Mormon Midwife
Mormon Midwife
Edited by Donna Toland Smart
Series: Life Writings of Frontier Women
Copyright Date: 1997
Published by: University Press of Colorado,
https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z
Pages: 480
https://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt46nz2z
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Book Info
Mormon Midwife
Book Description:

Patty Session's 1847 Mormon Trail diary has been widely quoted and excerpted, but her complete diaries chronicling the first decades of Mormon settlement at Salt Lake City have never before been published. They provide a detailed record of early Mormon community life from Illinois to Utah through the eyes of Mormondom's most famous midwife. They also recount her important role in women's social networks and her contributions to community health and Utah's economy, to pioneer education and horticulture. Patty Sessions assisted at the births of hundreds of early Mormons and first-generation Utahns, meticulously recording the events. Shed had an active role in the founding of the Relief Society and health organizations. She spoke in tongues and administered spiritually as well as medically to the ill. Her diaries are a rich resource for early Mormon and Utah history.

eISBN: 978-0-87421-327-0
Subjects: History
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  1. Front Matter
    Front Matter (pp. i-iv)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.1
  2. Table of Contents
    Table of Contents (pp. v-vi)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.2
  3. Foreword
    Foreword (pp. vii-viii)
    Maureen Ursenbach Beecher
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.3

    Reading the diary of a woman is like visiting across the back fence on a summer afternoon. While your wash dries on the line, and her garden awaits the seeds she is planting, you chat about the things that matter to each of you: your new carpet, her problem with the car, her daughter who is about to marry, your son who seems unable to find directions in his life, the neighbor whose husband recently died, and whether or not the town council will fix the potholes in the road this spring. Of just such topics is a woman’s life...

  4. Preface
    Preface (pp. ix-xiv)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.4
  5. Introduction
    Introduction (pp. 1-30)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.5

    In May of 1888 Patty Bartlett Sessions wrote the words “it is now Friday the 4th,” put down her pen as if for a temporary pause, and abruptly ended more than four decades of diary entries. The Mormon pioneer trek from Nauvoo, Illinois, to the Salt Lake Valley; the rise of Mormon cities in the western wilderness; the attempted invasion of Johnston’s army; the coming of the railroad; and the building of Mormon temples represent only a few of the significant events mentioned in her annals. The domestic life of a people was the more continuous substance of her record....

  6. Diary One, 1846–1848
    Diary One, 1846–1848 (pp. 31-124)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.6

    Feb 10th 1846 Nauvoo or City of Joseph My things are now packed ready for the west have been and put Richards ^Bird^ Wife [Emeline Crandall] to bed with a daughter [Amanda Fidelia]. in the afternoon put sister Hariet Young to bed with a son [Oscar Brigham]² 11th mad[e] me a cap and in the evening went to the [Masonic] Hall to see the scenery of the massacree of Joseph and Hyram Smith³ 12 this morning Br [Philo] Dib[b]le gave me a ticket to go in to ^the^ scenery any time⁴ we then bade our childre ^n^ and friends good...

  7. Diary Two, 1849–1850
    Diary Two, 1849–1850 (pp. 125-157)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.7

    Jan 1–1849 Monday I have staid at home made Artificials² had no co enjoyed myself well it has thawed rained a litle Mr Sessions gone to a prayr meeting this evening & Martha Ann to her Fathers [perrigrine’s] I alone Tuesday 2 Martha came home rained some Wednesday 3 we went to P Gs with Br Pearce and wife had a good ride and visit Thursday 4 Mr Sessions and P G went to the bank ofice Mr Sessions had some talk with with Brigham about going back Friday 5 I feel bad I went to Dr [Darwin Charles] Richardsons...

  8. Diary Three, 1851–1852
    Diary Three, 1851–1852 (pp. 159-186)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.8

    Jan=1 1851 new year Wed 1 Martha Ann and I went down to Br Drowns [Charles Madison Drown?] had a good visit spent the day much more pleasant than I did a year ago Thurs 2 sewed Friday 3 sewed again Satd 4 sewed again Charles and Bunty came down Bunty staid all night³ cut me some wood Sund 5 David came down I went home with him he brought me down some pork Mond 6 I went in the evening with Lucina to see sister Collins Tues 7 Bucland brought me home Wed 8 Mclennel cut wood half day...

  9. Diary Four, 1853–1855
    Diary Four, 1853–1855 (pp. 187-224)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.9

    Jan 1 1853 Saturday I have been up to P Gs to Davids infair he was Married last thursday Dec- 30 I came home found all well have been gone ever since last monday Sund 2 I went to meeting then went & see Naomi went to Br Jacobs in the evening Mond 3 washed & baked Tuesd 4 ironed & baked pies David down wed 5 split husks to put in a bed Thursd 6 moved the corn Frid 7 mended & churned then went and put Mathew Castows wife to bed with a daughter [Elizabeth Mary] born 11 P M² Satd 8...

  10. Diary Five, 1856–1862
    Diary Five, 1856–1862 (pp. 225-292)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.10

    Jan 1 1856

    Patty Sessions

    1856

    I spent the forenoon at home Mr Parry staid here last night took his brekfast with me then went to his ^house^ to see Harriet came back to dinner we then went with Br Pew to Cotten wood to his house he came after us had a party there Tuesd 2 [I] went to Br Birchs took dinner then came home Thursd 3 I went up to town took dinner at Tripps P G was there I then went to Samuel Mores to see his wife Eunice she has a very bad sore I...

  11. Diary Six, 1862–1880
    Diary Six, 1862–1880 (pp. 293-339)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.11

    Sewing Tuesd 18 Wed 19 Thursd 20 Sylvia here Frd 21 Sat 22 sewing all the week sister Foss here on a visit Sund 23 go to meeting Mond 24 Bartlett sick I swet him and gave him some medicine Tuesd 25 gave Richard Riser emetic² Carlos came home from Ruby Valley has been gone since last May I went Wed 26 and put Mary Emery Joseph Emerys wife to bed with a daughter born half past four A M been sewing to day Richard Riser died 8 P M Thursd 27 he is buried to day Carlos & Byron here...

  12. Diary Seven, 1884–1888
    Diary Seven, 1884–1888 (pp. 341-394)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.12

    [Inside the front cover, Patty instructed what should become of this diary, and then wrote a retrospective account and chronology of her life, which became primarily a record of important financial transactions. The chronology helps fill in the gaps in Patty’s earlier diaries. In this section many end marks appear, a number of which have been deleted. She must have touched her pen to the paper as she pondered.]

    This Book when I Patty Sessions have done with it is to be given to Perrigrine Sessions My Son=

    When we came into this valley I had one five cent peice...

  13. Epilogue
    Epilogue (pp. 395-400)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.13

    As far as we know, Patty Bartlett Sessions’s sketchy May 1888 entries were her last written words. According to her diary, she wrote many letters throughout the years. Probably few survive. The Daughters of Utah Pioneers have one damaged photocopy of a letter she wrote from “Camp of Isriel Winter Quarters” to daughter Sylvia and her husband Windsor Lyon and son David Sessions, Jr., in Nauvoo. It was dated 12 December 1846 and recounted some of the events mentioned in her diary, as well as urging Windsor to move his store to Winter Quarters since, she reported, people had to...

  14. Appendix One: Account Book
    Appendix One: Account Book (pp. 401-402)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.14
  15. Appendix Two: Children’s Families
    Appendix Two: Children’s Families (pp. 403-405)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.15
  16. Appendix Three: Braiding School Minutes
    Appendix Three: Braiding School Minutes (pp. 406-408)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.16
  17. Bibliography
    Bibliography (pp. 409-416)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.17
  18. Index
    Index (pp. 417-457)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.18
  19. Back Matter
    Back Matter (pp. 458-458)
    https://doi.org/10.2307/j.ctt46nz2z.19