Put Them All Together, They Spell Mother

The ancient  Romans held festivals to celebrate the mother goddesses Rhea, mother of Zeus, and the Greeks celebrated Cybele.

The early Christian festival "Mothering Sunday" fell on the fourth Sunday of Lent, and marked the day that women should return to their "mother church" for a special service.  This gradually became a secular day when children gave flowers and tokens of appreciation to their mothers.

During the 19th century, Ann Reeves Jarvis initiated "Mothers' Work Day Clubs" and, after the Civil War, the "Mothers' Friendship Day," in an effort to promote reconciliation between the North and South.

Abolitionist and suffragette Julia Ward Howe wrote the "Mothers' Day Proclamation," asking women to promote world peace, and she advocated for a "Mothers' Peace Day" to be celebrated annually on June 2.

Anna Jarvis, daughter of Ann Reeves Jarvis, joined forces with the founder of Wanamaker's Department Store and conducted the first official Mother's Day celebration at a church in West Virginia, on the same day that a huge celebration took place at a Wanamaker's store in Philadelphia.

Finally, in 1914, President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation recognizing the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day.

While Anna Jarvis envisioned a day that mothers would spend time with their families, and promoted the wearing of a white carnation as a special badge, she became disgusted with the commercialization of the holiday, and even petitioned to have the proclamation revoked.

So, this year, as you place your on-line gift order for flowers, candy, or a DVD or CD, or you stop by the 7-11 on your way home to pick up a bottle of MD-2020 and a gift card to Denny's, please take the time to remember that we celebrate the person without whom we would not have become the distinguished, polished, successful, erudite, educated beings that we know we are today!

An engagement party was held for 'Katie' Shafer at Aunt Emilie McGonigal's  residence in Milford Center, March or April 1945. Bud and Katie married June 3rd in Oneonta.  For some reason, Uncle Frank and Uncle Philip could not be there. A buddy of Bud's, from the war, was best man. Uncle Bud was very lucky to find such a catch, to say the least, and she was absolutely happy. All the pictures I have seen, taken around this time, and just from being her son, I can notice this was the ultimate for her. Uncle Bud was a war hero, and his father-in-law was well known in the city.  In September they went to Alaska so Bud could finish his mining engineer degree.  They drove from Washington state to Fairbanks, Alaska, when Alaska was just a territory. Driving into the unknown is the way I think of it.

Happy Mother's Day Mom,

Love from a Fieg,

Steven

Dorothy Fieg Roman, mother of Samantha, John, Don and Mark.

Jean Davie Fieg, wife of V. Philip Fieg and mother of Judy, Diana and Phyllis.

Marina Pizano Fieg, wife of Frank Fieg and mother of Greg, Ed and Lisa.

Maxine Fieg Whiteside, mother of Marsha, Jeff, Anne and Bob Jr.

Emilie Boehler Fieg McGonigal and Florence Celestia Fieg Bookhout - mothers of many!

Judy Kestner, mother of The Best Daughter She Ever Had, Emilie V.

Florence Shields Fieg, wife of Lothar Fieg Sr., and mother to Em, Flo, Bud, Frank, Phid, Doc and Mac.