Mary Ann Abbagail Thomasson was the tenth child born to Thomas Randolph and Sarah (Roach)Thomasson, the first girl in a family of nine boys. Since she was the first girl in the family, very careful consideration was given to the choice of her name. She was named for both her grandmothers—Mary Ann (Reeves) Thomasson and Ann Abbagail (Garrison) Roach.

Mary never knew either of the grandmothers for whom she was named.
She inherited the short stocky features of the Roach family which had considerable Dutch heritage. Mary Ann was born March 9, 1847, at Thomasville in Pike County, Alabama. (This area was later incorporated into Bullock County and the township renamed Inverness.) Her parents moved from Pike County in the mid-1850's to take advantage of the cheap federal lands being offered for sale in Covington County. Land was purchased off Possum Trot Road near Rosehill and at Red Level. One of then neighbors at Rose Hill was the Thomas Henley family who would figure quite prominently in the future of Mary Ann Abbagail.

Mary Ann was about eleven years old when her mother died. Her death created a void in the family that was particularly devastating to Mary Ann as she and her mother had been very close. There were still three minor children in the family that had to be provided for—Syl, Mary Ann; and Charles.

For some reason Mary and her father were not listed in the 1860 census of Covington County and where they were at this time is a mystery. It is possible Thomas was planning a trip, and this could have been the reason for deeding the home place to his son. He may have taken his daughter with him since she was so unhappy with her home situation.
It is possible he could have been sick and needed to make permanent arrangements for his minor children. Whatever the reason, he was included in the 1870 census and was living at Red Level with his youngest son, Charles. Mary and Sylvanus had married by this time.

Mary Ann Abbagail was a very modest, even-tempered lady. She kept the split log cabin spotlessly clean. She was a hard worker and was always busy. On occasion she would bathe the children and put them to bed and then go to the spring and wash their clothes, so they could have something clean to wear the next day. The spring was their source of water until the well was dug.

She had strong religious beliefs and was vehemently opposed to card playing. Once she found a deck of cards hidden in the rose bush and they were thrown in the fire. Several days later when the boys came in later than usual, she noticed tracks going under the house. Mary got down on her hands and knees, crawled under the house, and found a deck of cards on the sill. She also burned these much to the dismay of her boys.

Another practice Mary was opposed to was the use of strong language. If she was irritated with something she might simply say, "Tut, tut." One day she was in the barn with Mike shelling corn to be ground into corn meal. Some of the corn spilled on the ground and Mike used a few words of profanity. She gave him a hard look and promptly walked away and left him to finish by himself.

(Thomasson Traces, Narrative of the Thomasson Family 1677-1995) Volume II By Curtis H. Thomasson and Marjorie B. Malloy)