Mary Catherine Ragle was the second child of Alfred Newton Ragle and Elizabeth A. Diggs

Mary Catherine's father, Alfred, was a commanding officer in the Union Army. He allowed his wounded Union soldier, James Henry Adams, to live in his home to recover. Four months later, Mary Catherine eloped with James Henry Adams to marry on 9/20/1865 in Anderson County, TN

The Sixteen Children of James Henry Adams & Mary Catherine Ragle:
1. Anna Catherine Adams (Christenberry) (1866-1890)
2. Thomas L. Adams (1868-1871)
3. Alfred Newton Adams (1870-1903)
4. Sarah "Sally" Elizabeth Adams (Turner) (1872-1920)
5. Minnie Adams (Wright)(1874-1901)
6. Martha C. "Mattie" Adams (Turpin) (1876-1941)
7. William S. Adams (1878-1878)
8. Benjamin Augustus Adams (1876-1949)
9. James W. Adams (1880-1892)
10. Daisy Lula Adams (Meade) (1883-1923)
11. Infant Son Adams (1885-1885)
12. Maude Adams (Riggs) (1886-1968)
13. Mary Ellen "Mayme" Adams (Cooper) (1888-1966)
14. Stella Evelyn Adams (Russell) (1890-1970)
15. Delray Aetna Adams (McLeod) (1893-1982)
16. Edythe Adams (Lane) (1895-1962)

Mary Catherine and James moved with their children from Tennessee to live in Washington State along with his brother Huston Stevens Adams and family in 1887 to farm wheat. Mary Catherine and James moved back to Tennessee after a little over a year later. In October 1909, Mary Catherine and James moved back to Washington State in an effort to restore Mary Catherine's failing health. Three months later, while in Washington State, Mary Catherine died. James then moved back to Tennessee.

Mary Catherine's Obituary as published in the Harrington Citizen, 1/15/1909:
The chilly hand of death brought sorrow to another Harrington home last week. Mrs. J.H. Adams of Chewelah, Stevens County, mother of Mrs. W. G. Turpin, died January 1st at the age of 58 years. She came to Washington from East Tennessee a little over a year ago in the hope of benefiting her failing health. She was the mother of sixteen children, of whom twelve survive her. Funeral services were conducted at the Baptist church by Rev. J.J. Payseur Sunday at 11 o'clock and the remains were interred in the Harrington Cemetery. May the hope of a meeting beyond the toil and care of this earthly abiding place comfort the bereaved ones in their hours of sadness.