MAIR (MARY) PRICE
My
mother was christened Mair which is Welsh for Mary and was known as Aunt Mair
by all of her relatives and to many of the residents of Samaria where she spent
her life. She was born September 19, 1958 [sic], at Cwmbach, Aberdare, Wales to
Anna Evans Jenkins and Thomas Williams, her second husband. She carried the
name of Jenkins as her parents separated in Wales. Her brothers and sisters
were: David Jenkins; Esther, wife of Joseph B. Morse; Anna, wife of John
Martin; Evan Jenkins; and Sarah Jane, wife of Joseph Dudley; and John Jenkins.
Life in
her native land had given her some chance for schooling and she valued the
opportunity of learning to sew as a child in the grades. That is still one
subject that is stressed in the classes of all British schools. Later as a
pioneer in a new country that information was to be of great value.
Even
though all members of her family had to work at whatever they could find to
earn money to meet expenses, they found time to enjoy themselves as well. Her
sister, Anna, was in great demand in Cwmbach because she could sing and dance
so well at parties. Other members of her family enjoyed singing and were in the
church choir.
When
Mother was ten years old the family left Wales for Utah and arrived in Salt
Lake City 20 August 1868. After a short time they moved to Logan for the winter
of 1868 and in the fall of 1869 they moved to Samaria in Malad Valley, Idaho
where they were to remain.
Mother
grew to understand some of the things pertaining to pioneering and at an early
age helped her mother all she could. One of her chores was to take the cows to
the pasture and sometimes that meant to take them to the hills to browse. This
was not to her liking because she sometimes saw snakes and other things that
frightened her. She was taught to cook and since her mother was good at sewing,
she continued to improve her skill in that also. There was always work to do in
those far off days when homes lacked conveniences as we know them today. At
times Mother helped the neighbors when they had sickness in their homes. Thus
she grew to womanhood.
On 15
March 1875, my mother married Daniel E. Price, in the Salt Lake Endowment
House. They returned to Samaria to establish a home. There all of their
children were born; Anna, Mary, Sarah, and Esther were the only ones who lived
to reach maturity.
The
first home of my parents was made of logs, but as soon as possible the brick
home that stands today replaced the old one. The new home became the mecca for
strangers passing through the village and was the gathering place for relatives
who visited from other villages in the surrounding area. Mother took great
pride in furnishing her home, choosing some of the things when she went to
Logan and to Salt Lake City. A piano was a thing to treasure in those early
days, and it gave great pleasure to the family.
My
mother was small in stature, had blue eyes and almost black hair. She was very
active, and besides her own work she never thought it a burden to help others.
The night was never too dark or the hours too short to visit a friend or relative
when there was sickness. With no street lights in the country village, people
found their way about at night by the aid of lanterns which used kerosene for
fuel. It wasn't unusual for a knock on the door and to find a neighbor there
with the lantern to guide my mother to a sick bedside. Great sorrow had come to
our home at the death of my two little brothers, and Mother seemed to get
solace in helping others.
Our
home seemed to a beehive of activity because there was so much to be done.
Father always planted a large garden. We had an orchard that produced pears,
several varieties of apples, plums, prunes, and cherries. In the summer there
seemed to be no end to canning, but in winter it was a great pleasure to visit
the well stocked cellar and to look at the shelves of fresh canned fruit,
pickled beets, mustard pickles, and preserves and jelly. On the shelves there
were also jars of honey as well as boxes with honey in the comb. No pioneer
family felt secure without a few hives of bees and my parents were no
exception. When looking at the preserves, my sister and I almost forgot the
long hours spent picking the gooseberries and currants when other children
seemed to have so much time for play.
Mother
was noted all over the valley for the fine quality of butter and cheese that
she made and she had more orders than she could fill. She sold eggs by the case
and helped with the expenses in many ways. For several years the school
teachers boarded at our home and all of them were full of praise for mother's
cooking.
My
father's church work could never have been as successful without the support
given by my mother. She was always ready with the meals and on Sunday something
special was prepared. No visitors ever came to the Ward without father having
the assurance that he could ask him home to dinner. The home was spotless
always and the meal tasty and well served when these unexpected guests arrived.
My mother deserves well earned praise for this contribution.
All
during her life Mother cooked some of the special things that Welsh people were
so fond of eating. Her currant bread or bara brith, as it is known in Wales,
was very special. Her brothers David and Evan seldom left her home without a
loaf when she had done her baking. Faggots and head cheese were always made
when pigs were killed. These were shared with some of her friends, too. Some of
the cousins have told me that they have never eaten apple pie to equal my
mother's. That was beeause she used butter generously in making the crust.
My
mother and father gained financial security for their later years because of
hard work and because of their thrift. Both were good managers and avoided
debt. Mother lived to be 80 years of age and died in her home on April 21,
1939. She had endured the hardships of pioneering and gathered about her
comforts that others with more opportunities seemed unable to do.
- Mary
Price Anderson, Daughter
