Seventy-Seven Years Old
Nashville Globe - January 18, 1907
Pg. 8
Mrs. Nelson T. Merry, of 316 Eighth avenue, North, was 77 years old last Saturday, Jan. 12. She is in good health, able to attend church regularly and has been a member of the church 65 years. Two of her daughters, Mrs. Emma Dunlap, and Mrs. Adella Mitchell, are with her. Mrs. Dunlap who has lived in Memphis for the past eighteen years, where she recently lost her husband, Mr. Frank Dunlap, is to remain with her mother and assist her sister in caring for her.
My Note: I did a lookup to see if I could locate Mrs. Merry in the census and I found her. Apparently, her name is Mary Merry and her husband died prior to 1900.
In the 1880 census, they are listed together - he is 54 and lists his occupation as a Minister of the Gospel, and she is 51. They have a daughter, Adella who is 20, and a son James who is 13. Mr. Merry was born in Kentucky, and Mary was born in Tennessee.
In the 1910 census, only Mary is listed now, as mother-in-law to her daughter’s husband, Edward Mitchell (Adella is his wife). Mary is about 81 now, which fits right according to the announcement of her birthday celebration in this 1907 article. The family also has an Emma Dunlap living with them, who’s relationship is listed as Edward’s sister-in-law. Emma is about 59 here, so she is a few years older than Adella - it is likely she is her sister.
