Isaac Harrison Berry
and
Christena Nail Berry
(Biographical sketch by Clarene [Mrs. James M.] Russell.)
Isaac Harrison Berry married Christena Nail, daughter of
John and Martha Ray Nail, in Shelby County, Indiana, October 19, 1842. He was born in Ohio and Christena was born in Shelby County, Indiana. They were both buried at Wanamaker, Indiana, in the old section of New Bethel Church Cemetery. She was the daughter of John Nail (1799-1875) and Martha Ray Nail (1803-1865), who were born in North Carolina and married about 1820 in Rowan County of that state. They both died in Illinois and were buried at Cherry Grove Cemetery near Butler, in Montgomery County [IL], on land donated by John for
use as a community cemetery. He was the son of Henry Nail
(1771-1827) and Mary Keller Nail who
emigrated from North Carolina to Shelby County, Indiana, in about 1824. Martha was the daughter of
Revolutionary soldier, Thomas Ray (1762/3-1829) and E
lizabeth Pearch (Pierce) Ray (1767-1844).
The Ray family had come to Shelby County, Indiana, from North Carolina, in about 1822. Both Thomas and
Elizabeth are buried in the Brandywine-Center Cemetery, also known as Ray or Center, in Brandywine
township, Shelby County, Indiana.
Christena Nail Berry's husband Isaac was a farmer and dealt with the selling of livestock that was
purchased from all over the country. Isaac made many a cattle drive to Cincinnati, Ohio. It was during
one of these drives that he contracted tuberculosis and died at the age of thirty-five. The tradition of the
cattle business continued for three generations. In the later years, a large livestock barn which carried the
name of "S. A. Berry and Sons Livestock Company" was constructed. The Berry family was noted for
their fine breed of horses, also.
On February 18, 1860, Christena Berry purchase from J. K. and Pauline Allen, in Marion County, for
the sum of $1025.00 32 additional acres to the land previously purchased in sections 33 and 34.
Supposedly most of the Berry family moved to Washington Territory, settling in Milton, Oregon.
After the death of Isaac, Christena married David Snyder (Snider), the former husband of her sister,
Elizabeth. That marriage ended very shortly in divorce.
All of Christena's children were by the first marriage:
Mary Evaline 'Evie' , was the oldest child, born October 27, 1843, in Indiana. She married on August
17, 1862, in Shelby County, Indiana, Thomas Alexander Russell.
Lucinda was born January 8, 1844, and died September 4, 1845.
The third child was Miles Orpheus Berry, born January 15, 1849. He married Jane Clark (1851-1934).
They were the parents of ten children.
George Walker was the fourth child, born March 14, 1851, and died in 1925. He married Mary
Elizabeth Stephens (1859-1924). They were buried at Buck Creek Christian Church Cemetery in Marion
County. There only child, Claude, died May 14, 1891, age two years.
Henryett, the fifth Berry child, was born November 15, 1855 and died March 31, 1884. She and
Lucinda were buried with their parents in New Bethel Cemetery, old part, and Miles Orpheus and his
wife in the new section.
The sixth child, Manervy Berry, was born October 19, 1858 and died in 1924. No further information.
It is interesting that there were other Berry's buried close to the graves of the Isaac Berry family and that
there was in the 1850 census of Franklin township, Marion County, Indiana, a William H. Berry, born in
Kentucky, living several houses away from Isaac Harrison Berry. There is a possibility that these were
the family of Isaac Berry, who had all died before Isaac, as there had to be someone to place the markers.
The list of children of Isaac Harrison and Christena Nail Berry was taken from the family Bible and
cemetery records.
Submitted by Melinda Weaver
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