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She was born the daughter of a French immigrant and a woman who changed names like seasons. Raised in a modest house on Jackson Street in Columbus, Indiana, Mary Elizabeth Beyl lived a life that rarely made headlines but quietly shaped the generations that followed her.

The records call her Mary, while her grave calls her Mollie. Her death certificate names one woman as her mother, while the census suggests another. And somewhere in the shuffle, a baby girl named Helen appeared in the household before Mary had her own children.

She married a wagon driver. She bore a daughter late in her twenties. She died too young, with illness written on her death certificate and love written on her stone.

Hers is not the story of a scandal or a rebellion—but of a woman who left behind just enough questions to keep a genealogist curious.

🕯️ Want to meet Mollie properly? Her full story—names, mysteries, and all—is waiting on her family page.

🔗 Read Her Full Story »

💬 Did you know Mary? Hear stories about her, or her daughters, or the Blake family? We’d love to hear what you remember. Leave a note in the comments—every memory helps bring her closer.