NORA BERRY

My Maternal Great-Grandmother. This photo was provided by my third cousin - Vonette Curtis.
THANK YOU, VONETTE!

Nora Berry was born in March of 1869. Thanks to cousin Vonette, Nora's family has finally been located, however their information is sketchy at best. Nora's mother was located in the 1880 census in Webster county, Kentucky. She is listed as a widow, therefore, I still do not know who Nora's father was. Nora's known siblings include: Sam, Newton, Lena and Robert L. Berry. These were the children that were still in the household of Mrs. Elizabeth Berry at the time the 1880 census was taken. There could be more siblings, however, they are yet to be found.

She married Albert V. Shelton on September 21st, 1885 in Webster county, Kentucky at the age of 16. Five children were born to them. Of the five, two boys died in their infancy, a daughter died at the age of four - according to her headstone, another daughter, Lee married around the age of 14, had a child and died a week later in 1904. Of their five children, only one lived to adulthood - Winfred Cleveland Shelton. Nora must have watched this last child very carefully and with a growing fear that she would lose him, too.

Nora developed TB (aka Consumption), and it took her life at the age of 36 in 1905. Albert buried his wife in the Springdale Cemetery in Sebree, Webster county, Kentucky. I know that the dates on her headstone differ from those I have given, but Nora did not die in 1910, because Albert remarried in 1908. Her age at her marriage is recorded at the Dixon courthouse, and in a newspaper article concerning Albert. These dates concur with the age I was given by my mother, and fit in with the 1908 marriage of Albert to Harriett L. Nance. I would dearly love to find her parents. She is still a mystery for me.

UPDATE - (5-22-2001) Nora's father has been identified as John S. Berry, son of Margaret Sims and Morris Berry of Meade County & Washington County, Kentucky. John married Elizabeth Vertrees 7-13-1848 in Meade County, KY. This new information was provided by my double cousin, Floyd Berry (passed away Sept. 2001). They had the following children: Mariah Bell, Samuel, John, Mary Elizabeth, Julia, Sallie, Issach Newton, Lena, Nora and Robert L.