Medford mail tribune., May 12, 1963, Image 44

The Story Behind
Mother's Day
An old brick church in Grafton, W. Va., was the
site of the first commemorative service for mothers;
today that modest church is being made into a shrine
By WILLIAM WALLACE BARRON
Governor of West Virginia
M'WiM v y?
Church in Grafton, W. Va., will be shrine (left) to Mother's Day, originated by Anna Jarvis in 1908.
Mother's day is 2, very special day
all over the world, but nowhere
more so than in my own state of West
Virginia. For it was here that the holi
day began.
In 1868, soon after the Civil War ended, an in
spired, God-fearing woman named Anna Reeves
Jarvis organized a committee of mothers living
in Grafton, W. Va. Their object: to sponsor a
Mother's Friendship Day to help heal the wounds
of the war by reuniting families and friends.
Friendship appeals were sent to the families
of all veterans both Union and Confederate.
And the records tell what an inspiring sight it
was when former enemies met and shook hands.
For many years, Mrs. Jarvis taught Sunday
school at the Andrews Methodist Episcopal
Church in Grafton. One of her lessons was titled,
"Mothers of the Bible," and she voiced the hope
that "Someone, sometime, will found a memorial
mother's day, commemorating her for the service
she renders to humanity in every field of life."
After Mrs. Jarvis's death, her daughter
Anna M. Jarvis vowed to establish the sort of
memorial her mother had envisioned. In 1907
Miss Jarvis invited some friends to her home on
the second Sunday in May to commemorate the
anniversary of her mother's death. At that
gathering she told of her plans for a nationwide
observance in honor of all mothers, living or dead.-
The church in Grafton was quick to co
operate. On May 10, 1908, the first official
Mother's Day church service was held there.
Miss Jarvis sent hundreds of carnations, her
mother's favorite flower, for presentation to
every mother and child who attended.
Mother's Day was off to a good start as Miss
Jarvis continued her efforts to broaden the day
into one honoring not just her own mother but
all mothers everywhere. She sent a stream of
letters to churchmen, merchants, editors, Con
gressmen, even to the White House.
In 1910 the Governor of West Virginia, Wil
liam E. Glasscock, made the observance state
wide by issuing the first Mother's Day proclama
tion. The following year, every state in the union
recognized the holiday. In 1914 President Wood
row Wilson made the observance national by
signing a Congressional resolution declaring the
second Sunday in May to be an annual observ
ance of Mdther's Day.
Over the years, the holiday has spread far be
yond the borders of the United States. Today
people in more than 40 nations pause on this day
to honor the women who gave them birth.
Through the years, people from all over
America have been coming to Grafton to attend
holiday worship at the "Mother Church of
Mother's Day." But only recently have we been
working on a plan to return the spirit of the
holiday to the place where it was born.
Launched by the local Kiwanis Club, an effort
is being made through a nonprofit corporation to
establish an International Mother's Day Shrine
in Grafton. Funds are being raised to acquire the
Andrews Church and adjacent property, restore
the church, erect a Motherhood Museum, and
landscape the site with formal gardens.
Iast year we received a touching gift from the
J mother of our first astronaut to orbit the
earth, Mrs. John Glenn, Sr., who was named
"Mother of the World" by the American Mothers
Committee. Mrs. Glenn gave the shrine a sundial
to be placed in the gardens that will surround
the 90-year-old brick church.
Since West Virginia is celebrating its centen
nial of statehood in 1963, we hope this Inter
national Mother's Day Shrine will become a
reality before the year is over. When completed,
it will bear fitting testimony to the undying love
and respect we all feel for our mothers not just
on the second Sunday of May but every day of
our lives.
If You Want to Holp
Readers interested in contributing to the
Mother's Day Shrine in West Virginia may
send donations to the International Mother's
Day Shrine, Inc., P.O. Box 307, Grafton, W.Va.
Donors of $1 or more will be mailed, on re
quest, an artificial carnation Bymbol of
Mother's Day in either red or white. Those'
donating $5 or more will have their names
listed on Shrine publications as members of
the Board of Advisory.
COVER;
A little garden helper is always welcome,
especially on Mother's Day as Vivienne
Lapham's scene attests. In West Virginia
right now, a tribute is being planned to
mothers the world over. See story above.
Family
Weelcly
7
May It. l$ei
ICON AID I. DAVIDOW PmidM end PMJr
WAITER C DREYFUS Viet Preeident
PATRICK I. OUCUtKE Advrrtieint Director
MORTON FRANK Director PMUher RrtaKonj
Send all advertising communlcallant to Family Wookly,
Boord al Editor!
ERNEST V. HEYN Editor-i-Clii
REN KARTMAN Inaih Editor
RORERT FITZOIBBON Mm tint Editor
PHIUIP DYKSTRA Art Director
MEIANII Di PROFT Foot Editor
153 N. Michigan Av... Chicago I, III.
Addnm all communication! about editorial foaturw! to ' Rowhn Abrovaya, Ardon Cldoll, Hal London,
Family Wtokly, t. Jorn St.. Now York JJ. N. Y. Jack Ryont Poor I. Ooponholmor, Hollywood.
141, PAMIIY WBIKIY MAOAZINE, INC., 151 N. Michigan Av... Chicago 1, III. All right! rourvod.