Mariah Keiser was the second child of Daniel Keiser (1820-1877) and Elizabeth [Matter] Keiser (1821-1852). Her brother, Henry Keiser (1840-1923), Civil War soldier and diarist, was the oldest child. Mariah first married Richard Owens, about whom not much is known. They had one child, Francis Marion “Frank” Owens (1860-1950). While it has been reported that Mariah and Richard divorced, no actual record has been seen to confirm this. However, she second married Joseph E. Dunlap (1838-1914), probably during the Civil War, with whom she had at least five children, four of whom died young, leaving only one son by the Dunlap marriage to survive her.
Mariah died in Lykens, Dauphin County, Pennsylvania, on 9 November 1908, and her obituary appeared in the Lykens Standard:
DEATHS AND FUNERALS
Mrs. Joseph Dunlap, of Main Street, daughter of the late Daniel Keiser and Elizabeth Keiser, died at 2 o’clock Monday morning, after an illness of la grippe, since the previous Tuesday which later developed into pneumonia, aged 66 years. Deceased was born at Elizabethville and spent her entire life in this section, excepting several years spent in Mississippi, where Mr. Dunlap had charge of a large plantation owned by her son, M. F. Owens. While there she contracted malarial fever and returned to this place about a year ago, but she never recovered her former robust health. Besides her grief-stricken husband, she is survived by two sons, F. M. Owens of Mississippi, and Harper Dunlap of this place, and a number of brothers and sisters. Funeral services were held at her late home at 2 o’clock yesterday afternoon and were conducted by Rev. R. W. Mottern, pastor of Williamstown Lutheran Church. Interment was made in Odd Fellows Cemetery.
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News clipping from Newspapers.com.
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