Sarah Ann Henderson (maiden name: Barrow) was born on March 4, 1825, in Madison County, Illinois, to William and Cynthia Barrow. She married Andrew Gillespie Henderson on October 6, 1846, and they had at least six children: John, born around 1848; Sarah, born around 1849; Matilda, born around 1852; Alice, born around 1856; James, born around 1861; and Anna, born around 1863. They settled in Maquoketa, Iowa, and her husband worked as a newspaper editor there. By 1860, they owned $5,000 of real estate and $500 of personal property. Andrew served in the Union army from 1862 to 1864. By 1870, they owned $10,000 of real estate and $4,000 of personal property. Sarah died on April 21, 1879, in Maquoketa, Iowa.