Wiley P. Berry

Second Great Grandson of Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry

Ancestors:

  1. Generation  Robert and Mary Williamson Berry
  2. Generation  Robert and Elizabeth Cate Berry
  3. Generation  William Berry and Hannah Cate
  4. Generation  Thomas Person Berry and Sarah Lunsford
  5. Generation  John Robert Berry and Elizabeth Francis Bowling

Marriage:

Wiley P. Berry married Ida Ann Wilson June 2nd 1895

Wiley P. Berry was born in Orange County North Carolina on September 8. 1869. He died on May 12 1965.

W P Berry and his brothers

Their Children

  1. William Eugene Berry
  2. Mary Elizabeth Berry August 23, 1899 – November 13, 1957
  3. Thomas Young Berry May 11, 1903 – June 8, 1925
  4. Sally Malena Berry b.July 20, 1908 – d. March 19 2002
  5. Woodrow Wilson Berry April 3, 1912 – May 3 1989
  6. Wiley Harold Berry Mar 9, 1914 June 24, 2006
  7. Infant son September 23, 1916 – Sept 23, 1916
  8. Wiley P. Berry Jr. Sept 1, 1919 – August 18, 2007

berryhome Wiley P. Berry was born in Orange County, North Carolina, and lived there all of his life and died on May 12, 1965 at the home of his oldest son, Eugene Berry. W. P. Berry was my grand father and I have a lot of memories and stories to record about my grandparents.Grandpa married my grandmother on June 2, 1895 at the home of her parents, Charles

Eli and Mary Jane (Molly) Coleman Wilson.The Brides father had prepared a room above his kitchen for their first honeymoon night. Naturally all of the bridal party and family members gathered in the kitchen and made lots of interesting remarks in very loud voices. The next morning was Sunday and the newlyweds were leading the family procession in their own buggy to church which was several miles away . Grandma raised her umbrella and lowered it behind her back so grandpa could kiss her without the family seeing . My how customs have changed.

Above and on the left is a tintype picture and the oldest picture I have of my grandfather. This picture must have been taken circa 1890. Above and on the right is a tintype picture that was taken in 1882 when my Grandmother, Ida Ann Wilson was 6 years old. After my grandparents were married Grandpa’s father,  John Robert Berry gave Grandpa and his bride  100 acres of land. and Grandpa built the house that you see at the top of this page.The other picture on the right may have been taken in 1895 when Grandpa got married or graduated from School. . The young family picture in the oval frame was probably taken around 1902. Mary Elizabeth Berry (Aunt Maye) standing beside her father was about two years old and (Uncle Gene) William Eugene Berry age five was beside his mother.

Grandpa was a tobacco farmer and also trapped wild animals for their pelts. I am reasonably sure he learned these vocations from his father.I can remember seeing the furs stretched on drying boards hanging on the west side of Grandpa’s House. Mother told me that when Grandpa sold his tobacco in Durham N.C.or Danville Va. He would return home with his wagon loaded with  new shoes, bolts of cotton material, Sugar, Coffee, and other staples for the next year. Grandpa was a great hunter and fisherman and even in the thirties would take trips to Hyde County, North Carolina, to hunt and fish at lake mattamuskeet . Once when he was visiting us in Raleigh Grandpa and I  went fishing. We were using cane poles and as luck would have it the bass were biting, but only on my bate for some reason. Grandpa was trying to tell me how to hold the line tight so the fish could not get away. I was not a very good learner apparently because they all got away and Grandpa was very frustrated by all of this. The picture on the left is Ida Ann Wilson Berry and Wiley P. Berry Sr. sitting on the south end of the porch that faced Brown Road. In 1932 Grandpa was elected County Commissioner for Orange County North Carolina. He served the county in that office until 1936.

This picture on the left was taken in 1925. From left to right is Sally Malena Berry age 17, Mary Elizabeth Berry age 27, Woodrow Wilson Berry age 13, William Eugene Berry age 29, Wiley Harold Berry age 11, Ida Ann Wilson Berry age 49, Wiley P. Berry Jr. age 6, and Wiley P. Berry Sr. age 56. This picture was most likely taken about June the 10th 1925. I say this because my Uncle Thomas Young Berry died on June 8, 1925 from typhoid fever. I think this picture may have been taken after his funeral.Thomas was only 22 years old. Thomas Berry and Hattie Davis were planing (see picture on right)
to be married later this same month. These were all of the children that Wiley P. and Ida Ann Berry raised to adulthood.
Grandpa served on the Orange County Board of Commissioner from 1932 until 1936.

Tragedy struck our Berry family once again on May 4th 1941 when my grandmother was hit and killed by an automobile. Grandma was sixty five years old at the time of the accident and most likely would have lived a great many more years. Her Father grandpa and grandma BERRYdied at the age of 96. Grandpa and Grandma are sitting together in the picture on the left. This picture was taken shortly before Grandma was killed. I remember that Grandma Berry was concerned about the war that was going on in Europe and she thought our country would be drawn into the it. Since The Japanese attacked Pearl Harbor on December 7th 1941 Grandma  never knew anything at all about World War Two. On the right Grandma is sitting on the bumper of their 1934 Plymouth.

wp children 1941

The picture above was taken when the Children gathered for Mother, Ida Ann Wilson Berry’s funeral in May 1941.

Little River Township, Orange County, North Carolina

Census Information And Neighbors:

“ THE 1930 CENSUS IS THE LAST AVAILABLE CENSUS ”

Census Information:

  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1900 Orange County North Carolina Census
  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1910 Orange County North Carolina Census
  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1920 Orange County North Carolina Census Page 1
  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1920 Orange County North Carolina Census Page 2
  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1930 Orange County North Carolina Censu
  • W.P. Berry listed in the 1940 Orange County North Carolina Census