Early Life

After being born in Webster, West Virginia, Jarvis and her family soon moved to Grafton, West Virginia where she spent her childhood. Anna Jarvis was the ninth of the eleven children in her family. Her mother, Ann Jarvis, lost seven of her children in infancy, a devastating experience for a mother to go through. With Anna being one of the few surviving children, her mother desired for her to get a college education. As a result, Anna completed two years of schooling at what is currently Mary Baldwin University. Afterwards, she returned to Grafton and began a job as a school teacher. Eventually, she moved to Philadelphia, where her uncle and brother lived and worked in advertising. In 1904, her mother moved to Philadelphia due to medical complications and ultimately died a year later. It was likely Anna Jarvis' early life and experiences with her mother that later led her to found Mother's Day.