LuVerna Edessa Mathews

Luverna Edessa Lee was born August 29, 1881, in Panaca, Lincoln County, Nevada, to John Nelson Lee and Malissa Keziah Rollins Lee. In the 1900 U.S. Federal Census for Panaca, Luverna Edessa Lee was listed there with her family as follows: John N. Lee, 58, Melissa K., 48, Edessa, 18, Roy, 16, Melvin, 14, Lester, 11, Porter, 8, and John and Malissa's married daughter, Ida Hollingshead, 24, her husband, John, 34, and their children, Athella, 5, Elmer, 4, and Minnie 2 years old. John Lee was working as a farmer, and his son Roy and son-in-law, John Hollingshead, were working as farm laborers.

Luverna Edessa Lee married Charles Phillip Mathews on September 15, 1903, in Washington County, Utah, at the age of 21 years old. The photo shown above was found on Family Search.org, and showed that it was taken in 1903, so it was probably on the occasion of their wedding. In the 1910 census, they were living in Panaca, and were listed as follows: Charles, 27, Laverna, 28, Ada, 5, and Ethel W., 2. Charles was working as a cattle raiser, and they were renting their home. Charles Mathews parents and siblings were living nearby, and were listed as: Henry, 49, Margaret E., 42, Bessie M., 19, Clarence A., 18, Earle L., 15, Henry R., 13, Alton J., 9, Mary M., 6. Charles' father, Henry was born in Utah, but both of his parents were born in England. Henry was also working as a farmer and a raiser of stock, and he owned his own farm.

In the 1920 census for Panaca, Nevada, they were listed as: Charles, 36, Edessa, 38, Ada, 15, Wanda E. (Ethel Wanda), 11, Raymond L., 9, Freda M., 4 years, 4 months, Lester C., an infant, and Malissa K. Lee, 68, Luverna Edessa's widowed mother. Charles was listed as a general farm laborer.

In the 1930 census for Panaca, Nevada, they were listed as: Charles, 43, Edessa, 44, Freda, 13, and Lester, 10. They owned their own home which was valued at $1,000. Charles and Luverna Edessa had been married for 23 years. Charles was still working as a farmer.

In the 1940 Panaca, Nevada, census, they were listed as: Charles, 57, Dessie, 58, Freda, 23, Lester C., 20, and Malissa K. Lee, 88. This census record showed that Charles and Luverna Edessa both had an 8th grade education, their daughter Freda had 2 years of college, Lester had 4 years of high school, and Luverna Edessa's mother, Melissa Keziah Lee and 5 y ears of schooling. Charles was working as a foreman for the CCC (Civilian Conservation Corps), Freda was a stenographer, and Lester was listed as a "new worker." The income they earned in 1939 was $1,680 for Charles, $138 for Freda, and $130 for Lester.

Luverna Edessa Lee Mathews passed away on October 11, 1958, at the age of 77, in Panaca, Nevada, the place she lived her entire life, and was buried in the Panaca Memorial Park Cemetery with her husband, Charles Phillip Mathews, who lived another 26 years and passed away April 29, 1984, at the age of 101 years old! Both the Lee and Mathews families were very early, prominent pioneers of Panaca, Nevada.