May 8, 2013 THE VILLADOM TIMES III • Page 11 May celebration was initiated by Anna Jarvis homemaker who, beginning in 1858, attempted to improve sanitation and nursing procedures through women’s clubs and what she called “Mothers Friendship Day.” It wasn’t Ann Marie, but rather her daughter, Anna Jarvis, who created the Mother’s Day that we celebrate today. Anna spent many years caring for her aging and ailing mother. Anne Marie died on May 9, 1905 and Anna missed her terribly. Anna noticed that many children failed to respect and honor their mothers while they were alive, and it wasn’t until after they died that these children recognized what they had lost in their parent. She intended to start a Mother’s Day to honor mothers. In 1907, Anna Jarvis attempted to establish Mother’s Day to “honor mothers, living and dead.” She started the campaign to establish a national Mother’s Day. Together with her friends, Jarvis started a letter-writing campaign to urge ministers, businessmen, and congressmen to declare a national Mother’s Day holiday. The first Mother’s Day was celebrated in 1908 and honored the late Anne Marie Reeves Jarvis. The Mother’s Day International Association was established in 1912, to promote meaningful observances, and on May 9, 1914, a presidential proclamation declared that the second Sunday of every May would be observed as Mother’s Day. Anna Jarvis In ancient Greece, individuals honored Rhea, mother of the gods. Christians also celebrate Mary, the mother of God. However, it wasn’t until the 1900s before the general mothering population was celebrated in earnest. Ann Marie Reeves Jarvis was a young Appalachian