MARY ANN MORSE REESE
Mary
Ann Morse Reese was born at Merthyr Tydfil, Wales, on September 12, 1857. Her
parents were Maria Jones and Richard Morse. At the age of seven, she and her
sister Margaret came to the United States with their parents.
At that
time missionaries of the Mormon Church converted a number of persons in Wales.
Many were coal miners. There was a lot of discontent due to the undesirable
conditions in the mines and meager earnings. When a number joined the Mormon
religion, they had a great desire to emigrate to Utah to enjoy the freedom of
this country as well as mingle with those of the same religion.
On
their arrival in America, they had to purchase a team of horses and a covered
wagon for their long journey across the plains. In this vehicle they carried
many of their household possessions and clothing. Also, they had to sleep in
this conveyance for many nights. It seems the Church formed companies or groups
of a certain number of wagons over which was a captain. The group in which the
Morses were placed was under Captain White.
Mary
Ann naturally became very tired riding all day long for such a length of time
so often she asked her father to stop the horses long enough so she could get
out and walk. Being just a child, she could not keep up with their wagon so
would have to run to catch up with her parents' vehicle. When their journey
ended they were sent or perhaps came on their own will to Logan, Utah. Soon the
Church authorities suggested that they travel to Samaria, Idaho where there
were a few settlers before them.
After
Richard Morse took up land he built a dugout. It had a dirt floor. This dirt
was dampened each day until it became packed. Some sagebrush branches were tied
together for a broom. How long they lived in this place is not known. Finally
through hard work, clearing his land of sagebrush and raising wheat and farm
animals to sell a one-room house was built of brick. It was in her young years
that Mary Ann worked hard. She had to do the work of a boy because she had no
brothers. Besides learning to do housework, sewing, knitting, spinning,
cooking, etc., she aided her father on the farm, planting seed, etc., and even
gleaning wheat. She had a pair of best shoes, but after going barefoot all week
in the fields her feet became so swollen she could not wear her shoes on
Sunday.
Parents
kept their children out of school in autumn and spring to help on the farm.
Especially, the boys were robbed of schooling because farm work was considered
more important than education. Mary Ann being the eldest had a boy's work to
do. It grieved her that she missed so many weeks of schooling and got behind in
her classes. When she had to be with those smaller and younger, she refused to
attend. Although she lacked the schooling she was a bright person with a very
good memory. As a child she never had a doll or plaything. Her mother would
say, "While you are resting, you can card some wool." Every farmer
owned enough sheep to furnish wool to weave into material for clothing.
At the
age of seventeen years she married Samuel Hodges Reese. They had four children:
Mary, Maria, Richard, and Emma. When in her twenties she became a widow. The
eldest child was eight years old. Then she had to depend on her husband's half
brothers to care for her farm some miles away from the village. When her son
became old enough to run the farm all the implements belonging to it were
borrowed and not returned. This caused extra expense to purchase more.
Throughout her married life she was ever ready to give assistance to others in
times of sickness or death. She was Relief Society counselor for seventeen
years.
At one
time there was a diphtheria epidemic in the town. Some children lost their
lives. Mrs. Reese each day went to those who needed help, being very careful to
remove the clothes she wore at homes as soon as she came to her place and
putting on clean ones before coming in contact with her children. It seems one
day when Bishop Jonah Evans' home was afire, in a hurry to help the family
remove belongings she neglected to change into clean clothes. In due time all
her children became ill with diphtheria. Richard and Emma became seriously ill.
The doctor who came from Malad never entered the home, but had the sick come to
the door so he could examine their throats. The two children became worse. The
doctor told the mother that he had done all in his power. It was up to her to do
what she could. Richard remembered how she prayed night and day, not neglecting
the treatments she was to give them. The recovery was slow. They were so weak
they could not walk. This good woman prepared nourishing food so that they
would regain their strength.
When
her family was old enough to care for themselves, she, as well as women from
other Wards, were chosen to take a course in obstetrics at Salt Lake City given
by a Dr. Ellis R. Shipp, a woman of much experience and a thorough teacher.
After staying a number of weeks at this school Mrs. Reese was given a
certificate to practice midwifery. It proved a blessing to all married women of
Samaria to have a qualified person care for them since not many could afford a
doctor at childbirth.
For
many years it was a common sight to see midwife Reese walking to some home, no
matter how far, with her satchel of drugs and gauze, etc. She was a faithful
nurse. Weather never hindered her from making her calls on mothers. Faithfully,
she cared for mother and child for ten days, charging $10.00 for her service.
She knew when it was necessary to call a doctor, so in her many years of
nursing she never lost a mother.
In
later years she purchased a one-horse buggy, making the trips less tiresome.
Sometimes this nurse would launder a baby's and mother's clothes if there was
not any hired help in the home. Women looked forward to her coming for she was
so exact about cleanliness and made her patients feel so comfortable. Although
she earned little money, Mary Ann Reese always paid a tenth for tithing, not
taking out for medicine, etc. which she had used.
She
died in 1921 at the age of sixty-four years. When her mother died, she and her
sisters divided the property which consisted of a farm and a six-room brick
house on two and a half acres. Since she was a widow, she chose the home in
which she lived about ten years.
- Viola
C. Reese, Daughter-in-law
