Ann Wheeler was the first wife of the patriarch William Elder, who in turn was the first European to settle in the norternmost reaches of what is now Frederick County, Maryland. She died in 1739 near Mechanicstown (subsequently renamed "Thurmont"), leaving her widower and five children. Tradition says she was buried in the hollowed-out trunk of a chestnut tree, a wood known for its high resistance to decay. When William Elder moved to the site of his final homestead, some six miles to the north, he had Ann's remains disinterred and moved to a site adjacent to his new home.
Ann Wheeler was the first wife of the patriarch William Elder, who in turn was the first European to settle in the norternmost reaches of what is now Frederick County, Maryland. She died in 1739 near Mechanicstown (subsequently renamed "Thurmont"), leaving her widower and five children. Tradition says she was buried in the hollowed-out trunk of a chestnut tree, a wood known for its high resistance to decay. When William Elder moved to the site of his final homestead, some six miles to the north, he had Ann's remains disinterred and moved to a site adjacent to his new home.
