Mary Ruth "Polly" York is the seventh child of thirteen children born to Henry York and his first wife Eve Dorthy Weir. In about 1780 in Randolph County North Carolina Mary, age eighteen, married Joel Routh, age twenty, a neighbor and fellow church member of Sandy Creek Baptist. It appears Mary Ruth"Polly" York (1762 - 1814) could have been a twin sister of Jemima "Gemmie" York (1762 - 1812) or merely born in the same year 1762. Without the typical documentation for a marriage bond, the certainty of the date of their marriage is based upon an estimated birth year of their only known son, Henry Routh and the birth years of the grandchildren. The middle name of "Ruth" maybe an incorrect spelling of "Routh" found on her soapstone maker per the Lawrence Routh reading in 1973, but missing in 1997 and 2016.

Her gravesite was located in row 8 plot 6. According the late Routh Genealogist Lawrence William Routh in his 1977 book "The Rouths Of Randolph County, NC" on page 173 is confirmation of her grave site. He states, "In the Sandy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery near the grave of Shubal Stearns are two small soapstone grave markers with the following inscriptions:

"Joel Ruth, Dec(eased) 1816" {Re-Discovered after cleaning in April 2016; it reads:"Joel Routh, Dec(eased) 1818"}, Find A Grave Memorial# 148703848 and "Polly Ruth 1814", Find A Grave Memorial# 148704579.

The Randolph County Genealogical Society also acknowledges that the maker is missing in 1997 per page 135 of the "Randolph County Cemetery Records, Volume IV"; It reads: "Polly Routh, Dec(eased) 1816" on top of page 135}

In April of 2016 Franklin Allred and Dennis York were working in the Sandy Creek Baptist Church Cemetery preparing for the installation of two new memorial markers on 16 April. One new marker was for Jeremiah York (1683 England - 1765 NC) and the other was for her sister Jemima "Gemmie" York (1762 - 1812)who married Edmond Hays. Repeated applications of D2 solution plus light scrubbing and water with a soft brush was used to clean the unreadable soapstone marker of Joel Routh. A lot of water for rinsing clearly revealed the inscription on the Joel Routh marker that can be seen in Find A Grave Memorial# 148703848.

In 1977 Lawrence Routh stated on page 135: "These are apparently the original markers placed at the graves soon after their deaths and burials. These are the oldest markers of Rouths in the area that have been found."

On 19 April 2016 Franklin Allred and Dennis York using archeologist deep probing tools located three significant gave sites in the same row 8 at field stones as the soapstone marker of Joel Routh. They located a grave site next to Joel Routh that no doubt is the location for his wife Mary Ruth "Polly" York. This is believed to be the location where Lawrence Routh identified a small soapstone maker for "Polly" York Routh in 1973. The other graves sites located in Row 8 are believed to be a brother, Jacob Routh, and his wife, Martha "Mollie" York. Two additional grave sites were located in the next row 9 that are believed to be the parent's grave sites of Joel Routh and Jacob Routh's; namely, Zachariah (Zacheus) Routh Sr. and his wife, Hannah Jane YORK at two tall black soapstone slabs with no readable inscriptions.

Both men, Franklin Allred and Dennis York, were trained by the the North Carolina State Archeologist how to respectfully use archeological probes to determine these colonial era grave sites.

A new footstone was installed on 10 May 2019 with teamwork by Franklin Allred, John York, Mark York, Dennis York, Lynn Routh, and Ryan Jones. About 45 Routh and York family members were present for the 11 May 2019 dedication by Rev. Travis Brock.