Motherhood

The West Virginian Who Created Mother’s Day And Regretted It

Anna Jarvis grew up in Grafton, West Virginia in the late 1800s. She was one of 11 children but one of just four of the children who lived to adulthood. As the oldest daughter, she shared a close bond with her mother. Anna often wrote her mother letters and took care of her as she developed heart conditions. She died in 1905.Her mother’s death led Jarvis to devote her life to the holiday now recognized as International Mother’s Day.