Mary Buie, the daughter of Prentiss and Emma Buie, was born on June 15, 1880. Buie was one of nine children who lived in and around Caseyville, Lincoln County, Mississippi, where her family had settled in 1820. Her father was a farmer who received sizable land holdings from his wife, Emma. As Mary Buie’s will and correspondence with her sisters, Prential and Hallie, indicate, Prentiss Buie had considerable real estate holdings throughout Lincoln County. Mary Buie, who had a reputation as a talented musician, writer, and vocalist, benefited from the family’s wealth and attended such institutions as Lexington School and Holly Springs College, both in Mississippi, and Dick White College in Tennessee.

After returning from college, Mary Buie lived in the family home in Caseyville, a local landmark, with her sister, Estell, and managed her family’s various properties. Mary Buie was also an active member of the Ben Salem Presbyterian Church in Lincoln County. Buie’s other activities included corresponding with her sisters, especially Prential, and Hallie, a foreign missionary who served as a teacher and principal in Korea for thirty-five years.

Mary Buie died on January 1, 1955, after a serious illness, and she was buried at the Bethel Cemetery in Lincoln County. She left a substantial estate to her two surviving sisters, Estell and Prential.

The items in this collection include Mary Buie’s last will and testament, photographs of Buie family members and livestock, and newspaper clippings regarding Mary Buie’s obituary, the destruction of the Buie home by fire, and the Buie family generally.

1. Will. 1935.
2. Newspaper Clippings. n.d.
3. Photographs. n.d.