Emma Louisa Marsden was born on 6 Jul 1873, a daughter of John Marsden (1833-1 Jul 1907) and Ellen Gabriel Crawley (1835-1914), who were married on 30 Jun 1853 in Launceston. The couple had twelve children between 1854 and 1878. The eldest surviving son, Ernest Frederick, a carter, was the sole beneficiary of Ellen's will when she died aged 80 on 7 Dec 1914.
Emma Louisa married Thomas Stephens in Launceston on 4 Sep 1894. He was a crew member of the steamers Centennial and Meeinderry. When he died of pneumonia aged 28 on 22 Aug 1897, an article in The Examiner states that he 'was a most civil and obliging young man'. He left Emma a widow with one son who was born on 3 Aug 1896 at Port Frederick (Devonport). Her second son was born in Launceston on 16 Apr 1898.
Emma married George William Ward, a farmer, on 13 Jul 1901 in Devonport. They had four children, all born at Don, near Devonport: Nellie Telfer Marjory, 15 Dec 1902; Beatrice May, 24 Aug 1905; John (Jack) Richard, 29 Dec 1908 and Ella May, 17 Feb 1911. George William Ward died on 27 Nov 1912.
Emma married for a third time in 1936 in Footscray, Victoria, to Joseph Charles Lowen. She died in the Royal Melbourne Hospital, Parkville, Victoria, in 1946, aged 73. Joseph Lowen died in 1962, aged 86.
Marion Sargent & Prue McCausland Oct 2011