daughter of Henry Weeks Sanderson and Rebecca Ann Sanders and married Elias Willis Howell 1893 Fairview, Utah.

Mary Jane Sanderson was born on January 10 1853 at Jordan, Salt Lake County, Utah. Her parents were Henry Weeks Sanderson and Rebecca Ann Sanders.
Mary Jane was baptized on May 25 1861. There is little written information on Mary Jane Sanderson. Amanda Jones Pritchett (Mary Jane Sanderson's sister) did tell Sarah Rebecca Howell (Mary Jane's daughter) about her memories regarding Mary Sanderson's courtship with her father Elias Willis Howell.
Mary Jane (Janie) had been going with a man named Jess Jordan. Mr. Jordan had left town presumably to build up a wedding stake, but with apparently no definite engagement arrangements with Mary Jane. Elias Willis Howell (having divorced Martha Jane Rigby for her unfaithfulness) began calling on (courting) Mary Jane. Aunt Amanda (Mary Jane's sister) liked to tease her 15 month older sister, Mary Jane, and began teasing her about her new suitor, who was 18 years older than Mary Jane was. Their mother knew that if Amanda teased Mary Jane about Elias Willis Howell that Mary Jane would not have anything more to do with him. Mary Jane took teasing seriously. Their Mother, Rebecca Ann talked to Amanda about Elias Willis Howell and told her never to tease Mary Jane about Elias Willis Howell again, because he was a good man. Aunt Amanda seemed to be of the opinion that because of the difference in age (18 years), that Mary Jane probably missed some of the romance she may have had with a younger man.
Mary Jane Sanderson and Elias Willis Howell were married the 17th of April 1871, in the Endowment House, Salt Lake City, Utah. They were sealed by Joseph F. Smith. At the time of their marriage, Elias Willis Howell was 34 years old.
Elias Willis Howell was a good provider for his family and Mary Jane never wanted for anything that it was possible for him to give her, and he was a good man. Elias Willis was the owner of a furniture store, a saw mill in the mountain and a planning mill, (pronounced planeing mill -where lumber was smoothed for construction). These were owned in partnership with Edmund Terry. Elias Willis also owned a farm on Sanpitch.
Mary Jane Sanderson and Elias Willis Howell were parents to thirteen children who were born to them.
1-Mary Marzetta who married James Allred, 2- a little girl who died at the age of six. 3- Sarah Rebecca Howell (our Grandmother who married Jacob Rasmussen) 4-Chancey Vail (who married Mary Allred), 5-Artemisia who died at two years and nine months. 6- Junius Franklin (who married Verona Fielding), 7-Ira Victor (who married Velora Allred), 8-Bertha Marinda (who married Ulysses Larsen), 9-Willis Henry (who married Emma Miner), 10-Edmund Sylvanus (who married Hannah Hurst),11- Ada Sirilla (who married Vern Cox),12- Clydia Amanda (who married James Pearson),13- Delora (who married James A. Larsen), and 14- Ernest Leon (who married Fawn Madsen).

Mary Jane Sanderson welcomed the children of Elias Willis Howell and Martha Jane Howell into her home and raised them to maturity with her own. They were:
1-Sarah Lovinia (who married Otis Lysander Terry), Jr., 2-Martha Ann (who married Christian Jensen), 3-Rosalia Frances (who married Peter Henry Hansen) and 4- Edmund who died soon after birth. (Teresa Drusilla (who married Thomas Hackford) was Martha Jane Rigby's daughter with Thaddeus Hambrick. Drusilla was raised at the home of Otis Lysander Terry, Jr. and his wife Sarah Lovinia, until she married).
Martha Jane (Elias Willis's first wife) and her daughter Teresa Drusilla (who took the last name of Howell as her own, even though she was not the daughter of Elias Willis) were welcome visitors in Elias Willis and Mary Jane's Home. In spite of Martha Jane's troubles she always received a share of the meat at butchering time and if she was in the home when Willis came home with groceries, fruits or delicacies that she was often the first to sample what he had brought home. She was often given something to take home. When Martha Jane became ill and died, it was Elias Willis Howell who covered the costs for her care.
(Granddaughter's Note): The actions of these wonderful grandparents of ours, speak to me of kindness, compassion, forgiveness and Christlike love. We admire the goodness of our Grandfather Elias Willis as he continued to care for the wife that betrayed his love and her commitment to him. The innate goodness of his second wife, our grandmother Mary Jane, is so obvious, as she cared for the four children of Elias and Martha Jane, (along with her own 13 children, 17 children in all,) without the benefit of so many of the useful conveniences that we take for granted. Imagine caring for such a large family without the benefit of Electricity, Washers, dryers, dishwashers, refrigerators, and telephones (which followed electricity a few years later with the great travel saving and communication benefits. Electricity didn't show up in our family history family until years later, February 14 1940 was when the electricity finally came to Lapoint Utah in the form of electric lights. The water they needed for cleaning, bathing and cooking was likely hauled, even in the freezing winter, from a well or from the river nearby in a wagon, unlike the water that flows freely into our homes .-Ann-granddaughter.
In Mary Jane's daughters history (Sarah Rebecca Howell's history) there is mention that the many duties of the home required her children's help, especially Sarah Rebecca's help, which began early, of necessity, because she was the second oldest living child (one sister that died at age 6 before her). Under the supervision of their wonderful mother, Mary Jane, all the children acquired the skill and ability to prepare meals, make and mend clothing and do all the other household duties which fell almost entirely on the shoulders of Mary Jane and her girls. Elias Willis and his Sons took care of the outside chores and other work and other interests outside the home.
It must have been challenging for a young girl of 18 years to marry a man of 34 years of age. He already had a family of five children. Mary Jane was would only have been six years older than her new stepdaughter, Sarah Lovina. Would this have made her task harder or easier? Certainly this new life she had created with Elias Willis would demand new challenges, certain selflessness, and absolute commitment to the overall welfare of the family.
There was some time set aside for family fun in the Howell Home. Sarah Rebecca Howell (Mary Jane's daughter) remembers the crowd of young people in their home when Rosalia Frances' (Aunt Zales) crowd came to the home on many different occasions, popping corn, making candy, roasting kidneys over the fire in the fireplace, roasting ears of corn by rolling them over the red hot surface of the kitchen stove, playing games and singing. One young man, Christ Allchris was an excellent singer, so there was always a fun time a lots of singing when Aunt Zales's crowd was there.
Mary Jane Sanderson had her first child, just thirteen months after her marriage. The others followed until she had a family of 13 children. One little girl died at the age of six years; the rest of the family all grew to maturity, married and had children.
At the time of Grandmother Mary Jane's death on December 21 1923, all her grown children were at the funeral – twelve in all—a family she is sure to be proud of. And her family is very proud of her. She passed away in Fairview, Utah and is buried there.
Mary Jane's grandson, Rulon, has his ideas of his grandmother. He said that she was "a very kind, sweet grandmother to him. She was a very good natured, efficient in her work, and a person that everyone loved". She was a very good cook, a trait she passed on down to some of her daughters. We especially know of Sarah Rebecca's talent with cooking. Rulon well remembers his grandmother's big kitchen and the large table where he has had so many good meals.
"Mary Jane Sanderson must have been a very wonderful person to have been made responsible for that many of our Heavenly Father's children". Writer unknown
(This portion taken from the brief 2 page history of Mary Jane Sanderson, the rest of the information in this account of the life of Mary Jane Sanderson was taken from the History of Sarah Rebecca Howell – her daughter.)
How grateful we are for the selfless life and legacy of Mary Jane Sanderson, and for the example she set for us to follow as a devoted and loving wife and mother. (Ann – granddaughter)
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