Perry of Dawson County
From: Timothy A. Moore tam_md@msn.com
February 15, 2013.
Hello, I am a new subscriber and I am interested in learning more about my ancestor Sarah Perry. She was born about 1851 apparently in Dawson County, GA. She appears in the 1860 and 1870 federal census records as the daughter of Green Perry and Elvira Whitten. She appears in the 1880 federal census as the husband of Harrison Benjamin Mears. She apparently died about 1897, but I have been unable to find any record of her death or burial. I have seen her date of death alluded to as 29 Mar 1897, but have no proof. She was supposedly baptized in 1866 at the Goshen Baptist Church in Dawson County. Any further information about the elusive ancestor would be most appreciated! Thanks,
Timothy A. Moore
From: Jeannette Austin
February 18, 2013. I have found that the Mears/Mears name was spelled Mearse. This comes from the death certificate of a son of Harrison Benjamin Mearse and Sarah Perry. His name was Harley Dallas Mearse who died May 27, 1966 in Andrews, Texas where he had resided for 20 years.
The 1910 Census of Callahan, Texas is revealing. Apparently Harrison had remarried.
Harrison B. Mearse 51 GA
Katie C. 41 Alabama
William L. 21 GA
Homer J. 25 GA
Harley D. 19 GA
Henry A. 16 TN
Mary L. 11 AL
Floyd 7 TX
Newman H. 4 TX
Eula Mearse 1 TX
From these places and dates of birth we can determine where Harrison was residing about the time of his first wife's death (Sarah).
1885 GA
1889 GA
1891 GA
1894 TN
1899 AL
This would place Sarah's place of death in TN or AL, probably TN, because Henry A. was the last child born to her. I searched the published cemetery records of Dawson County and found her father was buried in Antioch Baptist Church Cemetery near the Gilmer County Line. Also, his marriage to Elvira Whitten occurred in Gilmer County on 12/13/1843.
Conclusion: I do not have access to Tennessee nor Alabama records, therefore, I will not be able to locate her place of death. However, there is an excellent chance of acquiring the death certificate. Therefore, I would suggest that you write to the Bureau of Vital Statistics in Nashville, Tennessee and see if her death certificate is there. Also, it would be a good idea to write for a death certificate in Texas for her last child, Henry A. Mearse, born 1894 in TN.
Mearse Death Certificate
Dawson County Cemetery
Gilmer County Marriages