Barbara (Estacholy)Mabrity and her husband, Michael, were assigned to be the keepers of Key West Light in 1826.
On October 10, 1846 another heavy storm hit the island, causing several people, including Mabrity's six children, to take refuge in the lighthouse.
However, the tower began to crumble, and the keeper only had time to grab one of her children and escape before it fell, killing those who remained inside.
Mabrity continued to serve as keeper before being fired in 1864 for making statements against the Union during the American Civil War; she died three years later.
The United States Coast Guard named a coastal buoy tender, USCGC Barbara Mabrity, based in Mobile, Alabama in her honor.