After the eighth grade, she started working as a house maid for a family in Tecumseh and later worked in a restaurant and at the Britton Hotel.

When she was about 20 years old on December 14, 1898, Bertha married Maurice Adams who was born in Wales in the United Kingdom  and they had six children:

1. David Royal Adams (1900-1978)
2. Percy Adams (1904-1904 )
3. Pauline Mae (Adams) Clark (September 8, 1905- )
4. Mary Evelyn (Adams) Harper (April 30, 1908- )
5. Christine Bell (Adams) Barnhart (November 21, 1910- )
6. Martha Helen (Adams) Dunny (January 27, 1912- )

They were living in Tecumseh on the corner of Logan and Maumee when their last two children, Christine and Martha were born in 1910 and 1912 respectively. While living in Tecumseh, Bertha and the children occasionally took the train to Britton to visit relatives.

In 1924, Bertha and Maurice were divorced. She married Frank E. Barnhart in 1934 who was her son-in-law's father. He passed away on May 2, 1955 at the age of 75.

Bertha died on February 3, 1958

"Bertha, was born two weeks before Christmas in the little log cabin on the west side of County Line Road.  Bertha stayed with her cousin, Serphina Exelby, a good share of the time while she attended school in Britton, working for her room and board.

Shortly after Percy's death (1904), they moved near Cone where Maurice worked on a dairy farm for a Mr. Wilson. In years to come, David remembered that his Grandma Nancy would ride the train from Britton to Cone. He would see her get off the train and walk out to visit them. On May 17, 1905, Nancy died of a stroke. She was found dead in her home. On August 5, 1905, Charlie Downing sold the little house on Wells St. to Benjamin Beasley."