Mary Ann Frost Stearns Pratt facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Mary Ann Frost Stearns Pratt |
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| Personal details | |
| Born | Mary Ann Frost January 14, 1809 Groton, Vermont, United States |
| Died | Pleasant Grove, Utah, Utah Territory, United States |
| Resting place | Pleasant Grove City Cemetery 40°22′09″N 111°44′27″W / 40.3691°N 111.7409°W |
| Spouse(s) | Nathan Stearns (1832–1833) Parley P. Pratt (1837–1853) |
| Children | 5 |
Mary Ann Frost Stearns Pratt was born on January 14, 1809, in Groton, Vermont. She passed away on August 24, 1891, in Pleasant Grove, Utah. Mary Ann was married to Parley P. Pratt, who was an important leader in the early Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Her life story shows many important events from the early days of the church.
Contents
Mary Ann's Early Life
Mary Ann Frost grew up in Groton, Vermont. Her father, Aaron Frost, was a farmer. Her mother was Susanna Gray Bennett Frost. When Mary Ann was young, her family moved to Bethel, Maine. At that time, Maine was part of Massachusetts.
On April 1, 1832, Mary Ann married her first husband, Nathan Stearns. Their daughter, Mary Ann Stearns, was born on April 6, 1833. Sadly, Nathan Stearns died on August 25 of the same year. This made Mary Ann a widow.
In 1835, Brigham Young and other Mormons visited Bethel, Maine. Mary Ann and her sister, Olive Grey Frost, became interested in the Mormon faith. They were baptized by a church leader named David W. Patten.
Marriage to Parley P. Pratt
In late 1836, Mary Ann and her sister moved to Kirtland, Ohio. This was where the church had gathered and built its first temple. In Kirtland, Mary Ann met Parley P. Pratt. He was one of the first twelve apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Parley had recently lost his wife. Mary Ann and Parley were married in Kirtland on May 9, 1837.
In July 1837, Parley P. Pratt went on a mission trip to New York City. During this time, he helped publish a new version of the Book of Mormon. He also wrote a book called A Voice of Warning to explain the Mormon faith.
By April 1838, the Mormons had to leave Ohio. So, Parley and Mary Ann moved to Far West, Missouri. Their first child together, Nathan Pratt, was born there on August 31, 1838.
Parley was involved in a conflict called the Battle of Crooked River in October 1838. After the battle, he was arrested and held in jail. In December, Mary Ann joined him in jail for a short time. She left on March 17, 1839, to join other Mormons in Far West, Missouri. Later, she moved to Quincy, Illinois. Parley escaped from jail on July 4, 1839. He met Mary Ann and their children in Quincy on July 11.
On August 29, 1839, Mary Ann and Parley traveled to New York City. Parley then left for a mission trip to England. Mary Ann returned to her parents in Maine for a few months. She then joined Parley in Manchester, England, in October 1840. Their daughter, Olivia Pratt, was born there on June 2, 1841. They left England with 250 new church members on October 29, 1842. They arrived in Nauvoo, Illinois, the new church headquarters, on April 12, 1843.
Life in Nauvoo
In 1843, Mary Ann's sister, Olive Grey Frost, married Joseph Smith. Joseph Smith was the founder of the Latter-day Saint movement.
In July 1844, Parley P. Pratt married Elizabeth Brotherton. He married four more women later that year. Mary Ann did not know about these marriages at the time.
On November 7, 1844, Mary Ann's sister, Olive Frost, married Brigham Young. Olive passed away in Nauvoo on October 6, 1845.
On December 10, 1845, Mary Ann, Parley, and Parley's brother Orson Pratt took part in a special ceremony. This ceremony was called the temple endowment. It took place in the Nauvoo Temple.
After January 1, 1846, Mary Ann found out that Parley had married other women. This caused problems between them. On February 6, 1846, Mary Ann was sealed to Parley in the Nauvoo Temple. This was a special church ceremony.
On February 13, 1846, Mary Ann, Parley, and their children left Nauvoo with many other Mormons. Mary Ann returned a week later to stay with her parents. Her parents were still in Nauvoo but planned to leave soon.
On September 18, 1846, Mary Ann left Nauvoo with the last group of Mormons. She arrived in Winter Quarters, Nebraska, in June 1847. When she met Parley again, she told him she was going back to Maine with their children. This was likely the last time they were together. Parley left on another mission trip in late 1847. In March 1848, Mary Ann received money from Parley from the sale of their house in Nauvoo. She then returned to Maine.
Later Life and Legacy
Mary Ann lived in Bethel, Maine, for about three years. On March 10, 1851, she left and stayed for a while in St. Louis, Missouri and Kanesville, Iowa. She and her three children who were still alive left Kanesville on June 10, 1852. They arrived in Salt Lake City, Utah, on September 10, 1852.
Parley returned from a mission trip in October 1852. Mary Ann did not reunite with him. However, she allowed their children to visit him. On March 5, 1853, Brigham Young granted Mary Ann a divorce from Parley P. Pratt.
Mary Ann lived the rest of her life in Pleasant Grove, Utah. She never married again. She worked as a midwife, helping many women give birth. It is said she delivered hundreds of babies without losing any.
In 1880, Mary Ann wrote an article for a magazine called Woman's Exponent. The article was titled "Give to those Rights to Whom Rights Belong." In it, she argued that women should have more legal and political rights. This shows she was one of the early supporters of women's rights in America.
Mary Ann passed away in Pleasant Grove in 1891, when she was 83 years old. She was buried in the Pleasant Grove City Cemetery.
Mary Ann's Children
Mary Ann Frost Stearns Pratt had five children with her two husbands. Two of her children died when they were young.
- Child with Nathan Stearns:
- Mary Ann Stearns (born April 6, 1833 – died April 4, 1912). She married Oscar Winters.
- Children with Parley P. Pratt:
- Nathan Pratt (born August 31, 1838 – died December 12, 1843)
- Olivia Thankful Pratt (born June 2, 1841 – died June 12, 1906). She married Benjamin Woodbury Driggs.
- Susan Pratt (born April 7, 1843 – died August 1844)
- Moroni Llewellyn Pratt (born December 7, 1844 – died April 18, 1913). He married Caroline M. Bebee.
Images for kids
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Mary Ann Frost Stearns Pratt
