Mary Elizabeth BYERLY ¹⁶

  Death Notes:

From The Gospel Messenger, May 29, 1920

Needles, Mary Elizabeth, daughter of Benjamin and Delilah Byerly died May 4, 1920 aged 79 years and 2 months. In 1859 she married Erwin M. Needles who died nineteen years ago. She is survived by ten children. She joined the Church of the Brethren when a young woman and lived a Christian life. Services at Ottawa by Bro W. B. Devilbiss and at Havana, Kans., by Bro W. H. Miller. Burial in the Havana Cemetery. Lois Needles Throne, Ottawa, Kans.

  Noted events in her life were:

1. Census, 1850, German Twp, Allen Co., Ohio, USA. ²⁴⁴

2. Census, 1860, Liberty Twp, Warren, Iowa. ²¹

3. Census, 1870, Round Prairie Twp., Benton, Arkansas. ²⁵⁴

4. Census, 1900, Rutland Twp., Montgomery, Kansas. ²⁵⁵ She had 11 children 10 living, she was a farmer on a farm she owned.

5. Census, 1910, Ottawa, Franklin, Kansas, USA. ²⁵⁶ She is listed as a widow, with 11 children 10 living. She is living with her daughter's family John E & Lois (Needles) Throne.

6. Census, 1920, Ottawa, Franklin, Kansas, USA. ²⁵⁷ She is renting from Katie Bouse, a district school teacher. Mary is listed as a widow.

7. Probate: , Franklin, Kansas, USA. ²³³ There was a passage in the letter that described Mary as "five foot two, eyes of blue"

8. Alt. Death, 4 May 1920. ²⁵⁸

Mary married Erwin (Irwin) Minor NEEDLES, son of James Johnson NEEDELS and Rebecca CLARK, on 3 Mar 1859 in Lacona, Warren, Iowa.²⁵¹ (Erwin (Irwin) Minor NEEDLES was born on 11 Nov 1837 in Lima, Allen, Ohio, USA,²⁵⁹ died on 5 Mar 1901 in Wayside, Montgomery County, Kansas, USA ²⁶⁰ and was buried in Havana Cemetery, Havana, Montgomery County, Kansas, USA ²⁶¹.)

  Marriage Notes:

Erwin started courting Mary when she was 16, so that would have been in OH, as Benjamin and family didn't move to Warren County, Iowa until late 1858/early 1859. Mary and Erwin were married 3 Mar 1859, Liberty twp, Warren County, Iowa, per the Warren County marriage records.