Cornelia O. Bloomfield

Cornelia O. Bloomfield

Cornelia Olivia (Bancroft) Bloomfield

Cornelia Bloomfield was born in South Carolina in 1854 but lived most of her life in Athens, GA. She married Robert Bloomfield who died shortly thereafter, She remained in Athens until she died at 75, raising 3 children during her lifetime.

Camily R. Williams

1854 - 1930

Cornelia Olivia Bancroft was born in Charleston, South Carolina in 1854 to parents Edward and Martha Bancroft (1870 United States Federal Census). Her father was a farmer, and her mother kept house. She attended Madame Sosnowski’s school in South Carolina (Athens Banner-Herald, 04 May 1930). Eventually, her parents moved to Athens, Georgia, where she grew up as the second-eldest of three brothers and five sisters. She graduated from the Lucy Cobb Institute (Athens Banner-Herald, 04 May 1930), which was founded in 1857 by Thomas R. R. Cobb in order to provide equal education to girls in Georgia (Daily Banner). On October 5, 1875, at the age of 21, she married Robert Kearney Bloomfield (Athens Banner-Herald). Robert Bloomfield was born to a wealthy family in 1854. He was a successful businessman who co-owned Bloomfield & Sanford (Daily Banner, 23 Feb. 1882). They had three children, daughters Martha (b. 1876) and Marion (b. 1879) and son Robert (b. 1880). In 1882, Robert K. Bloomfield died of typhoid fever after a lengthy bout of illness at only 28 years old (Banner-Herald, 04 May 1930). His company was sold, becoming Nicholson, Sanford & Co. (Daily Banner, 23 Feb. 1882). Cornelia continued to raise their young children in Athens. Her eldest daughter, Martha, received little formal education. She married John E. Talmadge, Jr. and eventually moved to Summit, Ohio (1940 United States Federal Census). Marion became a teacher and lived with her mother in a rented house. Robert worked as a sailor before becoming an electrical engineer (Banner-Herald, 04 May 1930). She visited Martha in Atlanta and Robert in Florida for long periods in the decades before her death and was active in Chapter C. D. of the Emmanuel Guild (Athens Banner, 05 Dec. 1915). On May 2, 1930, Cornelia died after a period of declining health at the age of 75 (Banner-Herald, 04 May 1930). She had three grandchildren by her son, named Robert, Olivia, and Lois, who lived in Jacksonville, Florida. She was buried in Oconee Hill Cemetery. She is laid next to her husband, with whom she shares a headstone. She has a footstone marked “Mother.” The headstone is in the form of a conjoined tree stump. According to a record of Oconee Hill Cemetery, the headstone has much symbolic significance. The stump signifies her husband’s life cut short, as does the broken axe handle. The ears of corn atop the stump symbolize a productive life. The clinging ivy represents the Trinity while a lily leaf represents the promise of resurrection.