Mary Pierce, wife of Zephaniah Phillips, was born 10 November 1844 in Harrisburg, Saline County, Illinois, daughter of Jarvis Pierce and Elewisa Hubbard. She married Zephaniah 2 October 1862, shortly after he deserted from Co. F, 56th Illinois Infantry and was dropped from the rolls. In less than a month he enlisted in Company F, 120th Illinois Volunteers, as a 2d Lieutenant.

Zephaniah died in 1903 but Mary lived until 1929. She lived with her daughter Anna the last several years of her life. Although the main cause of death was myocarditis, or inflammation of the heart, she suffered for many years from uterine fibroids. When she died, at the age of 84, she was living at 5219 4th Ave. in St. Petersburg.

Her mother's name on the death certificate is given as Adyline Rumsey. If you look carefully, you can see that there was another name written underneath. Mary's mother was Elewisa A.R. Hubbard. The A.R. must have stood for Adyline Rumsey. Elewisa left her second husband, Jarvis Pierce, in the mid-1860s, after which Jarvis filed for divorce. Elewisa, when she left him, told him not to come looking for her . Soon after the divorce Jarvis married the housekeeper, Unity Barnes. Jarvis and Unity had a daughter, Madora Pierce, born in 1860 while Unity was living with the family as a servant. This may have been the reason that Elewisa left. And, to keep Jarvis from finding her, she may have changed her name to Adyline Rumsey. It is not known what happened to Elewisa after she left Jarvis. It was during this time period that Mary married Zephaniah. She was only seventeen and may have been happy to leave the discord at home.

Mary and Zephaniah are buried together in Greenwood Cemetery in St. Petersburg.


Related Links
Main page for Capt. Zephaniah Phillips, with links
Biographical Sketch of Zephaniah Phillips, Mary's husband
The Pierce Family
Biographical Sketch of Jarvis Pierce, Mary's father