At the time of her death, Nov. 1, 1913, Maria Harris, was the oldest person living in Fountain Green, having attained the age of 90 years.

Although for the last few years her mental faculties have been somewhat impaired, nevertheless she has retained that kindliness of spirit and thoughtfulness for others which has characterized her whole life.

Maria Williams was born January 2, 1823, at Cadiz, Trigg county, Kentucky.  She was the second of four children, two sisters and one brother, who preceded her to the Great Beyond. Her early girlhood was spent in Kentucky, but at the age of 19 she with her brother and sister, joined a band of sturdy pioneers, making their way to Illinois.  Finding an excellent opportunity for making a good start in life they decided to locate in McDonough county. Here she made her home until 1866, when she moved to Hancock county, and made her home there until her death.

Her opportunities for education were limited but she learned from hard experiences the lessons which make the man or woman.

On July 19, 1855, she was married to Henry J. Martin.  To this union six daughters were born, two of whom died in infancy, and Susan Enolia Martin, Eliza Jane Proffit, Sarah Perneca Potter and Henrietta Wertz, who survive her.

When Lincoln called for volunteers, the young husband was among those who joined the ranks; casting aside the longing to stay with his wife and babies, he went to fight for his country.  The mother kept her little family together, bravely looking forward to the time when the war should cease and her husband should come back to her.  He did come back but only for a short time, for the injuries received in the war became really serious and finally caused his death, which occurred in 1866.  As his widow, Mrs. Martin received a pension which helped to keep the little family together.  Through years of privation and hardship she reared her four girls, until they were provided with homes of their own.

In 1885 she was married to James Harrison, who only lived for about four years.  After this she made her home in Fountain Green, living most of the time by herself.  In 1903 her widowed daughter, Mrs. Proffitt came to live with her.  Since that she has been cared for by her.

She will be missed by those who have faithfully cared for her during her old age.   She leaves to mourn her loss her four daughters and five grandchildren: Hill, Walter, Jewell and Nellie Potter of Kirksville, Mo., and Nellie Proffit of Fountain Green, besides a host of relatives and friends.

Her last days were full of suffering but when the end came she gave up cheerfully and lay down to rest as "one who wraps the drapery of his couch about him and lies down to pleasant dreams."

Maria Williams was the daughter of Matthew Williams and Sarah Jones.

The obituary reported that Maria came to Illinois when she was 19 years old.  Based on a birth year of 1823, that trip would have been made about 1842.  If this is true, then Maria must have made at least one trip back to Kentucky, because in the 1850 census, she was counted in the home of her sister, Elizabeth Williams Jones, in McCracken County, Kentucky.

The obituary also says Maria moved to Hancock County in 1866, but she and her daughters were enumerated in Hire Township, McDonough County in 1870.

Her first husband, Henry J. Martin, was born March 7, 1823 (date calculated from tombstone inscription), died July 20, 1866.  He is also buried at Friendship Cemetery.  Marriage License

Pictured at right is an image of Maria's widow's pension application card.  From other widows' files, we know that the amounts provided were small; the statement in Maria's obituary regarding "years of privation and hardship" was likely an understatement.

Henry and Maria's children were probably all born in Hire Township, McDonough County.  They were:

i.	Susan Enolia Martin, born about 1857, died after April 1, 1930.
ii.	Eliza Jane Martin, born February 5, 1859.  She died May 22, 1954, burial at LaHarpe City Cemetery, Hancock County.
iii.	Sarah Perneca Martin, born about 1861.  She died after November 1, 1913.
iv.	Henrietta Martin, born about 1864.  She died on February 3, 1914, at Kirksville, Adair County, Missouri.  Her remains were returned for burial at Friendship Cemetery.
v.	Daughter who died in infancy, burial location undetermined.
vi.	Daughter who died in infancy, burial location undetermined.

Maria's second husband was James Harris.  Married on January 22, 1885, at Fountain Green, she was his third wife.  On the Board of Health document accompanying the marriage license, James reported that he had been born in Green County, Kentucky, which differs from the county reported in his obituary.  His father's name was Josiah Harris; his mother's maiden name appears to have been "Margret" Kirkham.  Board of Health Document

James Harris died on February 28, 1889, in Fountain Green and was buried at Fountain Green Cemetery.

F S Jones, 29, male, farmer, born KY
Elizabeth Jones, 20, female, born KY, could not read or write
Janetta Jones, 2, female, born KY
Maria Williams, 22, female, born KY

Henry Martin, 37, male, farmer, value of personal estate 250, born OH
Marie, 3_ [poorly formed digit, probably 33], born KY, could not read or write
Susan, 3, female, born IL
Eliza C, 1, female, born IL

Dwelling #160
Martin, Mariah, 44, female, white, keep house, value of personal estate 100, born KY [no indication of literacy]
Susan, 13, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Eliza J, 12, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Sarah, 9, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Harriette, 6, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year
Roberts, B H, 37, male, white, farmer, value of real estate 3000, value of personal estate 500, born KY, male citizen of the U.S. aged 21 or more

Dwelling #161
[Roberts] Emma, 28, female, white, keep house, born IL [Mary Evaline, born 1842]
[Roberts] Susan L, 6, female, white, born IL, attended school within the year [Seymour L, male, born abt 1864]
[Roberts] Joanna, 4, female, white, born IL [Jerusha A, born abt 1867]

Despite the discrepancies (shown in italics) in the individuals listed after B. H. (Bainbridge H.) Roberts, this appears to be his family.  The widow Maria Williams Martin was the sister of Elizabeth Williams Jones Roberts, the recently deceased wife of Jesse Gibson Roberts, Bainbridge's uncle.

Martin, Maria, white, female, 54, widow, wash woman, could read but could not write, born KY, both parents born NC
Sarah P, white, female, 18, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born IN, mother born KY
[continued on next page]
Martin, Henriessa [sic], white, female, 16, daughter, single, at home, born IL, father born IN, mother born KY

Harris, Maria, head, white, female, Jan 1825, 75, widow; mother of 6 children, four living; born KY, father born IN, mother born KY

Profitt, William C, son-in-law, white, male July 1855, 44, married for 9 years, born TN, both parents born TN, day labor, months not employed - 7, could read, write and speak English

Elzia Jane, daughter, white, female, Feb 1859, 41, married for 9 years; mother of 2 children, 1 living; born IL, father born KY, mother born IL [sic], could read, write and speak English

Nellie M, granddaughter, white, female, Oct 1895, 5, single, born IL, father born TN, mother
born IL

Harris, Marie, head, female, white, 87, widow; mother of 6 children, 4 living; born KY, father born TN, mother born KY, spoke English, own income, could read and write, owned her home free of mortgage

Proffet, Lizza, daughter, female, white, 57, widow, born IL, both parents born KY, spoke English, could read and write

Nellie M, granddaughter, female, white, 15, single, born IL, both parents born IL, spoke English, could read and write, attended school after Sept. 1, 1909