Asa "Ace" BERRY
Belva Belle MERCHANT

Husband:  Asa "Ace" BERRY
Birth:  11 Apr 1878, Celt, Dallas Co., Missouri
Death: 2 Feb 1922, Leadmine, Dallas Co., Missouri
Burial:  Feb 1922, A. B. Union Church Cemetery, Tunas, Dallas Co., Missouri
Father:  Wesley BERRY
Mother:  Susan GARRISON

Marriage:       28 May 1905, Camden Co., Missouri

Wife:  Belva Belle MERCHANT
Birth:  15 Sep 1888, Missouri
Death:  31 Dec 1945, Lebanon, Laclede Co., Missouri
Burial:  Jan 1946, Hough Chapel Cemetery, Laclede Co., Missouri
Father:  Lewis MERCHANT
Mother:  Elizabeth DUGGER

Children:  
1. Ola May BERRY (Taylor), b: 20 Sep 1905, Celt, Dallas Co., Missouri
                                        d: 28 Jun 1958, Clarinda, Page Co., Iowa
                                     bur: Butler Cemetery, Shambaugh, Page Co., Iowa
2. Warren BERRY, b: 27 Jan 1912, Buffalo, Dallas Co., Missouri
                            d: 31 Jul 2003, Springfield, Greene Co., Missouri
                         bur: White Chapel Memorial Gardens, Springfield, Greene Co., Missouri
3. Oma BERRY, b: 24 Sep 1917, Celt, Dallas Co., Missouri
4. Anna Elizabeth BERRY (Pulley), b: 4 Dec 1920, Celt, Dallas Co., Missouri
                                                  d: 10 Apr 2012, Buffalo, Dallas Co., Missouri
                                               bur: Reynolds Chapel Cemetery, Buffalo, Dallas Co., Missouri  
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Notes:    

1910 Federal Census Data (T624_0778, Page 199A), Miller Twp., Dallas Co., Missouri,
                                                                                      Enumeration District: 15, Enumeration Date: 27-Apr-1910, Family #62

1920 Federal Census Data (T625_0912, Page 238A), Miller Twp., Dallas Co., Missouri,
                                                                                      Enumeration District: 22, Enumeration Date: 25-Jan-1920, Family #73

Ace was murdered by his nephew, Phillip Stone.  From a newspaper article dated February 3, 1922:
  BODY OF DALLAS COUNTY MAN FOUND IN THE NIANGUA
  Officers Believe That Young Farmer Was Murdered
    The Body of A. Berry, Dallas county farmer about 37 years old, was found floating in the Niangua river near his home,
  about 25 miles northeast of Buffalo, yesterday morning. The skull was fractured and the nose broken. County authorities
  are working on the theory that murder was committed, and expect to clear up the tragedy within 24 hours. The murder
  theory is strengthened, the authorities believe, by the fact that another young farmer names Clemmons was found wounded
  and unconscious near the spot where Berry's body was discovered.
    At a late hour this afternoon Clemmons had not regained consciousness long enough to make a statement.
    Dallas county authorities said that all indications were that Berry had been attacked near the river and his body dragged
  through a corn field to the stream.  No positive clues as to the connection between the murder of Berry and the attack on
  Clemmons had been reached late this afternoon.
    Working on the case are Charles Routh, coroner, L. F. Lindsey, prosecuting attorney and Tom Gower, Sheriff, all of Buffalo.
    Berry was probably was murdered, it was said at Buffalo, by being struck with a club, judging from the fractured nose and skull.
  It had not been determined this afternoon with what Clemmons had been attacked.  Berry last was seen Wednesday night,
  Buffalo residents said.  The attacks occurred either Wednesday night or Thursday morning.
A subsequent article states:
  STONE DENIES HE MURDERED BUFFALO MAN
  Nephew of Dead Man Denies Having Any Connection With Crime -- Formal Charge May be Filed
    A formal charge of murder probably will be filed against Phil Stone, who is held by the Dallas county authorities in connection
  with the murder of Stone's uncle, Abe Berry whose body was found in the Niangua river Thursday morning, it was stated last
  night. He probably will be arraigned Monday, officers at Buffalo said.
    In a statement to the officers yesterday, Stone denied having any connection with the murder. He said the Berry was drunk on
  the night of the murder and was barely able to walk, officers said. Berry went to the river to get a drink, Stone told the officers,
  and was gone so long the he (Stone) grew uneasy. Stone said he started out to look for his uncle and found his body in the river.
     He tried to pull Berry's body out of the river but failed, and in the attempt he spattered blood on his clothes, Stone told the
  officers.
    Stone's mother, Mrs. Eliza [sic] Stone, was sent to the state hospital for the insane in Nevada three months ago for treatment. It
  was said that her mind had been unsound for some time.  After she was taken to the hospital, Stone went to live with his uncle,
  Abe Berry, who lived only a half of a mile distant.
    Considering the condition of young Stone's mind, officers said last night, they were hampered in building a case against him.
Another article from February 9, 1922 states:
  PHIL STONE CONFESSES TO MURDER OF ASA BERRY
    According to Sheriff S. T. Gower and other local authorities, Phil Stone has made a complete confession to the killing of his
  uncle, Asa Berry, near the Berry home in the northeast part of Dallas county last Thursday evening, following an alleged
  disagreement. The two had been running a still, according to reports, on the Berry place and several other men had been with
  them during the afternoon, but had departed before the trouble arose.  The first known of the killing of Berry was when Stone
  told some neighbors that evening that his uncle had fallen into the river.  Upon investigation they found Berry in the river, his
  head supported by a limb. He lived several hours although a hammer used in killing him, was buried several times in his head.
  He never regained consciousness. The hammer was found later.
    A still in operation and two gallons of moonshine whiskey were also found in the house. The two men had partaken of too much
  of the whiskey, according to Stone's story and Berry was very drunk. They quarreled and when Berry made a move as to get a
  rock, Stone, as he is supposed to have told the officers, used the hammer on Berry's head and dragged him to the river and
  threw him in.
    Stone was brought to Buffalo Friday by the authorities and is in jail awaiting trial at the March term of the Circuit Court.
    Berry was married and leaves a wife and four children with other relatives.  He was buried Saturday.

By 1930, Belle has an additional daughter born four years after Asa died.

1930 Federal Census Data (T626_1185, Page 46A), Miller Twp., Dallas Co., Missouri,
                                                                                    Enumeration District: 5, Enumeration Date: 21-Apr-1930, Family #84

Belle later married Sam A. Rector.
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Sources:    
1) Marriage:  Camden County Missouri Vital Statistics - Marriages, Vol. 1905, Page 192, #1
2) Death - Husband:  Dallas County Missouri Vital Statistics - Deaths, Cert. #22-004362