This coming Sunday is Mother’s Day. It was initially celebrated in West Virginia in 1908, a celebration led by Anna Jarvis in memory of her mother who had passed away three years earlier. Miss Jarvis believed that what was true for her was also true for people everywhere—their mother was “the person who has done the most for you than anyone in the world.” Working not only for her own offspring, Anna Jarvis’s mother had cared for both Union and Confederate wounded soldiers during the Civil War. She had also organized clubs to promote better health care for the children of mothers of all races, creeds, and colors everywhere. President Woodrow Wilson, a native of Staunton, Va., and only the second Democratic president since the War Between the States, proclaimed the first national Mothers Day during his first full year in office, 1914. The stories that follow illustrate both the love lavished by mothers on their children and problems (sometimes catastrophic) that some mothers confront in their lives.

Aug. 13, 1897–A telegram was received today stating that James Hale had died in Fort Worth, Tex. Later his wife got a letter saying his paramour had deserted Hale, leaving him sick and helpless to die among strangers.  Hale, who was a young and popular business man, about two months ago deserted his wife and children and ran away with another man’s wife. Nothing was heard of them until the telegram was received today. The woman he ran away with and who deserted him was an attractive young woman with two children.

Nov. 19, 1901—Sadness pervades the Royer home in the community of Slipup, ten miles west of here tonight. William Royer is in a deep state of grief following the death of his beloved mother in a wagon accident today. It occurred when the team of young mules hitched to William’s wagon ran away and threw both him and his elderly mother out of the wagon. William survived the accident but his mother was fatally injured when her head struck a rock.

April 12, 1907–Mrs. Jack Thompson, beloved mother of W. C. Thompson, died at her home near here today. The sad news that his mother had passed away was conveyed to Mr. Thompson while he was at the cemetery burying his little boy, who died yesterday. Now Mrs. Thompson is mourning for the little boy of whom she was the proud mother and Mr. Thompson is grieving over the loss of both his mother and his son.

May 30, 1911—The Posey family of Falkville are determined that justice be done in the murder of their only son, Roddy. His mother, who previously had lost her husband to a fatal illness, is now left to face the struggles of life alone. Two men have been indicted for perpetrating this awful crime.

July 22, 1948–Today’s edition of The Enquirer pictured Mrs. Jim Stewart holding her great granddaughter, Dianne Lynne Debter. Mrs. Edmund Debter, mother of Dianne, and Mrs. Fred Bennett, Dianne’s grandmother,were also present for this wonderful mother, grandmother, and great grandmother get-together.

Aug.  23, 1955–Dorothy Nell Alford loved to help her mother in the kitchen and her mother loved to teach her daughter how to cook. Sadly, however, today while Dorothy was helping mom a pot of boiling potatoes capsized and the mixture drenched the young girl’s head. She was rushed to Hartselle’s Lavender Clinic where attending physicians were unable to say whether she would lose her sight or not.

Oct. 15, 1959—Neighbors and friends of Mr. and Mrs. Cecil Crew, residents of the Johnson’s Chapel community, are currently engaging in a drive to help this stricken family as much as they possibly can. Since they have been married, Mrs. Crew has given birth to seven children and has been the most loving mother imaginable to each and every one of them. Unfortunately, however, at present Mrs. Crew is in Hartselle Hospital suffering from double pneumonia. Her hospital bill is already $250 as a result of two lengthy hospital stays.

Jan. 25, 1961—Mothers are once again the foot soldiers in the drive against polio which has crippled so many of their children in past years. The Mother’s March Against Polio will be led by Mrs. Joe Hall. Mrs. Joe Roberts will collect coin boxes which have been placed in businesses around town and Mrs. W. B. Harvel will work with teens who have volunteered to help in this most worthy effort. Mrs. W. C. Duncan will solicit special monetary gifts from those who have both the desire and the ability to help win the war against polio.

May 29, 1976—Two Hartselle mothers, Mrs. Y. A. (Nora) McCall and Mrs. H. M. (“Ma Bet”) Betterton were honored as Gold Star Mothers and E. R. (Eaton) Roberts as a Gold Star Father during the annual American Legion auxiliary Poppy Day observance today. The sons of each of these outstanding parents made the supreme sacrifice of their lives for their country during World War II—George Duncan McCall, Hubert Betterton, and Hal Roberts.