Mary West Riggs

The above photo was found on Ancestry.com and depicts Don Frederick Riggs and his wife Mary West Riggs on their wedding day. There are other photos of them under the Media Tab above, including one of them together when they were older, and one of Mary when she was quite a bit older. There is also a photo of Don and Mary with their baby, Don and others while they were on a mission in 1907.

This book was written by my first cousin thrice removed, the daughter of John Anderson West and Mary Jane Robinson. John was the brother of my second great grandmother, Nancy Malinda West Rollins. The book includes personal letters of my family members. She wrote "Our Heritage As It Glows From The West" (West family genealogy), and "The Five Branches of Love" (Robinson family genealogy).

http://www.planetnielsen.com/joseph_lee_robinson/Five_Branches_No_P...

Obituary:

Mary West Riggs, an Arizona native, teacher and writer, died Tuesday, Aug. 8, 1967, in San Miguel, California. She would have been 84 on September 7. Mrs. Riggs was born in Snowflake where her parents had settled at the call of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

She taught school in Snowflake after being graduated from the University of Utah. She and her husband, Don F. Riggs, ran a livery stable, a stage line between Holbrook, Snowflake and Ft. Apache, and a hotel in Snowflake.

Mrs. Riggs wrote plays and readings, taught public speaking and was a professional play director. She wrote two books, the most recent entitled, "The Five Branches of Love." She lived in Phoenix.

Survivors include two daughters, Mrs. Veon R. Shupe of Phoenix and Mrs. Alice R. Harris of Eagle, Idaho; three sons, Don and Rockford, both of Phoenix, and Curtis Finch of Walnut Grove, Calif.; 25 grandchildren, and 66 great-grandchildren.

Services at the Ninth Ward Chapel of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Burial in Memory Lawn Cemetery. Mortensen-Kings Funeral Home made arrangements. The AZ Republic Thurs., Aug. 10, 1967.

From Ancestry.com the following information was contributed by Valorie Riggs on August 14, 2013:

A True Testimony by Mary West Riggs: In the fall of 1901, I was teaching in the Snowflake Academy; Brother Joseph Peterson was the Principal. School had not been in session many weeks when the dread disease of dyptheria seemed to strike that little town with a vengence. Many homes were stricken, with death as a visitor; there were no doctors in our midst, we had to rely upon the knowledge of our mothers for medical help and upon our fathers for the power of their Priesthood in combating the disease. Brother James Pearce, Jr. who had just returned from a mission was asked to act as quarantine officer and he attended to the outward needs of the afflicted families.

Saturday afternoon Professor Peterson called reference some questions pertaining to our school. He asked how I was feeling, I replied, "I had just a little headache." By Sunday morning the headache had grown into a feverish aching condition throughout my entire body. My dear parents were getting on in years and my mother especially was not strong, so I asked my young brother to stay with me while I insisted on the rest going on to Sunday School With my brother's help we arranged a room where I felt I could well be isolated from the rest of the family. I knew I ws really ill, grayish white spots appeared on my tonsils. I thought from my brother's actions he too was taking the disease, but by evening he was well, while I was really very ill.

From the first and even before I had asked Heavenly Father to heal me and keep the others well. I felt so concerned over my dear Mother, but though we prayed earnestly, it seemed I grew worse. Brother Locy Rogers came one night (they had lost two of their dear little daughters), he said he had felt worried over me. My parents said they were doing all they knew but it truly seemed I was losing my strength. It seemed I could not assist in any way in swabbing my throat. Our good neighbor helped me for an hour or so. Then my cousin Elisa Smith Rogers came and said, "I have come to help nurse and to pray." I felt so weary. I knew my parents needed me, they had given so much and now I was able to help them in many ways, but Oh! I was so tired, I felt I just couldn't struggle on, from then on it was really a beautiful dream.

I am most humble in relating the following, and have hesitated mentioning this too often, but I do know that what I am about to relate is the truth. All at once I seemed to feel so thankfully rested; the aches, the heavy load I had been carrying, had been suddenly lifted. I was free. I looked about and found I was in a beautiful peaceful place. I saw several dear friends whom I had know here, and they welcomed me with happy smiles. I had always loved children and been privileged to teach in the Sunday School and seemed to see a number of precious little ones who had so recently died of this dread disease, they seemed so happy and seemed to be playing with large hoops of flowers. But these loved ones all seemed to stop or to hesitate to come nearer. I looked to learn the reason for this hesitancy.

I saw a person standing near me, it seemed a man, he must have been my guide, for he spoke to me and said, "Because of the great faith of your parents you are to be given the privilege of choice." Then it seemed I was allowed to view the room I so recently occupied. The paper on the wall stood out almost more plainly than when I was there, then I saw my body-- so plainly. A great love and tenderness arose within for my body; I felt so grateful, like a guardian of something more wonderul than I had ever dreamed. I thought, "Oh, how helpless that body is, how carefully we should guard it and never put anything harmful or unworthy into it." I can never express the almost maternal guardianship I have always felt for my body since that time. But on with my story.

I saw my beloved parents bowed in grief, one on either side of the bed. I seemed to feel their pleadings for my life. Now I must digress long enough to bring here the story Elder Pearce has told. We must remember at this time of his life he was loving very near to his Heavenly Father, he had feasted on his mission and it was a trial for him to leave his labors in answer to a call from a sick wife. Brother Pearce had slept very little for many nights, he had sorrowed with his neighbors who had lost loved ones. This night he told his wife he felt he must get some rest in order that he could better do his work. She told him that she could call him if any one needed help and for him to relax. He was sound asleep in a moment, but in a shot time he leaped from his bed and began dressing. His wife urged him to lie down, telling him no one had called, he was only overly tired. He listened to her and was again asleep when soon the same thing occurred. Again with greater persuasion he laid down the second time. But soon the same occurrence was repeated the third time. This time he forbid his wife trying to disuade him. He said, "I know it is the Lord calling me, someone needs me. I'm sorry I've been so slothful. I don't know who it is, but I will be led." Brother Pearce said as he reached the sidewalk he began praying to be directed. He was soon standing at our front hall door, he rushed up the stairs unannounced and said, "Brother West I have come to help in administering to Sister Mary. My father, with tears streaming down his face, began saying he was afraid it was too late, but Brother Pearce seemed to be given great power and they proceeded.

Back to my experience, as I saw the sorrow of my parents, I felt I sould ask for the privilege of returning; then again I felt the freedom, the joy of this lovely place, again I saw the same picture, the same faces, selfishly, I would have been so comfortable and happy. Bur as I looked once more, back to those loved ones, I asked to come back. I truly felt the heaviness of my earthy ache and weariness, but I must have opened my eyes for my darling mother said, "Oh Brother Pearce, our prayers have been answered." I speedily recovered and I humble to this day, thank my Heavenly Father whom I so truly love; and I wish to bear this testimony that to know true happiness we must be true to our faith, honor our leader, and the Holy Priesthood, and love, with all our hearts, with, all our souls, the Lord our God.