A Portrait of Mary Compiled From the Facts of Her Life

Nothing of a personal nature is known of Mary Catharine Stewart. By examining the facts of her life I will try to paint a portrait of her.

Mariah Catharine Stewart was born in the winter, just after Christmas, the 29th of December 1840, in Alabama. She had one older brother, William, and one older sister, Sarah. When Mary was nine years old she was living in Talladega County Alabama, most likely in town. Her father was a shoe maker by trade. Nearby neighbors included other tradesmen and professionals. Mary was attending school, along with three of her siblings.

By the time Mary was 12 she may have been charged with caring for her younger sisters and brothers, ages 9, 7, 5, 3, and the new baby, Daniel. When Mary was 15 she, along with the rest of her family, mourned the death of her youngest sister, the one-year-old Rebecca, who died at 2:00 o'clock in the morning, in the dead of winter, according to the family Bible.

By 1860, when Mary was 20, her family had moved to Harpersville, in nearby Shelby County Alabama. Her father is listed in the census as a farmer.

At the age of 22 Mary married Hogan Wadsworth, a neighboring widower who was 54 at the time. A few of his children still lived with them. The Civil War was just beginning.In 1864, when Mary was 24, she received news that her eldest brother William had been killed at the battle of Jonesboro.

Around 1868 Mary, then 28, and her husband Hogan, joined the rest of the Stewart family and traveled to East Texas behind one or more covered wagons. Mary's niece, Mary Gertrude Martin, about 12 at the time, later told her grandson that she walked behind the wagons.

In the 1880s Mary and Hogan lived next door to the Florence Ranch in Dallas County and were surrounded by friends and family. Mary and Hogan were married 29 years. Mary was 51 when Hogan died in 1891 at the age of 83. One local paper mentioned the loss of one of Dallas County's most prominent citizens.

Mary's neighbor, John Hicks Florence, lost his wife Martha two years later in 1893. Mary and John were married the following year. Mary was 53, John was 76. John died two years later in 1896, and according to his will left to Mary a "gray filly and the old mare Lizzy and two cows and calves and buggy." In the year 1900 Mary was living with her brother Alex, her father Daniel, and her sister Anna. In 1910 Mary lived alone with her brother Alex, next door to her brother Daniel, sister Effa, and many of her grown nieces and nephews. Mary Catharine died on Saint Valentine's Day in 1917, at the age of 77, and was buried in Vernoy Cemetery in Grand Prairie, where other members of her family were later buried. Her headstone reads, "Sheltered and safe from sorrow".
- Teresa Stewart Sitz

Fine Crop Prospects--Old Citizens Buried.
Special to the Times-Herald.
NEW HOPE, Tex., June 26.
Mr. Hill Hamby and Uncle H. Wadsworth, two of Dallas county's most prominent citizens, were buried last week. Their funerals were the largest in attendance ever witnessed at the grave yard.
- June 26, 1891, Dallas Daily Times Herald, p. 8, col. 4.

State of Texas

Dallas County, January 3rh, 1896

Whereas I J.H. Florence and Wife Martha Florence did divide ? our Property equally between our Heirs and did retain an interestmin our homestead during our lifetime,

I now recind a portion of that contract and should I owe any money and retain the Place until the last cent is paid, but if I should not owe any money at my death I do not wish to recind any part of that contract.

If I should owe any money I want D.W. Florence to take charge of the place and rent it out untill the last cent dollar is paid.

I think as much of my children as any body. While I think more of my creditors than any body else.

I also give Davie Florence the power to take charge of all notes and accounts and pay what you collect to my creditors.

And I also artharise him to sell all the horses and cattle I may have on hand except the gray filly and the old mare Lizzy and two cows and calves and buggy which I this day give to Catharine my wife.

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