Family lore states that, in 1786, when three American Indians bearing rifles paid a surprise visit to her home and asked for something to eat, she quickly complied, but took her two young children (James and Hannah) and left the cabin, then hid her children in the woods while she ran to the nearest settlement for help.
Mother of 10 children.
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A tall tale passed down through one branch of her descendants (and, unfortunately, at one time accepted by the DAR before standards of proof were put in place) states that she was an Acadian (Catholic) child named "Marie Junteau" who was separated from her parents and raised by the Mabie family of Westchester County, New York.
Thorough investigation shows that the facts of her life are incompatible with this legend. Moreover, multiple genetic analyses of her descendants strongly suggest that she was a Mabie by birth. Although there is no paper trail proof of her parentage, DNA testing seems to indicate that she was a descendant of the Mabie, Landrin and Sicard families. The most probable candidates for her parents were John Mabie (1730 – 1767) and Susanna Coutant (1734 – after 1770).
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Family lore states that, in 1786, when three American Indians bearing rifles paid a surprise visit to her home and asked for something to eat, she quickly complied, but took her two young children (James and Hannah) and left the cabin, then hid her children in the woods while she ran to the nearest settlement for help.
Mother of 10 children.
══════════════════════════════════════════════════
A tall tale passed down through one branch of her descendants (and, unfortunately, at one time accepted by the DAR before standards of proof were put in place) states that she was an Acadian (Catholic) child named "Marie Junteau" who was separated from her parents and raised by the Mabie family of Westchester County, New York.
Thorough investigation shows that the facts of her life are incompatible with this legend. Moreover, multiple genetic analyses of her descendants strongly suggest that she was a Mabie by birth. Although there is no paper trail proof of her parentage, DNA testing seems to indicate that she was a descendant of the Mabie, Landrin and Sicard families. The most probable candidates for her parents were John Mabie (1730 – 1767) and Susanna Coutant (1734 – after 1770).
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Inscription
In
memory of
MARY,
wife of
Andrew Kiff
died
April 4, 1835
in her 72d. yr