Herbert Leslie Merry was born in Starks, Maine, on 28 February 1871 to Asa and Mary (Wood) Merry. Here's his birth record from the Town of Starks town records. He and his siblings are on the left page.
The next record for Herbert was the 1880 US Census. He was 9 years old and the family was still living in Starks. See lines 44–49 in the image below:
Here's a photo of a very young Herbert that was taken at a studio in Caribou, Maine:
The 1890 census, having been lost in a fire, doesn't provide us with any info but the Merry family moved north to Woodland, Maine at some point and they were definitely living there by the time Herbert married the recently divorced Selena (Raven) Carson on 13 May 1894. Interestingly, the marriage record claims that Selena was widowed, but that was not the case. Here is the front of their marriage record:
Here is the back:
On 8 March 1895, Selena gave birth to John Herbert Merry in Woodland. He would be followed by another son, Otto Leslie Merry on 12 January 1897, but Otto would only survive 2 months before succumbing to bronchopneumonia. Their third child, Ruby Geneva Merry, would be born 28 July 1898, also in Woodland.
The 1900 census from Woodland shows Herbert, Selena, and their two surviving children on lines 12–15:
Later that year, the couple's fourth and final child, Bernice Eloise Merry, would be born on 13 August 1900 in Woodland. Here's a photo of the Herbert and Selena from around 1901 with children (L:R) John, Bernice and Ruby:
In March 1974, John Herbert Merry Sr., dictated the family history to his niece, Marie Mae (Gordon) Russell, while visiting at her home in Searsport. Marie wrote it all down and years later, her daughter, Carole, typed up Marie's notes, from which the following is excerpted:
Herbert Merry & Selina (Raven) lived in Woodland for ten years, where all four of their children were born. In 1905 he bought 80 acres of old growth woodland on a road leading out of Washburn village into the Wade plantation 4 miles up into the northern Maine woods. He built a log cabin 18X36. We moved into it in August. The house still had no floor, windows or door. Before winter set in the house was finished with floor, windows floor & roof. Father and I cleared 17 acres of land. I was only 10 years old, but I cut brush and helped. We lived there five years, then father sold it and we moved to Thorndike on a good farm which had an eight-room house, large barn & other buildings.
Here's a newspaper blurb from early on in the Wade years, which notes that Selena and John had been battling typhoid fever, which is caused by salmonella and was very dangerous in those days before antibiotics were available.
In 1909, the family purchased a farm in Thorndike and moved south to Waldo county. Here's a mention of the sale from the 26 August 1909 Sun Journal:
A few months later, the Republican Journal reported what looks like a transfer of that land from Herbert's name to Selena's:
The 1910 census shows the family living in Thorndike, Maine on lines 2–6:
Here's a photo showing Herbert and Selena driving an automobile at the Unity Fair circa 1914:
In less than one year's span, all three surviving Merry children would get married in Belfast, Maine, and move out. Herbert and Selena's eldest daughter, Ruby, married George Gordon on 4 November 1916. Their youngest, Bernice, married Walter Gordon (George's older brother) on 15 September 1917, and then the eldest child, John, married Sadie Dyer on 26 October 1917. The following week, the Republican Journal reported some land-shuffling amongst the Merry family:
A couple of months later, a tragic fire would break out and take a terrible toll on the family farm, as reported by the 10 January 1918 Republican Journal:
By the 1920 census, empty-nesters Herbert and Selena were still living in Thorndike, as evidenced on lines 51 and 52 in the image below:
Herbert and Selena may have considered Belfast their primary residence by late 1920, as that would be listed on the next few notes reporting land transfers:
In the 1930 census, Herbert and Selena were still living in Thorndike and are documented on lines 51 and 52 in the following image:
Herbert's newspaper mentions from this point on were of a social nature:
Herbert passed away on 29 May 1935 in Thorndike. His obituary was printed in the 5 June 1935 Bangor Daily News:
He was buried in Thorndike Center Cemetery where his wife Selena would join him seven years later.
If you see any mistakes or know of information that isn't included here, please