Happy birthday, Mary!

Margaret Iva Richards Cook>Wilford Woodruff Richards>Mary Thompson Richards

In honor of Mary's birthday today, I'll share a little bit about her.

We all know the basic story of Mary's life - how she married Willard Richards and at his death, when she was only 27, she married Franklin D Richards to "raise up a posterity to Willard." Here is some of her story, though, after all that had happened and her children were raised and gone.

Mary loved her religion and tried to live up to its teachings, holding sacred her covenants.The last 20 years of Mary's life she worked in the Logan Temple. Some of that time she was matron of the temple under Pres. Mariner W Merrill. As she grew older and weaker she was given a room in an annex building so she could be closer and serve more often. She loved the work so much that it was her secret wish to die at the temple. Unfortunately, though, she died while on a visit to her son's in Riverside, Utah. She was 77. At her funeral she had requested that Melvin J Ballard sing I Know that My Redeemer Lives, which he did. She is buried in Farmington.

You can read more about Mary Thompson Richards HERE and HERE.