Demercy's grandfather on the Everman side was a German immigrant and her grandfather on the Wasson side was an Irish immigrant. The heritage of her grandmothers is currently uncertain.

Demercy was born in Kentucky in 1813. In February of 1833, at age 20, she married 26 year old John Turley Crooks in Kentucky. The following summer they moved to Parke County, Indiana and started their family which would begin with eight sons in a row followed by two daughters. The first 4 sons were born between 1834 and 1840 in Indiana (Barton, James, Aaron, and Richard). Around 1841 they moved to Mercer County, Illinois where they had four more sons between 1843 and 1846 (John, Joseph, Abraham, and Samuel). They also adopted Amanda Jane Barkley who was born Sept, 6, 1842. Amanda was left with an aunt in Missouri when the Crooks family went to Oregon. In the summer of 1848 they crossed over the Oregon Trail and settled in the Willamette Valley in Linn County, Oregon. There, they had two more children, both daughters. A few weeks after they reached the Willamette River Valley, Mary Jane was born (December 22, 1848) and they had their second daughter Martha a few years later.

Demercy died in 1876 at age 62. Her husband would remarry in 1877 and live another 20 years. When he died he was buried beside Demercy.

Biography by JCM - 2023

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The Willamette Farmer, Friday, September 29, 1876:

To the memory of Mrs. Demercy (Everman) Crooks, wife of John Turley Crooks of Linn County, who departed this life at Marion Station, twenty minutes past 4 o'clock p.m., Sunday, September 17, 1876. DeMercy was born in Montgomery County, Kentucky, on October 4 of 1813. She married John Turley Crook on February 18, 1833. She was a member of the Regular Baptist Church and was respected and beloved by all. She had moved to Oregon in 1848 (over the Oregon Trail).

On December 24, 1875, she was attacked by a sudden stroke of paralysis from which she never fully recovered. On September 16, 1876, she was again attacked and soon became unconscious and remained so until the following day, when her spirit took its flight to the mansion of bliss, leaving numerous relatives and friends to mourn her absence.

====== Everman Immigration from Germany =====

Ebermann's Coming to America on the Ship Mary of London, Jn Gray, Master. Qualified Sep 26th 1732. [List 25 C]

Michael Ebermann (Demercy's great-grandfather)
Hans Jacob Eberman
Conrad Ebermann

Demercy's grandfather Michael Everman was also on the ship but was only 7 years old so is not listed in the ships log.

======= Notes and Sources =======

1850 Census - Age 37- Farming in Linn County, Oregon. With Husband J T Crooks (age 43) and 8 children; Barton William (16), Aaron Harlan (15), Richard Harrison (13), ST (11), John Thomas (9), Joseph Henry (8), Samuel Thompson (6), Mary Jane (3). Demercy born in Ky, husband in VA, first four kids in Indiana, last kids in Illinois.

1860 Census - Age 47- Farming in Linn County, Oregon. With Husband J T Crooks (age 53) and 7 children; Richard (22), John (19), Joseph (17), Abraham (15), Samuel (14), Mary (12), Martha (9). Demercy born in KY, husband in VA, Richard and John in Indiana, Joseph, Abraham, and Samuel born in Ill, Mary and Martha in Oregon.

1870 Census - Age 57- Farming in Linn County, Oregon. With Husband J T Crooks (age 63) and 4 children; Richard (32), Abraham (26), Samuel (24), Martha (20). Demercy born in KY, husband in VA, Richard, Abraham, and Samuel born in Indiana (error Illinois), Martha in Oregon.