Finding My Terry and Nesmith Families

My mother's maiden name was Donna Patricia Terry, or Patty Terry to family and friends. Her parents were Jesse Wall Terry and Ruth Adell Nesmith.

In my childhood I spent time with Grandma and Grandpa Terry while they lived in Seattle. Later, when my grandfather passed on, my grandmother moved to Ephrata and I was able to continue being involved in her life.

As a child and young adult I didn't think much about asking my grandparents to share about the lives they had lived. It wasn't until 2011 that I came to realize that I didn't have much to share with my children and grandchildren about their Terry and Nesmith ancestors. What I did know was that my grandmother and grandfather came from Wauneta, Nebraska. And what I did have was a large box of unlabeled photos of people and places in Massachusetts, Nebraska, Colorado and Washington. I began to put together the story of their lives.

In doing so I realized that I wanted to travel to these places to better understand the lives they had lived.

I started with the website findagrave.com and over time and researching found four cemeteries where Terrys, Nesmiths, Brides, Maddux's and other family members were buried. Originally I told Bruce that my goal was not to stand in the middle of a cemetery and mourn the dead. As time went by, though, I came to understand that being in the cemetery and the environ I could also find where ancestors had walked through the years.

Bruce, my best friend and husband, supported me in the search for the Terry and Nesmith families. He agreed that we should travel to the mid-west and find out where my family lived.

We set out in September 2012, for a trip that would take us across the country to Indiana (Bruce's home state) and then turn about and follow another route home. On this second half of the trip my goals were to find family, find where they lived, experience the areas that had been their homes and maybe answer some of my questions.

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The first two cemeteries we were looking for were not more than 5 miles apart, as the crow flies. They were Old Scotland Cemetery ~ east of Hwy 13, southeast of Coffey, MO and northeast of Jameson, MO, and McClary Cemetery ~ east of Coffey, MO, both in Daviess County.

McClary Cemetery and Old Scotland Cemetery, in Daviess County, Missouri

The first cemetery we looked for was the Old Scotland Cemetery, near Coffey and Jameson, Missouri. Research found it located at coordinates  N 40° 03.570 W 93° 54.731

We set the coordinates in our GPS and began driving cross-country.  Soon we found the Scotland  Church of Christ sign and the name of the original old town property of Madelaine, MO 1850-1913.

Eventually we came to a plank bridge and stopped to consider whether to cross here. Bruce got out and replaced a plank, then drove carefully across.

The plank by my foot was loose

After the plank was set, Bruce drove across

Soon we arrived at the Old Scotland Church of Christ and Cemetery. The Church is still in use and later we were able to go indoors.

 

Old Scotland Church of Christ and Cemetery

Specifically we were looking for the Terry family. Here I found great-great-grandparents David Nelson Terry (born Oct. 21, 1825 in Franklin Twp, Ripley Co, IN and died June 26, 1908 in Daviess Co) and his wife Ruth Blackburn Scott Terry (born May 16, 1831 in Mclean, ILL and died Dec. 1, 1920 in Jameson, MO). They were married Sept 26, 1859. David lived to the age of 83 and Ruth lived to the age of 89 years old. These two ancestors were the parents of Sarah Elizabeth, Rachel P., great-grandfather Lewis Sherman Terry, Mary Emaline, Nancy Isabell and Thomas Benton.

Headstone of David Nelson and Ruth Blackburn Scott Terry

Great-great grandfather, David Nelson Terry was the fourth of five sons of Ansel Admoral Terry and Elizabeth Foster Terry.

David's wife, great-great grandmother, Ruth Blackburn Scott Terry was the daughter of Alexander Scott and Rebecca Blackburn, (who were parents of 11 children). We found many headstones for the Scotts and Blackburns in this cemetery.

While we walked on hallowed ground, we also felt that we were walking where my ancestors had been and where they had shared life and death.










David Nelson Terry's first wife Rachel Brown's headstone was nearby. Rachel was born Feb. 14, 1828 in Henry Co, IN and died Feb. 14, 1859. Rachel was 31 years old.

Terry baby brother, Mark Twain

Grandfather Jesse Wall Terry's family was quite large. I thought it would be interesting to write out the members from the date of the birth of the youngest, Claude:

Father Lewis Sherman Terry, age 43,
Mother Hattie Terry, age 45,
Ora Nelson, age 25,
Edna Marion, age 23,
Minnie Ethel, age 20,
Paul Harlan, age 18,
Mark Twain, died in infancy (see headstone)
Alice Pearl, age 13,
Harvey Edgar, age 11,
Jesse Wall, age 8, my grandfather
Walter Scott, died at age 1,
Norman Glen, age 3 and
Claude Burton, newborn.

Another view of the Old Scotland Church and Cemetery

Our next goal that day was to locate the McClary Cemetery where we would find more Terry family members. This cemetery was about 5 miles from the Old Scotland Cemetery, as the crow flies. But as we know, a crow flies straight and cars travel on roads. The coordinates for the cemetery are:  
N 40° 06.897 W 93° 57.851
 

Driving cross-country to McClary Cemetery.

This cemetery was very interesting in that the land had belonged to great-great-great grandfather, Ansel Admoral Terry. He donated the land to the McClary family (who leased the land) when children in their family had died from illness. Ansel himself did not wish to be buried in the cemetery as he felt that no one would come to visit his headstone. Well, he was buried there, and we DID come to see his headstone and share the view.

McClary Cemetery

One of the remarkable things that Bruce and I learned on this trip was how giving and sharing are the people you meet on the way. I knew that the McClary cemetery was on private property and that the map showed a long drive from the main road. We decided to take our chances. We drove into the rancher's driveway, not knowing what would happen. He came from his house and when he learned why we were there he said, "You're the first family to come this year to visit the cemetery. Go ahead, drive on down there to that gate yonder, open it and go inside." A few minutes later he arrived at the gate with a map of the cemetery plots. The grasses shown here are original plains grasses, so he has left them to grow. His cattle cannot get into the cemetery and eat the grasses.

Great-great-great grandfather Ansel Admoral Terry

Great-great-great grandmother Elizabeth Foster Terry

Here I spoke of my thoughts to Ansel and wished him peace

McClary Cemetery - beautiful!

Questions left to solve about who we found at the McClary Cemetery.
We found the following family buried together:
Mary C. Hammons Terry, wife of Dr. Robert J. Terry died Feb 16, 1864 at the age of 31 years.
Their baby son Charles W. had died a month earlier, January 2, 1864, age 13 months
Their daughter Fanny E. died April 23, 1864, 10 1/2 years old
Their son Lewis F. died February 11, 1865, 9 1/2 years old
What happened here in one year? I'll continue to search out the answers.

Edit: June 2022, some research shows Cholera illnesses and deaths in Missouri during these years.

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We continued our search for Terry and Nesmith ancestors after arriving in Wauneta, NE a day later. We met up with the John Maddux family, relatives of the Nesmith family. Great grandfather Frank Orlando Nesmith and great grandmother Nellie Alby Nesmith were parents of three daughters: Vera Leona Nesmith Maddux, Fern Marie Nesmith Fox, and my grandmother, Ruth Adell Nesmith Terry.

This day we were looking for the Elmer/Antelope Cemetery, where I believed that great grandfather Lewis Sherman Terry and great grandmother Harriet Elizabeth Curtis Terry were buried.

Antelope/Elmer Cemetery Plot

Mr. and Mrs. Maddux offered to drive us out to the cemetery which would otherwise be very difficult to find. We found the cemetery, but not the headstones we had expected to find. They were gone. (Later we found that the caskets and headstone had been moved to nearby Riverside Cemetery, in Wauneta, NE.)

Elmer/Antelope Cemetery, north of Wauneta, NE

Looking for Terrys

 

Elmer Church Site Memorial

We did find the memorial to the Elmer Church of Christ where great grandfather Lewis Sherman Terry had preached. We were told by the Maddux family that over 200 family and friends had come to his funeral and burial here.











Last chance to find Terrys and Nesmiths. We were planning to leave Wauneta, NE and to head to North Platte, NE. Our final cemetery goal was Riverside Cemetery just on the outskirts of Wauneta. Well, in my trip planning I had depended on Google Earth to show me the locations of cemeteries, and my directions were off for this one. We drove a good 12 miles, then decided to turn around. Nearly back to town, I looked north instead of south and called out, "There it is!" I'm so glad that we were able to find it before heading north.

Here we located great grandfather Lewis Sherman Terry , born Feb 25, 1865, died April 14, 1932, and great grandmother Hattie Elizabeth Curtis Terry, born Aug 14, 1863, died May 10, 1942. He had been moved from Elmer/Antelope Cemetery to be buried together.

Harriett Elizabeth Curtis and Lewis Sherman Terry

And here, in Riverside Cemetery, I was able to find the Nesmith and Bride family. Frank Orlando Nesmith and Nellie Alby Bride Nesmith, who were parents to my sweet grandmother, Ruth Adell Nesmith Terry, mother of my very own mother, Patty Terry.

Frank and Nellie Nesmith ~ her parents, Charles and Mantie Bride

Frank Orlando Nesmith was born in 1875 and died March 8, 1954. Nellie Alby Bride was born in April 11, 1880 and died January 14, 1932.

Leaving Riverside Cemetery

I feel a great satisfaction for locating those we looked for and walking the walk in their memory. My research continues as I learn more about my mother's family. I'm happy to have completed this adventure.