Mary could trace her ancestry back to the very early beginnings of the area now known as Queens, New York, where her family's forefathers settled in the 1600's.
Born in Binghamton, New York, the family relocated to Peoria County, Illinois on a farm in the Brimfield area.
Not many years after arriving there, her father died, but her mother, Sarah and the youngsters continued to work their land.
It was here that she became the second wife of Willard Clark. Into the marriage he also brought two very small little girls, Alice and Flora, which she willingly accepted and considered her own. She would have two child with Willard, Walter and James Edwin Lucius. When Lucius was but 6 months old, Willard went on a trip to an area of Illinois where an aunt resided. Tragically, he drown while crossing a river on his horse.
Mary was left now with two step-daughters, a toddler and a six month old babe, with no way of support. I had to be very hard on her, as she had no options but to give up the two girls. A brother of Willard's took Flora and Alice eventually was adopted by a wonderful minister and his wife. She then moved back with her boys into the home of her mother.
Eventually she married Enos George Mack, probably a marriage of convenience, as he no doubt wanted a wife and she needed a home with someone to support her and her boys. Sadly, he turned out not to be very ambitious and an ill provider to her, her boys and the children that they would have together.
To help provide the needs of her children she made a little by taking in washing and ironing, which she continued to do almost up until the day of her death. She fought very courageously and never lost her faith as she fought the painful breast cancer that finally took her.
She was a very loving and devoted mother to her children, as attested to from the last letter she wrote to her eldest son, James Lucius Edwin Clark, who had left the nest to go work for an uncle in Kansas, just a week or two prior to her passing.
She had always wished, wanted and prayed for a better life than was dished out to her for her son. He always remembered her encouraging loving words and made a very good way in the world.
Born in Binghamton, New York, the family relocated to Peoria County, Illinois on a farm in the Brimfield area.
Not many years after arriving there, her father died, but her mother, Sarah and the youngsters continued to work their land.
It was here that she became the second wife of Willard Clark. Into the marriage he also brought two very small little girls, Alice and Flora, which she willingly accepted and considered her own. She would have two child with Willard, Walter and James Edwin Lucius. When Lucius was but 6 months old, Willard went on a trip to an area of Illinois where an aunt resided. Tragically, he drown while crossing a river on his horse.
Mary was left now with two step-daughters, a toddler and a six month old babe, with no way of support. I had to be very hard on her, as she had no options but to give up the two girls. A brother of Willard's took Flora and Alice eventually was adopted by a wonderful minister and his wife. She then moved back with her boys into the home of her mother.
Eventually she married Enos George Mack, probably a marriage of convenience, as he no doubt wanted a wife and she needed a home with someone to support her and her boys. Sadly, he turned out not to be very ambitious and an ill provider to her, her boys and the children that they would have together.
To help provide the needs of her children she made a little by taking in washing and ironing, which she continued to do almost up until the day of her death. She fought very courageously and never lost her faith as she fought the painful breast cancer that finally took her.
She was a very loving and devoted mother to her children, as attested to from the last letter she wrote to her eldest son, James Lucius Edwin Clark, who had left the nest to go work for an uncle in Kansas, just a week or two prior to her passing.
She had always wished, wanted and prayed for a better life than was dished out to her for her son. He always remembered her encouraging loving words and made a very good way in the world.
Mary could trace her ancestry back to the very early beginnings of the area now known as Queens, New York, where her family's forefathers settled in the 1600's.
Born in Binghamton, New York, the family relocated to Peoria County, Illinois on a farm in the Brimfield area.
Not many years after arriving there, her father died, but her mother, Sarah and the youngsters continued to work their land.
It was here that she became the second wife of Willard Clark. Into the marriage he also brought two very small little girls, Alice and Flora, which she willingly accepted and considered her own. She would have two child with Willard, Walter and James Edwin Lucius. When Lucius was but 6 months old, Willard went on a trip to an area of Illinois where an aunt resided. Tragically, he drown while crossing a river on his horse.
Mary was left now with two step-daughters, a toddler and a six month old babe, with no way of support. I had to be very hard on her, as she had no options but to give up the two girls. A brother of Willard's took Flora and Alice eventually was adopted by a wonderful minister and his wife. She then moved back with her boys into the home of her mother.
Eventually she married Enos George Mack, probably a marriage of convenience, as he no doubt wanted a wife and she needed a home with someone to support her and her boys. Sadly, he turned out not to be very ambitious and an ill provider to her, her boys and the children that they would have together.
To help provide the needs of her children she made a little by taking in washing and ironing, which she continued to do almost up until the day of her death. She fought very courageously and never lost her faith as she fought the painful breast cancer that finally took her.
She was a very loving and devoted mother to her children, as attested to from the last letter she wrote to her eldest son, James Lucius Edwin Clark, who had left the nest to go work for an uncle in Kansas, just a week or two prior to her passing.
She had always wished, wanted and prayed for a better life than was dished out to her for her son. He always remembered her encouraging loving words and made a very good way in the world.
Born in Binghamton, New York, the family relocated to Peoria County, Illinois on a farm in the Brimfield area.
Not many years after arriving there, her father died, but her mother, Sarah and the youngsters continued to work their land.
It was here that she became the second wife of Willard Clark. Into the marriage he also brought two very small little girls, Alice and Flora, which she willingly accepted and considered her own. She would have two child with Willard, Walter and James Edwin Lucius. When Lucius was but 6 months old, Willard went on a trip to an area of Illinois where an aunt resided. Tragically, he drown while crossing a river on his horse.
Mary was left now with two step-daughters, a toddler and a six month old babe, with no way of support. I had to be very hard on her, as she had no options but to give up the two girls. A brother of Willard's took Flora and Alice eventually was adopted by a wonderful minister and his wife. She then moved back with her boys into the home of her mother.
Eventually she married Enos George Mack, probably a marriage of convenience, as he no doubt wanted a wife and she needed a home with someone to support her and her boys. Sadly, he turned out not to be very ambitious and an ill provider to her, her boys and the children that they would have together.
To help provide the needs of her children she made a little by taking in washing and ironing, which she continued to do almost up until the day of her death. She fought very courageously and never lost her faith as she fought the painful breast cancer that finally took her.
She was a very loving and devoted mother to her children, as attested to from the last letter she wrote to her eldest son, James Lucius Edwin Clark, who had left the nest to go work for an uncle in Kansas, just a week or two prior to her passing.
She had always wished, wanted and prayed for a better life than was dished out to her for her son. He always remembered her encouraging loving words and made a very good way in the world.
Inscription
Wife of E.G.
Family Members
Siblings
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See more Clark - Mack or Berrian memorials in:
- Bramble Cemetery Clark - Mack or Berrian
- Peoria County Clark - Mack or Berrian
- Illinois Clark - Mack or Berrian
- USA Clark - Mack or Berrian
- Find a Grave Clark - Mack or Berrian
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