When she was born, in the town of Hagenbach, in Bavaria, Mary Millhiser was Miriam Mühlhauser, the second of Meiline Heller and Akiva Mühlhäuser’s six children. While the youngest of the children, Emmanuel, died in childhood, the rest all moved to Richmond, Virginia, becoming key figures in the burgeoning Jewish community there. It was with the other German Jews then flocking to Richmond that they chose to put down roots: her brother Joseph married Louisa Rosenthall, Caroline married Moses Löw Straus, Yetta married Abraham Hutzler, Moses married Rosalie Oberndorfer, and, in 1845, Mary married William Thalhimer, an immigrant from Baden, merchant, and leader of the Jewish community. They raised their seven children in Richmond and were active in the community around congregation Beth Ahabah.