Mary Virginia was born after the close of the War Between the States, the child of two second cousins who had lost their spouses to the war & had children to care for. Because of that, both her parents were descended from different sons of Richard Bailey, {the early settler of the area that became Bluefield} - therefore she was Richard's 2nd great granddaughter,
and the great granddaughter of his son Richard Bailey II and Isabel Ferguson
(the daughter of Revolutionary War soldier Samuel Ferguson & Mary Jameson) -
also the great granddaughter of his son John Bailey & Nancy Davidson {the daughter of John Goolman Davidson and probably Martha Draper} - whose family settled in what is present day Bluefield.

Mary and her sister Arminta were the children of this second marriage.

On the 17th of December, 1885; she married James W. Taylor in Mercer county, WV.

Her childhood was hard, and her adult life harder. In spite of that, her daughters and granddaughters declared her to be "as sweet as the day is long" (high praise, in the hills). She cared for family and extended family and was known to offer room and board occasionally.
She was a member of the Godfrey (Crystal) Christian Church.
She and her husband struggled to farm this rocky ground their entire lives. Her children and grandchildren all worked in the fields, for the time they lived here. Mary never had electricity or things to make her life easier. Water was carried from a spring - emotional stories were told of the copperheads along the path, and of the buckets dropped, by Mary's granddaughters; who never stopped detesting snakes afterward. Though heart trouble and diabetes added to Mary's hardships, she still lived to be 72. She lies now with her close family above where her house once stood. Her house was the home of her daughter Virgie's family until it was consumed by fire. Nothing remains of the homes that once stood on the hill called Taylor Mountain in Mary's lifetime - her grandchildren always say "up on the mountain" when speaking of it, and call it "home".
James outlived her, but did not remarry.
Little stories she told her daughters, daughters-in-law, and older granddaughters proved that she had a sense of humor to help her cope, and to tolerate James, Sr.
Her sons were Oliver, Raymond, (Luther)Albert, Leonard and James.
Her daughters were Vergie, Mary, and Virginia'
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Mary died at her home on Thursday, survived by her husband; sons Albert and Leonard, her daughters, three sisters and a brother. Services were held at her home on Saturday afternoon, with the Rev. Sublette.

Pallbearers were Charlie Beggs, Watson Minnix, SH Watson, Phil and Isaiah Hill, LW Reece, Arthur Severt and Zackie Stowers.
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The photo is PROPERTY OF THE FAMILY, date unknown, cut very small; previously owned by Mary's daughter in law, Violet J. Rose Taylor. It is the only image we have of James and Mary.
Her son Luther Albert Taylor was called Albert by the family.
WRITTEN BY AYE AIN'T, MEMBER 47409320