Maria D. Johnson was born about 1844 in Massachusetts.

During the Civil War, her husband Lewis Legare Simpson served with the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. For over a year after he enlisted, she raised her two toddler daughters Ruth (b. 1861) and Isabel (b. 1863) on her own while her husband and all of the enlisted men of color in the 54th Massachusetts went without pay while interested parties fought in Congress for pay equal to what had been promised, and what was being paid to white Union soldiers.

Private Simpson survived the war and returned home to his wife and little girls. The couple settled in Bridgewater and added to their family: Benjamin (b. 1866), Loretta (b. 1868), Prescott (b. 1873), George (b. 1875), Alden (b. 1878), Wendell (b. 1880), Carlton (b. 1883), and Edith (b. 1887.)

She and her husband both died in 1918.

Maria D. Johnson was born about 1844 in Massachusetts.

During the Civil War, her husband Lewis Legare Simpson served with the famous 54th Massachusetts Volunteer Infantry. For over a year after he enlisted, she raised her two toddler daughters Ruth (b. 1861) and Isabel (b. 1863) on her own while her husband and all of the enlisted men of color in the 54th Massachusetts went without pay while interested parties fought in Congress for pay equal to what had been promised, and what was being paid to white Union soldiers.

Private Simpson survived the war and returned home to his wife and little girls. The couple settled in Bridgewater and added to their family: Benjamin (b. 1866), Loretta (b. 1868), Prescott (b. 1873), George (b. 1875), Alden (b. 1878), Wendell (b. 1880), Carlton (b. 1883), and Edith (b. 1887.)

She and her husband both died in 1918.