We all have our little quirks. One of my many is that I don't allow my children or guests to wash their hands in my kitchen sink, That was the way my mother Janet did it and that was the way her mother Lucile ( Evans Hofheins) did it.
It may be just a guess, but Lucile probably inherited that quirk from her mother Ann ( Alberta Ward Evans) who inherited it from her mom Emily (Ann Whitney Ward)... you get the picture. Just for kicks I decided to see how far back I could trace my matriarchal line.... I will share this with my Emma and my faith too!
This is what I found.. pictures too!
Amyanne Weaver 1974-
Lucile Evans 1920-2010. My grandmother was the first one to hold me and to bathe me. She was quiet, stoic, an amazing cook, ironed everything including her sheets, and loved her family fervently.
Ann Alberta Ward 1893-1950- My great grandmother. She died at age 57. She was the wife of a bishop- washed the sacrament cups by hand. Faith and family guided her life.
Emily Ann Whitney 1873-1947- My great great grandmother. She made 8-10 loaves of bread a day, milked the cow, washed the clothes by hand on a scrub board, made her own soap, gave all she had to those in need. She was an excellent quilter, She worked from sun up to sun down.
Anne Elizabeth Lewis- Her obituary read"one of God's noble women."
Elizabeth Carson 1833-1901. Elizabeth was born in Alabama. She met Mormon Missionaries in Mississippi, followed her faith to Nauvoo arriving March 6, 1846. Her husband died leaving her with two little girls to raise. Following his death, she became a polygamous wife... it was a hard life for her. That marriage was short lived. After which she married Otto Mortensen.
Her first husband under the direction of the Prophet Brigham Young was an Indian Agent. After his death, she remained a friend and advisor to them. She often fed them in her home.
Eliza Jane Adair 1820-1892- A woman of great faith and because of her faith crossed the valley from Mississippi to "Zion" in 1851. She buried one husband several children, her mother, and other family members along the way. In 1852 she and her third husband John Price were sealed for time and eternity in the Salt Lake temple. Shortly there after, she and her family along with ten other families were called to the "Cotton Mission" in southern Utah. It was not an easy task. She died in true to her faith in Utah's Dixie in August 1892!
Rebecca Brown 1784-1846
She was the mother of 11 children but separated from her husband in 1831. She raised her two youngest children alone. Rebecca joined the Church of Jesus Christ in Mississippi in 1844. She made the trek west with her married children, and their spouses in 1845. They left Nauvoo in early fall, 1846. She was a part of the "Quail Miracle" near Montrose, Iowa. She died 20 December 1846 in Mt. Pigsah Iowa (the 2nd permanent camp for the saints headed west) due to the elements and lack of food. Her name appears on the Mount Pigsah Monument and on the Memorial Monument in Nauvoo for those who died as part of the Nauvoo exodus. She died true to her faith!
In October of 1846, 640 Saints had set up a temporary camp near Sugar Creek, Iowa, after mobs had forced them out of Nauvoo, Illinois. Many were ill, all were tired, and some even died. They also lacked provisions. What has been called the “Miracle of the Quail” happened on the ninth of the month. Flocks of quail swarmed into the camp and fell at the feet of the Saints, providing the Saints with food to satisfy their hunger. (New Era November 2000)
Jeaney Molly Brown 1750-1826
My matriarchal trail ends here... There is no picture of Jeaney, or Molly. I don't even know the names of her parents. No doubt she came to the United States from another land. But she was the mother of Rebecca, who was the mother to Eliza, who was the mother to Elizabeth who was the mother to Elizabeth Ann, who was the mother to Emily Ann who was the mother to Ann Alberta who was the mother to Lucile who was the mother to Janet, who was the mother of me... Amyanne.
I guess I know now that just like my name Ann comes from great women, so does my faith. These women I shall one day meet and I will call them mother!