Harry Neil Fox was Mary's father.
Harry Fox was born 25th of July 1874 - son of David Woodworth Fox and Eliza Jane Crews. The Crews family was from Virginia and Tennessee.

Harry grew up in the brick home which had been built in the early 1830's by his grandfather Crews who also made the bricks used in the home. Harry's mom Eliza died when he was 11 years old. She had been the youngest of 9 kids and when she married in 1869, her father gave her the home and farm of 140 acres. This land was across the road in La Motte Township and adjoined the Crews land to the south in Montgomery Township. Grandfather Crews moved a small frame house on the property behind the brick one. He and his wife lived there until their deaths in 1886 and 1891. For over 100 years, the brick house was heated only by fireplaces.

Harry was well educated and attended Merum College in Indiana. He then taught school at the Mills School - a one room school with potbellied stove and taught all 12 grades. He started his own farm in 1895 when he bought 120 acres from Uncle Martin Woodworth. In 1899 he purchased 40 acres from a Mr. Smith. This property had a log cabin and barn on it at the top of a hill. Harry lived there as a bachelor until he and Josephine Welsh were married in 1900. They had met at the Mills school where Josephine was teaching for the winter. Harry came by the school hauling a load of furniture and saw the "big" boys teasing her - making her cry. He stopped to set them straight.

The log cabin and barn were the only building on the hill at the time. Harry and Josie lived there for 3 years until they built a large frame house in 1903. 2 of the kids were born in the log cabin, while the next 10 children were born in the frame house (which includes Grandma Mary Schipper). Harry was a smart farmer who used conservation techniques including contour farming, crop rotation, land terraces, spillways, and grass waterways to get the most out of his land.

Harry had a great respect for education and pushed for better community schools. He was on the board for the Palestine High School from 1914-1929. He was highly respected by the community, loved by his family, and an honest man in all his relationships with his fellow man.