Mary Catherine Welch Peace Wiley

WILEY, MARY CATHERINE WELCH (1852~1933) Mary Catherine Welch Peace Wiley, Confederate widow, was born April 18, 1852, in Shreveport, Caddo Parish, Louisiana, to Joseph Benjamin and Delilah Barrett Welch. At the age of 18, she married James Polk Peace, on September 13, 1870, in Shreveport, but moved to Texas with her family in 1873. Unfortunately, there is no record of James moving to Texas. It is not known if James died, or if he and Mary divorced.

After moving to Texas, Mary and her family settled in Brazos County, and, on September 14, 1875, married Alabama native and Confederate veteran, William Henry "Bill" Wiley. Bill, who was previously married to a woman named Sallie, had two children of his own, Mary A., who was born circa 1870, and Benjamin, who was born in Texas in October, 1874.

According to the 1880 U. S. Census, Bill and Mary were still living in Brazos County, where Bill was working as a farmer. Following their marriage, Mary gave birth to her first child, Joseph, who was born in 1877. By 1890, they had three more children, two of which were twins, Stella E. and Adell Della Pinkney, who were born August 7, 1881, and Cordelia O., who was born in January, 1889.

In 1907, Bill and Mary moved to Uvalde County, where Bill died on February 5, 1910. Shortly thereafter, Mary returned to Brazos County, where she successfully applied for a Confederate Widows Pension from the State of Texas in 1914. Sometime later, though the date is not know, she moved to Sherman, Texas, to live with her daughter, Stella.

Mary continued to live in Sherman, until November 29, 1927, when she moved to Austin to live in the Confederate Womans Home. After nearly six years, she passed away on March 3, 1933. Following a funeral service at the Home, she was buried in the Texas State Cemetery on March 4, 1933.

Information taken from: Marriage Certificate # 307, Caddo Parish, Louisiana; 1880 U. S. Census; Widow's Application for a Pension, # 30030; Obituary, Austin American, Saturday, March 4, 1933, Page 13, Column 1; Death Certificate #15657; and information provided by descendant, Dwayne Murphy.