Mary Maria Holbrook Little

1836 - 1906

    Mary Maria Holbrook was born at Liberty, Clay County, Missouri on May 13, 1836.  She was the daughter of Chandler and Eunice Dunning Holbrook.

    Mary came to the Salt Lake Valley when she was twelve years old. Her mother, Eunice, drove one wagon and her 14-year-old  sister, Diana, drove the other ox-team wagon. They came in Zion's Camp in the Brigham Young Company, arriving September 21, 1848.

    Mary married Jesse Carter Little on January 29, 1856. They lived in Salt Lake City until after their second child was born. 

    Mary and Jesse were the parents of:

Laura Ann, born March 2, 1859 (died an infant)
Frank Alonzo, born February 19, 1863
Emeline, born July 31, 1865
Rosetta Vilate, born October 1, 1867
Jesse Carter, Jr., born July 20, 1872

    The Little family moved from Salt Lake City to a farm in Littleton, Morgan County, Utah and she did many of the tasks farm life required. She made cheese and butter. She took vegetables from her garden and sent them to other  families in Salt Lake City, thus displaying her unselfish attitude and compassion for others.  She worked hard all of her life and was always helping someone less fortunate. 

    Mary was an excellent seamstress and did spinning, weaving and knitting. She was an excellent cook. She was of medium height and slender with long brown hair that she bobbed at the back.

    Mary died April 23, 1906, just shy of her 70th birthday, at Morgan, Utah.

History taken from Pioneer Women of Faith and Fortitude, Volume II, an International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers publication. 1998.