Letter: Woman who promoted Thanksgiving is inspiring

This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2013, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.

Thank you for publishing Rich Lowry's timely tribute to a great American ("Remembering the mother of Thanksgiving," Opinion, Nov. 27). Sarah Josepha Buell Hales and her tireless 38 years of letter-writing campaigns to five U.S. presidents suggesting a national day of thanks is inspiring.

While writing into her 90th year, she raised five children alone, published Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and Edgar Allen Poe as America's first female magazine editor, composed "Mary Had Little Lamb" and convinced President Lincoln that Thanksgiving would help bring the nation together during the Civil War.

Every November I read Laurie Halse Anderson's book, "Thank you, Sarah: The woman who saved Thanksgiving" to my students. Consider giving the gift of this picture book to children on your holiday list. Gently read it to yourself before putting the paper, ribbon and tape on it.

Trudy Henderson

Salt Lake City