Mendon May Day

Mendon’s May Day is a community celebration that has continued on from Mendon's early pioneer times, in much the same form and fashion as it was first practiced by those early founders of our city. If they were watching the pageant this year… I think they would approve of our celebration and the one-hundred pretty little school girls dancing around five maypoles, singing the songs of spring, songs for their Queen of the May. The speeches, dance steps, music and songs were prepared for us long ago and today we shared this legacy with our community once again. Thank you Mendon for preserving your heritage, for sharing it with our small but growing community, for sharing it with all whom would come. You are one of the vert best kept secrets in the country! May 5, 2007 was our 145th time to crown a Queen of the May to reign over the quaint springtime array, I hope we are able and willing to do it that many times more. Thank you people of Mendon for your hard work and for your love and kindness in keeping this wonderful tradition alive. Thank You …

May Day Beginnings

The beginnings of Mendon’s first May Day can be traced to the early spring of 1863. A group of young girls, feeling the exhilaration of the fresh springtime air, walked, skipped and perhaps even ran with excitement, south toward the old millpond some three miles distant. Recent events in the valley had created a sense of safety among the early pioneer settlers who were still living fort-style and the young ladies of the newly settled town were going to take advantage of it. Picking the native spring flowers, placing them in their hair as they went, they collected beautiful bouquets and laughed with each other as they enjoyed the beauty of the countryside and the fresh warmth of the sun. History has given us the names of only two of these young women, Mary Willie and Seny Sorensen.

In the country of their birth, springtime had always brought with it a celebration of the season; they had celebrated May Day in England and the Scandinavian countries as children. No reason could be seen not to elect from among the assembled group of friends a May Queen of their own. The method of selection is not known, but the first queen, Seny Sorensen was crowned on that day with a hand woven wreath of fresh springtime flowers.

From this early time until the present, Mendon has continued a proud tradition of celebrating spring by honoring the youth of the local area. The dances are taught, the songs are sung, the steps are memorized and the sound of one hundred or more, young girls praising the queen can still be heard in Mendon, on the first Saturday in May, at 10:00 in the morning on the town square, rain or shine! Come and visit with us!

History of Mendon's May Day—

The May Day years with links below, will take you to the information I have posted to the web for that year. Enjoy your trip into the fun days of Mendon’s May Day past.

Mendon May Day Index by Year
2001	2002	2003	2004	2005	2006	2007	2008
1991	1992	1993	1994	1995	1996	1997	1998	1999	2000
1981	1982	1983	1984	1985	1986	1987	1988	1989	1900
1971	1972	1973	1974	1975	1976	1977	1978	1979	1980
1961	1962	1963	1964	1965	1966	1967	1968	1969	1970
1951	1952	1953	1954	1955	1956	1957	1958	1959	1960
1941	1942	1943	1944	1945	1946	1947	1948	1949	1950
1931	1932	1933	1934	1935	1936	1937	1938	1939	1940
1921	1922	1923	1924	1925	1926	1927	1928	1929	1930
1911	1912	1913	1914	1915	1916	1917	1918	1919	1920
1901	1902	1903	1904	1905	1906	1907	1908	1909	1910
1891	1892	1893	1894	1895	1896	1897	1898	1899	1900
1881	1882	1883	1884	1885	1886	1887	1888	1889	1890
		1863	1864	1865	1866	1867	1868	1869	1870

 

Mendon's May Day Beginnings

The beginnings of Mendon’s first May Day have been traced back to the early spring of 1863. A group of young girls, feeling the exhilaration of the fresh springtime air, walked, jumped, skipped and perhaps even ran with excitement toward the old millpond, some three miles to the south of Mendon. Recent military events in the Cache Valley had created a new sense of safety among the early pioneer settlers who were then still living at the time fort-style for protection from the Indians, and the young ladies of the newly settled town were going to take full advantage of it. Picking the native spring flowers from the valley floor, placing them in each others hair as they joyfully went, collecting beautiful bouquets and laughing with each other as they enjoyed the beauty of the fresh countryside, the soft warmth of the spring sun. History has given us the names of two of these young women, Mary Willie and Seny Sorensen, the rest we could surmise, for there were by this time several more families added to the settlement at Mendon.

In the native countries of their birth, springtime had always brought with it a celebration of the season; they had all celebrated May Day, both in England and the Scandinavian countries as children. At the time, no reason could be seen to not elect from among the assembled group of young friends, a Queen of the May for their own. Thus it was done, a group of girls choose from among them, a queen. The method of selection is not known, but the first Queen of the May is, Seny Sorensen was crowned on that warm spring day with a fresh wreath of woven springtime flowers. Another of the young women would have stood behind her, said a few words, and placed the beautiful floral wreath, still fresh with the scent of spring upon Seny's head.

From this early time until this very day, Mendon has continued a proud tradition of celebrating the return of spring by honoring the youth of our local area. The dances are taught, songs are sung, steps are memorized over and over and then you will hear the wondrous sound of some sixty young school girls, praising the queen in verse, piano playing in the background. A queen is to be crowned on the town square each year, the first Saturday in May. Beginning at 10:00 a.m. most years, and lasting until just after Noon, including the program held at the nearby church. Yes, it can still be heard in Mendon rain or shine, outdoors if at all possible, but indoors if need be. Come by and visit with us.

Those, whom established the tradition in Mendon, would most likely recognize it, as it exists today. I think this is due to the fact that commercial concerns are usually not ever allowed to spoil it. It is just the good people of Mendon, their young Queen, our little sons and daughters, all taking one spring morning from each year to get together on the village green. Overhead we will wish for blue bird skies, white snow capped mountains in the distance, lushes green grass and dew on everyone’s shoes . . . a time to cherish and reflect together. A time for family, friends and returning citizens of Mendon.

Mendon's Queens of the May

"Come to the woodland away away! Gathering flow’rs for the Queen of May. Ev’rything lovely and bright and rare, Weaving a garland for one so fair. Sing with the wild birds a song today! _____ , our _____ , is Queen of May, Oh! _____ , our _____ , is Queen of May!"

If you have photographs and or other May Day information that you could share, please contact me via the contact link and let me add the information to our growing collection and web posting. I wold like to scan them and return them to you if you wish, or add them to the hard-copy files. Thank you so very much as always…

Mendon, Utah's Queen of the May Listing

Year	#	May Queen	Year	#	May Queen
2008	146		1935	73	Madall Hancock
2007	145	Brandy DeBruin	1934	72	Lois Hardman
2006	144	Cheryl Black	1933	71	Helen Walker
2005	143	Stephanie Maughan	1932	70	Verral Kidman
2004	142	Alyssa Shelton	1931	69	Faye Hancock
2003	141	Tiffany Peters	1930	68	Edna Marcia Darley
2002	140	Lisa Ann Ferrara	1929	67	Cleo Richards
2001	139	Heidi Lynn Bowen	1928	66	Vira Hiibner
2000	138	Melissa Ann Taylor	1927	65	Lea Ann Wood
1999	137	Emily Rose Brandley	1926	64	Mozelle Barrett
1998	136	Traci Woodbrey	1925	63
1997	135	Andrea Clemensen	1924	62	Leona Jane Baker
1996	134	Melanie Seamons	1923	61	LaVon Ahrens
1995	133	Angela Hofler	1922	60	Melba Hughes Sorensen
1994	132	Hannah Walbridge	1921	59	Lucille Larsen
1993	131	Anna Watkins	1920	58	Violet Bird
1992	130	Katie Krebs	1919	57	Laura Richards Hughes
1991	129	Alison Clemensen	1918	56	Juanita Christensen (Buist)
1990	128	Loni Bird	1917	55
1989	127	Penny Woodbrey	1916	54	Rhoda Louise Sorensen
1988	126	Marcianne Hart	1915	53	Arzella Bird
1987	125	Amy Watkins	1914	52	Nora Ahrens
1986	124	Valerie Kay Hudson	1913	51	Hazel Muir
1985	123	Leisa Thompson	1912	50	Ethel Ladle
1984	122	Joan Johnson	1911	49	Orpha Larsen
1983	121	Kelleen Ann Hansen	1910	48	Mary Baker (May)
1982	120	Laura Lloyd	1909	47	Theta Maud Whitney
1981	119	Carol Croft	1908	46	Eliza Pearl George
1980	118	Marciea Barrett	1907	45
1979	117	Stephanie Muir	1906	44	Olive Sorensen
1978	116	Tresa Quinlan	1905	43	Therese Lallis Bird
1977	115	Lisa Bird	1904	42	Adelia Pearl Bird
1976	114	Jenae Baker	1903	41	Ethel Maud Sorensen
1975	113	Karla Diane James	1902	40	Annie Laurie Richards
1974	112	Debra Porath	1901	39	Charlotte Barrett
1973	111	Julie Ann Muir	1900	38
1972	110	Linda Sorensen	1899	37	Lavinia Hughes (Louis)
1971	109	Cindy Larsen	1898	36	Rachel Marilla Richards
1970	108	Karine Ladle	1897	35	Mary Elizabeth Wood
1969	107	Koya Baker	1896	34	Laura Baker
1968	106	Karen Hiibner	1895	33	Mary Ann Hughes
1967	105	Rebecca Blanche Yonk	1894	32	Jane Richards
1966	104	Kristine Sorensen	1893	31
1965	103	Lela Kidman	1892	30	Hannah Sophia Sorensen (Nan)
1964	102	Mary Jean Willie	1891	29
1963	101	Coy Andersen	1890	28
1962	100	Eva Longstroth	1889	27
1961	99	Carolyn Louise Larsen	1888	26
1960	98	Bonnie Peterson	1887	25	Martha Emma Sweeten
1959	97	Verna Larsen	1886	24	Mary Elizabeth Findley
1958	96	Pauline Sorensen	1885	23
1957	95	Vonda Richards	1884	22
1956	94	Shirley Bingham	1883	21
1955	93	Kohnie Muir	1882	20
1954	92	Marilyn Hiibner	1881	19	Martha Elizabeth Graham
1953	91	Harriet Muir	1880	18	Mary Tamer Lemmon
1952	90	Georgia Kidman	1879	17	Elizabeth Ann Forster
1951	89	Glenda Longstroth	1878	16
1950	88	LaPriel Heninger	1877	15
1949	87	Enid Ellen Bird	1876	14	Sarah Lavinia Walker
1948	86	Louise Muir	1875	13
1947	85	Naomi Walker	1874	12	Hannah Leavitt Baker
1946	84	Betty Lou Yonk	1873	11
1945	83	Geneil Hughes	1872	10
1944	82	Bonnie Shelton	1871	9	Annie Elizabeth Paul
1943	81	Renee Bird	1870	8
1942	80	Marie Walker	1869	7	Margaret McCullough Forster
1941	79	Margaret Rae Sorensen	1868	6
1940	78	Juanita Wood	1867	5
1939	77	Doris Baker	1866	4
1938	76	Clara Larsen	1865	3	Elizabeth Hopkins Walker
1937	75	Imogene Sorensen	1864	2	Susan Hancock
1936	74	Marie Stauffer	1863	1	Larsine Sorensen (Seny)

I have worked on this index listing for well over twenty years now. I took it on as it was on the 1964 program, that T. K. Sorensen and the Mendon May Day Committee worked on so hard on that year. From that beginning I have hunted and searched the archives of USU, Logan Library, old newspapers and personal collections.

This is my current listing as best as can be determined at this point in time. The names in italics are thought to have been the Queen of May for that year as noted. We just do not have as of yet proof positive from a newspaper clipping and or journal entry. I suppose we may never get them all, but I hope to be able to find a "few" more before I am done.

Either way there is now a good start on Mendon, Utah’s former Queens of the May and a lot of work done, but still a lot to do…