Mary (Evans) Roberts
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Mary (Evans) Roberts (1847 - 1930)

Mary Roberts formerly Evans
Born in Llandegai, Caernarfonshire, Wales, United Kingdommap
Ancestors ancestors
Sister of and
Wife of — married about 1874 in Mercer County (Mercer), New Jerseymap
Descendants descendants
Died at age 83 in Elko, Elko County, Nevada, United Statesmap
Problems/Questions Profile manager: David Elliott private message [send private message]
Profile last modified | Created 1 May 2016
This page has been accessed 237 times.

Biography

Mary was born before 1847. Mary Evans ... She passed away in 1930.[1]

"Mary Evans

Wiggins-Pease Family Tree

Birth: dd mm 1847 - Caernarvonshire, Wales

Marriage: date - Mercer County (Mercer), New Jersey, USA

Death: date - city, Elko, Nevada, USA."

Ancestry.com link

Sources

1861 Residence Wales

Death Certificate

Findagrave


  1. A source for this information is needed.




Memories: 2
Enter a personal reminiscence or story.
Notes by Paul Trip Wiggins:

According to her death certificate, Mary Evans was born to Evan Evans (actually Morris Evans) and Mary Pritchard on June 10, 1847 in North Wales. Her daughter, Margaret, recorded that she was born in Bethesda which is in Llandegai parish, Canarvonshire (Gwynedd), N. Wales. (Evan Evans was Mary's brother.)

She emmigrated from Wales circa 1871 (not in the Welsh census that year). Possibly married in Princeton, NJ. According to her obituary, Woodrow Wilson was a guest at the wedding. [I have searched NJ archives and can find no record of the wedding. Woodrow Wilson WAS a student at Princeton from 1873-79 but not known to really anyone outside of his family and friends.] Following their marriage the family settled in Lehigh Co, PA where Margaret and Will were born. Dave was a slate miner in PA. They then moved in 1879 to Ruby Hill, Eureka Co, Nevada where her husband was a miner. Here he was looking for precious metals - silver, etc.

Following his death in 1889 she remained in Eureka Co, in 1898 to John H. Berry. They later moved to Ely where he was employed at various jobs. For her last four years she was living at her daughter's home (Margaret) at 1028 Idaho St in Elko. She was mostly bedridden, blind, and in continuous poor health. By that time she could neither read or write in English, but she was a native Welsh speaker.

According to her great-grand daughter (Donna Pease), Mary was a lady. She was well educated and loved jewelry. She was said to be always kind and considerate. She remembers sitting in her lap and having Mary combing her hair while singing in Welsh. John came to visit her in May of 1930, contracted the flu and died on 29 June, 1930. She followed him just 6 days later on 5 July, 1930 of a cerebral hemorage in Margaret's home. She was buried in Elko under the auspices of the Eastern Star at the Knight's of Pythias cemetery.

Donna told of her cocoa set that she brought from Britain when she emigrated. The pot with 4 cups and saucers is paper-thin bone china from Germany. It is light green with lovely flowers and leaves painted on. It was handed down from Mary to her daughter Margaret to her daughter Rachel to her daughter Donna and then to son Trip (Paul).

We also have a Carte de Viste (ca. 1860) from Bangor, Wales of a man and a woman with the caption "Morris Evans and Jane Evans. Coed y Parc North Wales. Bangor Bethesda." [This is her father and step-mother.]

Her obit:

In the Independent:

MRS. J.H. BERRY IS DEAD AFTER A LONG SIEGE

Pioneer Resident of Eureka, White Pine And Elko Counties

Mrs. J.H. Berry, widow of J.H. Berry, who died at the general hospital last Sunday, and mother of Mrs. Emerson Elliott of this city, died this morning at the home of her daughter on Idaho street, after an illness of several months during which time she has been bedridden.

Mrs. Berry was born in North Wales in 1847 and came to this country when a young girl and was a true Nevada pioneer, having spent fifty-one years in this state.

She was married in Princeton, New Jersey, to David H. Roberts, and one of the guests at her wedding was the late President Woodrow Wilson, who was at the time a student at Princeton.

She also had the honor of serving luncheon to President Grant when he visited Princeton as the guest of Dr. Roberts, president of the school, by whom Mrs. Berry was employed.

Following their marriage, Mr. and Mrs. Roberts settled for a time in Pennsylvania where he was employed in the slate quarries. They later moved to Eureka, Nevada, where Mr. Roberts died. Mrs. Roberts was married to Mr. J.H. Berry in Eureka thirty-two years ago and they continued to make their home in Eureka for a time, later moving to Ely where Mr. Berry held several responsible positions.

For the past four years Mrs. Berry has made her home with her daughter in this city and has been in poor health most of the time. She was always kind and patient in spite of the fact that she was afflicted with blindness in addition to other ailments.

Besides her daughter she is survived by a son, Morris Roberts of Kimberly. The funeral will be held Monday afternoon and she as was a member of the Eastern Star it is presumed that the funeral will be in charge of the order. She will be laid to rest beside her husband in the Knights of Pythias cemetery.


[Note: A Dr. Roberts was NEVER a president at Princeton. Our Dave Roberts was not on faculty at Princeton nor was he a Dr.]


and in the Free Press:

MRS J.H. BERRY CLAIMED BY DEATH

Death claimed Mrs. J.H. Berry six days following the death of her husband, as she passed away in Elko Saturday morning. She died at the home of her daughter, Mrs. Emerson Elliott and was buried this afternoon under the auspices of the members of the Eastern Star. She was laid to rest beside the remains of her husband, who was buried in the Knights of Pythias cemetery.

She spent 51 years in the state of Nevada coming here from North Wales where she was born in 1847. She was married to David H. Roberts at Princeton, N.J. and the late President Woodrow Wilson was one of the guests at the wedding.

She lived in Pennsylvania for some time and then moved to Eureka, Nev., where Mr. Roberts died. She was then married to J.H. Berry. This was 32 years ago. They later moved to Ely, where he was employed at various jobs and for the past four years she has lived with her daughter.

Mr. Berry came from Ely recently in order to be with his wife, who had been in poor health, and after remaining here for a short time, became ill and expired. Despite her many ailments, Mrs. Berry was always kind and considerate.


On the back of her obituary is penned, by her daughter Margaret:

Mary Berry E.

Born North Wales June 10, 1847. Am writing this down Ely Aug 19, 1930. Mother Dear passed away from this world July 5, at 9 AM, Saturday. Poor darling dear. How I have missed you no one knows the grief it is to bear, dear, dear Mother.


NOTE: Doing a Parish search in 2008 on GenUKi, I typed in both Bethesda and Coed-y-parc and the nearest parish in both instances is Llanllecid, just 1 mi. north of Bethesda and south of Bangor. It is located on Llwyn Bleddyn Rd. A street map shows a cemetery there also. Located 1 mi west of Bethesda is Landegai parish on FF Hermon H. Rd. It could be either one as Bethesda and Coed-y-parc is right between both parishes.


Also, from a posting 2011 response on the Caernarvon digest, a local researcher could find NO marriage between a Evan Evans and Mary Pritchard, but DID find one for Morris Evans and Margaret Pritchard in Q3 of 1846 in Angelsey (she being from there). The same researcher noted a family:

I checked the 1851 census Llandegai, and there is a 3 year old Mary EVANS with brother Evan EVANS born Llandegai, sister Ellen 2 months old, parents Morris (quarryman, age 29) & Margaret (age 30) EVANS. ref HO107/2518/327/10

Welsh Census Records:

In 1851 Morris is married to Margaret and they have 3 kids, Mary is 3 (Dad, Mary, Evan and Ellen are all born in Llandygai)

In 1861 Morris is a widower, Mary is 13 (b Llandygai)

In 1871 Morris has remarried a Jane, Evan age 22 is still with him and Ellen but Mary has left home

US Census Records

In 1880 Mary is living with husband Dave Roberts in Ruby Hill, NV

I haven't found Mary or Dave in 1900

In 1910 Mary is in Ely, NV

I haven't found Mary in 1920

In 1930 Mary was living with daughter, Margaret, in Elko


Sources:

Rachel Elliott Pease interview in 1970s (by Paul "Trip" Wiggins)

Donna Pease Wiggins Engmann interview 1980s/2000 (by Paul "Trip" Wiggins)

Nevada Roberts interview 1980s (by Paul "Trip" Wiggins)

Death Certificate, NV, Elko Co., # 30-000660

(b. Jun 10, 1847, N. Wales, d. July 5, 1930, Elko, Elko Co., NV. Age at time of death - 83 yrs 0 mo 23 days. Pnts - Evan Evans, b. N. Wales, Margaret Pritchard, b. N. Wales. Widowed at time. Occupation listed as Housekeeper. Burial in Knights Cem., Elko.)

Obit - Elko (NV) Daily Free Press, Monday, July 7, 1930; Independent Sat July 5

Mary (Evans) Roberts Berry Baptismal certificate from St. Bartholomews Church, Ely, NV, dated March 25, 1917 ( (property of Paul "Trip" Wiggins)

Welsh Census

1851 Caernarfon, Llandagai, Glangors (?) Rd. (Ancestry.com)

1851 Caernarfon, Llandegai, Coed y Parc (Ancestry.com)

1861 Caernarfon, Llandegai, Coed y Parc (Ancestry.com)

US Census:

1880, NV, Eureka Co., S. Ruby Hill, sheet 21 (Ancestry.com)

1910, NV, White Pine Co., Ely, House No. 698 (Ancestry.com) (I have looked for Mary in 1900 census to no avail. Her 2nd husband, John Berry, is listed as married but living as a border in Ely. Margaret does not have mom living with her; neither does William. I also cannot find Morris. Perhaps they were still living together somewhere as he would only be about 18 and would not marry Olive for a few years. Did a page by page search for White Pine Co - NO Mary or Morris, her other son.) 1910 says she had 2 children; 2 living. ACTUALLY she had 3 living in 1910!

1930 NV, Elko Co., Elko, ED 4-45, pg 1A (Ancestry.com)

posted 29 Aug 2017 by David Elliott   [thank David]
Per Trip Wiggings, Mary's great granddaughter, Donna Pease, remembers Mary speaking and singing in Welsh.
posted 29 Aug 2017 by David Elliott   [thank David]
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DNA Connections
It may be possible to confirm family relationships with Mary by comparing test results with other carriers of her mitochondrial DNA. However, there are no known mtDNA test-takers in her direct maternal line. It is likely that these autosomal DNA test-takers will share some percentage of DNA with Mary:

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