Maria Louise is a retired ballet dancer, writer, and amateur photographer. She worked for more than 20 years to trace her paternal family tree (Van Deursen, Van Deusen, Van Deuson, and Van Dusen) back 11 generations to the original immigrant, Abraham Pieterson Van Deurson who arrived at New Amsterdam, NY in the 1630s.

Maria Louise is a retired ballet dancer, writer, and amateur photographer. She worked for more than 20 years to trace her paternal family tree (Van Deursen, Van Deusen, Van Deuson, and Van Dusen) back 11 generations to the original immigrant, Abraham Pieterson Van Deurson who arrived at New Amsterdam, NY in the 1630s.