Mary Ann Rood (maiden name: Williams) was born around 1820, probably in Ohio. She married Richard Rood on May 8, 1845, and they had at least seven children: David, born around 1847; John, born around 1849; Mary, born around 1851; Lydia, born around 1854; Martin, born around 1856; Harriet, born around 1861; and Dudley, born around 1864. They lived in Marietta, Ohio, and her husband worked as a carpenter. By 1870, they owned $100 of personal property. Her husband probably died around 1873. She moved to Chicago, Illinois, in the late 1800s, and she earned a living as a teacher there. She died sometime after 1900.