Comments on: Eminent Women: Mary Parker Chidester and Catharine Maria Sedgwick, Part 1

By: Mark B.

Mark B. — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:59:51 +0000

Another fine addition to this series. Thank you, Amy!

And I’m with all of you in wishing they had written more. I too have ancestors who were in the Martin handcart company–mother and daughter–and neither of them seem even to have told any of their descendants of their experiences. Not a whisper has come down through family lore.

I suppose all we can do to solve the problem is to start writing so our descendants in 150 years won’t have the same complaints about us.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 19:42:43 +0000

My favorite line is one of the last: "Sedgwick wrote about the intelligent women of the new republic and the importance of civic duty and raising children to be good citizens—a role epitomized by Mary Parker Chidester." I know these women of St. George were not deliberately paired to the women whose work they did -- which makes it pleasing that you so often do find a connection between them, as if this woman were just the right one to stand as proxy for that woman. Your ability to do that betrays your thoughtfulness: these are real people to you, not just ink on a page.

By: lindberg

lindberg — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 18:19:33 +0000

I knew a Chidester in college. A descendent, probably?

I agree with the wish for more direct records! I have two great^n grandmothers who survived in the Martin handcart company; if either of them ever wrote anything about it, it’s lost. All I know of is one paragraph about their experiences, written by a son in his (also maddeningly brief) life history.

By: Amy T

Amy T — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:22:40 +0000

Thanks, Kevin. One of the projects I have on my list for when I finish the Eminent Women is to transcribe and annotate the diaries and histories of another St George pioneer woman, Ann Prior Jarvis. It’s been touching to learn about her experiences: the conversion, the hardships, the losses, the healings, the visions and dreams, and all the complaints. (Lots of those! Keeping it real!)

Mary Chidester and so many other women would have quite a story to tell, and it’s a curious and endearing process to piece together the threads of their lives, but it would be so much better to have their actual words.

By: kevinf

kevinf — Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:13:02 +0000

Amy T, nice addition to this series. It seems somehow tragic when you know someone has gone through extraordinary circumstances, but you can’t find any of their own words to know how they really felt. You can only guess, based on the records of others, but you still know that these folks must have experienced sorrow, guilt, joy, happiness, and other emotions, yet never have the full measure of it. Thanks for sharing this.