JOEL S. BERRY, farmer and breeder of Short-horns, etc., P. O. North
Middletown, is a native of Bourbon County, and was born Feb. 24, 1830.
His great-grandparents were of English birth. He grandfather Bazil Berry,
and his son Benjamin, emigrated from Maryland, their native state, about
the year 1790, and settled in Bourbon County, Ky. Benjamin was born at
Hagerstown, Maryland, in 1772, and was first married, shortly after his
arrival in Kentucky to Miss Bowen, a sister of Benjamin Bowen who is well
known in the northern part of this County. By this marriage there were ten
children. He next married Elizabeth Gault, of Chambersburg, Penn.; the
result of this union was two children, one daughter Amanda, who is now the
wife of Dr. N. Cannon, of Scott County, Ky., and one son, Joel S. who is
the subject of our sketch. He remained at the homestead and assisted his
father in the duties of the farm until his father's death, which occurred
on the 3rd of April 1847. Joel was educated at the country schools in his
immediate neighborhood, and on the 6th of January 1853, was married to
S. Kate, daughter of John Butler, a native of Virginia. This union was
blessed with nine children, two dying in infancy. There are living two
sons, Walter G., and James Patterson, and five daughters, Alice M., who is
now the wife of C. W. Cannon of Missouri, L. Florence, Carrie W., Sallie
K., and Annie L. On Sept. 10, 1878, Mr. Berry lost his wife, and on Feb.
1, 1881, was again married, to Miss Mary K. Ware, who was born in South
Carolina, but raised in Atlanta, Ga., by an uncle. She was one of the
ladies that were sent from that city by Gen. Sherman in 1864, under his
general order, that all the women and children should leave the city,
that were able to do so. Mr. Berry has been speculating in short-horns
for twenty-five years, and for the past few years has been a successful
breeder of the same. He has also been a breeder of trotting and saddle
horses and Cotswold sheep for the past twenty-eight years. Mr. Berry
owns 380 acres of land, is one of the representative farmers of his
county; has always been a very active and energetic man and ever alive
to the progress and advancement of his end of the county. He was
instrumental in building the North Middletown and Winchester, and North
Middletown and Owingsville Pikes; was for fifteen years President of the
first named road, and for two years President of the other. Mr. Berry
was also one of the principal laborers in getting u0 the stock, and
effecting the organization of the North Middletown Deposit Bank, in
1869; he has been a director of the same since its first organization,
and in January, 1881, was elected President of that institution, a
position he still occupies. He has been a prominent member of the
I.O.O.F., and was one of the charter members of Williams Lodge, No. 113,
at North Middletown, and was the first member of pass through all it
chairs. Mr. and Mrs. Berry and his five eldest children, are all members
of the Christian CHurch, in which he has filled the office of Deacon for
many years. Politically he belongs to the dominant party of his State,
and is ever ready, at State or national elections to cast his ballot with
the Democratic party.
