Item Detail
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Leavitt, Mary Hafen
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1877-1980
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MSS SC 94
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Mary's autobiography transcribed by Juanita Brooks
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Mary Hafen Leavitt was born in Santa Clara, Utah on 5 November 1877 to John George Hafen and Mary Ann Stucki, his second wife. Her father's first wife and six children lived in town next to her father's general store while Mary's mother and siblings lived in an isolated area with no means of transportation. This worried Mary's mother, who convinced her husband to move them into town. When Mary was eight years old, her father moved them to Swiss Block in St. George to keep the U.S. Marshals from discovering that he was a polygamist. Mary loved her new home surrounded by fruit trees and enjoyed attending school, making friends, and learning to sing Swiss folk songs and play the guitar. In 1891, Mary's father decided to move the family to Bunkerville. Mary adjusted well to her new surroundings despite the difficulties of cultivating new farm land and living in a two room, adobe home situated on a rocky lot. On 3 September 1895 Mary married Henry Leavitt in the St. George Temple. They settled in Bunkerville, living in a one room home on ten acres of farmland. Their first three children were born in this home, although the first died after 18 months. In 1903, Mary and Henry had just finished building a second room to their home when Henry was called to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. To finance the mission they rented their land and sold all of their farming equipment and animals. They also rented their extra room to be used as a school. It was a difficult time for Mary, who gave birth to a son two months after Henry's departure and suffered with depression and loneliness. When Henry returned on 5 March 1905, he hauled freight at the Bullfrog Mine until he earned enough money to replace his farming equipment. In 1913, they moved into a larger home to accommodate their family of ten children. Twenty years later, their home burned down and they were only able to salvage a piano, a clock, and enough bricks to build a second, two-bedroom home. When Henry died of a stroke on December 1, 1944, Mary moved in with her mother in St. George until her mother's death. Then, Mary moved next to her daughter, Juanita, whose husband recently died of cancer. Mary spent most of her time attending the temple, quilting, and visiting with her large family until she died in July of 1980.
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This collection contains six typewritten pages of Mary's autobiography, transcribed by her daughter, Juanita Brooks. At ninety years old, Mary's quick wit and charming personality are evident as she shares her childhood memories. She relates her feelings of being a real lady when she turned fourteen and got her first boyfriend. Tragedy hit when her father decided to move them to Bunkerville and she had to leave her boyfriend, who teased that she would probably marry a Leavitt. Her determination to prove him wrong eased with time and soon her attentions turned to Henry Leavitt. She and a friend often devised plans to meet Henry as he walked home from work. These plans proved successful and Mary had her first date with Henry in 1893. Her father didn't approve of Henry because he wasn't Swiss, but nothing could deter them from getting married. Mary shares many details about their journey to the temple and the parties that were thrown for them afterwards. She felt that nothing could be better than receiving two tubs full of gifts, eating fritters and pies, and having a dance to celebrate their marriage. Music was always important in Mary's life. While Henry served a mission, music helped Mary overcome her loneliness. She also received support from many neighbors, who would leave sacks of flour and potatoes on her doorstep, send her liver and spareribs when they slaughtered their pigs, and plow her garden every spring. Every time her uncle rode by on his horse, he would toss a silver dollar on her doorway for her children to scramble after. Other blessings came when Henry returned from his mission and he tried to earn enough money to provide for his family and buy more farming equipment. Once, as Henry traveled home empty-handed from a business trip, a flood derailed the train he boarded and Henry was able to gather a full load of canned foods and clothing to bring home to the family. These stories, and many others of faith, trials, and successes, make up Mary's well written autobiography.
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1880-