Charlotte, known as Lottie, is a great-grandmother with whom I'm still getting acquainted. I've sympathized with her frustrated ambitions, farming in small-town Scipio but longing for her children to be educated. I'm intrigued that she gave her maiden name as a middle name to all of her children (7 out of 9 were girls), a feminist statement for the time. I've wondered about her parenting which seemed to foster learning but wasn't heavy on faith.
Recently, I visited the Relief Society building in Salt Lake, and in their registers you can find the names of all the 100,000 plus women who donated $5 to build the building as requested in 1947. Somewhat to my surprise, I found Lottie on the list. Not only that, out of her meager cash supplies she also donated $10 more on behalf of her two inactive daughters. Somehow that small gesture has changed my whole perception of this woman.
Recently, I visited the Relief Society building in Salt Lake, and in their registers you can find the names of all the 100,000 plus women who donated $5 to build the building as requested in 1947. Somewhat to my surprise, I found Lottie on the list. Not only that, out of her meager cash supplies she also donated $10 more on behalf of her two inactive daughters. Somehow that small gesture has changed my whole perception of this woman.
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