Item Detail
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Larson, May Louise Hunt
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1860-1943
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MSS SC 540
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ten folders containing May's diary and biography, a book of birthdays in Snowflake Stake, a history of Snowflake Stake Academy, and a biography of Emma Hale Smith.
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May Louise Hunt Larson was born 5 May 1860 in San Bernardino, California to Louise Pratt and John Hunt. She was the second of eight children. Three years after her birth, her parents moved to Beaver, Utah. May excelled in school and attended a private school for three years. Although her formal schooling ended when she was sixteen, May never stopped learning. In 1875, May's family moved to a small farm near Joseph City, Utah. One year later, they sold their land, bought teams and wagons, and journeyed to Sevoia Valley, Arizona. On 2 March 1877, as they traveled through St. George, May and her older sister, Ida, went through the St. George Temple to receive their endowments. When they arrived in Sevoia Valley, they lived in a home made of pine poles with a wagon cover roof and wagon box bedrooms. May's family raised corn, beans, squash, and other vegetables while her father hauled freight and wool from Fort Wingate to Keams Canyon and Albuquerque. When May's father was called to be a Bishop, they decided to move to James Stinson Ranch to be closer to other members of the church. As their new home was being built, May and her siblings returned to Utah and stayed with their Grandmother Pratt. They returned on 2 December 1878 to a small log cabin that seemed like a palace compared to their previous home. On 26 October 1881, May married Olof Larson in the Saint George Temple. They returned from St. George on 5 December and lived in a tent in Sevoia Valley until they could build a small log home. In 1882, May's father married a second wife, Sarah Jane Crosby, with whom he had nine children. May's mother died in 1885. May and Olof lived in the same home for the remainder of their lives, building on to the home as they had more children. May was the mother of thirteen children, four of whom died in infancy and two of whom died in adolescence. She served in many capacities within every organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. When her husband died in 1939, she found solace in serving for four years in the temple until she suffered a stroke and died 4 May 1943.
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This collection consists of ten folders containing May's diary and biography, a book of birthdays in Snowflake Stake, a history of Snowflake Stake Academy, a biography of Emma Hale Smith, and two restricted folders. The first folder contains an original copy of May's forty-page, handwritten diary, in which she reminisces about her experiences moving from Utah to Arizona in 1876. In this diary, May includes many journal entries written by her older sister, Ida, to supplement her record. When Ida's journal ends, she continues the account from memory and with the help of her brothers and sisters. Her correct use of grammar and neat penmanship reveal her educational training. With an awareness of details, May writes about the people that accompanied them, the horses they brought, supplies they carried, miles they traveled, and the conditions of the roads they encountered. She also records the times they suffered from a lack of water and had to leave animals behind that were too dehydrated to continue. May often writes about events that seem most important to her, giving the reader an intimate look at her perspectives and feelings. For instance, on her birthday she writes, where, I wonder, will my next birthday be spent? Also, when she encounters two Indians in Tahsah Springs she writes that she was glad to know that some living being besides us were in this barren desert country. Although the journey was difficult, May writes about when they made time for leisure. One night, they took a guitar and went for a sail by moonlight across the Colorado River. They developed strong relationships with those that accompanied them that led to difficult separations when they settled in different areas of Arizona. The second folder contains an original copy of a three-page, handwritten biography of Emma Hale Smith, written by May. She writes about her marriage to Joseph Smith, the children they had together, and the role Emma played in organizing the Relief Society. The third folder contains a thirty-seven-page, handwritten copy of the history of the Snowflake Stake Academy and sixteen pages of class notes written by May. She writes that on 8 June 1888 Wilford Woodruff wrote the President of Snowflake Stake and asked him to help establish an Academy. On 21 January 1889 the school opened with 51 pupils with a budget of $500.00 for the school year. The first principal was E.M. Webb. The school was forced to close for five years because of a lack of funds, but it was opened again in 1898 with the help of district funds. In 1902, the school had its first graduating class. They added an addition to the building on 20 August 1910, but three months later, the new addition caught on fire. The damage was extensive and the entire building had to be rebuilt. It took three years to rebuild this portion of the school, but May writes that it was a great contribution to Northern Arizona. She gives the full names of the teachers, graduating students, and principles that went to Snowflake Academy. The last sixteen pages appear to be notes from classes May attended. They are very difficult to read. These pages include: two poems, information about a play, a history of Arbor Day, musical scales in different keys, and a rough draft biography of John Hunt. The fourth folder contains twenty-one, handwritten pages of a birthday book May kept which contains all the birth dates and names of people in the Snowflake Stake in Arizona. The fifth folder contains a one page biography of May's grandfather, Addison Pratt written by May. The sixth folder contains a nine typewritten page biography of May that is written by her daughter, Louise Larson Comish in 1965. Besides providing a lot of biographical information, Louise writes of her mother's pioneer attitudes, her desire to learn, and her great service within the church. She writes that most people came to know her mother as Aunt May. The seventh folder contains one typewritten page about May's funeral. May requested many songs including, I Will Extol Thee, Oh, My Mother, Silver Bells of Memory, and Crossing the Bar. The opening prayer was offered by President David A. Butler, followed by a talk by Silas L. Fish and Joe West. Ida Willis read some sentiments, and James M. Flake offered the closing prayer. The eighth and ninth folders are restricted.
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1827-1911