She is Wm W. Cress’ daughter based upon Eller documents of Ashe Co., NC marriages which shows her 1890 marriage to James C. Donnelly and lists her parents as Wm & Elizabeth ( ) Cress and widow of ( ) Foster. (SV-1054)
According to Tom Gentry of Mountain City, TN, she had a brother who moved west and made substantial amounts of oil money and left it to her when he died.
1870 TN census: She is aged 9 and living in Johnson Co. with Andrew Wagner & Susanna Shoun. Note: her maternal grandmother was Rebecca Spears who was the daughter of Elizabeth Shoun so she had a SHOUN connection. (SV-1095)
1880 TN census: Is this her or ID No. 10246 Mary Loretta Cress ?? Living with John H. Shoun (she is his servant) in Johnson co., TN and daughter, Lilly (1). (SV-305 & SV-1095) Note: Another potential SHOUN family connection
She married James Donnelly and they moved to Chilhowie, Smyth Co., VA. (SV-949)
Soon after 1890 she and James C. Donnelly moved to Redstone, Smyth Co., VA (near Marion). (SV-1095)
She had about 6 children with James Donnelly. (SV-949)
1905 She had run James Carter Donnelly off and he was back in Johnson Co., TN. (SV-1095)
1900-1910 she began inheriting oil-related royalties from her deceased brother. She used some of this money to buy a woolen mill in Smyth Co., VA. (SV-1095)