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A SECOND CHANCE FOR MARY ANN Shirley R. Burnside Non Professional First Place Biography Mary Ann Smith was bom in Banham, Norfolk, England at 25 North Moor, on Friday the 4th of November, 1853. She was truly a Smith, for her mother's maiden name was also Smith. Records show she was attending school at seven years old. She had only one brother who was three years younger. Living in the cold winters of Banham prepared her for Sanpete County. Banham is a rural area where there is no large industry, even yet. There is cottage industry, such as hat-maker or shoe-maker. There are no orchards in Banham and ironically Mary Ann didn't have an orchard in Sanpete either. The people grew their own gardens with root vegetables doing best and winter broccoli that really does grow all winter and is very good. The people learned to be in the fields at first light. Mary Ann knew how to work. She joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1874 at age 21. Her parents did not join the church at this time, so she prepared to go to America without them. When Mary Ann left, she went to the nearest train station, which was Wilby, just three miles away. It was then a 300-mile train ride to Liverpool, where she got on a ship. She came to America and on to Utah with a group of converts and returning missionaries, with Brother Burton as the supervisor of the company. In Provo, Utah, she met Heber Charles Dye and married him in 1876 when she was twenty-three years old. He being an Englishman and just two months older than she, they had much in common. 7* |
