Person:Mariah Dent (7)

Mariah Dent Bird was born Nov 7, 1801. From what we can learn from her earlier recollection of her childhood, Grandmother Bird was left an orphan at 3 years of age. Her father being lost at sea, her mother sickened soon after and died when she was only 3 years of age; leaving her to live with her uncle J. Smith. After 10 years of age she moved with her uncle from Virginia to Kentucky. Near her 20th birthday in 1822 she was married to William Bird of Kentucky, who was a loving and devoted husband until his death which occurred on Feb 14, 1869. She moved with her family to Decatur County in Indiana in 1823 and settled on the farm known as the old homestead, which is now owned by her son Harvey. They resided on this place until 1849 when they moved to the place where she resided until her death on Friday Jan 27, 1888 at 12:30. Mother of 9 children, (5 sons and 4 daughters), She leaves behind her to deplore her loss a part of 4 generations; Her 5 remaining children, 44 grandchildren, 19 great-grandchildren, and one great-great-grandchild. In her earlier days when this country was but a wilderness and neighbors were few; and lifes trials were very hard; there was none more kind as a neighbor; more devoted as a wife; more loving as a mother; and more dearer as a grandmother than she. In the days of her widowhood her every aim and interest was centered in her children and her grandchildren. Very few visits did she make to any of them that she did not leave some token of remembrance, or some deepest kindness done by her dear old hands, to tell that her presence had been there. Though we all loved her and will miss her, she was a homemaker where her work was best known. She united with the M.E (Methodist) Shiloh church in her younger days and there remained a faithful and consistant member up to the time of her death.

Mariah Dent b. November 7, 1801, Virginia father died at sea and mother died when she was 3 years old; lived with her uncle J. Smith moved from Virginia to Kentucky in 1811 d. January 27, 1888, Decatur County, Indiana buried: Shiloh Cemetery, Indiana c: James H., Martha Ann, Benjamin F., William Henry, Samuel Edward, Harriett, Mary E., Minerva, and Henry. Source: Jim Gifford

Of German Descent

(Research):In September, 1857, when he was eighteen years old, Joseph Patterson was first married to Mary Bird, the daughter of William and Maria Bird, natives of Kentucky and Virginia, respectively, who moved to Decatur county, Indiana, in the late twenties. They reared a family of eight children: Harvey, who married Sarah Lowe; Mrs. Martha Anna Johnson; Benjamin, who married a Miss Small; Henry, who married a Miss Davidson; Edwin, who married Charlotte Powers; Harriett, the wife of William Sefton; Mary, the wife of a Mr. Patterson, and Minerva, who first married Jacob Hickman and had four children, Luna, William, deceased; Martha, the wife of Charles S. Reed, who lives in Washington township, and Mrs. Ottawa Baumgarten, who lives in Greensburg. Mrs. Mary Patterson was born on July 31, 1839, and died on May 1, 1908. Four years after her death, Mr. Patterson was again married to Minerva, the sister of his first wife, the marriage taking place on December 9, 1912.

To Joseph and Mary (Bird) Patterson were born seven children, all of whom are stilling living, Mrs. Maria Jane Robison, who lives near Adams and has one child, Millicent; Harriet Elizabeth, who is the wife of J. L. Hamilton and has one child, Cora; Mrs. Nora Olive Ford, who lives at Greensburg and has one child, Mary; John William, of Clinton township, who married Lou Hazelrigg and has three sons, William, Van and Daniel; James, who married Margaret Goddard and lives on the old home place; Charles, of near Adams, who married Dessa Guthrie and has one child, Charles Guthrie, and Mrs. Ina Anderson, of Greensburg. Mr. Patterson died on May 19, 1915, at the age of seventy-six years.

1. ↑ TERRY BIRD. (<a href="http://members.aol.com/tbird91759/genealgy.htm">TERRY BIRD</a>).
2. ↑ Indiiana, Cass. 1850 U.S. census, \i Ancestry.com\i0, Digital images. (http://www.ancestry.com/: National Archives and Records Administration, 2005)
   M432, roll 142, Clinton Township, p. 1, dwelling 6, family 6, William Bird, accessed 17 Jun 2008.
3.   Mariah (Dent) Bird Saturday Review Feb 14, 1888 Greensburg, Indiana.
4.   Saturday Review Feb 14, 1888 Greensburg, Indiana.
5.   Debmurray.tripod.com/decatur/decbioref-11.htm jdeem.
6. ↑ BIRD, MARIAH (1870 U.S. Census)
   INDIANA , DECATUR, WASHINGTON TWP
   Age: 70, Female, Race: WHITE, Born: KY
   Series: M593 Roll: 308 Page: 234