Item Detail
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Snow, Mary Ann Vorhees
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1821-1907
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MSS SC 376
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Biography
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Mary Ann Vorhees Snow was born December 1, 1821 in Clarmont County, Ohio to Nancy Ann Leek Vorhees and Elisha Vorhees. She married Warren Snow on December 23, 1846 in Hancock, Illinois. They joined the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and moved first to Nauvoo and later to Utah in 1852. They settled in Sanpete County in 1854 and became some of the first settlers of Manti. Mary ran a 'Hostelry of high repute familiarly called the Snow House,' which was well known throughout the state. Mary and Warren were the parents of eight children: Joseph Smith, Gardner Elisha, Warren Franklin, Elizabeth Ann, Samuel Perry, Mary Ann, Melissa Jane, and Luella. Warren died in 1896, leaving Mary Ann a widow for 11 years. After his death, Mary Ann gave up running the hostelry and lived with her daughters in Orangeville, Emery County, Utah. She died November 29, 1907.
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Mary Ann's biography is part of a collection of items relating to her husband, Warren Snow. Her biography is found in the first folder of the collection; this folder also includes a biography of Warren and a family group sheet for their family. Mary Ann's biography is a four-page, typewritten document which was authored by a grand-daughter, Addie Snow Killpack, in 1930. Rather than being a chronological accounting of Mary Ann's life, the biography is more of a collection of stories and memories about Mary Ann. Addie gives some of the stories from her perspective as a grand-daughter. For example, she recalls an old steamer which 'contained dainty morsels of leftovers, such as doughnuts, tarts, cookies, etc., which Grandmother always gave to us.' Addie also gives a description of Mary Ann and of the Snow House from her own memories: If Order is the first law of Heaven,' I would say that 'Order' was the first law in Grandmother Snow's house. She was very refined and reserved, dainty in her makeup, but very independent.' The stories in the collection give insight into Mary Ann's strong personality. Some of these stories include hiding her husband from a mob under their feather bed, chasing an Indian out of her house with a hot poker, and whipping a man who had unjustly accused her son of stealing apples and had injured him.
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1927-1978