans one quibble) throughout. Seriously, it's great. Go see it.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

Appreciate the clarification and Wiki can be updated. Is it possible to get a copy of the marriage certificate?

 

[bluestarcyclone]

Had been seeing some post this as well, it would probably help to have evidence she was not 15, as multiple places online, not just wiki, list her birth year as 1907

 

[acoustimac]

1920 census record. I’ve found one record saying 1903. Her obituary shows 1907, but also says Jack played for Iowa.

 

[Clonehomer]

1920 census record. I’ve found one record saying 1903. Her obituary shows 1907, but also says Jack played for Iowa.

Well that’s gonna be an awkward meeting when someone has to tell Jamie that the stadium is named after a player from a rival school.

 

[acoustimac]

Here’s a shot of the Michigan marriage record.

 

[Marcelason78]

I'm not even sure how this became a thing, but I was asked about this enough a few times this past week so I figured I would set the record straight.

When Jack Trice married Cora Mae, she was NOT 15 years old. Not even close. She actually graduated high school a couple years before Jack. She was probably 20 when she married Jack and it wasn't uncommon for women to fudge their age to be younger. (Marriage certificate listed her as 19.)

Wikipedia and many other stories have this wrong. Is anyone on Wiki - change it?…….

Cora May?

 

[2speedy1]

1920 census record. I’ve found one record saying 1903. Her obituary shows 1907, but also says Jack played for Iowa.

As someone who does a Lot of ancestry and genealogy research, I can say this is a common occurrence.

Dates for the same person for the same event, birth, immigration, marriage, etc. can be different a lot. Also, the spelling of names, having 3+ first names or short versions of those names interchanged from one document to another is also common. Another weird thing is naming a child, that dies young, TB issues etc, then naming the next child the same name as the one who died. I have family members from old Europe, that seemed like they only knew of 3 names and used them over and over, between the entire family. I have found many headstones that have wrong years even on them, when compared to documentation.

Then you have the Scandinavian countries that children were son or daughter of the father, which is how names like Anderson, Hanson etc. came to be, Hans Anderson, has a son names him Soren, His name becomes Soren Hanson, not Anderson. Then Soren has a son, names him Knute, and his last name becomes Sorenson, not Hanson. It is a nightmare to research Scandinavian genealogy.

It is a real challenge to research and find the true information. There are a lot of reasons for this, but it is the reality, unfortunately.

 

[Gonzo]

As someone who does a Lot of ancestry and genealogy research, I can say this is a common occurrence.

Dates for the same person for the same event, birth, immigration, marriage, etc. can be different a lot. Also, the spelling of names, having 3+ first names or short versions of those names interchanged from one document to another is also common. Another weird thing is naming a child, that dies young, TB issues etc, then naming the next child the same name as the one who died. I have family members from old Europe, that seemed like they only knew of 3 names and used them over and over, between the entire family. I have found many headstones that have wrong years even on them, when compared to documentation.

Then you have the Scandinavian countries that children were son or daughter of the father, which is how names like Anderson, Hanson etc. came to be, Hans Anderson, has a son names him Soren, His name becomes Soren Hanson, not Anderson. Then Soren has a son, names him Knute, and his last name becomes Sorenson, not Hanson. It is a nightmare to research Scandinavian genealogy.

It is a real challenge to research and find the true information. There are a lot of reasons for this, but it is the reality, unfortunately.

Yep, I've learned the same after doing a lot of genealogy research into me and my wife's families, census takers back then could be very sloppy in their work.

 

[StPaulCyclone]

The problem is you have a hawk burner/troll account calling Jack the “p” word repeatedly on Twitter.

 

[BCClone]

The problem is you have a hawk burner/troll account calling Jack the “p” word repeatedly on Twitter.

Who does?

 

[MeanDean]

Yep, I've learned the same after doing a lot of genealogy research into me and my wife's families, census takers back then could be very sloppy in their work.

I had a close friend pass away and the obituary put together by his kids/family misspelled his middle name. There was another error, but I don't remember specifics on that. So, yes it happens even in this century.

 

[JP4CY]

Cora Mae is a beautiful name.

 

[ISU_phoria]

My dad's birthday is Feb 15th (born in 1945 at home). Since being in the Viet Nam war, he had not traveled outside the US, until about 10 years ago. To get into Canada, he needed a copy of his birth certificate. When he got it, it showed his birthday as Feb 19th. He was super confused. His older sister confirmed his birthday is Feb 15th, but the doctor who came to check on him a couple days after his birth just recorded the wrong date.

Those mistakes were more common back then.

 

[Kagavi]

Agree with others here. With some of the census errors I've seen, I have no idea what happened with the census taker. Soused? Standing next to a jackhammer? Who knows.

Thanks to whoever updated wikipedia. There's lots of other errors on that page, but given the concerns, I thought it prudent to update that specific fact. She clearly wasn't 11 years old when she was a senior at Ravenna High School.

Also just saw that her picture is indeed online in a bigger format on a ISU digital scholarship initiative page. Take a look!

https://tracingrace.iastatedigital....e-starland-trice-studied-home-economics-1923/

It's a good overview. Several errors, but overall is good.

 

[BCClone]

My dad's birthday is Feb 15th (born in 1945 at home). Since being in the Viet Nam war, he had not traveled outside the US, until about 10 years ago. To get into Canada, he needed a copy of his birth certificate. When he got it, it showed his birthday as Feb 19th. He was super confused. His older sister confirmed his birthday is Feb 15th, but the doctor who came to check on him a couple days after his birth just recorded the wrong date.

Those mistakes were more common back then.

Same thing happened to my mom born in 1931. Midwife recorded the wrong date at the courthouse (or wherever it was officially recorded)

 

[Kagavi]

Also wanted to add that none of my new research would be possible without the critical work of those who came before which I'm eternally grateful for. People like newspaper reporters in the 1920s, government grunts recording vital records, Jack's teammates who memoralized him in the years after his death. Tom Emmerson in the 1950s, all of the teachers, students, community figures in the 1970s-1980s. When the stadium name finally happened, new remembrances by elderly people who knew Jack like the ones in Steven Jones's book, etc. etc. etc. All fantastic.

It allows us to understand better and contextualize his story within the era he lived in and consider the implicatons of his story and how it endures today. What does it truly mean to have that 5 stripe patch on the jersey? What did it truly mean for Iowa State to put him on the field in defiance of the prevailing political culture that deemed him not worthy of full protection under the law?

It's just an incredible story. Props to everyone who has helped spread it along the way!

 

[2speedy1]

I hate hawk fans so much!

 

[nfrine]

I hate hawk fans so much!

Duke Slater would not be proud of some of his hok "brethren" for that comment.

 

[Tailg8er]

I hate hawk fans so much!

That guy is one of like 3 people I've ever blocked on Twitter. All he posts is rage bait, his sole online purpose is to try to piss off ISU/rival fans. He also enjoys making fun of Audi's weight.