Mary Jane (Page) Gregg (abt. 1823 - abt. 1903)

Born about 1823 in Kentucky, United States

Ancestors

Wife of John Flint Gregg — married 14 Nov 1847 in Henry County, Missouri

Descendants

Died about 1903 at about age 80 in Creighton, Cass, Missouri, United States

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Margaret Kerns [send private message]

Biography

Mary Jane, daughter of William and Jane Crews, was born about 1823^[1][2] or 1826^[3] in Kentucky, probably in Cumberland County where her parents lived for several years. She moved with her parents, William and Jane (Mary Jane) from Kentucky to Cole (later Moniteau) County, Missouri about 1827 where the family lived several years. Seven more children were born in Cole/Moniteau County. The mother, Jane died in 1846. The father, William, remarried, to a widow, Minerva Smith and in 1847 the family moved and settled at Henry County, Missouri.^[4]

Mary Jane married John Flint Gregg on 14 Nov 1847 in Henry County, Missouri, as John F. Gregg to Mary Jane Page.^[5] She was a beneficiary named in the will of William Page in 1859 at Cass County, Missouri.^[6] John and Mary Jane were the parents of five children: Sarah J., a cripple, born 1849; William Nathan, born 1851; Susan born about 1854; Elizabeth E. born 1857; and George Washington born 1860.^[7] In the book "Quaker Greggs" they are given more children, but that is an error.^[8]

The young couple first appeared on the 1850 census in Big Creek Township, Henry County, as two houses from her uncle, Joshua Page, on 22 October as John Gragg, age 23, male, farmer, born in Ohio (no real estate) and Mary J. Gragg, age 26, female, born in Missouri, (an error) with their first child, Sarah J., age 1, female, born in Missouri.^[9] She and John Flint Gregg appeared on the census on 3 Jul 1860 at Sugar Creek Township, Wadesburgh, Cass County, Missouri, as John Gragg, age 32, male, white, farmer, personal property valuation $280, born in Ohio; and Mary J. Gragg, age 34, female, white, born in Kentucky, cannot read/write.^[3] She and John Flint Gregg next appeared on the census in 1870 at Sugar Creek Township, Post Office, Dayton, Cass County, Missouri, as John F. Gregg, age 43, male, white, farmer, real estate valuation $1,500, personal property valuation $525, born in Ohio; and Mary J. Gregg, age 47? female, white, keeps house, born in Kentucky.^[1] She and John Flint Gregg appeared last on the census in 1880 at Sherman Township, Cass County, Missouri, as John F. Gregg, white, male, age 53, farmer, born in Ohio, both parents born in Ohio; and Mary J. Gregg, white, female, age 57, wife, keeps house, born in Kentucky, both parents born in North Carolina, deaf.^[2]

Mary Jane and her children took care of the farm work while the husband and father, John Flint Gregg, was gone, during the Civil War, and afterwards when he often would be gone a month or more at a time, playing the fiddle at dances and roaming around and drinking. He would come home for a short time, and then take off again, leaving the family to fend for themselves. Grandma Mary Jane stayed at home, and made a little money with farming, raising chickens and such. John Flint would come home when he was broke, and stay a while. Soon he would leave again, taking what money Grandma Mary Jane had managed to accumulate. Daisy (Gregg) Kepner liked Grandpa John Flint, but her father didn't approve of him, no doubt due to the way he treated Mary Jane. Daisy's family lived about a mile from Mary Jane. Daisy told the story of having a rising in her head while visiting her grandmother. Mary Jane smoked a corncob pipe, as did many women of the day, to cure indigestion. She sat in a rocking chair near the fireplace. She noticed Daisy was not feeling well and asked what was wrong. Daisy told her. Mary Jane said, "Come here, child." Daisy did, and Mary Jane gently blew tobacco smoke into Daisy's ear. She felt a "pop" and the "rising" cleared right up.^[10]

The daughter Sarah J. "Sally" was crippled, and never married, staying on the home place until her death, a few years before her mother's death.^[11]Mary Jane and her daughter Sally lived in the little house by Leona Harris' place, back in the field after her husband's death. The rest of her children had married and established homes of their own in Sherman township, Cass County, Missouri.^[7] Leona Harris, Creighton, Missouri, circa 1988 shared her picture of Mary Jane (Page) Gregg with Margaret Ann (Kepner) Kerns to be copied.

Her husband served with the Union forces in the American Civil War. Mary Jane Gregg's application for pension for Civil War service was refused; it gives John F. Gregg serving in Co. G 7th SM Cav., MO; says he deserted the Army. The family says he got sick toward the end of the war, and was told to go home and stay until called. The war ended and he was never called, so was not mustered out, and thus entered as AWOL.^[12]

She does not appear in the 1900 census in spite of the fact that she lived in the house north of where Leona (Chandler) Harris lived (in 1985), for the balance of her life, with her disabled daughter, Sally. Leona (Chandler) Harris 5 Apr. 1985 had an abstract to the land where she lived, and where Mary Jane (Page) Gregg lived. From the Abstract, it appears that Mary Jane (Page) Gregg died 1903 near Creighton, Cass County, Missouri, during cold weather. She is buried in Parker-Gregg Cemetery, beside her husband, but she has no headstone.^[13]

Sources

1. ↑ ^{1.0 1.1} U. S. Census Population Schedule, Cass County, Missouri 1870 Sugar Creek Township dwelling 192 household 197 John F. Gregg household
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} U. S. Census Population Schedule, Cass County, Missouri 1880 Sherman Township, page 202B, dwelling 88 household 117 FHL Film 1254680 National Archives Film T9-0680 John F. Gregg household
3. ↑ ^{3.0 3.1} 1860 page 765 dwelling 415 family 415 John Gragg household
4. ↑ Source: #S237 Title: History of Cass and Bates Counties . . . biographical sketches of their citizens . . . history of Missouri, map of Cass and Bates counties, etc (1883) page 756
5. ↑ Source: #S13 Henry County, Missouri Marriage Books, Book A page ?
6. ↑ Source: #S8 Cass County, Missouri Deed Book K page 470
7. ↑ ^{7.0 7.1} Interview 1973 George Alpha Gregg, Creighton, Missouri 64739
8. ↑ Source: #S6 Title: Quaker Greggs, page 215
9. ↑ Source: #S5 Cass County Missouri Federal census 1850 page 74/37 Dwelling 465 Family 475
10. ↑ Source: #S91 Glenn Sterling Kepner Interview with Margaret A. Kerns 1972
11. ↑ Source: #S91 Glenn Sterling Kepner Interview with Margaret A. Kerns 1972
12. ↑ Source: #S104 Pension Application, Mary J. Gregg application for Civil War pension, widow of John F. Gregg
13. ↑ Source: #S78 Leona (Chandler) Harris, Creighton, Missouri 64739 Interview 5 Apr 1985

• Source: S5 Title: Missouri, Cass County, Federal Census Population Schedule Abbreviation: Cass Co., MO Census
• Source: S6 Title: Quaker Greggs Abbreviation: Gregg book Author: Kendall, Hazel May Middleton Publication: Kendall, Hazel May Middleton, 203 West Fifth Street, Anderson, Indiana, 1944
• Source: S10 Title: Cass County, Missouri Deed Records Abbreviation: Cass Co. MO Deeds
• Source: S24 Title: George Alpha Gregg, Creighton, Sherman Township, Cass County, Missouri 64739, now deceased, interviews with Margaret A. Kerns and Glenn S. Kepner 1973
• Source: S78 Title: Harris, Leona (Chandler), Creighton, Cass County, Missouri 64739, now deceased, interview with Mary L. Kepner and Margaret A. Kerns 5 April 1985
• Source: S91 Title: Kepner, Glenn Sterling, Urich, Henry County, Missouri 64788, now deceased, interviews with Margaret A. Kerns 1972
• Source: S104 Title: United States of America, Military Pension Applicaton Abbreviation: Pension Application
• Source: S168 Title: Margaret Kerns pers. know. Abbreviation: Margaret Kerns pers. know.
• Source S237 National Historical Company, History of Cass and Bates Counties containing a history of these counties, their cities, towns, etc. : biographical sketches of their citizens, general and local statistics, history of Missouri, map of Cass and Bates counties, etc., St. Joseph, Mo., National Historical Company, 1883