Introduction

Biography

Maria was the daugh­ter of John Al­ger and Ma­ry Steele, and wife of Ow­en Rus­sell Loo­mis Cro­zier (mar­ried 1853).

She at­tend­ed school in Ro­ches­ter, New York, and gra­du­at­ed from Mc­Graw­ville Col­lege, Mc­Graw, New York.

In 1854, she and Ow­en moved to Mi­chi­gan, where they be­came the first teach­ers in the pub­lic schools of Grand Ra­pids.

She wrote for the Ad­vent Har­bin­ger and the Child­ren’s Friend, and con­trib­ut­ed po­ems to jour­nals such as The Sy­bill, The House­hold Ad­vo­cate, and The Morn­ing Star.