Mary Jane Bertram

Mary Jane Manning was the oldest child of Mariah (Mathews) and John Howard Manning so when her father was executed near home by soldiers from the opposing side during the Civil War, she helped her mother take care of the younger children.

Mary Jane already had a lot of experience tending children when she married Elza S. L. Bertram on 26 Oct 1870 in Wayne Co., Kentucky. They became the parents of eleven children, eight of whom lived to adulthood. She died at age 53 leaving Elza to mourn her death the rest of his long life. He never remarried but doted on their children and grandchildren, which were quite numerous.

Mary Jane went by her middle name most of her adult life but her tombstone, next to that of her husband, gives her name as Mary J. Bertram.* Reference: Find A Grave Memorial - SmartCopy: Apr 3 2019, 16:13:35 UTC