I've just been thinking.........

...........about my Great Grandma Mary Ann.

Four Generation Picture: Aunt Dora with baby Maryanne, Grandma Rosetta, Great Grandma Mary Ann, and Aunt Faye with baby Marlene.

This was Mary Ann's 93rd Birthday.


Part One: England [An expert paraphrased from her life story]

Mary Ann was born in England the daughter of Edward and Ann Smith Ingram. Her parents worked as tenant farmers in Newbold, Warwickshire, England for the "Bates" family. Times were hard and at 6 years old she was left in charge of the younger children while her older brother [8] helped his father in the fields and her mother helped to clean the "big house". When the baby needed to be nursed, she would take the baby to her mother at the big house where she took in everythng from the pretty plates, the beautiful glassware, cushioned chairs, and the shining floor.

The English countyside was beautiful with its green trees, rock fences, hedgerows of blooming shrubs, and flowers at all seasons. Flowers bloomed near the Ingram cottage and a small piece of land was set aside for the tenanats to grow vegetables for their own use. The grazing cattle and sheep made a pleasing picture.

Mary Ann was small for her age, small and tough fibred: made to withstand life, whatever it brought her. She had large features in proportion to her size, her eyes were a clear light blue, not plain because of her clear white skin and the soft pink flush on her high cheek bones. She had light blond hair as a child which would later turn to a shining light brown as she got older. It was tied back away from her face with a bit of a string. As it grew it was braided down her back and tied with a bit of hair from her comb.

After a hard days work, her father would read to the children and teach them to read and "reckon" and gave them a love and respect for knowledge. In their home was love and the teachings of the gospel which was aways a part of Mary Ann's life.
The walk to church was a three mile walk. Every three months they would walk 12 miles for conference. On some of those occasions the way was made shorter for Mary Ann. One of the families they met along the way was the White family who had a son John, 9 years her senior, who would put her on his shoulder and carry her "piggyback" part of the way. When she was 9 years old a missionary from America came to their home one evening and asked Edward how many there were in the branch that were ready for baptism. Mary Ann and several others were baptized that next Saturday with the services on the banks of the Avon River near Cosford. Mary Ann never forgot that day as long as she lived. She could remember the cold wet nightgown as it clinged to her legs as she walked to a clump of trees to be dried off and then changed into proper clothes. She never forgot Elder Day's cautioning her to listen to the "still small voice" that was the gift of the Holy Ghost and given to her as a guide throughout her life if she kept the faith. As young as she was, she sensed that it would be an anchor for her and give her the strength she would need to meet the many challenges she had in life.
Her childhood ended at age 14 when according to custom she was old enough to find a situation to support herself and help the family as well. She had learned what she needed to know by taking her mothers place at the Bates "big house" from time to time where she learned to cook over an open fire and clean and polish fine china and silver. She was ready to help her family financially.
She had good "notices" from Mrs. Bates and so it was not hard for her to find work. She worked several different places until she finally took a position at Rugby as a cook in a boarding house for boys attending the famous school at that place. Her mistress was thoughtful and therefore their relationship was pleasant. The best thing is that it was near Cosford. When she had a day off she would sometimes walk to see her family and also happily saw them at church every Sunday.
Two of her brothers were making plans to go to America and on to Zion. She decided to save her money to go with them. She was almost 21 when the day of departure was set. When the time came she did not have enough money. Through answers to prayers and her own faith and courage she was able to obtain the money needed to go to the promised land.
On the morning of April 11, 1862 the Ingram family gathered at the Liverpool docks. The family was not a demonstrative family, but they loved each other and stood in a tight circle as they said goodbye. What must Mary Ann's mother have thought as she watched some of her children leave for America not knowing if she would see them again. especially her youngest son George only 9 years old. Mary Ann's mother's heart must have failed her seeing him leave her, but knowing that Mary Ann would take good care of him, MAry Ann's mother knew that the prospects for a good life would be much better in America. There were no tears, only strong hand clasps and quick kisses, then the Ingram chldren went on board the ship the "John C. Boyd".