Lovina Surprise Vandercar Cohoe (1842-1927)
(Mrs. Vandercar; Mrs. Charles Cohoe)
The following unidentified newspaper article was one of several in a collection of Lowell Town Historian Richard Schmal:
TWINS 82 YEARS OLD
The metropolitan papers have been carrying the pictures of two ladies 80 years of age and giving them the title of being the oldest living twins in the United States. This honor does not belong to them, as Lowell can boast of having a pair of twins who are older. We have reference to Mrs. Melvina* Wheeler, living north of Lowell, and Mrs. Lovina, of Buffalo, Kansas. These estimable ladies were 82 years of age December 1, 1924. Both are enjoying the best of health and bid fair to live many years. The ladies are the daughters of the late Mr. and Mrs. Peter Surprise, and their brother Oliver Surprise told us of their ages. They were raised in the vicinity of Lowell.
* NOTE -- The article below has the twins' names as Lovina and Melvina (instead of Alvina).
The following information comes from the Surprise family CD-Rom created by Janet Umlauf:
Lovina SURPRISE was born on 1 Dec 1842 in Pleasant Grove, IN. She died on 6 Jun 1927 in Buffalo, Wilson, KS (Osage Territory). She was buried in Buffalo Kansas Cemetery. Lovina and Alvina were twins.
This was written by Bill Powell of Olathe, KS:
There is one thing that is kind of unique. Lovina Surprise Vandercar, sister to Harvey, married John* Cohoe, father of Amanda Catherine Cohoe Surprise. Amanda was my great-grandmother, wife of James Henry Surprise. So Lovina was a distant aunt and a two-times great grandmother to me, at the same time. . . . Lovina is buried next to Harvey, in the Buffalo, Kansas, cemetery. . . . Harvey's farm was located just west of the cemetery. Quite a lot of history around Buffalo. I think at one time, his sister Elizabeth was in the area also.
* NOTE -- In the March 30, 1983, "Pioneer History" column, Richard Schmal lists the husband ot Lovina (twin of Alvina) as "Charles Cohoe" rather than "John." He was using the name as it appeared on some Surprise family sheets given to him by Beatrice Horner-Castrogiovanni.
The following July 7, 1927, Lowell Tribune article appeared on page 1, column 4:
PASSING OF AN ELDERLY LADY
MRS. LOVINA COHOE, WHO FORMERLY LIVED HERE, DIES IN KANSAS HOME.
Word has been received here of the death of Mrs. Lovina Cohoe at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Rose Mitchell, at Yates Center, Kansas, June 6, 1927. Funeral services were held at the Christian church at Buffalo, Kansas, June 8th, and interment was made in the Buffalo cemetery.
The deceased was a sister of Oliver Surprise and will be remembered by a great many of our older people, having lived here for a great many years before moving to Kansas.
By her death Oliver Surprise is left the only surviving member of the large family of Mr. and Mrs. Peter Surprise, early settlers and pioneers of this section. Mr. Surprise enjoys good health for one of his years and bids fair to be with us for many years.