Mrs. Barry, 81, Pioneer, Died Today

Early Pioneer in this Vicinity Dead; Catholic Funeral Mrs. Mary Barry, 81, widow of Michael Barry and one of the best-known of the Blair and Washington County pioneers, died early today at Methodist Hospital in Omaha, where she had been taken Tuesday.

Ill since suffering a stroke February 22 while visiting at Gary, Indiana, Mrs. Barry had been brought back to Blair ten weeks ago and until going to the hospital had been cared for at the home of Mrs. Hazel McBride.

The Bendorf Funeral Home, in charge of arrangements, reported at noon today that funeral services will be held at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church, but that the time was not yet certain. Those interested are asked to call the Funeral Home.

Mrs. Barry, as Mary Maney, came to Blair vicinity in 1865 as a young girl. Following her marriage, she and Mr. Barry farmed for many years in the McCarthy district south of Blair. Mr. Barry's death occurred in 1913.

Mrs. Barry is survived by six sons, Joe and Charles of Omaha. James F. of Los Angeles, John of Blair, Paul of Fort Calhoun and Bryan of Walthill; and four daughters. Mrs. James S. Thompson (Mary) of near Blair, Mrs. Edgar Rose (Anna) of Ellensburg, Washington, Mrs. Agnes Sip of Omaha and Mrs., Howard J. Rugg (Grace) of Gary, Indiana. A son, Tom, died in March, 1940. Mrs. Barry also is survived by a large number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren.

#2-23 July, 1942 - The Enterprise - Mary (Maney) Barry

FINAL RITES HELD FOR MRS. M. BARRY MON. MORNING

Pioneer Woman, Born In 1861, Had Lived Here 78 Years

Final rites for Mrs. Mary Barry, 81 year old Washington County pioneer, were held Monday morning at 8:30 o’clock from the Bendorf Funeral Home and at St. Francis Borgia Catholic Church at 9 o’clock. Burial was made in the Blair cemetery beside the body of her husband who preceded her in death twenty nine years ago.

Rev. Father Thomas Carmody officiated at the services; assisting him was Father Maurice Aspinall of Des Moines, Iowa, a nephew of the deceased woman. The Requiem Mass was sung by Mrs. Barry’s niece, Mrs. Ray Carroll and Dr. Carroll of Laurel, Nebraska. Pallbearers were the following grandsons: Thomas Barry, Jack and Edward Barry, Richard Sip of Omaha; Bernard Thompson of Blair; and William Barry of Hastings.

Many out of town relatives and friends, in addition to a large number of local friends and former neighbors, were present for the funeral and for the recitation of the Rosary Sunday evening.

Mrs. Barry, who had been ill for some time, passed away at the Methodist Hospital in Omaha last Thursday morning, July 16th.

Mary Maney, born in 1861 at Trenton, New Jersey, came with her parents at the age of 3 to Washington county. As pioneer trail blazers, the Maney family settled at Garryowen south of Fort Calhoun and later took up a homestead near the present Maney School.

In 1879 she was married to the late Michael Barry; they later moved to the present Barry farm south of Blair. To their union were born nine sons and four daughters. Two sons passed in infancy and Tom, the eldest, died in March, 1941. Left to mourn her passing are Mrs. J. S. Thompson and John Barry of Blair; Paul of Fort Calhoun; Joe, Charles, and Mrs. Sip of Omaha; Anna Rose of Ellensburg, Washington; James of Los Angeles, California; and Mrs. Howard Rugg of Gary, Indiana. There are also twenty seven grandchildren and eleven great grandchildren.

~~~ Obituary courtesy of the Washington County Genealogical Society. Newspaper clippings on file in the Blair Public Library at Blair, Nebraska.~~~