Mary Ross was born into slavery around 1836. Her owner was Abraham Jordan, who lived in Saline County, Missouri, prior to the Civil War. While enslaved, she lived with Henry Ross as his wife, even though the two had different owners. The couple formally married in 1862 after gaining their freedom. He died in the war on July 30, 1864, and she continued to live in Missouri. She secured an $8 monthly pension in 1887, backdated to her husband's death. She received steady increases to her pension until her death in late 1894 or early 1895, when the pension agency dropped her from its rolls.