Mary was born to Newell Wright and Mary Ann Barnes Wright, one of aprx eight children. Shortly after the family settled in Homestead, IA, one of the seven Amana Colonies, Mary developed a series of abscesses that led to a fatal infection. Mary was buried in what was then called the Sprauge cemetery. The 1860 census shows the family still living in Homestead near a Sprauge family. Mary's family eventually moved on to Guthrie County, IA where her father died in 1862 and her mother in 1887.
When the Rock Island Railroad came through the area, the cemetery had to be moved. All the graves were moved, all except for Mary's. The lone grave lies on the north side of HWY 6, south of the railroad tracks, just west of Homestead, IA. It is visable from the highway. A white wooden fence was put up around the grave and it always has flowers on it, whether real or silk.
Local legend has it that during the last moments of the old year a soft pale blue glow appears over Mary's grave. This is written about in the book, Ghosts of the Amana Colonies by Lori Erickson, printed in 1988 by Quixote Press.
∼date of birth calculated from age at time of death
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1860 United States Federal Census
Home in 1860: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa
Post Office: Homestead
Newel Wright 50
Mary A Wright 42
Nathaniel Wright 19 (IN)
Martha Wright 14 (IN)
(Emma was born in Kosciusko Co, IN 1 Nov 1847 and died 19 Aug 1854)
James Wright 6 (IA)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Means Family of America" Genealogy Book. Editor: Elizabeth Cissel
Foglesong. Published in 1972
Page 166 - Mary Ann Barnes, born abt 1824, Claiborne Co, TN; died in Oct 1887,
Guthrie Co, IA. She married Newell Wright, born in KY; died 1862, Iowa Co, IA.
Their children:
1 - William b, 1838 (living in Washington in 1907)
2 - Nathaniel D, b 29 Jul 1842; d 17 Apr 1930
3 - Martha Jane Wright McManigal (1845-1906)
4 - Emma May, b Indiana; d 19 Aug 1854 (6 yrs 9 mos 18 days)
5 - James Madison, b 3 Aug 1853; d 18 June 1926
When the Rock Island Railroad came through the area, the cemetery had to be moved. All the graves were moved, all except for Mary's. The lone grave lies on the north side of HWY 6, south of the railroad tracks, just west of Homestead, IA. It is visable from the highway. A white wooden fence was put up around the grave and it always has flowers on it, whether real or silk.
Local legend has it that during the last moments of the old year a soft pale blue glow appears over Mary's grave. This is written about in the book, Ghosts of the Amana Colonies by Lori Erickson, printed in 1988 by Quixote Press.
∼date of birth calculated from age at time of death
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1860 United States Federal Census
Home in 1860: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa
Post Office: Homestead
Newel Wright 50
Mary A Wright 42
Nathaniel Wright 19 (IN)
Martha Wright 14 (IN)
(Emma was born in Kosciusko Co, IN 1 Nov 1847 and died 19 Aug 1854)
James Wright 6 (IA)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Means Family of America" Genealogy Book. Editor: Elizabeth Cissel
Foglesong. Published in 1972
Page 166 - Mary Ann Barnes, born abt 1824, Claiborne Co, TN; died in Oct 1887,
Guthrie Co, IA. She married Newell Wright, born in KY; died 1862, Iowa Co, IA.
Their children:
1 - William b, 1838 (living in Washington in 1907)
2 - Nathaniel D, b 29 Jul 1842; d 17 Apr 1930
3 - Martha Jane Wright McManigal (1845-1906)
4 - Emma May, b Indiana; d 19 Aug 1854 (6 yrs 9 mos 18 days)
5 - James Madison, b 3 Aug 1853; d 18 June 1926
Mary was born to Newell Wright and Mary Ann Barnes Wright, one of aprx eight children. Shortly after the family settled in Homestead, IA, one of the seven Amana Colonies, Mary developed a series of abscesses that led to a fatal infection. Mary was buried in what was then called the Sprauge cemetery. The 1860 census shows the family still living in Homestead near a Sprauge family. Mary's family eventually moved on to Guthrie County, IA where her father died in 1862 and her mother in 1887.
When the Rock Island Railroad came through the area, the cemetery had to be moved. All the graves were moved, all except for Mary's. The lone grave lies on the north side of HWY 6, south of the railroad tracks, just west of Homestead, IA. It is visable from the highway. A white wooden fence was put up around the grave and it always has flowers on it, whether real or silk.
Local legend has it that during the last moments of the old year a soft pale blue glow appears over Mary's grave. This is written about in the book, Ghosts of the Amana Colonies by Lori Erickson, printed in 1988 by Quixote Press.
∼date of birth calculated from age at time of death
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1860 United States Federal Census
Home in 1860: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa
Post Office: Homestead
Newel Wright 50
Mary A Wright 42
Nathaniel Wright 19 (IN)
Martha Wright 14 (IN)
(Emma was born in Kosciusko Co, IN 1 Nov 1847 and died 19 Aug 1854)
James Wright 6 (IA)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Means Family of America" Genealogy Book. Editor: Elizabeth Cissel
Foglesong. Published in 1972
Page 166 - Mary Ann Barnes, born abt 1824, Claiborne Co, TN; died in Oct 1887,
Guthrie Co, IA. She married Newell Wright, born in KY; died 1862, Iowa Co, IA.
Their children:
1 - William b, 1838 (living in Washington in 1907)
2 - Nathaniel D, b 29 Jul 1842; d 17 Apr 1930
3 - Martha Jane Wright McManigal (1845-1906)
4 - Emma May, b Indiana; d 19 Aug 1854 (6 yrs 9 mos 18 days)
5 - James Madison, b 3 Aug 1853; d 18 June 1926
When the Rock Island Railroad came through the area, the cemetery had to be moved. All the graves were moved, all except for Mary's. The lone grave lies on the north side of HWY 6, south of the railroad tracks, just west of Homestead, IA. It is visable from the highway. A white wooden fence was put up around the grave and it always has flowers on it, whether real or silk.
Local legend has it that during the last moments of the old year a soft pale blue glow appears over Mary's grave. This is written about in the book, Ghosts of the Amana Colonies by Lori Erickson, printed in 1988 by Quixote Press.
∼date of birth calculated from age at time of death
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1860 United States Federal Census
Home in 1860: Iowa, Iowa, Iowa
Post Office: Homestead
Newel Wright 50
Mary A Wright 42
Nathaniel Wright 19 (IN)
Martha Wright 14 (IN)
(Emma was born in Kosciusko Co, IN 1 Nov 1847 and died 19 Aug 1854)
James Wright 6 (IA)
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"The Means Family of America" Genealogy Book. Editor: Elizabeth Cissel
Foglesong. Published in 1972
Page 166 - Mary Ann Barnes, born abt 1824, Claiborne Co, TN; died in Oct 1887,
Guthrie Co, IA. She married Newell Wright, born in KY; died 1862, Iowa Co, IA.
Their children:
1 - William b, 1838 (living in Washington in 1907)
2 - Nathaniel D, b 29 Jul 1842; d 17 Apr 1930
3 - Martha Jane Wright McManigal (1845-1906)
4 - Emma May, b Indiana; d 19 Aug 1854 (6 yrs 9 mos 18 days)
5 - James Madison, b 3 Aug 1853; d 18 June 1926
Inscription
MARY E.
Daughter of
N. W. & Mary A.
WRIGHT
Died
AUG. 19, 1854
Aged 6 yrs.
9 ms. 18 dys.
