Ann Prior Jarvis Diary — January 16–25, 1885

Life in a small town: home-grown music, recreational buggy rides, and the blessings (sometime literal) of a religious community. Charles L. Walker gives a longer account of the January 25th meeting.

Fri 16     Sis Bird ate dinner here Sisters of the relief scy called

Sat 17    Weather fine had a good night rest

Sun 18   Weather pleasant spent the day in going to meeting took Amelia for a ride had a pleasant evening at Ems t^w^ow [two] young men played pl music [indecipherable] one played the dulcimer and the other the bango

Mon 19    Weather warm and bright........

Tuesday 20  went to relief society had a ride

Wed 21     Weather fair went to Ems to a quilting rode in the buggy

Thur 22     Weather pleasant went to see Annie took her for a ride a few blocks went for Josey rode untill five o clock

Friday 23     I went for Josey she is sick

Sater 24     We are sick to day I stayed in bed part of the day at night Br Fawcet and B. [indecipherable] administered to us  Father was much better

[in margin: had letter from Maggie]

Sun 25     Weather pleasant I feel very drowsy went to meeting [page 47] Brs Woodruff and Teasdale preached to us. Also in the first Ward

From Charles Lowell Walker

Jan 25 Pleasant. Went to Meeting. Apostle George Teasdale spoke in a very interesting manner on the absurdities of spiritualism and the powers of darkness which are and would be manifested in the last days, the importance of doing our temple work with acceptance before God, that we might indeed be saviours on Mount Zion. Showed how careful Bishops and presiding men should be in reccomending people to the Temple. Pres Woodroof spoke in an encouraging way to the people. Said he believed that the work done in the Temple would be mostly accepted before the Lord....We were living in perilous times and we should choose to obey the Law of God rather than that of Man. God would fight our battles, and those that were now persecuting us with malicious intent would ere long have trouble enough at their own doors....At night on duty at the Temple. My old friend Addison Everett has passed away. I prepared him for burial a few days ago.

Notes

Sis Bird — Probably Jane Mott Carpenter Bird (1810–1891) A native of Connecticut and New York, she had been widowed for five years. FindAGrave notes that the Bird home was on the corner of 100 West and Tabernacle, so not far from the Jarvis family.

Br Fawcet — William Fawcett (1814–1904), a native of England.

Maggie — Her daughter in Arizona.

Brs Woodruff and Teasdale — Apostles Wilford Woodruff and George Teasdale.

Ann Prior Jarvis Diary — January 1–15, 1885

We move into 1885 with a reminder that Ann didn't know her own birthday. She was just a few days off, but it's a strong reminder of what it was to live life as a 19th century immigrant in sometimes desperate poverty. 

Ann records three deaths. I don't know who the first man is, but the last two are explained below in "Notes." 

If you have a few minutes, click on the link to Leslie's Monthly and look at one of the issues Ann would have been reading in Volume 18 or 19. Curious collection of information, very educational and international in its scope.

Thursday 1    January My birthday 55 Jan — 1885

Went to fast meeting went the monthly meeting Thomas and Em spent the evening

Fri 2    Weather dull heard Br Orton is killed

      are invited to a party, do not feel like going

Sat 3     Weather cold

Sun 4    Weather cold went to meeting Brig is staying he[re?]

Mon 5     Weather pleasant went for Josey

Tus 6     Weather cold washed a few peices Br Romney is in town

Wed 7

Thu 8

Fri 9     Weather cold old lady Clark is dead will be buried to day

Sat 10    Weather raining ^We have^ a letter for Brig[ham Jarvis] Father brought it from the ^Post office^

Sun 11   Weather cloudy attended meeting Br Romney preached Thomas & Em came in the evening had a bad coughing spell

Mon 12    Weather fine spent part of the day with Anne Br Everet died this afternoon A good man has gone to rest

Thus 13    Weather pleasant Br Judd came to see father about the funeral

Wed 14    Weather very pleasant spent the day cooking. attended the funeral of Br Everets went to the third ward for Josey read in Leslies monthly

Thur 15   Weather blustering went to see Sister Everet also Anne

From Charles Lowell Walker's Diary

[It's been a while, so a quick reminder that Charlie Walker was the author of the hymn Dearest Children, and Dixie's de facto poet laureate. He includes this entry and then skips to January 25.]

St George Thurs 1st Jan 1885   Clear and cold. Snow on the tops of the distant ridges and Mountains. Went to the fast meeting; assisted in blessing two children (Ben Blakes and Joseph Judd's). I spoke to the people a short time on the importance of acknowledging the hand of the Lord in all things and our dependence on him....After Meeting I visited the sick and offered kindly aid to the afflicted. Slept the rest of the day. At night on duty at the temple. And so begins the year.

Notes

My birthday — When her parents, William and Kitty Prior, had her baptized on October 30, 1831, the Curate noted to the side of the entry that Ann was born December 30, 1829. I have speculated before on the reasons Ann didn't know her birthdate. 

Br Orton is killed — ??  I can't find any one of that name with a death date in or around 1885. Perhaps it was an unfounded rumor?

Br Romney is in town — The persecutions had gotten so severe that a number of families were moving to Mexico to try to protect themselves. The Romneys headed north to St. George first before they went south to the Colonies. It was a strenuous winter trip. For more information see Jennifer Hansen, Letters of Catherine Cottam Romney and Romney, Life Story of Miles Park Romney.

old lady Clark — Beulah Rogers Clark (1806–1885) was from Vermont and was one of the earliest members of the Relief Society of Nauvoo. Her husband was a member of the Mormon Battalion. Based on how Ann phrases the news, they were probably in different wards and didn't have much interaction.

part of the day with Anne — As noted in the last installment, Anne Jarvis Milne just had a baby.

Br Everet died — Addison Everett (1805–1885) was from New York, and a member of the first pioneer company to Utah. He had three wives, the first deceased, and he must have been divorced from his third wife, Hannah, since she was living in Salt Lake in 1880, noted as widowed or divorced, so Ann would have visited Orpha Redfield Everett, one of my Eminent Women once I get back to that project. Orpha only had one living child, Mary Everett Fuller.

Leslies Monthly — A magazine marketed as "the cheapest magazine published in the world," and many issues can be read online, including the one Ann would have been reading: (Hathitrust, The American Magazine).