Mary Barbary Grove
Born: 1787 North Carolina
Died: February 18, 1876, Oldham County, Kentucky
Buried: family cemetery behind the Speer family home
near Floydsburg, Kentucky.
Married: Dec. 1805 John Speer in Morganton, Burke
County, North Carolina
General Description:
In physical stature she was above the average size woman; was strong, well built and quite active; had a good, robust, healthy constitution, as any could have. Never was sick until after she was over sixty years of age. She was about five feet, eight inches tall, had blue eyes and black hair. She was a portly good looking woman, with kindness beaming in her noble face. She was a model mother, wife and friend. And was not backward in speaking her mind on any and every proper occasion. It was no matter who, a steamboat captain, congressman or who else, she would have her say and was, nothing daunted neither afraid nor ashamed to converse with anyone. She thought much of her father, and did more for him in his old age than any of his other children, for Father's house was his home for several years, and she knew how to prepare suitable food for him, and did everything for his comfort and welfare. She was charitable and gave many things to the poor and needy. I have said in father's will, that all the children were to get an equal portion and so it was; but in that he willed, that mother was to have three hundred dollars to be loaned out and the interest paid to her annually, which she received from the executors and did loan out.