Mother's Day

In this week’s episode of Inside Appalachia, we’ll talk with West Virginia native, Anna Sale. And we’ll hear from teenagers in Charleston who lost their friend to gun violence. We’ll hear the history behind Mother’s Day, and we’ll go on a nature hike with biologists who are restoring wetlands for frogs and salamanders.

On this West Virginia Morning, anyone who has studied West Virginia history has likely heard that the first Mother’s Day was celebrated in the town of Grafton. But not everyone knows the backstory of how it came to be. Also, in this show, we visit Mullens to learn about a dogwood planting ceremony that honors loved ones who have passed away.

Anna Jarvis grew up in Grafton, West Virginia in the late 1800s. She was one of 11 children but one of just four of the children who lived to adulthood. As the oldest daughter, she shared a close bond with her mother. Anna often wrote her mother letters and took care of her as she developed heart conditions. She died in 1905.Her mother’s death led Jarvis to devote her life to the holiday now recognized as International Mother’s Day.

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On May 10, 1908, the nation’s first Mother’s Day observance was held at Andrews Methodist Episcopal Church in Grafton on the third anniversary of Anna…