Sarah Ann Rainwater Dawes

Sarah Ann Rainwater Dawes, Christmas 1884
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Sarah Ann Rainwater was born on January 10, 1862, to Miles and Frances (Chaney) Rainwater. Her father was a farmer and substantial land owner in Pulaski County, Kentucky. She was one of eleven children born to this couple. On the death of her father in 1884, she inherited a tract of land identified in the will as "the Irvine place".

On August 5, 1890, she was joined in marriage to Benjamin Franklin Dawes, the son of Joel and Mary (Owen) Dawes. The officiating minister was her brother, Rev. Fountain Rainwater.

Sarah and Ben are found in the Pulaski County, Kentucky censuses of 1900 through 1930. In three of those records, their surname was spelled Dause, which may indicate how they pronounced the name. Ben’s occupation was listed as farmer, and when asked in 1930, indicated that the family did not own a radio set. This, says Rick Jasper, is surprising, because Ben Dawes liked to have "any and everything that was new".

The couple had one daughter, Mary Etter, who married John Ed Jasper around 1918. They are living with the Daws family in 1920, and are living next door in 1930, with their four children.

Ben Dawes died on June 9, 1939, and was followed in death by Sarah, who died December 8, 1942. She was 87-years-old.. The couple is buried in New Hope Cemetery.

Credits
This photograph was donated by Rick Jasper. It is in the format of a Christmas card, and includes the date 1884 in the lower left corner. Sarah would have been age 22. The photograph is believed to have been take by her brother, Terrell Rainwater, who was a professional photographer.

© 2018 Susan Chance-Rainwater
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