Mendon May Day 1906
Olive Sorensen Queen of May
May Day at Mendon
May 2nd, 1906– Our May Day celebration was put off until Saturday on account of the extremely bad weather. In the afternoon there were sports of various kinds. The Mendon and Millville ball teams played a heated game. Mendon was in the lead until the sixth inning, then they fell to pieces and lost the game, score Millville thirteen, Mendon nine. Mendon’s second nine and Wellsville had two spirited games. The first game scored Mendon twenty-one, Wellsville twenty-seven; second game, Mendon twenty-six and Wellsville nineteen.
Mendon won the laurels in the jumping contest between David Baker, Mendon and Joseph Jensen, Millville. In the running race between LeGrand Colby, Mendon and Joseph Jensen, Millville, Jensen came out way ahead, Jensen then challenged the town, but nobody else wished to tackle him. The day’s sports were wound up with a grand ball in Richards' Hall given by the B.Y.C. Orchestra. Hyrum T. Richards has bought the ginshop and moved it up to his store, where he is now running an ice cream parlor. Robert Murdock, Jr., was here Friday fixing everything in first class running order. Murdock’s candy can be had at the ice cream parlor.1
Aged Lady Dies at Mendon
Mrs. Larsen Passes Away, Farmers Busy as Bees, Mendon, May 7th— Mrs. Magnus Larsen, or better known as Old Lady Larsen, died here Saturday morning, May th, and our May Day celebration was postponed indefinitely. The May Queen and her maids were all dressed and ready for a day’s enjoyment, when the news came of the death of this old lady. Mrs. Larsen had been a resident of Mendon for a great many years. She was eighty-four years old, and highly respected by all who knew her. She was a good neighbor, always on hand to help those sick and afflicted, an affectionate, kind mother who has reared a large and respectable family, seven of whom survive her. The funeral services were held from her late residence Monday, May the seventh, at two o’clock, conducted by Dr. Wishard of Salt Lake; a quartet of ladies rendered beautiful and appropriate music. There were many beautiful floral offerings and many people attended services where seats were provided on the lawn for all.
One by one the old pioneers of Mendon are going home. Only a few more years and all will have departed this life, but their lives and works will remain among us as examples of thrift and industry, faith and love for the good and true in life. Mr. Magnus Larsen is down from Inkom, where he is under the employ of the O.S.L.R.R. (Oregon Short Line Railroad) attending the funeral of his mother. Mrs. Malena Hill left Mendon Sunday morning to visit for a month with her mother-in-law, Mrs. Lizzie Hill, of Salt Lake County. The farmers in this locality are so busy just putting in crops that they hardly have time to look up. This spell of warm weather is drying the land very fast and all seeds must be planted at once or they will not grow unless we get rain, and this may not be for some time, since of late years we have all our wet weather in one spell and the dry likewise. Mendon has planted a large acreage of beets this year; more than double that of last year and ye scribe believes it would do the eyes of the factory’s field man good to come over and see how the plants are growing.
Olive Sorensen
I was born February, 14th, 1894 in the home of Isaac and Mary Sorensen, Mendon, Utah. To my sister Eulalia who was four years older, I was an unwelcome guest. She didn’t like anyone taking her place as youngest in the family. Even my father was disappointed that I wasn't a boy since he already had six girls and only four boys. My life in this wonderful home to which I had come, was one to look back on with pleasure. My parents were of good pioneer stock. Mendon was noted for its celebrations, especially Christmas and May Day. My father helped in directing these events for many years. The maypole dance was a vital part of the May Day. I danced for some years and taught others to dance when I was older. At the age of twelve I was chosen Queen of the May. My sister Minnie (Malena) made my dress. What a beautiful thing it was. White organdy with ruffles, trimmed with lace and insertion. May Day dawned. How excited I was. Then came the biggest disappointment of my life. An old pioneer lady passed away that morning. In respect for her, the celebration was called off. It was postponed until a later date, but the day was spoiled for me.
Picture Postcard
A picture postcard (shown above) addressed to Miss Gladys Hughes. The one cent stamp was canceled in Mendon August 23rd, 1906 and shows the 1906 queen, Olive Sorensen sitting with her court standing around her. Listed on the back of the card are, from left to right, May Baker, Marvel Hancock, May Bird, Queen of the May, Olive Sorensen, Gladys Hughes and Melvina Baker. The photograph was taken by Mathew Forster of Mendon, Utah.
- Logan Republican, Logan Utah, Saturday, May 5th, 1906.