Mendon May Day 1895
Mary Ann Hughes Queen of May
When I was fifteen years old, May 1895, I was May Queen and Mormon Delbert Bird was the Archbishop. Later he became my husband. In the program Herbert B. Whitney was the speaker. He said, Who knows, they may become King and Queen in their own household.
That really did happen.
Mamie said, I have never forgotten that there was quite a crowd of young people in our town. We sure had good times together going from home to home. My mother’s home was the great gathering place for us, as we nearly always ended there for an evening concert and refreshments. I would play for them by the hour.
Mendon May Day
Our town, Mendon, Utah, always celebrated the opening of spring with a celebration, sometime in the month of May. It was sponsored by the Sunday school. In May 1895, Mary Ann Hughes (nicknamed Mamie) daughter of Charles Hughes and Sarah Lavinia Walker Hughes, was chosen to be the Queen of May. She selected me (Mormon D. Bird) to be her consort and crown bearer and crown her the Queen of May. I responded to the call and did the crowning in the rock meetinghouse, inside the house on this occasion. Herbert B. Whitney, a talented reciter and speech maker, gave a speech and among some of the things he said, predicted that Mary Ann or (Mamie) and I would become married and reign as King and Queen in our household.
Prophecy was fulfilled for we were married on the 18th of December, 1901, in the Logan Temple and at this writing March 15th, 1959, we have had nearly forty-nine years of peaceful married life. Just a little more about May Day celebrations. Mamie selected her maidens of honor and they in turn selected their escorts. They were chosen from our social set of teenagers. Brother and Sister Charles Hughes furnished us with a splendid dinner. The Sweeten Band escorted us to the meetinghouse and after the program, escorted us to the Hughes home. They had a large spacious home, well kept and an ideal place for our group and the band to enjoy themselves. There was a dance in the afternoon for the children. A baseball game, foot races and various sports and the day closed with a dance for everyone.