Marie Henrietta Pauline Simpson

Birth: Mar., 1871 Schleswig-Holstein, Germany Death: Jul. 22, 1927 Ontario San Bernardino County California, USA

Marie Henriette Pauline Maas was born March 1871 in Sonderburg, Schleswig-Holstein, Germany. Her parents were Johan Maas and Margrethe [Bodker] Maas. Her sisters were Annie and Tina Maas and her brother was Madsen Maas.

Marie married Rufus Alexander Simpson in 1891 at Los Angeles, California and they had two sons, John Arthur and Robert Fredrick Simpson. The family continued to live in the Los Angeles area until Rufus heard about the gold rush in Alaska. He then set out on a two-year trip by sea and then overland in a futile search for gold.

The details of Rufus' trip were made public when his letters (beginning October 22, 1897), all of which Marie had saved and then passed down through the family, were published in two special editions of Alaska Magazine in 1996. The letters all began with "Dearest Wife and Babies", and then went on to detail his trek through the Alaska winter to reach the gold fields by the following spring.

After two years of searching in rough terrain and bitter weather, Rufus succumbed to consumption (tuberculosis) and/or scurvy soon after returning to California without having discovered gold.

Marie later married Martinus 'Martin' Petersen on Aril 6, 1901 in Florence, California and they had three children: Anne Margaret, Walter Rufus and Christian Shelton Petersen.

Marie died July 22, 1927 in Ontario, California. Martinus followed her in death on June 20, 1949 and they are laid to rest together at Evergreen Memorial Park in Riverside, California.

Family links:

Spouses:

 Rufus Alexander Simpson (1871 - 1899)

 Martinus 'Martin' Petersen (1871 - 1949)*

Children:

 John Arthur 'Art' Simpson (1892 - 1959)*

 Robert Frederic Simpson (1897 - 1961)*

• Calculated relationship

Burial: Evergreen Memorial Park and Mausoleum Riverside Riverside County California, USA