Mary Ann Gingerich was born in 1821 in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. She married Joseph Harner in 1848 in Juniata County, Pennsylvania. They moved to Callaway County, Missouri after the Civil War, probably with the other Gingerich family members (Mary Ann's brothers and sister). The Gingerich-Harmin family eventually spread out from Missouri to New Mexico, California, Oregon and Washington. Some of the other family names associated with the Harners include: Laws, Lacaff, and Medinger.