I have been working with some obits, census records and death certificates trying to understand some discrepancies in records concerning the marriages and family of Jesse L. Couch, son of Alexander Couch and Ella Covar. I have finally decided that he had to have been married twice... 1) Mary M. Smith 2) Ida May Jay Several census records give his wife as Mary and she is buried with him in the Philippi Baptist Church cem. along with a infant son Jesse. She is his wife in 1910 and 1920. I don't have access to 1930. CENSUS: 1910, Edgefield Co, SC Ward township, p. 243B, hh# 15/15 living next door to his parents, Alex and Ella Couch. Jess Couch, head, M W 26, m 6yr, Farmer, SC SC SC Mary Couch, wife, F W, 28, m 6 yr, 1child, 0 living, SC SC SC CENSUS: 1920 Edgefield Co, SC, Ward towhship, p. 223B, hh#185/190 [Living next door is Luther Lott b. 1878 and family.] Jess Couch, head 37 M W md. Farmer, SC SC SC Mary Couch, wife F W 32 md, SC SC SC Pearl Couch, dau, F W 8 SC SC SC Lela May Couch, dau, F W 6, SC SC SC (Malory?) Couch, ___, 2yr 7 mo, SC SC SC The following is from the Philippi Church Cem. records sent to me by HC Ouzts: Couch, Jesse L. [May] 1882 - 1947 Couch, Mary M. 1885 - 1931 Couch, Jesse 1907 - 1907 However, the 1947 death certificate of Jessie L. Couch gives his wife as Ida May Jay. 1947 - Death Cert. #16592 & 16599, Aiken Co, SC Jessie L Couch Male, white, textile worker, md. Ida May Jay lived in community all his life. b. May 17, 1882, Aiken Co, SC father: Alexander Couch, SC mother: Ella Covar, Edgefield Co, SC d. Dec. 19, 1947, Aiken Co. Hospital, Aiken, Aiken Co, SC cause: cerebral accident; hemorrhage informant: Ida Mae Couch, Aiken, SC buried: Philippi Church, Edgefield Co, SC UT: D. M. George, Aiken, SC Obits of the following name lots of folks, and confusion about daughters comes from the fact that they are named by their married name and some by maiden names. So in my later list of children, I have probably named some of the daughters twice, once as a Couch and again as an unnamed daugher and her husband. Source: Augusta Chronicle archives, Augusta, GA, 22Aug1931p3Ac6 Funeral Services to Be Held This Morning Special to The Chronicle Aiken, S. C., Aug. 21 __ Mrs. Mary M. Couch, age 46 years, died at her residence in the Phillipi section of the county early Friday morning. The funeral services will be conducted at Phillipi Baptist church, tomorrow morning at 11 o'clock, Rev. H. M. Hodgens officiating. Interment will be in the church cemetery. Surviving besides her husband, J. L. Couch, are her mother, Mrs. Lillie Smith, of Graniteville; three daughters, Mrs. Ed White, Jones Cros (sic) Road, Mrs. Clarence Storey, of Saluda, Miss Mary Lou Couch, of the Phillipi Section, one adopted son, Thomas Hutson Arthur, of Phillipi, two sisters; Mrs. C. P. Randall, Augusta, and Mrs. Cliff Avant, Clearwater; one brother, Jake Smith, Ridge Spring. Source: Augusta Chronicle archives, Augusta, GA, 20Dec1947p3Ac4 Jessie L. Couch, 65, Passes at Residence AIKEN, S.C., Dec. 19, Jessie L. Couch, 65, of Aiken, died at the Aiken County hospital this morning after an extended illness. Funeral services will be held at 12 noon Sunday at the Phillipi Baptist church with the Rev. A. M. Forrester officiating. Interment will be in the churchyard cemetery. Survivors are his wife, Mrs. Ida Mae Jay Couch; four daughters, Mrs. Pearl Fox of Eureka, S. C., Mrs. Clarence Story of Johnston, S. C., Mrs. Dock Busbee of Edgefield, S. C., and Miss Eloise Couch of Aiken; four brothers, John Couch and Walter Couch, both of Aiken, and Alex and R. L. Couch, both of Langley, and 12 grandchildren. Source: Augusta Chronicle archives, Augusta, GA, 20Dec1947p3Ac4 So, I have come up with this family, with probable duplicates: Descendants of Jesse L. Couch 1 Jesse L. COUCH b: May 17, 1882 in Aiken Co, SC d: December 19, 1947 in Aiken Co, SC Burial: Philippi Baptist Church, Johnston, Edgefield Co, SC . +Mary M. SMITH b: Abt. 1885 m: Abt. 1904 d: August 21, 1931 in Philippi Section, Edgefield Co, SC Father: Smith Mother: Lillie Unknown Burial: Philippi Baptist Church, Johnston, Edgefield Co, SC ..... 2 Jesse COUCH b: 1907 d: 1907 Burial: Philippi Baptist Church Cem, Johnston, Edgefield, SC ..... 2 Pearl COUCH b: Abt. 1912 ......... +FOX ..... 2 Lela May COUCH b: Abt. 1914 ..... 2 [Mallory] COUCH b: Bet. 1917 - 1918 ..... 2 Daughter COUCH ......... +Ed WHITE ..... 2 Daughter COUCH ......... +Clarence STOREY ..... 2 Mary Lou COUCH ..... 2 Thomas Hutson ARTHUR [adopted son, family?] ..... 2 Daughter COUCH ......... +Dock BUSBEE ..... 2 Eloise COUCH *2nd Wife of Jesse L. COUCH: . +Ida May JAY m: Aft. 1931 death of Mary M. Smith Couch. This marriage records should be in the Co. where they were married??? I have not looked for her death cert. and of course, census records are not available yet after 1930. I don't find their cem. records in any of the ones I have here at home. If anyone can help with any of these folks, I would appreciate it. Please include sources. Don't know why I have spent so much time today on these folks and records, as I don't have Couch connections, but don't like it when I find something (obits) and they won't fit!!! Billie Jones Camden, SC tjones@camden.net