Thank You Ana M. Jarvis!

May 9, 1914

Woodrow Wilson Proclaimed Mothers Day

There was no doubt that Ana M. Jarvis loved her mother. Her mother, Mrs. Ana Reese Jarvis had been the daughter of a pastor and had taught Sunday school in a Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia.

Ana’s mother died in 1905. In 1907 the Sunday School Superintendent asked Ana to help him put together a memorial for Ana’s mother. Mrs. Jarvis had been a very influential member of the congregation in Grafton. This event caused Ana to think about all the mothers who were never recognized for their contributions for one reason or another.

The Grafton Church held a special service on Sunday, May 9^th, 1907 on the anniversary of Mrs. Jarvis’s death. In 1908 Ana helped her own church in Philadelphia to hold a special service calling attention to Mothers.

Ana then began a campaign by writing thousands of letters and held meetings to promote a day of recognition for Mothers in the United States. Six years later she succeeded. May 8^th, 1914 both houses of the United States Congress passed a resolution that established a Mother’s Day Memorial. On May 9^th, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson issued a proclamation establishing Mother’s Day.

“Now, Therefore, I Woodrow Wilson, President of the United States of America, by virtue of the authority vested in me by the said Joint resolution, do hereby direct the government officials to display the United States Flag on all government buildings and do invite the people of the United States to display the flag at their homes or other suitable places on the second Sunday in May as a public expression of our love and reverence for the mothers of our country.”

Today, with the American Flag falling in favor and the love of money, we don’t raise many flags in honor of our late mothers. Today, big business has entered the picture with an emphasis on cards, flowers, and candy. Thanks to the thoughtfulness of a congregation in West Virginia who desired to honor a dearly departed mother and her daughter’s herculean efforts, we now celebrate Mother’s Day in America and around the world in countries like Australia, Belgium, Canada, China, Denmark, Finland, Italy, Japan, Mexico, Turkey, parts of Africa and South America.

Thank you Ana M. Jarvis! Thank you for your faithful service Mrs. Ana Reese Jarvis.

Thank you Mom for all you did for me! I love you Mom! (Mrs. Evelyn Leona Reed Metcalf)