Cora Van Gundy McAndrews

Cora Van Gundy McAndrews was born in 1867 in Golden, Colorado. She came to Ashley Valley with her father, George W. Van Gundy in 1878. There were few white settlers in the valley at that time. They all went through many hardships of the first pioneers.

During the Winter of 1878, the dreaded diptheria epidemic struck the valley. Every family lost one or more members; one family lost six. There was neither doctor or medicine of any kind. Cora, one of the first victims, recovered somehow. She was then able to go about caring for the small children and aiding the mothers in their arduous duties. George Van Gundy was a cabinet maker by trade. One of his first tasks was to make the needed caskets. When lumber was available in wagonbeds was used up, he resorted to using handsawed lumber from logs. The women ripped their clothing for material to line the caskets. Cora, always deft with the needle, was busy sewing and making these linings. 1

The next spring, known as the hard spring found the valley snowed in. The settlers were always hungry and some days they had nothing to eat. They all divided their food and ground their seed wheat in the coffee mill, to keep alive. To add to their hunger, was the fear of Indians. The warriors went to and from Colorado, as this was the time of the Meeker Masssacre.

John Blankenship who hired Cora Van Gundy to help care for his family while he was employed by the Ouray Indian Agency. While she was there, both Oran Curry and John McAndrews courted her. One day McAndrews took her fishing and caught a fish so large, Cora had to sit on it in the boat. 2

Cora married John McAndrews in 1897. He was born in Madison, Indiana in 1855. He came to Ouray, Utah, in 1883. He was with the Department of the Interior in the capacity of Cheif Herder of Indian cattle. He remained in the Indian service twent years. Both of their lives were full of adventure and hardships. John McAndrews died in 1927.

1. Builders of Uintah, comp Daughters of the Utah Pioneers

2. Settlements of Uintah County' by Doris K. Burton