Alzina Knowles, fourth child of John S. and Susan Knowles, was born near Xenia, Bourbon county, Kansas, October 30, 1867. There were two older brothers, Fred J. and Frank S., an older sister Finette E. (Mrs. Robert McNicholas); and a cousin, Will Smith, now of Fellsburg, who was from early childhood a member of her family also. [A third brother, Charles W., died in infancy in Green Co., WI.]

In 1879, she moved with her parents to Alamosa, Colo., and in 1884 the Knowles family came to Sun City where Mr. Knowles filed claim to the land that has borne the Knowles name since that time. About 1888 the family went to Durango, Colo, where on November 14, 1889, Alzina Knowles was united in marriage to Ed C. Harrington. Later the pioneer spirit urged them to move to a ranch near Clayton, N. Mex. There three sons, Georgie, Jay and Frank, were born to them, of whom only one, Frank, of Sun City, survives.

After Mr. Harrington's death in 1906, she moved to Barber county, and in 1915 she was united in marriage to George J. Cornish, who preceded her in death. She continued to make Sun City her home until October 20, 1951, when she departed this life, aged 83 years, 11 months and 20 days.

Allie Cornish faced and accepted hard and bitter burdens, and lived every day to the fullest as one of the fine pioneers who helped to make Kansas the great state it is today. A woman of great courage, she lived the hard frontier life, fought drought and grasshoppers, lived in a dugout, and never found a task too difficult if it would make life happier and better for others.

Mrs. Cornish was a devoted member of the Sun City Baptist Church; she was a member of the Ladies' Aid Society which helped in the building of the church and the parsonage. She took part in community activities until ill health forced her to lead a quieter life. She loved her God, she loved her church and she loved her family and her country. No grandmother could have been prouder than she was of her two grandsons now in the service of their country, and of her granddaughter, a music teacher in the schools of Wichita.

Surviving Mrs. Cornish are her son, Frank Harrington, Sun City; three grandchildren, Edwin of Wichita Falls, Tex., Maurice of Panama City, Fla., and LaVon of Wichita; and many other relatives and friends.

Mrs. Cornish, with her unceasing quest for things beautiful, was a daily inspiration, and will continue to live on in the hearts of her descendants and all those whose lives she touched.

[Additions in brackets by Ellen Knowles Bisson.]

---

Gravestone for George and Alzina Cornish
Lake City Cemetery, Barber County, Kansas.
Photo by Kim Fowles.

---

Note from Ellen (Knowles) Bisson: "Anice Cornish nee Harrington was sister-in-law to Alzina "Allie" Harrington nee Knowles. And then, after Anice's death in 1913, Allie married George Cornish in 1915. Ed Harrington had died in 1906.".

---

John Shaw Knowles, Alzina Cornish's father.

Susan (Smith) Knowles, Alzina Cornish's mother.

Frank Storrs Knowles, Alzina Cornish's brother.

George & Alzina (Knowles) Harrington Cornish

Ed Harrington, brother of Anice (Harrington) Cornish, 1st husband of Alzina (Knowles) Harrington Cornish.

---

Thanks to Ellen (Knowles) Bisson for finding, transcribing and contributing the above article to this web site!

This RootsWeb website is being created by Jerry Ferrin with the able assistance of many Contributors. Your comments, suggestions and contributions of historical information and photographs to this site are welcome. Please sign the Guest Book. This page was last updated 15 September 2005.