Our foremother, Mariah (Newberry)

Mariah, born in 1800, was a Mende woman from Sierra Leone, West Africa.  She was brought to Georgia in captivity from South Carolina by the Wimberly family.  Mariah, a woman of keen foresight and courage managed the affairs of the Wimberly Plantation.  In the year 1818 Mariah gave birth to a baby boy.  The child was named after his father, Charles Newberry, a successful timber farmer and friend of Henry Wimberly.  Charles had migrated to Houston County from England.  The single act of attaching the father’s last name, rather than the last name of the plantation owner, which was customary at that time, secured an accurate identity for the Newberry family.  Mariah, at her young age knew the importance of this single act for generations to come and ensured that it happened.  The Newberry family would eventually purchase 300 acres of land in 1873 from the Wimberly family. 

Her child, Charlie (Charles) Newberry married a young woman named Violet.  The union produced 9 children:  

John Robert Newberry was born in 1843. For many years he resided in Houston County, GA where he was a farmer and Master Mason. He united in marriage with Hester Johnson, born 1849, where the union produced 13 children including Laura, Mattie, Nancy, Robert, Charlie, Virgil, Julius, Lucindy, Sarah, Fishmen Peter, Carrie, and two children who passed at a very young age. John and his family were members of the Haynesville Baptist Church. He passed away at the age of 51 in 1894. Hester later died at the age of 65 in 1914. 

Richard Newberry was born in l842 in Houston County, Georgia. He married Hannah, born in 1932. This union had 4 sons and 3 daughters.  Richard later went on to marry Ellen Anderson, who he had two daughters with. 

George Newberry was born in 1845 in Houston County, Georgia. He died in Fitzgerald, Georgia in 1929, at the age of 84. He married Ida Rutherford and they had 12 sons and 4 daughters. 

Henry Newberry was born in 1850.  He married Catherine, who was born in 1855, and passed away in 1890 at the age of 35. They had two daughters. 

Joseph (Joe) Newberry was born in 1856 and in 1877, married his wife, Laura Haines, who was born in 1860.  This union produced eight children. He died in 1940 in Seville, Georgia at the age of 84.  Laura died at the age of 65.  The two had a long, loving marriage that lasted for 48 years. 

Maria Newberry-Clark was born in 1858. She and her husband Robert Clark had nine children together. Maria, who also lived a long life, lived to be 102 years old when she died in 1960. 

Betsey Newberry- Gilbert (birth info unknown) married Edward Gilbert in October 1877, and they had two children together.  She is our longest living ancestor (that we know of) as she lived to be 109 years old, dying in 1970. 

Thomas Newberry was born in 1840. While we have not discovered any information on a possible wife and/or children, research is ongoing. 

Charles Newberry was born approximately 1863, his life and legacy is also still being researched. 

John Robert & Hester Newberry’s Family

John Robert and Hester Johnson had13 children including Laura, Mattie, Nancy, Robert, Charlie, Virgil, Julius, Lucindy, Sarah, Fishmen Peter, Carrie, and two children who passed at a very young age. John and his family were members of the Haynesville Baptist Church.

Laura Newberry Garmon was born around 1869. She was a housewife and mother of 6 children: Johnnie, Anna Rebecker, Oliver, Orange, Tab and Lawyer. 

Mattie Newberry Ames was born 1872 in Perry, GA. She was a mother of 8: Lizza, Ida Mae, Booker T, Mattie Maud, John, Charlie, Lewis, and Preacher. Mattie died in 1927 at the age of 55. 

Nancy Evergreen Newberry Fuller was born in Houston County, GA in August of 1873. She married Sim Clinton Fuller Sr and their household included Walter, George, Henry, Annie Mae, Sim Jr, Marry Lou, Julius Hampton, John, Alice and Hester. Nancy died on March 8th, 1946. 

Robert Newberry was born on June 6th, 1876. He was an animal doctor and farmer by occupation. He was a Sunday School Teacher and superintendent at the Haynesville Baptist Church. He married the former Emmaline Duhart. Their household included: Horace, John Henry, Jerry, Annie Lee, Lizzie, Nancy, Stonewall, Johnnie Mae, Ruby and Robert Abraham. He died May 18th, 1942. 

Charlie Christopher Columbus Newberry, Sr. was born in Perry, GA in March of 1879. He was a school teacher and farmer by occupation. Charlie fell through a crack in the floor when he was a baby causing damage to his legs. Thus, he walked with crutches all of his life. He married the former Lizzie Hill and their household included: Woodrow, Fred, Charlie Jr, Warren and Fannie. Charlie died on September 14th, 1934. 

Virgil Lou Newberry was born on November 18th, 1880 in Perry, GA. He was a brick mason and did upholstery work as his occupation. He was a member of the Haynesville Baptist Church where he served on the Deacon Board and was a Sunday School teacher. He was married to the former Mamie L. Brown and their household included: Dave, Susie, Betty, Virglee, John T, Naomi, Ethelyn, Mattie, Carrie, and Mamie Ruth. Virgil was killed on a highway by a speeding car in July of 1931 at the age of 51. 

Julius Richard Newberry was born in Perry, GA (birthdate unknown). He was a Baptist minister and school teacher by occupation. He was the author of religious hymns. He was a member of Haynesville Baptist Church. He married the former Alice Lester and their household included: Lester, Edwin, Mildred, Collin, Ruth, Beatrice, Robert and Nettie. Rev. Julius died in 1932. 

Lucindy Newberry Ball was possibly born around 1882. She did not have any children. She died at an early age. The date of her death is unknown. 

Sarah Hattie Newberry Jackson was born in Perry, GA in November of 1884. She was a school teacher by occupation. She also was the owner and operator of a hand laundry business. She was a member of the Haynesville Baptist Church and the Missionary Baptist Church of Florida. She was a member of the American Woodsmen and the Eastern Star. She married Gus Jackson and their household included: Amos, Ruth, Lucille and Ester. Hattie died on June 3rd, 1958. 

Fishmen Peter Newberry was born in Perry, GA but his birthdate is unknown. He was the youngest son of John and Hester Newberry. He was a farmer by occupation. He was a member of the Haynesville Baptist Church. He achieved the level of Thirty-Third Degree Mason. He was married three times and his household included: Essie Mae, Hester, Peter Sherman, Alzater, Ulacee, Rita, Della, Willie, and Barry. He died in October of 1964. 

Carrie Newberry Lott was born in Perry, GA in July of 1893. She was the baby girl of John and Hester Newberry. In her earlier years she was a teacher by profession. After retirement, she did domestic work until she lost her eyesight. Her household included Cecil and Charlie W. Carrie died in April of 1964. 

George & Ida Newberry’s Family

George and Ida had a large family of 11 children that included:

George Newberry Jr born in 1880 in Houston County, Georgia. He passed away November 23rd, 1950 in Wilcox County, Georgia. At this time we have not learned of a possible wife and/or children, but research is ongoing. 

Henry Lucious Newberry born July 9th, 1882 in Houston County, Georgia. In 1905, he married Sylvia Thomas, born in 1884. Sylvia was also born in Houston County, in the city of Haynesville into the Wimberly House -- the same plantation our foremother, Mariah, first came to.  Sylvia died on January 31, 1930 while Henry lived on until 1965, where he died on July 30th – both in Abbeville, Georgia. Henry and Sylvia had a total of 15 children, 8 boys and 7  girls -- Columbus, America, Edison, Olis, Ezra, Beatrice, Carrie, Sylvia “Granny”, Catherine, Lucious, Arthalia, Richard, Walter, Guy, and Vernon.  

Heman Newberry was born in 1897 and died about 1967. We are still researching to find a possible wife/children. 

Corene Newberry was born in 1898 in Houston County, Georgia and died in January of 1928. She spent her last years of life in Birmingham, Alabama. We are still researching to find a possible husband/children. 

Tom Newberry was born in 1899 in Houston County and died about 1975. We are still researching to find a possible wife/children. 

Julius Newberry was born about 1902 and lived most of his life in Wilcox County, Georgia. He died sometime in 1966, the exact date and location is unknown. 

Violet Newberry, named after her grandmother who also raised her, was born October 28th, 1903. She lived most of her life in Sibbie, Wilcox County, Georgia but later on moved to Miami, Florida where she spent her last days. She passed away on February 27th, 1987. We are still researching to find a possible husband/children. 

Bob Newberry was born about 1904. Sometime in his later years of life, he relocated to Dade County, Florida where he died on September 17th, 1987. 

Bettie Newberry was born October 20th, 1905. In about 1926, she married her husband, Hogan Hill (1906-1955). She passed away August 21st, 1974 in Miami, Florida. We are still researching to see if the union produced any children. 

William “Dub” Newberry was born about 1910 in Wilcox County, Georgia. Information on his death is unknown, however we are still researching. 

Raulum Newberry was born on February 27th, 1915 in Abbeville, Georgia. He and his wife, Arsie Mae, lived in Miami, Florida together until his death on January 15th, 1978.