Mary A. Gill was the firstborn in the large family of Peter Gill and Celia Organ.  Her mother's brothers, the sons of Samuel Organ and Sarah Simpson, seem to have had the most influence on her life. She and her husband, Hamilton Douglass, married in Halifax County, Virginia.   Reverend David Street performed the ceremony on December 27, 1827.   The couple eventually moved to Wilson County, Tennessee, where 5 of Mary's uncles (Enoch, Robert, Cornelius, Simpson and Raleigh Organ) had settled about 1810.

Mary bore 10 children but 3 of those died in infancy while the family was still in Virginia.   She was proud of her sons who grew into responsible family men and who raised large families of their own.   Her daughter, Sarah, died soon after giving birth to a daughter, Caledonia ?Donia? Forbis.   Mary and Hamilton raised this baby as their own.

The move to Texas in 1859 brought property of their own to Mary and Hamilton.  It also brought Caledonia, the granddaughter, to adulthood when she could marry and have her own family.   Hamilton died in 1872 and is buried at the Forbis Cemetery in Northern Collin County, not far from the Grayson County line.   After Hamilton died, Mary lived in Howe, Grayson Co., Texas, with her devoted granddaughter and her husband, James Hanna.

In her Will Mary left her sons the property she and Hamilton had acquired. And she bequeathed to her granddaughter, "Donia", a cow and calf plus several personal items.  Donia's husband was the Administrator of Mary's estate.   How pleased Mary had been that the hard work of her husband, Hamilton, now made it possible to leave something of value to their descendants.

Mary Gill Douglass was buried in the Douglas-Wilson Family Cemetery also known as "Hackberry Cemetery" which is located off a small dirt road in a field of large trees.  Her small tombstone stands today among those of her son, Elijah, and his family.   A life that began in Virginia and made the trip across the country to start anew in Texas, was completed among those she loved, her sons and her granddaughter.

The Children of Mary Gill Douglass & Hamilton Douglass were: John Gill Douglas (1832-1897) m. Ann E. Horn; Sarah J. Douglas (1836-1859) m. Thomas C. Forbis, Sr.; Mary Douglas b. 1839 & died young; Elijah H. Douglas (1840-1888) m. Amanda A. Wilson; Hamilton Douglas, Jr. (1843-1907) m. Nancy A. Stewart; Josephine Douglas b. 1845 & died young; Raleigh White Douglas (1847-1920) m. Charles Emma Lewis.

Sources: Marriage Records for Halifax Co., VA, Wilson Co., TN., and Collin & Grayson Co., TX; Census Records of 1850 for Wilson Co., TN, 1860 & 1880 for Grayson Co., TX; and 1870 for Collin Co., TX; Probate Documents of Grayson Co., TX; Cemetery Inscriptions of Grayson and Collin Co., TX; Family records and information.