07/25/2025
✨This is Sarah Hana Reed, a midwife and Angie’s relative.
“Children in Woodruff grew up in an English town in America. Parents and grandparents, born and raised in England, were transplanted to the Bear River Valley by their faith in Jesus Christ. For
young people growing up in the early Twentieth Century, the old and new mixed together to make
life interesting.
“For example, children heard their parents talk about the poor house, but where was the poor
house? Those belonging to the Mormon faith were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-
day Saints and took care of their own poor. When someone in town was in need, the Bishop and
neighbors were there to help with those needs until the family could get back on its feet. Then that family would be there to help another family in need when the time came. Everyone in town fasted
for two meals once a month and donated the food money they saved to the Bishop, who then used it
for those in need in town.
“No one had much money, but no one starved either. Sarah Cornia was the town nurse, helping every single family in town when she could,
and received little money for her service. It was simply expected she would be there to bring babies into the world and console folks departing
out of the world. People paid what they could, but usually it was a chicken or a few pounds of grain.”
— Angie
Do you have ancestors that are birth-workers? Did this inspire you to do what you do?
