Their tasks included boiling water, inspecting and pasteurizing milk, sterilizing kitchen utensils and quarantining cases of contagious disease. In addition, the clubs provided medicine for tubercular families.
Her mother was no stranger to adversity. In her lifetime she gave birth to 12 children, but eight died between the ages of infancy to 7 years, which led her to her desire to improve the health conditions around her. When the Civil War started, she continued her cause to help with the sanitary conditions in the make-shift military hospitals. She made a point not to distinguish between soldiers from the north or south. During and immediately following the Civil War, Anna’s mother served as an anchor in the community, helping to unite the community that had become so bitterly divided.
Born in 1864, Anna Jarvis, the eldest surviving daughter and the founder of Mother’s Day, took on much of her mother’s strong courage and sense of justice. She believed that the power of a mother’s love could calm a raging storm of human conflict. She also believed that women should be active in all civic and political issues. After her mother’s death, Anna Jarvis worked for the rest of her life to establish a nationally recognized holiday to honor mothers.
The first official Mother’s Day service was held May 10, 1908, on the second anniversary of Anna Jarvis’ mother’s death. Even though Anna had moved to Philadelphia, the service was held at the Jarvis’s home church in Grafton. Anna arranged for 500 white carnations, her mother’s favorite flower, to be delivered to the first Mother’s Day service. Two years later, West Virginia Governor William Glasscock issued the first Mother’s Day Proclamation encouraging everyone in the state to attend church and to wear white carnations in honor of their mothers.
In 1962, the Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church was renamed the International Mother’s Day Shrine and was designated a National Historic Landmark. It is open for tours. The Anna Jarvis Birthplace Museum is located three miles south of Grafton, in the community of Webster, and is also open for tours.
Legislation was recently introduced by Rep. Shelley Moore Capito that would authorize the minting of a commemorative Mother’s Day coin in honor of the West Virginia woman who is credited with starting the national holiday. Capito said that this legislation would help the nation continue to honor not only its mothers, but a special West Virginia woman that has made this lasting holiday possible.
Congress has the authority to authorize two commemorative coins each year to celebrate and honor American history and culture, with part of the proceeds raised from these collectors items being used to fund important causes. Under Capito’s legislation, part of the proceeds of the sale of the Mother’s Day coin would benefit the National Osteoporosis Foundation and the Susan G. Komen Foundation, an organization dedicated to breast cancer awareness and treatment. Capito’s legislation follows a resolution passed earlier this year by the West Virginia Legislature that requested the United States Congress enact legislation authorizing the minting of a Mother’s Day commemorative coin.
Mother’s Day was founded on the principle of honoring mothers because of the important role they play within their families, the community, the environment and society as a whole. In spite of much hardship, Ann Jarvis strove to make her world a better place and to right the wrongs that society had dealt her. This marvelous spirit continues today in the hearts and lives of many women as they face their own daily challenges. Anna, Ann’s daughter, followed in her mother’s footsteps and proved to the world that one person could make a difference. As we honor our mothers this Sunday, may we also recognize their contribution to the world around us.
Peanut Butter Pie
1/2 cup peanut butter
1 cup confectioners’ sugar
1 3-ounce package cream cheese, softened
1 small carton whipped topping
1 baked 9-inch pie shell
Blend peanut butter, confectioners’ sugar and cream cheese in bowl until creamy. Fold in whipped topping gradually. Spoon into pie shell. Chill in refrigerator. Yields 6 servings.
Apple-Pecan Crumb Pie
1/2 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 cup sugar
Flour
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
3/4 teaspoon cinnamon
6 cups sliced peeled apples
6 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
Sprinkle 1/4 cup pecans in pie shell. Mix sugar, 2 tablespoons flour, nutmeg, and 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon in bowl. Add apples, mixing gently. Pour into pie shell. Dot with 2 tablespoons butter. Mix brown sugar, 1/4 cup butter, 1/3 cup flour, 1/4 teaspoon cinnamon and 1/4 cup pecans in bowl. Sprinkle over apple mixture. Bake at 450 degrees for 45 minutes. Yields 4 servings.
Custard Pie
4 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups milk
1/2 cup sweetened condensed milk
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
1 teaspoon nutmeg
Combine first six ingredients in bowl, mixing well. Pour into pie shell. Sprinkle with nutmeg. Bake at 425 degrees for 10 minutes. Reduce temperature to 325 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes longer or until pie tests done. Yields 4 servings.
Pecan Pie
1/4 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup sugar
1 cup light corn syrup
1/4 teaspoon salt
4 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup chopped pecans
1 unbaked 9-inch pie shell
Cream butter and sugar in bowl. Add corn syrup, salt, eggs and vanilla, mixing well. Fold in pecans. Spoon into pie shell. Bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes or until set. Yields 6 servings.
Pineapple Pie
1 1/2 cups milk
3/4 cup sugar
1/4 cup flour
4 eggs
1 cup crushed pineapple
1 tablespoon butter
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon lemon juice
1 graham cracker pie shell
1 8-ounce container whipped topping
Combine first eight ingredients in saucepan, mixing well. Cook until thick, stirring constantly. Pour into pie shell. Serve with whipped topping. Yields 6 servings.
Rhubarb Cream Pie
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 tablespoons flour
1/2 teaspoon nutmeg
1 tablespoon butter, softened
2 eggs, beaten
3 cups chopped rhubarb
1 recipe 2-crust pie pastry
Blend sugar, flour, nutmeg and butter in bowl. Beat in eggs gradually. Place rhubarb in pie shell. Pour egg mixture over rhubarb. Top with remaining pastry; cut vents. Bake at 450 degrees for 10 minutes; reduce temperature to 350 degrees. Bake for 30 minutes longer. Yields 6 servings. |