Nancy Maria Donaldson was born in New York State on December 28, 1794. While specific details about her early life, family, and education are scarce, her birthplace suggests exposure to the burgeoning industrial and innovative spirit of early America. The details of her childhood remain an enigma, but it is reasonable to assume she had access to basic domestic knowledge, which would have prepared her for her most famous invention.

Details about Nancy's life between her birth and 1843 are largely undocumented. It is presumed she lived a relatively ordinary life for a woman of her time, potentially engaged in domestic tasks and potentially assisting her husband in family related affairs. She would have likely been a homemaker who was accustomed to preparing homemade foods, including custards and frozen treats using less efficient methods. It's plausible that the inefficiencies of these older methods prompted her to look for a better process.

In 1843, Nancy Maria Donaldson Johnson revolutionized ice cream production by inventing and patenting the first hand-cranked ice cream freezer (U.S. Patent No. 3254X). Her design cleverly incorporated a central dasher with blades rotated by a hand crank inside a tub filled with ice and salt. This simple yet effective mechanism streamlined the freezing process, making it faster, easier, and more consistent than previous methods. It also provided a more fine grained ice cream, resulting in a more desired product.

Shortly after receiving her patent, Nancy Johnson made the pragmatic decision to sell her rights for a mere $200. While the amount seems small today, this sum would have represented a significant amount of money during the time. She sold the rights to William G. Young of Baltimore, Maryland, who subsequently manufactured and marketed the "Johnson Patent Ice-Cream Freezer." This business transaction allowed her to profit from her ingenuity without pursuing manufacturing on her own, which required capital and a specific skillset.

Following the sale of her patent, Nancy Johnson largely faded from the historical record. There are limited details about her activities or whereabouts for the remainder of her life. Her contribution however laid the groundwork for the modern ice cream industry. While she didn't directly profit from the widespread adoption of her invention, it cemented her legacy as an important figure in the history of culinary technology.

Nancy Maria Donaldson Johnson passed away on April 22, 1890. Although specific details of her death are not widely available, her legacy as the inventor of the hand-cranked ice cream freezer endures. Her invention transformed the way ice cream was made and enjoyed and would go on to be a household staple in America, where she created a foundation for its success. Her contribution is an example of how even a seemingly simple invention can have a profound impact on society.