28th Frank & I plowed & laid by the piece of corn south of Mr. Bennetts. Today I met my future bride- -Mary.
Wow! For the last 35 years, this great-granddaughter has wondered about this entry. Jesse has never mentioned Mary Frances Frazier before this point. He only referenced the Frazier family once before, and he didn’t name any of them by their first names. It’s as if they are newer tenants on the Bench farm, and maybe he didn’t know her before this point. Is this the actual first day he met her, or did he already know her and decide on this day that he wanted to marry her? How likely is that since he never mentioned her in his diary before? And if it is the first time he ever met her, how does he know he really wants to marry her?
If this is the first day he ever saw Mary Frances, then this day was described by their daughter Jessie in her autobiography:
Not far from house was a creek & Mom went there fishing. Her Dad & Mom called her Frances (Mary Frances). One day when she was fishing, my Father (not then) came up, so they got acquainted. He asked her if she wanted to go to Utica Baptist Church on Sun. He was the Superintendent – so she did.
