Sarah Ann "Annie" Jerry 1869-1948



Sarah Ann Jerry is the oldest and only sister to Grandad Jerry (James Herbert Jerry). She's about 15 years older than him. It's unlikely he knew her well. Most of his life he lived away from her and she moved out before he was very old.

Sarah Ann Jerry called “Annie” was born February 18, 1867 to Robert Jerry and Sarah Harriet Smith. There isn’t a lot of information on Annie. She was most likely born in St. Vincent Township in Grey County. Her parents lived there in 1871 but they moved around so she may have been born in Scarborough Township, Pickering Township or Essex County (these were some of the areas her parents were associated with). 

She is the oldest child of Robert and Harriet. In the 1871 census she has an infant brother William. As she was growing up she knew many of her relatives. In 1871 grandparents on her mother’s and father’s side lived in St. Vincent Township along with aunts and uncles on both sides. She most likely played with her Aunt Adelaide Smith who was just 3 years older. 

By 1881 the family moved, with her Uncle David Jerry. to Essex County, Ontario. Her Uncle James Jerry lived here and it appears that her Uncle William Jerry lived in Essex County also. He died in Essex County in 1884. James died in 1888 so it’s possible the family moved back to Grey County after that. 

By 1891 Annie is married to Daniel Ballard. I have been unable to find the marriage record but in 1881 Daniel is living with his parents in Sydenham, Grey County so it is probable they married in Grey County.

Daniel was a carpenter. He and Annie were married for close to 20 years. They had no children.  Daniel died August 3, 1921 in Meaford, Grey County. There is a lovely stone erected in the Lakeview Cemetery, Grey County for Daniel Ballard and Sarah Ann Jerry. I’m not sure who erected it. It’s telling that Annie’s maiden name is used because she did remarry. 


Sometime after 1929 she married William Wesley Benedict. William, who was born about 1866, had been living on Manitoulin Island but when his wife died in 1929 he moved back to Grey County and it was here he met and married Annie Ballard. Annie was married to William until his death which judging by the information his family put on the internet wasn’t much before she died. She died at the age of 81 on April 25, 1948 and is buried in Lakeview Cemetery, Meaford, Ontario.



The only pictures I have are for her death. 
It’s hard to figure out what kind of life she had. Her parents were farmers, moving around looking for better land and a better life. By the time she and Daniel settled in Grey County it was fairly accessible. Having no children must have been hard on them. But other than that she probably lived the a life of a middle class woman in that era. She would have suffered through World War I and II and all the hardships and deprivation that may have brought.

Sources

_1871 Canada Census; Robert Jerry Household; St. Vincent, Grey North, Ontario; District 37; Subdistrict H-1; Family 299; page 87; Microfilm C9954; accessed October 5, 2013 at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah; Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.
_1881 Canada Census; Robert Jerry Household; Gosfield, Essex, Ontario; District 181; Subdistrict F-2; Family 219; page 45; Microfilm C-13280; accessed October 5, 2013 at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah; Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.
_1891 Canada Census; Daniel Ballard Household;  Sydenham, North Grey, Ontario; District 68; Subdistrict 1; page 33; Microfilm T6339; viewed at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah, USA; accessed October 7, 2013; Library and Archives Canada, Ottawa, Ontario
_1901 Canada Census; Daniel Ballard Household;  Meaford, Grey East, Ontario; District 64; Subdistrict D-8; page 2; Microfilm T-6468; viewed at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah, USA; accessed October 7, 2013 Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.
_1911 Canada Census; Daniel Ballard Household; Meaford, Grey North, Ontario; District 83; Subdistrict 2;  page 2; Item #5630174; viewed at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah, USA; accessed October 7, 2013; Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.
_1921 Canada Census; Daniel Ballard Household; Meaford, Grey North, Ontario; District 73; Subdistrict 2;  page 9; viewed at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah, USA; accessed Jan 19, 2014; from Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.
_Ontario Death Registrations; 1921; Daniel Ballard; Meaford, Grey; #14467; Microfilm MS935 Reel 277; viewed at www.ancestry.com; [database on-line]; Provo, Utah, USA; accessed October 7, 2013; Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Canada.
_Sarah Ballard Death; Meaford, Grey, Ontario; Lakeview Cemetery Headstone; accessed 16 October 2013; http://geneofun.on.ca/names/photo/425758
_ Sarah Benedict Death; Transcription of Obituary; viewed October 8, 2013 http://www.genealowiki.com/bin/view.cgi/Benedict/WilliamBenedict1862; created by DonaldElliott - 21 Sep 2006
_Bethel Miller Collection; miscellaneous genealogy documents, photos, and written memories; Sarah Ann Jerry Death; photocopy of funeral card; privately held by Tara Shymanski; Calgary Alberta.

Daniel Ballard prior to marriage
1881 Canada Census; Peter Ballard Household; Sydenham, Grey North; District 156; page 46; family 204; Microfilm Reel ; Library and Archives Canada; Ottawa, Ontario.

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