Mary Ann Flowers Harper, 1798 - 1850ish, Johnston County, NC

My 4th great grandmother, Mary Ann FLOWERS,  was born just before the turn of the century -  about 1798 - in Johnston County, NC. She was the 7th of 15 children of Jacob FLOWERS and Pheriba JOHNSON. Her siblings were: 

1. Winifred
2. Edney
3. John
4. Michael
5. Emily
6. Winnie
7. Sally
8. Pherebe
9. Emily
10. Harriett
11. Tempy
12. Martha
13. Jacob
14. Elizabeth

That's a lot of kids! It's little wonder then that she married at age 14 Reddick HARPER on 01 Mar 1812 in Johnston County North Carolina. They had nine children:

1. Ammy who married Aaron W. MASSENGILL on 12 Aug 1851 in Johnston County.
2. Bryant. Don't know much about him.
3. Wilsie HARPER, born in 1819 and died about 1881. She married Aaron MASSENGILL on 25 Mar 1846 in Johnston County. These are my 3rd great grandparents. 
4. Elizabeth Emily born in 1827. Elizabeth may have been named for Mary Ann's youngest sister.
5. Susan Maria born in 1829 and died in 1907 - both events in Johnston County. Her mother, Mary Ann, was living with her on the 1850 census. 
6. Nancy Wiley born in 1835 and died on 24 Feb 1910 in Johnston County. She married Aaron W. MASSENGILL on 18 Mar 1855 in Johnston County.
7. Jacob was born in 1837. He married Willy Jane ATKINSON on 15 Jan 1861 in Johnston County.  Jacob may have been named for Mary Ann's youngest brother.
8. William was born in 1841 in Johnston County.
9. George Robert was born in 1844. He died on 23 Feb 1916 in Raleigh, Wake County, North Carolina. He married Phereby SMITH on 10 Dec 1866 in Johnston County.  His mother Mary Ann was in her mid-40s when George was born. She had her 9 children over a 25 year range!

1850 was the first US census to enumerate women, so Mary Ann shows up then living in District 3 of Johnston County at age 52 living with her daughter Susan. She does not show up on the 1860 census, so she may have died within the decade. 

You should note that some of these facts are documented but others are not. I won't list all the sources here, but if you want to know if I have a source for a particular fact, feel free to drop a note!  Otherwise...do your own research.