12 Graves of Christmas - Mary Mosier

Mary A. List Mosier, 1843-1897
Farmer’s Wife
 
Buried in Loosley Cemetery, Block 3, Lot 3, north

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Mary Ann List was born August 15, 1843, in Pennsylvania. She was the oldest of seven children belonging to David J. List and Ursula Newell.
 
The Lists had moved to Lee County, Iowa, by 1858, when Mary Ann married Benedict Mosier at the tender age of fifteen. Soon thereafter, the young couple moved to Tyler Township, Hickory County, Missouri, where Mary Ann bore eleven children between 1860 and 1875. Six survived to adulthood. The Mosiers were farmers and, apparently, quite successful ones. Mary Ann’s parents moved to Missouri at about the same time.
 
In the summer of 1861, Benedict Mosier enlisted in Company C, 8th Missouri State Militia Cavalry, serving in Captain William C. Human’s company. The mission of the regiment was to prevent Confederate forces from establishing a foothold in southwestern Missouri. The soldiers went on numerous scouting patrols and engaged in a few skirmishes. Since Mosier’s duties kept him fairly close to home, he was able to make periodic visits to his family. 
 
Mary Ann’s father, David List, served in the same regiment although he was more than forty years old at the time. He died in Missouri in 1868, leaving his wife and five children.
 
Although the Mosiers had a productive farm in Missouri, they moved to Arizona around 1884, as did Mary Ann’s widowed mother and several of her siblings. Possibly the Mosiers’ son Sydney was ill and required a warm, dry climate. He died on 30 May 1886 and was buried in City Loosley Cemetery.
 
Mary Ann undoubtedly lived the life of a farmer’s wife. In addition to the usual household chores, she occasionally worked in the fields and forked hay for the cattle.
 
Late in life, Mary Ann developed heart problems. In April 1897, she resigned her position as a Sunday School teacher because of ill health. While driving home on 14 December 1897, she apparently suffered a stroke. A neighbor moving cattle noticed that the horse and buggy had stopped in the road and came to her aid, but attempts to revive Mary Ann failed. She too was buried in City Loosley Cemetery.
 
Following Mary’s death, Benedict Mosier was much chagrined to learn that Arizona was a community property state and that Mary’s property would be split between him and their children. It had never occurred to him that his late wife owned anything, much less half of the marital assets.
 
Mary Ann’s mother, Ursula Newell List, outlived her, dying in Glendale, Arizona, in 1906. Benedict died on 4 October 1908 and was buried in the family plot in City Loosley.
 
© 2020 Donna L. Carr. Last revised 11 April 2020.

This December, we will commemorate 12 pioneers from our historic cemetery who passed away during this month. Through this countdown, we honor their contributions to our community, reflect on the challenges they faced, and remember the impact they had during their time. While some of their stories are somber, they are an important part of our history, reminding us of the resilience and humanity of those who came before us.

If you would like assistance researching our interred, you can find more information on our website. You can contact us at [email protected] at any time. Thank you for your interest to preserve the history of Arizona's pioneers!