The Perry Family
Erwin and Mary Perry were the second family to live in the Martin-Perry House, the current home of the Powell-Liberty Historical Society. In 1928 the Perry family moved to the 1889 farmhouse previously owned by Mary and Albert Martin. Erwin, an engineer, came to serve as superintendent during construction of the O’Shaughnessy Dam. The couple had six children by the time this 1939 photo was taken. The oldest son LeRoy and wife Mildred are behind Mary and Erwin. Grandma Niel, Mary’s mother, is to Erwin’s right. Donald is not in the picture but may have already been serving in the military. Second-born daughter Ivah, standing next to Mary, eventually served in the military also, as a WAC during WW II. Mary was widowed in 1957 but remained active in the Powell Methodist Church teaching Sunday School while also giving piano lessons to many students who remember her to this day. When she left the house in 1979 to go to a nursing home, Mary had not installed indoor plumbing. The outhouse remains on the property and can be seen when taking a tour. There were many Perry family reunions at Highbanks Park in the early 1980’s with Mary attending in a wheelchair. She died in 1986, the year the Martin-Perry House was rescued from demolition by the local ladies who formed the Powell-Liberty Historical Society.
