Nellie was born on Saturday, 10 Jul 1880 in Martinsville, Clark County, Illinois. She was the 6th known child born to Andrew Jackson & Sarah Elizabeth (Baldwin) Barrett. By age 9, Nellie along with her parents & siblings are residing at 1640 N 2nd Street, Terre Haute, Vigo County, Indiana until age of 16; moving to 304 N 14th Street. Nellie is living at 1718 N 5th street when she marries.

Justice of the Peace Basil Brown married Nellie & Joseph Henry Merritt Wednesday, 5 Jun 1904 in Vigo County, Indiana. She & Joseph lived their entire married life in Vigo County, Indiana on land & on water between West Terre Haute & Terre Haute; always close to family. For several years they lived on a house boat on the Wabash River.

Nellie & Joseph had 6 children; 4 living to adulthood:

Sarah Elizabeth Merritt Johnson
Unknown Infant
William Arch Merritt
Joe Merritt
Andrew Jackson "Jack" Merritt Sr
Gertrude "Gerty" Merritt Quinn

Nellie loved her family & was a sweet natured woman. Always tending to & living close to family. She could read & write with a 5th grade education. Nellie was a laundress with her best customers being in the Red Light District in Terre Haute. She enjoyed playing horseshoes, chewed tobacco, smoked a corn cob pipe & enjoyed hearing The Bible read every evening by her grandson Danny Merritt on her front porch while relaxing in her rocking chair.

Terre Haute Tribune Pg 2 15 Dec 1957 - Mrs Nellie Merritt 77, 3340 North Twenty-Fourth Street, died at 3:30 o'clock Saturday afternoon at the Wallace Nursing Home. Surviving are two sons Joe and Jack Merritt; two daughters, Mrs Sarah Johnson and Mrs Gertrude Quinn; and one brother, Oscar Barrett; all of Terre Haute, and several grandchildren. The body was taken to the Ball-Porter Funeral Home where friends may call after noon Sunday and where services will be held at 2 o'clock Monday afternoon. Burial will be in Bethesda Cemetery.

Updated 1 Nov 2019 JoAnnamae
aka MerrittSwatts on Ancestry.com