The: Story Of Mother's Day

: Anna spent years lobbying politicians and businessmen. Her persistence paid off in 1914 when President Woodrow Wilson signed a proclamation designating the second Sunday in May as Mother's Day. The Irony of Success: A Battle Against Commercialism

Following Ann's death in 1905, her daughter, , vowed to fulfill her mother's dream of a day dedicated to honoring the private sacrifices of mothers.

: On May 10, 1908, Anna held the first official Mother's Day service at St. Andrew's Methodist Church in Grafton, West Virginia. She sent 500 white carnations—her mother's favorite flower—to the church for the occasion. The Story of Mother's Day

: In the 1850s, Ann organized clubs to teach women how to properly care for their children and improve sanitation to combat high infant mortality rates.

However, as the holiday's popularity grew, so did its commercialization. : Anna spent years lobbying politicians and businessmen

: She spent the rest of her life and her entire inheritance fighting to have the holiday rescinded. Ironically, she died penniless in a sanitarium in 1948, with her care reportedly paid for by members of the floral and greeting card industries.

Long before it was a national holiday, the concept of a "mother's day" was championed by , a social activist in 19th-century Appalachia. : On May 10, 1908, Anna held the

: After the Civil War, she organized a "Mothers' Friendship Day" in 1868 to bring together mothers of former Union and Confederate soldiers, promoting reconciliation and peace through the shared bond of motherhood. The Founder’s Vision: Anna Jarvis