Comments on: Remembering Cora Birdsall

By: Anna Birdsall Seley

Anna Birdsall Seley — Sat, 14 Aug 2010 07:17:53 +0000

Ardis,
Cora, Elsie May, etc were my great aunts. Leo Ray Birdsall, their brother was my grandfather. My dad was from his marriage to Anna Johnson. I have tried to learn more about Cora and her struggles. Thank you for sharing your information. The picture of Elsie May is priceless. I see my grandfather likeness in her.

Grandpa told my dad that he left the Mormon church over this situation with Cora. I’ve always felt sad that her life was cut short even though she lived on for many years and I totally understand that mental illness can be devastating. I have struggled with depression myself, but have sought help and am living a productive life.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 14:25:16 +0000

Glad to have you back, Anne.

By: Anne (U.K)

Anne (U.K) — Sat, 10 Apr 2010 12:49:11 +0000

oooh, I’m quite fazed by the fact that Jeff’s ancestor sat on the High Council which made this decision!

What an amazing story Ardis, thank you for the post. Poor Cora, and how wonderful that her mother and grandmother were prepared to stick by her, and not just abandon her. Cora sounds like a wonderful woman and I too would be interested to learn more about her.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 17:00:46 +0000

No hard feelings, Jeff You’ve more than made up any of your great-grandfather’s shortcomings by kindness to Cora’s great-grandniece.

By: Jeff Johnson

Jeff Johnson — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 16:47:16 +0000

It is nice to be reminded of Cora Birdsall again. I also enjoyed your Sunstone presentation. I really feel for her and what she had to put up with. I know that life can be very unfair. I am also shocked to find out that my great grandfather helped make it unfair for her. He was on the Stake High Council. I wish he had written about his feelings concerning the case. Thanks, Ardis

By: Jeff Taylor

Jeff Taylor — Thu, 08 Apr 2010 00:11:57 +0000

Ardis, the story is heartbreaking. Your writing is luminous. This story is worth a book. I had known many but not all of these details. You may not know this, but after you presented the paper on this at the Sunstone Symposium, I dropped into there office and purchased the audio tape of your presentation.

By: Polly Aird

Polly Aird — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:29:45 +0000

Great though sad story. Truly fascinating. I love the stories of the little people more than those of the leaders!

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 23:27:26 +0000

Thank you for your sympathetic comments. This certainly was a heavier story than usual for Keepa, yet I hope it fits the theme of remembering the lives of past Latter-day Saints and appreciating where we have come from.

Cora’s is a story that could so easily be exploited by writers who wanted to emphasize only the blackest parts — and in fact, in 2002 before I told part of this story at Sunstone, I had to fend off a prominent ex-Mormon feminist author who didn’t know me at all and knew no more about Cora than the title of my paper, yet who repeatedly insisted on helping me “expose” the Church by exploiting Cora. One of these days I’ll tell her story as best I can for publication, if for no other reason than to get my take on record before anyone else like that discovers her. (I gave Nate Oman my “Cora file” for use in a legal article; I don’t know how much of her story he told there.)

Anyway, thanks.

By: Hunter

Hunter — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 20:06:51 +0000

What a heavy story. Thanks for being a nosy great-granddaughter, though. I have to believe that, despite the difficult facts, Cora must be honored to be remembered in this way.

By: Your niece

Your niece — Wed, 07 Apr 2010 19:42:21 +0000