Marie Warenbuer Fierre

Maria was one of the fiercest and determined women of colonial history. Born and married in France, she and her husband Daniel Fierre, would have six children, including ancestor Catherine who was born in 1679. As Huguenot, the Edict of Fountainebleau who cause Marie and her family to flee along with sole surviving member of the Lefevre family, Isaac, who family was killed by religious authorities. In the Palatinate, Daniel would perish, and so stalwart Marie took her family to England, meeting with William Penn and Queen Anne’s associates. Surviving the torturous journey to New York, she meets other displaced Huguenots. As all of Queen Anne’s promises waned, Marie decided to take her family to Philadelphia to secure her land, 2000 acres purchased from ancestor Martin Kendig who had been given a huge tract by Penn earlier. Finally, Marie would travel on foot the last grueling 80 miles west to her property, to Conestoga township. Her she became the founder of the Huguenot Colony of the Pequea Valley. Here other escaping Huguenots and Mennonites would find solace and start lives in a safe, productive environment. Legend says when Marie arrived, she cried out “Paradise,” and hence would become the name of the town in Lancaster County.