Mary Morgan Lowe Barker was born to Philip Lowe, Sr & Rebecca Shuttlesworth of Morgantown, Monongalia County, West VA, and was one of at least 10 children. Her middle name (Morgan) is from a grandparent (Elizabeth Morgan) was a descendent of the Morgan family for which Morgantown, West Virginia, was named.
She married Shelby Pindall Barker on 26 August 1860. He was a distant cousin via the Morgan family, more than once. After he served as Sergeant in a Union Cavalry company during the entire civil war, he was a mill owner in the Grant area, as well as a Justice of the Peace and hotelier. Their family was well-esteemed in the state and the biography of her husband published at that time, with a hand-traced photo of Shelby, featuring the Barker family history and his personal attributes. However, there is little to nothing known about Mary other than that they had several children. At age 60, in the 1900 Census, Mary is shown as having had 9 children, with 6 currently living.
Their children were, in order of known age: 1) Rebecca, 2) Ida June, 3)Laura Catherine, 4) Charles, 5) Lulu Myrtle, 6) Sarah Ellen, 7) Aaron B., 8) Harrison Benjamin "Harry", and 9) Hugh M. It seems that Hugh, Laura and Ida June all pre-deceased her at various ages.
Mary lived most of her adult life in Grant, Monongalia Co, West Virginia but went by stages out west with her family by about 1910, living first in Colorado with her daughter Lulu M Barker Kipling, then following to eastern Oregon, living by 1910 in Lulu's home in Haines, Baker County, Oregon--even though her husband lived in the same town and had a comparitively affluent income according to local tax lists. She was surrounded in that town and area by her sons and daughters, grandchildren and an in-law or two at that time.
In 1911, the Boise, Idaho City Directory notes her as a resident, as Mrs Shelby P Barker, a widow. This was untrue, since he outlived her. While living in Boise, she boarded with her son-in-law, Perry Wright Mayes, her daughter Sarah Ellen Barker Mayes, and their two daughters.
By 1912, she had passed away in Salem, Marion, Oregon, which is quite a ways from Idaho and Eastern Oregon, being a modern 1 hour's drive from Portland in Western Oregon. Whether one of her children was living there at that time is hard to tell, though some lived on and off in that county years later. Most likely, Mary was transported to the Willamette Valley for urgent help, where the best psychiatric or standard health care could be given, though it was too late.
The lack of information in Mary's death certificate and obituary are possibly typical of the stigma regarding those who suffered from the mental disabilities of old age. She is listed in cemetery records and the death certificate as a victim of "Senility" and her body was received and examined by the coroner/funeral director the day after her death. Clearly, this funeral director knew very little to nothing about her relations and origins, as is evident in the lack of information and lack of survivors listed in her obituary, as well as the noted lack of attendance at her funeral. According to information from records, her previous residence was merely "Eastern Oregon." Her grave today is unmarked and probably never was.
"Senility" is a standard symptom of old age, but Alzheimer's Disease trends towards total neurological collapse in which the body eventually "forgets" basic involuntary functions--which then directly causes death. She most likely died from that previously unnamed illness, which is a more drastic and fatal mimic of senility.
Mary was a ultimately grandmother of at least (probably more than) 15 grandchildren and many, many greats, great greats, etc.
Any corrections, photos, ideas and contributions (stories, bio, etc) are greatly desired!
She married Shelby Pindall Barker on 26 August 1860. He was a distant cousin via the Morgan family, more than once. After he served as Sergeant in a Union Cavalry company during the entire civil war, he was a mill owner in the Grant area, as well as a Justice of the Peace and hotelier. Their family was well-esteemed in the state and the biography of her husband published at that time, with a hand-traced photo of Shelby, featuring the Barker family history and his personal attributes. However, there is little to nothing known about Mary other than that they had several children. At age 60, in the 1900 Census, Mary is shown as having had 9 children, with 6 currently living.
Their children were, in order of known age: 1) Rebecca, 2) Ida June, 3)Laura Catherine, 4) Charles, 5) Lulu Myrtle, 6) Sarah Ellen, 7) Aaron B., 8) Harrison Benjamin "Harry", and 9) Hugh M. It seems that Hugh, Laura and Ida June all pre-deceased her at various ages.
Mary lived most of her adult life in Grant, Monongalia Co, West Virginia but went by stages out west with her family by about 1910, living first in Colorado with her daughter Lulu M Barker Kipling, then following to eastern Oregon, living by 1910 in Lulu's home in Haines, Baker County, Oregon--even though her husband lived in the same town and had a comparitively affluent income according to local tax lists. She was surrounded in that town and area by her sons and daughters, grandchildren and an in-law or two at that time.
In 1911, the Boise, Idaho City Directory notes her as a resident, as Mrs Shelby P Barker, a widow. This was untrue, since he outlived her. While living in Boise, she boarded with her son-in-law, Perry Wright Mayes, her daughter Sarah Ellen Barker Mayes, and their two daughters.
By 1912, she had passed away in Salem, Marion, Oregon, which is quite a ways from Idaho and Eastern Oregon, being a modern 1 hour's drive from Portland in Western Oregon. Whether one of her children was living there at that time is hard to tell, though some lived on and off in that county years later. Most likely, Mary was transported to the Willamette Valley for urgent help, where the best psychiatric or standard health care could be given, though it was too late.
The lack of information in Mary's death certificate and obituary are possibly typical of the stigma regarding those who suffered from the mental disabilities of old age. She is listed in cemetery records and the death certificate as a victim of "Senility" and her body was received and examined by the coroner/funeral director the day after her death. Clearly, this funeral director knew very little to nothing about her relations and origins, as is evident in the lack of information and lack of survivors listed in her obituary, as well as the noted lack of attendance at her funeral. According to information from records, her previous residence was merely "Eastern Oregon." Her grave today is unmarked and probably never was.
"Senility" is a standard symptom of old age, but Alzheimer's Disease trends towards total neurological collapse in which the body eventually "forgets" basic involuntary functions--which then directly causes death. She most likely died from that previously unnamed illness, which is a more drastic and fatal mimic of senility.
Mary was a ultimately grandmother of at least (probably more than) 15 grandchildren and many, many greats, great greats, etc.
Any corrections, photos, ideas and contributions (stories, bio, etc) are greatly desired!
Mary Morgan Lowe Barker was born to Philip Lowe, Sr & Rebecca Shuttlesworth of Morgantown, Monongalia County, West VA, and was one of at least 10 children. Her middle name (Morgan) is from a grandparent (Elizabeth Morgan) was a descendent of the Morgan family for which Morgantown, West Virginia, was named.
She married Shelby Pindall Barker on 26 August 1860. He was a distant cousin via the Morgan family, more than once. After he served as Sergeant in a Union Cavalry company during the entire civil war, he was a mill owner in the Grant area, as well as a Justice of the Peace and hotelier. Their family was well-esteemed in the state and the biography of her husband published at that time, with a hand-traced photo of Shelby, featuring the Barker family history and his personal attributes. However, there is little to nothing known about Mary other than that they had several children. At age 60, in the 1900 Census, Mary is shown as having had 9 children, with 6 currently living.
Their children were, in order of known age: 1) Rebecca, 2) Ida June, 3)Laura Catherine, 4) Charles, 5) Lulu Myrtle, 6) Sarah Ellen, 7) Aaron B., 8) Harrison Benjamin "Harry", and 9) Hugh M. It seems that Hugh, Laura and Ida June all pre-deceased her at various ages.
Mary lived most of her adult life in Grant, Monongalia Co, West Virginia but went by stages out west with her family by about 1910, living first in Colorado with her daughter Lulu M Barker Kipling, then following to eastern Oregon, living by 1910 in Lulu's home in Haines, Baker County, Oregon--even though her husband lived in the same town and had a comparitively affluent income according to local tax lists. She was surrounded in that town and area by her sons and daughters, grandchildren and an in-law or two at that time.
In 1911, the Boise, Idaho City Directory notes her as a resident, as Mrs Shelby P Barker, a widow. This was untrue, since he outlived her. While living in Boise, she boarded with her son-in-law, Perry Wright Mayes, her daughter Sarah Ellen Barker Mayes, and their two daughters.
By 1912, she had passed away in Salem, Marion, Oregon, which is quite a ways from Idaho and Eastern Oregon, being a modern 1 hour's drive from Portland in Western Oregon. Whether one of her children was living there at that time is hard to tell, though some lived on and off in that county years later. Most likely, Mary was transported to the Willamette Valley for urgent help, where the best psychiatric or standard health care could be given, though it was too late.
The lack of information in Mary's death certificate and obituary are possibly typical of the stigma regarding those who suffered from the mental disabilities of old age. She is listed in cemetery records and the death certificate as a victim of "Senility" and her body was received and examined by the coroner/funeral director the day after her death. Clearly, this funeral director knew very little to nothing about her relations and origins, as is evident in the lack of information and lack of survivors listed in her obituary, as well as the noted lack of attendance at her funeral. According to information from records, her previous residence was merely "Eastern Oregon." Her grave today is unmarked and probably never was.
"Senility" is a standard symptom of old age, but Alzheimer's Disease trends towards total neurological collapse in which the body eventually "forgets" basic involuntary functions--which then directly causes death. She most likely died from that previously unnamed illness, which is a more drastic and fatal mimic of senility.
Mary was a ultimately grandmother of at least (probably more than) 15 grandchildren and many, many greats, great greats, etc.
Any corrections, photos, ideas and contributions (stories, bio, etc) are greatly desired!
She married Shelby Pindall Barker on 26 August 1860. He was a distant cousin via the Morgan family, more than once. After he served as Sergeant in a Union Cavalry company during the entire civil war, he was a mill owner in the Grant area, as well as a Justice of the Peace and hotelier. Their family was well-esteemed in the state and the biography of her husband published at that time, with a hand-traced photo of Shelby, featuring the Barker family history and his personal attributes. However, there is little to nothing known about Mary other than that they had several children. At age 60, in the 1900 Census, Mary is shown as having had 9 children, with 6 currently living.
Their children were, in order of known age: 1) Rebecca, 2) Ida June, 3)Laura Catherine, 4) Charles, 5) Lulu Myrtle, 6) Sarah Ellen, 7) Aaron B., 8) Harrison Benjamin "Harry", and 9) Hugh M. It seems that Hugh, Laura and Ida June all pre-deceased her at various ages.
Mary lived most of her adult life in Grant, Monongalia Co, West Virginia but went by stages out west with her family by about 1910, living first in Colorado with her daughter Lulu M Barker Kipling, then following to eastern Oregon, living by 1910 in Lulu's home in Haines, Baker County, Oregon--even though her husband lived in the same town and had a comparitively affluent income according to local tax lists. She was surrounded in that town and area by her sons and daughters, grandchildren and an in-law or two at that time.
In 1911, the Boise, Idaho City Directory notes her as a resident, as Mrs Shelby P Barker, a widow. This was untrue, since he outlived her. While living in Boise, she boarded with her son-in-law, Perry Wright Mayes, her daughter Sarah Ellen Barker Mayes, and their two daughters.
By 1912, she had passed away in Salem, Marion, Oregon, which is quite a ways from Idaho and Eastern Oregon, being a modern 1 hour's drive from Portland in Western Oregon. Whether one of her children was living there at that time is hard to tell, though some lived on and off in that county years later. Most likely, Mary was transported to the Willamette Valley for urgent help, where the best psychiatric or standard health care could be given, though it was too late.
The lack of information in Mary's death certificate and obituary are possibly typical of the stigma regarding those who suffered from the mental disabilities of old age. She is listed in cemetery records and the death certificate as a victim of "Senility" and her body was received and examined by the coroner/funeral director the day after her death. Clearly, this funeral director knew very little to nothing about her relations and origins, as is evident in the lack of information and lack of survivors listed in her obituary, as well as the noted lack of attendance at her funeral. According to information from records, her previous residence was merely "Eastern Oregon." Her grave today is unmarked and probably never was.
"Senility" is a standard symptom of old age, but Alzheimer's Disease trends towards total neurological collapse in which the body eventually "forgets" basic involuntary functions--which then directly causes death. She most likely died from that previously unnamed illness, which is a more drastic and fatal mimic of senility.
Mary was a ultimately grandmother of at least (probably more than) 15 grandchildren and many, many greats, great greats, etc.
Any corrections, photos, ideas and contributions (stories, bio, etc) are greatly desired!
Inscription
No Headstone or Marker. Section A, Block 3-4 Plot 6 in the NE corner--the oldest section of the cemetery.
Family Members
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