
Mary Ann (Powers) Filley. Photograph from New Hampshire Women. A Collection of Portraits and Biographical Sketches, Concord NH, 1895
Mary Ann (Powers) Filley was passionate about causes. She was eager to try new careers. She was quick to adopt and promote what mattered to her.
At the age of 11, Mary Ann Powers had lost her mother, and as eldest girl had to take on many “motherly” responsibilities, caring for her younger siblings. Her father did not remarry right away, but when he did it allowed her time to attend an academy, at least for one year to get additional schooling.
She left home and moved to New Jersey to gain expertise in the tailor trade. She lived for a while with her maternal aunt in Lansingburgh, New York. It was there she met her future husband, Edward Augustus Filley, who she married at the age of 30. They immediately moved to St. Louis, Missouri where his business was based. She gave birth to several children there. Continue reading