Berry, Thomas 1831-1909

BERRY, BARRY, COOPER

Posted By: Lydia Lucas - Volunteer (email)
Date: 4/7/2012 at 05:13:29

(The obituaries spell his surname Barry, but all of the official estate notices spell it Berry. The Rock Valley Bee for the period of his death is missing from the Digital Archives of Sioux County.)

Thomas Barry died at his home in Rock Valley Friday morning June 25, 1909, full of years. He had been for several years a resident of Rock Valley and vicinity and was esteemed and respected by all who knew him. He leaves a wife and several grown children to mourn his loss. Services were held in St. Mary's Monday morning, requiem high mass being said by Father McCormick of Sanborn, Iowa, assisted by Father Cooper of Alvord and Father O'Rielly of Rock Valley; an eloquent and appropriate sermon was preached by Rev. O'Rielly, pastor of St. Mary's. The remains were taken Monday afternoon to Sheater, Ill., for interment, accompanied by the surviving relatives. In conclusion it may be truly said, a good man has gone, peace to his ashes.

Source: Sioux County Herald, June 30, 1909: Rock Valley.

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Thomas Barry died at his home in Rock Valley Friday morning June twentyfifth at the age of eightyfour years. He had lived around Rock Valley for a number of years and was highly respected. He leaves a wife and several grown children. Funeral services were held from St. Mary's Catholic church Monday June twentyeighth. Father McCormick of Sanborn conducted the services with the assistance of Father Cooper of Alvord and O'Reilly of Rock Valley. The remains were taken to Streater Illinois for burial.

Source: Alton Democrat, July 3, 1909.

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From the Alton Democrat, November 20, 1909: District court at Orange City has been on all week and most of the time has been devoted to the Thomas Berry will case from Rock Valley. Mr. Berry died some months ago leaving property to the value of from a hundred thousand to a hundred and fifty thousand dollars. The suit is brought to annul the will by the terms of which the children of the deceased claim their stepmother is left more of the property than she would receive under the ordinary processes of law. [Lists the jury members.] Many witnesses are being examined and the expert testimony of physicians as to the mental condition of deceased is being taken. [Lists the attorneys for the contesting parties.] The children are John Berry and Mesdames Kane and Ablett and Phelan.

A similar article in the Rock Valley Bee (Nov. 26, 1909) adds that the jury was divided six to six, and that the case will come up again at the next term of court.

A news note in the Alton Democrat, March 26, 1910, says that the contest is now withdrawn and John J. Berry serves as estate administrator without bond.

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A Notice of Referee's Sale (Sioux County Herald, December 14, 1910) lists two parcels of land and a town lot to be sold at public auction, pursuant to a decree in district court in favor of Mary E. Berry as plaintiff against John J. Berry et al. as defendants for the partition of real estate.

A public sale announcement (Rock Valley Bee, December 23, 1910 and other newspapers) shows that he owned a 120-acre farm about 7 miles northwest of Rock Valley, and two dwelling houses in town.
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Transcriber Notes:
According to a report on ancestry.com his wife was Sarah Cooper 1836-1900. Children were – Mary, Edward, John, Thomas, Sarah, Richard, James, Ella and Elizabeth. Thomas evidently married a woman named Mary sometime after 1900, since the controversy regarding the estate involved his children’s stepmother.

A photo of the Berry headstone in Saint Marys Cemetery, Streator, Illinois on the Find A Grave website says: “Thomas Berry, born Mar. 11, 1831, died June 24, 1908[sic]; Sarah, his wife, born Mar. 5, 1833, died Sep. 17, 1900; Edward F. Berry, died Jan 2, 1888 aged 28 years; James W. Berry, did Apr. 12, 1881, aged 21 years; Ellen F. Berry, died Mar. 14, 1888, aged 26 years.”