Geer, Mary "Polly"

Summary

Father: Frederick Geer
Mother: Sarah Reeves

Birth: c1783, Wake County, North Carolina
Birth Source: 1870 Census of White County TN

Death: 1855, Sparta, White County, Tennessee
Death Source: Geer Family Records

Spouse1: Samuel Usery, married 1804 after 1815, White County, Tennessee

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Narrative

Child of Mary "Polly" Geer and Unknown:

1. Ransom Erastus Geer born 01 Sep 1802, Orange Co., NC, died 5 Apr 1885 White, TN

Children of Mary "Polly" Geer and Samuel Usery:

1. Thomas Usery born 10 Aug 1822, Sparta, White Co., TN, died 25 Jan 1898 White, TN
2. John Morgan Usery born 1825
3. Mary Ann Usery born 1827 died 7 Jan 1879
4. Frederick Usery born 1829 White Co., TN

Samuel Usery appears to have been married prior to marrying Polly Geer and deeper research into this family indicates that his older children's mother was not Polly Geer. Those children are Morgan Usery born c1806; Samuel Usery born 1811; died 1864, Carroll Co., AR; William Usery born 1813; Elizabeth Ann Usery born 24 Jun 1815; and Benson Usery born 1809 TN. Previously Phillip Usery born 1815 was believed to have been a child of Samuel Usery but that appears to have been based upon an old LDS Legacy file that was in error.

Mary Geer was the daughter of Frederick Geer based on the affirmation of great-grandson Hull Usrey.

Her son Ransom Geer was born prior to her marriage. Y-DNA of descendants of Ransom Geer have matched descendants of Shadrack Nanney of Rutherford County, North Carolina.

After the death of her husband, Mary Usrey was listed on the White County tax lists with two tracts of land totaling 318 acres which was valued at $1,000 in 1838. She was also listed (as Polly Usrey) as head of household in the 1840 census of White County.

Research Notes

Transcript of comments by Hul H. Usery on his family history dated May 16, 1939: “My father's name is Thomas C. Usrey. He was the son of Sam Usrey and Mary, his wife. Her name before her marriage was Geer, the daughter of Frederick Geer (Ransom Geer was her son) before her marriage to my grandfather, Sam Usrey...”

Sources

1840 Census - White County, Tennessee (HOH)
1850 Census - District 1, White County, Tennessee
The Geer DNA Project by Samuel Taylor Geer
Will of Samuel Ussery WB B p150, White County, TN