Basic Information
| Field | Detail |
|---|---|
| Full name | Cora Lee Morrow, later Cora Lee Morrow Moehlenkamp |
| Birth | 7 October 1900 |
| Birthplace | Arkansas, United States |
| Death | 25 July 1962 |
| Place of death | Saint Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri |
| Burial | Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Saint Charles, Missouri |
| Parents | Sanford Hewitt Morrow (1855 to 1912), Sallie Wells Faulkner (1874 to 1950) |
| Spouse | Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp (1897 to 1972) |
| Marriage | 23 December 1921, DeWitt, Arkansas |
| Children | Virginia Lee “Jinny” Moehlenkamp Humphrey (1924 to 2005), Marjorie Moehlenkamp Finlay (born 5 October 1928, died 2003) |
| Education | High school graduate |
| Noted residences | DeWitt, Arkansas; Memphis, Tennessee; St. Louis area, Missouri; Saint Charles, Missouri |
Early Life in Arkansas
Arkansas welcomed Cora Lee Morrow on October 7, 1900. With her parents Sanford Hewitt Morrow and Sallie Wells Faulkner, she grew up throughout a century of upheaval. She graduated high school, a sign of aspiration and potential in a period when few did. These early years shaped a life of calm steadiness rather than public spectacle.
Her father’s 1912 death ended one chapter, but small town life continued. Arkansas was agrarian and close-knit. Cora’s record is a map of hard work: education ended, family relationships maintained, and maturity approaching like a river turning.
Marriage and a Growing Household
In DeWitt, Arkansas, Cora married Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp on December 23, 1921. He was from Missouri, and they found a road to decades of family life across state borders. Virginia Lee was their first daughter, born in 1924. The mid- to late 1920s mobility was shown when their second daughter, Marjorie, was born in Memphis on October 5, 1928.
The family was documented in St. Louis by 1930. Elmer sold bricks for a brick manufacturer, a useful career in a burgeoning region. Cora’s home was the hub: two young girls, a realistic budget, and the Great Depression beginning to bite. She is not officially a professional or business owner, but her household implies the quiet accounting that governs so many families: figures watched, meals made, daughters nurtured.
Children and the Next Generations
Cora and Elmer’s elder daughter, Virginia Lee “Jinny,” lived a long life that stretched from 1924 to 2005. While her footprints are mostly the footprints of family records, they chart the arc of a woman who carried the family line forward through marriage and community.
Marjorie, their younger daughter, became more public. Marjorie Finlay, born in 1928, became an opera singer and TV personality. She was the mother of Andrea Gardner Finlay and connected art to family and audience. This would bring the family name new attention.
From Household Ledger to Spotlight: The Line to Taylor Swift
Cora’s line is obvious. Cora and Elmer had Marjorie. Marjorie had Andrea. Today, Andrea Swift is Taylor Swift’s mother. Bridge is basic and human. One great-grandmother who managed a Depression-era family, one grandmother whose voice filled halls, one mother who raised a daughter, and one daughter who became a global artist. Many families have such moments between ordinary and spectacular. In this example, the record shows that fame often starts quietly.
Education, Work, and Household Economics
Cora was among a growing number of early 20th-century American women who graduated high school. No formal career is listed for her. Her story emerges from marriage records, census entries, and the lived truth that a salesman’s paycheck and a homemaker’s ledger could warm a family in difficult times.
Construction cycles reflected the 1930s economy, which affected the brick industry. In such circumstances, households needed careful planning and mutual assistance. Cora’s journey illustrates domestic resilience, the unsung math that keeps a family together through good times and bad.
Places and Movements
A few places shape Cora’s story. Birth in Arkansas 1900. 1921 DeWitt, Arkansas marriage. Daughter born in Memphis 1928. By 1930, the family was documented in St. Louis. 1962 Saint Charles, Missouri death. The map of marriage, job, and children grows with each waypoint.
Timeline of Key Events
| Date | Event |
|---|---|
| 7 Oct 1900 | Birth in Arkansas |
| 1912 | Death of father Sanford Hewitt Morrow |
| 23 Dec 1921 | Marriage to Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp in DeWitt, Arkansas |
| 1924 | Birth of daughter Virginia Lee |
| 5 Oct 1928 | Birth of daughter Marjorie in Memphis |
| 1930 | Family documented in the St. Louis area, Elmer working as a brick company salesman |
| 1950 | Death of mother Sallie Wells Faulkner |
| 25 Jul 1962 | Death in Saint Charles, Missouri |
| 1962 | Burial at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery, Saint Charles |
| 2003 | Death of daughter Marjorie Moehlenkamp Finlay |
| 2005 | Death of daughter Virginia Lee |
Possible Siblings and Extended Family
Cora is listed with Frances Wells Morrow, Helen Morrow Davis, William H. Morrow, Anna Esther Morrow, Louise Morrow, and Sanford Morrow Jr. in some family trees.These names have reduced confidence due to online tree merges and inconsistent record clarity across generations, but they are credible touchpoints for extended kin.
Final Years and Resting Place
Cora died at Saint Charles, Missouri, after spending her later years in St. Louis. In 1962, she died and was buried at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Saint Charles. Elmer lived until 1972, ending a four-decade family-making journey that began with a winter wedding in 1921.
A Family Line in Two Views
Two perspectives on Cora’s life. A ledger of dates shows 1900–1962, marriage in 1921, children in 1924 and 1928, burial in Saint Charles. Another is continuity-focused. The same people created grocery lists and measured school hems later held microphones and filled stadiums. The melody predates the chorus’s fame.
Quick Reference: Direct Line of Descent
| Generation | Name | Lifespan | Notable detail |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cora Lee Morrow | 1900 to 1962 | Married Elmer H. Moehlenkamp; high school graduate; lived in Arkansas and Missouri |
| 2 | Marjorie Moehlenkamp Finlay | 1928 to 2003 | Opera singer and television personality |
| 3 | Andrea Gardner Finlay | Contemporary | Later known as Andrea Swift |
| 4 | Taylor Swift | Contemporary | Internationally recognized artist |
FAQ
Who was Cora Lee Morrow?
She was an Arkansas-born woman whose life is documented through family records and who became the great-grandmother of Taylor Swift.
When and where was she born and when did she die?
She was born on 7 October 1900 in Arkansas and died on 25 July 1962 in Saint Charles, Missouri.
Who were her parents?
Her parents were Sanford Hewitt Morrow and Sallie Wells Faulkner.
Whom did she marry and when?
She married Elmer Henry Moehlenkamp on 23 December 1921 in DeWitt, Arkansas.
Did she have children?
Yes, two daughters are well documented: Virginia Lee “Jinny” and Marjorie.
How is she related to Taylor Swift?
Cora is Taylor Swift’s great-grandmother through her daughter Marjorie and granddaughter Andrea.
Where is she buried?
She is buried at Immanuel Lutheran Cemetery in Saint Charles, Missouri.
Did she have a public career?
No conventional public career is recorded for her, and her life appears mostly through household and family records.
Where did she live during her adult life?
She lived in DeWitt, Arkansas and later in the St. Louis area, with her final years connected to Saint Charles, Missouri.
