Mary Elizabeth Findley Sorensen ~ Index
Mary Elizabeth (Molly) Findley was born on October 4th, 1869, the daughter of William and Agnes Muir Findley, Jr. Her father died before she was born. A few years later, her mother married Hyrum Thomas Richards when Molly was about eight years old. She lived part time with her Grandmother Muir until she was about nineteen years old, when her grandmother passed away. She then went to live with her mother and step-father until she married Joseph N. Sorensen on November 23rd, 1892 in the Logan Temple.
After her marriage she was called to labor as first counselor to Adelia Bird in the Young Ladies M.I.A. She was a teacher in the Sunday school, also a teacher in the primary. Later she became first counselor to Ann Findley Westover, and when Sister Westover was released Molly was made the Primary president at the same time I was (put in the bishopric?) made bishop. (Mendon Ward Primary Board)
I was called on a mission to the Northwestern States and after she went to the train to see me off, she got a job doing housework for $3.00 a week. She sent me nearly all she made to keep me on my mission. She worked the two years until I came home, in 1900. I was put in as second counselor to Bishop M.D. Bird. She remained Primary president until 1910 when we moved to Raft River, in Idaho.
In February of that year we adopted Harold and Echo May. There was no ward or branch of the church there, so we had to go twenty miles west to the Almo Ward. Three years later they organized a branch for us and I was called to be first counselor to President Johns. Molly was called to be first counselor to Sister Gummel inthe Relief Society. After one year they reorganized and I was put in as bishop and Molly was made president of the Relief Society. In the fall of 1920 we moved to Blue Creek (in Box Elder County) where I had purchased a farm. After two years we moved back to Mendon. I was made second counselor to Bishop John Gardner of the Mendon Ward. Molly was made teacher of the religion class in the ward and later was called to act as one of the officers of the stake in assisting in religion classes.
On October 20th we went to Ogden, Utah to visit our granddaughter, Wanda and husband Alfred Stone. We got there at 6:00 p.m. and at 9:00 p.m. Molly was stricken with a stroke. We took her to the Dee Hospital. She was there five days. The doctor said there was nothing they could do for her and I could take her home if I wanted to. We took her to the home of Silvia Hess, her niece. After four days, she passed away. Her funeral was held in Mendon and we laid her to peaceful rest in the Mendon cemetery. We had eight grandchildren and eight great-grandchildren.