Life History

Notes

• In the 1880 census the first child of William Terry and Ursula Self was named Mason, reported as age 2 (born about 1878).
  
  1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 5 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 88, page 6A (scan 260A), Hse #45, Fam #54
  Terry, William W M 25  Farmer Cannot read or write AR KY KY
  Terry, Jane W F 25 Wife Keeping House Cannot read or write AR AR AR
  Terry, Mason W M 2 Son AR AR AR
  Self, Betty W F 20 (Cannot read relationship) Cannot read or write AR AR AR
  
  In the 1900 and 1910 census, the child matching Mason is listed as James M.  His age matches, at age 22 in 1900, and birth date reported as December 1877.  In 1910, James M Terry is living next door to his parents, and was reported as age 33, a close match for the previous two censuses.  A child of William named Mason is also reported by another family member.
  
  "Sam Terry is my uncle.  He is the son of Mason Terry [and the] grandson of William Terry, and the great-grandson of Isom Terry.  The Gus Terry who wrote the letter is also the son of William Terry."
  --  Barbara Nelson, email to Orville Boyd Jenkins, 4 February 2016
  
  In a Find a Grave memorial, an individual is linked as William's son, listed with the name James Miles.  This James Miles Terry has a birth date of October 8, 1880, according to this memorial.  The name on the grave marker itself, however, is only Miles Terry.  So the creator of the memorial may have conflated James (Mason) and Miles Terry. And that is, in fact, what we discover has happened!
  
  There is additional light to resolve this problem!  The child reported in 1900 as Marion M was reported born in Oct 1880, the very date found on the grave marker for Miles Terry.  We may safely conclude, then, that this child's full name is Marion Miles Terry.  A correction to the FAG memorial name will resolve the conflict.  Then we simply need to focus on a serach for the grave burial of James Mason Terry, with a birth date in December 1877.
  
  Barbara Nelson, a niece of Sam Terry, reports above that Sam's father was Mason, whose father was William Terry.  This, together with the matching of Mason in 1880 with later reports of James M, leads us to conclude that this child in the censuses was named James Mason Terry.  At the very least, since Mason was reported as already 2 years old in the June 1880 census, we can be sure the birth date on the grave is wrong for James or Mason Terry.
  
  1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 15 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 42, page 6A,  Hse #80, Fam #82
  Terry, William Head  W M Mar 1856 44 Married 23 year KY KY KY Farmer Owns
  Terry, Ursula J Wife W F Dec 1854 45 Married 23 year 8 children/6 living AR TN MO
  Terry, James M Son W M Dec 1877 22 Single AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  Terry, Marion M Son W M Oct 1880 19 Single AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  Terry, Levanda Dau W M May 1884 14 Single AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  Terry, Riah [Rier, name on his grave] Son W M Oct 1886 13 Single AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  Terry, Gus Son W M May 1889 11 Single AR KY AR Farm Laborer
  Terry, Captain Son W M May 1895 5 Single AR KY AR
  
  Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
  Mason Terry
  Age 23, Birth Year abt 1878
  Residence Fort Douglas, Johnson, Arkansas
  Spouse Olie Meadows
  Spouse Gender Female
  Spouse Age 18
  Spouse Residence Treat, Johnson, Arkansas
  Marriage 8 Dec 1901 Johnson County
  Marriage License Date Dec 1901
  
  In 1910 James M Terry is living next door to his parents.
  
  1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 3 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 7A, Ft Douglas and Local Rd, Hse #108, Fam #111
  Terry, James M Head M W 33 Marriage 1 Married 8 yrs [abt 1902] AR AR AR Farmer Rents [b abt 1877]
  Terry, Alie Wife F W 24 Marriage 1 Married 8 yrs [abt 1902] 5 children/4 living AR AR TX [b abt 1886]
  Terry, Samuel Son M W 6 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1904]
  Terry, Jefferson Son M W 4 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1906]
  Terry, Dorothy Dau F W 3 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1907]
  Terry, Annie Dau F W 7mos Single AR AR AR [b abt Sept 1909]
  
  1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas, 3 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 7A, Ft Douglas and Local Rd, Hse #107, Fam #110
  Terry, William Head M W 55 Marriage 1 Married 44 yrs [abt 1866] AR KY KY Farmer Owns [b abt 1845]
  Terry, Ursula J Wife F W 63 Marriage 1 Married 44 yrs [abt 1866] 8 children/6 living AR TN MO [b abt 1848]
  Terry, Urias [Rier, name on his grave] Son M W 21 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1889]
  Terry, Gus Son M W 17 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1893]
  Terry, Captain Son M W 14 Single AR AR AR [b abt 1896]
  
  Thanks to Jami Sue Yeager, a coresearcher of the Terry lineage, for locating the death index record for James Mason Terry.
  
  Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
  Mason Terry
  Death 27 Dec 1937 Washington County
  
  -----------------------
  Mason Terry
  Birth Dec 15, 1877
  Death Dec 27, 1937 Prairie Grove, Washington County, Arkansas
  
  OBIT:
  Mason Terry, age 60, well known and prosperous farmer of east of town, died Monday morning in a Prairie Grove hospital following a major operation.
  Mr. Terry had been in failing health for the past year and had been in the hospital for over a month.
  He is survived by his wife, four sons and two daughters.
  The funeral services were held here at the Baptist Church Wednesday afternoon and burial made in Westville Cemetery. Services were under direction of the Luginbuel Funeral Home.
  
  Burial Westville Cemetery, Westville, Adair County, Oklahoma
  
  Created by Glenita Randolph Guthrie May 15, 2009
  --  Find A Grave Memorial #37122281, http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=37122281&ref=acom
  -----------------------
  

Sources

• 1. 1880 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 5 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 88, page 6A (scan 260A), Hse #45, Fam #54
• 2. 1900 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 15 June, Pilot Rock Township, District 42, page 6A,  Hse #80, Fam #82
• 3. Arkansas, County Marriages Index, 1837-1957
• 4. 1910 Federal Census, Johnson County, Arkansas
  • 3 May, Pilot Point Township, District 63, page 7A, Ft Douglas and Local Rd, Hse #108, Fam #111
• 5. Find a Grave Memorial Registry
• 6. Arkansas Death Index, 1914-1950
• 7. Email Sources