Mary Ann Anderson McBride (1815-1896)
How we are related:
Mary Anne Anderson McBride
Helen Venera McBride Colgrove
Minnie Colgrove Ashby
Martha Geneva Ashby Speakman
Daniel Vaughn Speakman
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| Mary Ann Anderson McBride |
The youngest of 10 children, Mary Ann Anderson was born on March 25th, 1808 at Stafford, Genesee, New York, to parents who had recently come from their native Chesterfield, Massachusetts. She married Reuben McBride on September 23rd, 1830 at Villenova, Chautauqua, New York. Reuben's deceased father had been a Cambellite minister and his mother Abigail Mead McBride led her entire family into the L.D.S. church in 1833 after they were taught the gospel by William Cahoon, Amasa Lyman, and Evan Green.
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| Reuben and Mary Ann A. McBride |
In the spring of 1834, on March 4th, Joseph Smith and Parley P. Pratt came to the McBride home and held a meeting. At the close of the meeting, Joseph called for volunteers to go up to redeem Zion. Reuben was the first who volunteered to go. He and his brother-in-law Vinson Knight arrived in Kirtland, Ohio, on April 21st. The pregnant Mary Ann and one-year-old Helen V. waited in New York. Following his release from Zion's Camp, Reuben returned home, probably arriving in August, perhaps in time for the birth of his second daughter, Harriet on August 31st. Mary Ann joined the "Mormons" over the protests of her family and left them all behind as she followed the Saints west.
Reuben was ordained a member of the Second Quorum of Seventy on 14 February 1835. In the spring of that year the McBride clan sold their farms and traveled to Kirtland, Ohio, to gather with the saints. The trip was made by stagecoach and canal boat and took about 6 days.
The McBrides donated liberally to the building of the city of Kirtland and to the temple. With six of her children, Abigail - the matriarch of the McBride clan - enjoyed the heavenly manifestations given at the dedication of the Kirtland Temple on March 27, 1836.
In Kirtland Mary Ann was left alone with her children much of the time because Reuben was considered by the church authorities as a minute man and did a great deal of missionary work. While at Kirtland, the following children were born to them: Reuben, Louisa, Roy, Emma, Newton, and Laura. Some family trees list a son James who was born in 1848 and died in 1851, but if he existed, he is not enumerated with the family on the 1850 U.S. Census. Unfortunately for our record keeping, Mary Ann died a few years short of the 1900 U.S. Census which would have listed how many children she had borne.
In 1850 Reuben traveled to Utah in company with President Brigham Young in whose family he made his home the following year. He returned to Kirtland in 1851 to prepare his family for the move West. Reuben again entered the Salt Lake Valley in 1852 with the Isaac Bullock company, this time with his wife Mary Ann Anderson and their 8 children: Helen Venera, Harriet Eliza, Reuben Augustus, Mary Louisa, Hyrum Roy, Emma Jerutia, John Newton, and Laura Abigail. They spent the winter in Farmington and Springville. Some time later, after moving to Fillmore, their baby Alice came, making a family of six girls and three sons. Records show that a daughter Anna was born in 1857 in Fillmore and died in 1865.
Mary Ann's granddaughter wrote of her:
"Grandma McBride was a woman of culture and skill. She was Poetic, contributing many poems to the public. For many years she contributed to the "Womans Exponent," the first Relief Society magazine published in Utah, each issue of which she prized very highly, keeping them filed for future reference. She was full of benevolence and kindness to the poor, contributing much of her time and talent without solicitation or compensation. God blessed her with a talent to bring and save souls. By her kind hand, many souls were brought into the world under various critical conditions. God being her guide, she achieved great success. For several years she was counselor in the Millard Stake Relief Society and later President of the Fillmore Ward Relief Society. She was very skillful in needle-craft. As a child I remember seeing some of her excellent work, which was sent to the State Fair.
I well remember a beautiful bed spread which she wove of navy blue and white fine yarn. The design was a real piece of art. She would put her spinning wheel up stairs where she thought it would be safe, but on the contrary, the grand children would find their way to Grandmothers spinning wheel and try their talent at making yarn from rolls.
Grandmother's loom was an ideal hiding place for the children to seclude themselves while deeply engaged in study. Grandmother used to make a variety of dyes with which she would color pieces for quilts and rags for carpets. She also made soap from hard wood ashes. Grandfather made her what they called a leach which was composed of slats of wood, then filled with hard wood ashes and a trough for a drain. About once a day she would pour a bucket of water over the ashes. When sufficient liquid had accumulated she would add a certain amount of grease and make soap which served for washing, scrubbing, etc.
Besides rearing her family of nine children she raised the youngest son of her daughter Laura who died at the age of 26 years, leaving six small children. Although the family did not suffer for food as some of the early pioneers did, yet they indulged in all the labor incidental to pioneer life, spinning yarn, weaving the cloth from which she made clothing for her family.
Grandma was always true to her faith. Not only did she desire to care for the living, but also for the dead. She and Grandfather did much work at the St. George and Manti Temples. After the death of grandfather, grandmother remained in their own home for some time.
When her health began to fail, she went to live with her youngest daughter, Mrs. Alice Callister, where she remained until her death, August 18, 1896 at Fillmore, Millard County, Utah."
Patriarchal Blessing
given to Mary Ann Anderson McBride
Fillmore, Millard, Utah
March 16th, 1895 (age 80)
Fillmore, March 16th, 1895. A blessing by John Ashman, Patriarch, upon the head of Mary Ann McBride, daughter of Alanson and Priscilla Anderson, born at Stafford, Genesee County, New York.
Sister Mary Ann McBride, by virtue and authority of the holy priesthood vested in me and my high and holy calling, I lay my hands upon your head and seal upon you a patriarchal blessing by which your lineage shall be made known unto you. Thou art of Joseph through the loins of Ephraim and are entitled to all the blessings pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant. Thy Father in Heaven blessed thee to come forth in the dispensation of the fullness of times and had your name written in the Lamb's book of life, and because of thy faithfulness, it shall remain there through all eternity. Thou hast passed through many scenes of trouble and persecutions but thy Father in Heaven has sent his angels that have guarded thee and sustained thee and thou hast kept the faith. Henceforth there is laid up for thee a crown of celestial glory. I say unto thee, sister be comforted in thy mind, for thy children shall be saved through thy faithfulness in the Kingdom of God. Thou shalt stand upon Mount Zion with thy husband and thy children shall gather around you, and not one shall be lost. Thy last days shall be thy best days and when thine hour is come, thou shalt depart in peace, surrounded by thy family and friends. And holy angels shall guard thee to the realms above, when thou shall meet with thy loved ones and be welcomed by the prophets of God that have preceded thee. And I seal thee up to eternal life to come forth in the morning of the first resurrection, clothed with immortality and eternal life. And I seal upon you all your former blessings and a crown of celestial glory, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
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| Fillmore, Utah, Cemetery |
How we are related:
Mary Anne Anderson McBride
Helen Venera McBride Colgrove
Minnie Colgrove Ashby
Martha Geneva Ashby Speakman
Daniel Vaughn Speakman
BIOGRAPHICAL WIKI (on the Internet Archive Wayback Machine)
https://web.archive.org/web/20140401161129/http://biographicalwiki.com/index.php/Mary_Ann_Anderson_%281814-1896%29
FINDAGRAVE.COM
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSln=McBride&GSiman=1&GScid=77228&GRid=25781247&
Many details are taken from an article in the Territorial Statehouse State Park in Fillmore, Utah.
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