And She Waits

This is one of my favorite local monuments.  I visit her often and she always appears to be waiting for something or someone.   She is located in a cemetery just a few blocks from where I work so when I have a little free time between appointments I wander around the Bentonville Cemetery.  She is the only statue style monument in this cemetery.

Located at Bentonville Cemetery in Bentonville, AR.

She sits in the middle of the Terry - Smart Family plot in the older section of the cemetery.   

Mary Catherine

Wife of William A. Terry

Daughter of

John & Essie C. Smart

Born Feb 21, 1850

Died May 27, 1873

Note: Mary Catherine was the first wife of William A. Terry.

Infant Sons of

William A. & Sue A. Terry

Born Oct 5, 1878

Lived 6 Hours.

Born Jan 25, 1880

Died Mar 9, 1880

****

John

Son of

William A. & Sue A. Terry

Born July 25, 1876

Died Aug 25, 1877

Note: Sue A. Terry was William's second wife and Mary Catherine's sister.

I love how her details are still very visible even after 138 years. 



Photo by  wfields55, http://www.arkansasgravestones.org/view.php?id=25095

William A Terry

1844 - 1901



Photo by  wfields55, http://www.arkansasgravestones.org/view.php?id=25094

Susan Alice Terry

Wife of William A Terry

1853 - 1934

I found the following obituary at http://www.findagrave.com/.

Benton County Record & Democrat

Bentonville, Benton County, Arkansas 

Thursday, March 15, 1934 – Page 1 Column 5 & 6

MRS. SUE A. TERRY BURIED HERE SATURDAY

Mrs. Sue A. Terry, widow of the late Wm. A. Terry, for many years identified in the business development of Bentonville, died at the family home on South Main street late Thursday night, March 15, 1934, at the age of 81 years. She had been in ill health for some months, critically so for the past few week.

Funeral services were held at the home Saturday morning, the Rev. A. W. Henderson, pastor of the First Presbyterian Church officiating. Burial was made in the family plot in the city cemetery.

Pallbearers were E.O. LeFora, E.P. Knott, Fred Berry, John Applegate, J.T. McGill and Wilburn Arthur.

Surviving are Wm. A. Terry, Mrs. Russell Dickson and Mrs. Katherine Self, all of the home. A step son Ron S. Terry, former publisher of the Benton County Democrat, died in Springfield several months ago. A sister, Mrs. W.A. Burke of Bentonville and a brother L.P. Smartt of Vinita, Okla., nine grand children, including, Mrs. Jack Wilson, Frank Terry, Dee Ruth and Madolyn Dickson of this city, and five great grandchildren, also survive her.

Mrs. Terry was born in Oxford, Ala., August 11, 1852. She was the daughter of Dr. John Smartt and Essie Smartt. The family moved to Dallas, Texas, in 1865 and in 1871 moved to Bentonville, which has since been her home.

October 5, 1875, she married W.A. Terry, Col Terry was born in Glasgow, Ky., in 1844. When the Civil War broke out he enlisted in Co. F, 6th Kentucky Infantry. He served in the war until 1865. He was made a First Lieutenant at the age of 18. In 1878 he married Miss Kate Smartt. Following her death, he married her sister Miss Susan Smartt. Mr. Terry was engaged in several Bentonville business enterprises and was the head of the largest dry goods store in Benton county for a number of years. He was president of the Bentonville Bank. He died in 1901.

Mrs. Terry was reared in the Presbyterian faith, her father Dr. John Smartt being an elder in the church for 20 years.

Her father, Dr. John Smartt was a native of McMinnville, Tenn., born in 1820, the son of George R. and Ethelia Randolph Smartt. He practiced medicine for 41 years, beginning in McMinnville in March 1847. Dr. Smartt was very prominent, being president of the Peoples' Bank of Bentonville, the Bentonville railroad, president of the Benton County Medical Examining Board, president of the Bentonville Commercial College and vice president of the Bentonville Evaporator and Canning factory He passed away in 1899.

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I do have to question a few things in Susan's obit.  (I am not sure if the obituary was typed incorrectly or if the obit was written incorrectly.) The paragraph states:

 "October 5, 1875, she (Susan) married W.A. Terry" 

Then in the same paragraph it says:

"In 1878 he married Miss Kate Smartt. Following her death, he married her sister Miss Susan Smartt."

See where I am having a problem? How could Susan have married William in 1875 when she married him after the death of her sister who married William in 1878? Not to mention Mary was 5 years in the grave by 1878

*************

I found this on http://www.ancestry.com/.

Arkansas Marriages, 1851 - 1900 about Mary Kate Smart
Name: William A. Terry
Spouse: Mary Kate Smart
Marriage Date: 15 Nov 1871
County: Benton
State: AR


The above marriage information clears up a little bit of the confusion but I still have so many questions.  If you happen to have any more information please feel free to email me.