In conducting research, I came across the Stutler database, part of the West Virginia Memory Project. Mr. Stutler (1889-1970) was a recognized John Brown authority and created one of the most important John Brown Collections. The John Brown/Boyd B Stutler Collection database contains many letters referencing Mary. In this link, is 1967 Correspondence to Mr. Stutler from E. N. Cotter. Mr Cotter, another John Brown scholar, states that Mary’s gravesite was lost for a time, then a wooden marker erected. This is not new information, however, he asserts “in 1965, when the Mammy Pleasant’s home in San Francisco was wrecked, the marble slab over the doorway was carved as a memorial marker. The stone was set with appropriates ceremonies on February 12, 1965.” While the erecting of the marker in 1965 with the wording “She Was a Friend to John Brown” is not new, the potential origin of the slab was not noted in the stories I ran across. The Napa Valley Register Feb 13 1965. 2nd Story from Napa Valley Register The matter is not confirmed; research into the claim continues.
