Mary Lyman Reeve - Basic History & Background

So, I thought maybe it would be a good idea to tell you a little bit about Mary Lyman Reeve, so you know where she is in her life at the time these letters are being written. So I have copied a basic genealogy list out of her history, and a paragraph that she wrote about her life up to the time of her marriage to John Reeve. I am going to put some pictures up, too, but I haven't gotten those scanned in yet. But I promise I will get that done soon.

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Basic Genealogy of Mary Lyman Reeve

(copied by Grant L. Reeve from “Genealogy of” #219 {Church Archives abt 1915})

Your Name in Full:             Mary Lyman Reeve

Date of Birth:                     Aug 3, 1882

Place of Birth:                    Bluff, San Juan Co, Utah

Home Address:                  Hinckley, Millard Co, Utah

Your Father’s Full Name:  Platte De Alton Lyman

Date of Birth:                     Aug 20, 1848

Place of Birth:                    Platte River, Neb

Your Mother’s Maiden Name in Full:  Adelia Robison Lyman

Date of Birth:                    Dec 21, 1848

Place of Birth:                   Crete, Will Co, Ill

Her Father’s Name:          Joseph Robison

Her Mother’s Maiden Name in Full:   Lucretia Hancock Robison

(copied as near as I can, Grant L. Reeve, 30 Apr 1986)

Migrated from Bluff, San Juan Co, Utah. In Scipio, Millard Co, Utah was but a child of ___, was baptized there. Shortly afterward father was called back to San Juan to act in the Presidency of the Stake. Here I spent the greater part of my life. Our people were in poor circumstances and many were the lessons impressed upon me in hardship and resourcefulness. The winter of 1900-1901 I attended the B.Y. Academy at Provo, working my way. The spring of 1902 had a very severe fever which left me very weak – the affects of which lasted for years. Attended school at Provo again that winter to next summer in summer school and taking a course in nursing. From 1905 to 1913 I was postmaster in Bluff. Taught school in Grayson, UT (now called Blanding) from 1909-1911 and attended summer school at U of U both summers. Filled a mission between 1913 to 1914. Attended B.Y.U. from 1914-1915. Married John Reeve of Hinckley Utah May 18, 1915.

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Mary was 32 when she met and married John Reeve. I am not sure how A.A. Hinckley knew her, or knew of her and her circumstances. She had been told, because of her severe fever in 1902, that she would be unable to have children of her own. So, A.A. Hinckley thought she was a good candidate to marry John Reeve. John lost his first wife on Jan 4, 1915, which left him with 7 children to care for all by himself. A.A. Hinckley was John's Stake President, and was just looking out for him and his family, and thought John and Mary would make a good match.