Mary Susan Means Reager was the daughter of Andrew Z Means and Eliza Ellen Holstine. After her Father's death, she was raised by her Mother and her Step-Father, George Washington Reager.

Mary's first husband Thomas M. Fowler, died of typhoid contracted in the Civil War. They had two children that died in infancy.

Mary married Thomas Husted on 26 Oct 1865. Susan was an excellent horsewoman and when she and Thomas Husted married, they both rode horseback to Osceola for the wedding ceremony.

FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM
"THE HUSTED FAMILY, DESCENDANTS OF JOHN & NANCY (CONNOR) HUSTED"
BY DELLA MAE SPURGIN OF WINTERSET, IOWA:
On October 26, 1865 Thomas was united in marriage with Mary Susan (Sukie) Means Fowler (widow of Thomas M. Fowler who died of typhoid contracted in the Civil War. During their brief marriage, she had given birth and lost two infant children). Mary was born march 20, 1843 in Indiana, the daughter of William Fletcher Means and Eliza Holstein Means. In 1856, at age 13, Mary came to Iowa with her two sisters and their widowed Mother, Eliza. Eliza Means homesteaded in Scott Township, Madison County, Iowa, and later married George Washington (Washie) Reager. They lived in or near Peru, Walnut Township in Madison County, Iowa.

Thomas and Mary farmed in Sections 8 and 17 in Ohio Township and reared their family on this farm. Their first home was in a log house where their first three children were born. Then they built a two story frame house, with two bedrooms downstairs and two upstairs. The large upstairs bedrooms were where the boys slept. They had been married several years and had a succession of boys, the first 5 of what would be their 11 children, were boys. Susan needed help with the housework, so two of the boys: Elvin and Charlie, took turns with household duties week by week, until there were girls old enough to help.

The Husteds were a fun loving family and played many practical jokes on each other and birthdays were a particularly hazardous time. Thomas was playfully called Cap'n, and one year, on the evening of his birthday when going upstairs to make bed checks, he stepped into a pan of ice water. As he jumped out, a pan of cold water was thrown on him from above. When he was able to make his way up the stairs in soaking wet pyjamas, all the boys were sound asleep looking innocent as little lambs.
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Mary and Thomas were active members of the Methodist Episcopal Church. They are buried together with their three infant children at Ebenezer Cemetery.
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FROM THE LOCAL NEWSPAPER:
Mrs. Thos. Husted, one of the pioneer women of this county, died on Tuesday night at the home of Robt. Husted, deceased, of Osceola.

Mrs. Husted was called to Osceola last week by the death of her son, Robert S. Husted. She has been in poor health for a number of years as the result of paralysis, and it is thought that a third attack of paralysis was the cause of her death. Her son, Curtis, who is clerk of courts, was summoned to Osceola early this morning and the arrangements for funeral services have not been announced, other than that burial will be at the Ebenezer Cemetery, which is near the old Husted home in Ohio Township.