Mary was born on the 20th day of April, 1835. in Sparta, White Co., Tennessee. She was the daughter of Nathanial Rickman. Her mothers name may have been Sophia. She is in the 1850 White Co. census in her fathers household along with nine other children. By 1860 she is listed as head of household, still as Mary Rickman, with her own four children, Joseph, America, Lucy, and Tennessee. Although I have not been able to find a marriage license for Mary and her husband David Anderson, I believe there must have been some kind of ceremony for them. David is believed to be the father of all of Mary's children except for Joseph, who always kept the last name of Rickman.
Mary must have moved to Ohio sometime before or during the Civil War, because she signs an affidavit in later years, stating she was present at her brothers first wife's death, who was living in New Richmond, Clermont Co., Ohio at the time, and died sometime late 1864. Then in 1870, we find the whole family together, also in Clermont Co., Ohio. David Anderson is head of household, Mary is his wife, and they have three more children, James Wayman, Thomas Jefferson, and Nathaniel. One more daughter, Carrie is born the next year.
In the fall of 1871, the family started for Kansas. They filed for a homestead in Harvey Co., Pleasent township, section 26. David died on the 3rd day of April, but the family stayed to keep their farm.
Mary Anderson then married her second husband, Orison Grant, on the first day of September 1878. He also had a homestead in the next township, which they sold in two different parts. They sold the first part in 1885 for $1350, and the second part in in 1886 for $2000.00. Mary stayed on her farm until 1910 when she sold it for $8500.00. At this time she had all of the family members who had died and were buried on the farm dug up , and moved to Greenwood cemetery. This includes.
David Anderson d. 3 April 1872--first Husband
Alta Rickman d. 1881--- granddaughter
Estelle Rickman d. 1879---grandaughter
Linnie Rickman d. 1879---grandaughter
America Turner d. 3 June 1872--daughter
Orison Grant d. 3 Feb. 1893-- second husband

Info: on Mary Grant provided by Karen Wall


Evening Kansan Aug. 1923.

Mrs. Mary O. Grant, colored, aged 95, one of the oldest residents in this county died Tuesday night at 11:30 at the home of her daughter, Mrs. T. A. Mayfield, 330 east Sixth. She had been in poor health for a long time, but her death was hastened, it is thought, by a fall she sustained when she fell in her wheel chair off the porch at the Mayfield home several days ago.
The deceased is survived by four children, all of this city, Mrs. T. A. [Lucy] Mayfield, Mrs Carrie Ramsey, Wayman Anderson and Nathaniel Anderson.
Funeral services will be held Saturday afternoon at 2:00 at the C. M. E. Church on West Fifth. Burial will take place in the Greenwood cemetery.