Life History

Notes

• Several genealogies of the Terry lineage have George W and Mary C (or M C) Williamson, but mostly lack other details.  Terry Pendley reports the first name as Mary, and also has a date of their marriage:  01 Nov 1865 in Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia.  This fits known information about the family of William Barney Terry and their residences.  Ancestry Personal Tree, Terry Pendley, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?tid=861748&pid=-162463323  Until February 2008, I could find no documentary evidence of George and Mary C's marriage or family.  On 11 February I found the 1930 census with Mary as a widow in her son's home in Ripley County, Missouri.  She was age 82, and her son Jacob was 54, married to a Mary A Terry, age 29.  There was one son of the young couple, Jacob P, age 10.  This lets us know some missing facts, even without the intervening details from earlier censuses.  1930 Federal Census, Ripley County, Missouri, 9 April, Union Township, District 14, page 3A, Warm Springs Arkansas Rd, Hse/Fam #43 Terry, John W Head M W 54 Married at age 22  MO MO MO Farmer Terry, Mary A  Wife F W 29 [Age at marriage not reported] OK KS KS Terry, Jacob P  Son M W 10 Married at age 22  MO MO OK Terry, Mary C  Mother F W 82 Widow  MO Germany France  [b abt 1848]  First of all, we learn that Mary is a widow, so George died before 1830.  We learn also that Mary's parents both were born in Europe, her father in Germany and her mother in France.  Mary's age tells us she was born about 1848, and her birthplace is reported as Missouri.  Her son John was born in Missouri, which would seem to indicate that George W and Mary C met and married in Missouri.  One genealogy, however, gives us one of the few details anybody reports.  Terry Pendley says they were married on 01 Nov 1865 in Chatsworth, Murray County, Georgia.  This is a location where members of the Terry family lived.  Pendley, however, does not give his source.  Further documentation is needed to clarify the meeting and marriage of George W and Mary C and how they arrived in Missouri.  Since Mary was born in Missouri and we later find her family there, and the one son we know of was born there, this is strong circumstantial evidence that Mary and George married in Missouri.  This census entry tells us that George W died before 1930.  We also find that this is the second marriage for the son John W Terry.  The census tells us he was first married at age 22, so this has to be his second wife.  They were married about 21 years ago, when she would have been about 18.  Her age at first marriage is for some reason left blank in this census.

Sources

• 1. 1930 Federal census, Ripley County, Missouri
  • 9 April, Union Township, District 14, page 3A, Hse/Fam #43
• 2. Ancestry Trees
  • Terry Pendley, http://trees.ancestry.com/pt/person.aspx?tid=861748&pid=-162463323
• 3. Terry Family
• 4. 1920 Federal census, Ripley County, Missouri
  • 7 January, Union Township, District 184, page 3A, Hse/Fam #43