MARIA JONES
MORSE
Maria Jones
Morse was born February 18, 1837 in Llanelly,
Carmarthenshire, Wales. She was the daughter of William
and Martha Jones of South Wales. Maria worked at an inn before she married Richard Morse. She did not
join the Mormon church until some time after they
arrived in Samaria. During their tiresome journey
across the plains, she complained a lot and often wished they had not left the
comforts of their home in Wales.
She was a
good woman, very honest and outspoken. She and her daughters cleaned and wove
into cloth the wool from their sheep, so each had one woolen dress for winter.
She was a good cook, very thrifty.
Because she
seemed gifted to care for the sick, she became the town midwife. She knew the
remedies for many illnesses. When David Edwards had his hand quite badly
mangled in a farm machine, he consulted a doctor in Malad
who told him his hand had to be amputated. David then went to Maria Morse and
asked her if she could save his hand. She had all kinds of homemade ointments.
One of these she applied almost daily to the hand and it healed although it was
always stiff.
Once when
she placed a small dish of jam near one of the conference visitors, he took it
on his plate and started to eat, then said, "I'm sorry, Sister, but I
can't eat all this fruit." "Good Lord, man, I intended it for every
one, not just for you," she said.
When Dan
Price was Bishop, she sent her grandson with a fat Jersey calf for her tithing. The Bishop
said, "I can't take this calf, Jerseys don't bring good prices." So Richard took it
back to his grandmother with the message. She said, "You take this calf
back to the Bishop and tell him the good Lord did not say what kind of critter
he would take for tithing." He took it.
No one
cheated her. I can see her now wearing a bonnet and shawl to meetings. She
could cure hams better than anyone. The meat was so tasty but only one small
slice was served to those who ate there. I boarded at her home for a while; I
know.
She was
good and kind to me. It seemed so comfortable to have my own private bedroom. Although only in her early sixties her hair was very gray.
She was small and alert. I do not know if she ever held an office in church,
not while I knew her.
When she
hired men to put up her hay, she always expected her grandson Richard to work
for less than the men with him. He often did chores for her, such as chopping kindlings, feeding her pigs, etc.
Once her kitchen chimney got afire. Richard happened to look toward her house and saw
the flames so quickly pumped water and extinguished it. She said, "I will
leave my home to him". When she passed away, his mother chose the home as
her share. Her sisters divided the farm land. She died March
21, 1909.
- Viola C.
Reese, wife of Richard M. Reese
