Clifford Merrill Drury (1897–1984)

5110. On To Oregon The Diaries of Mary Walker and Myra Eells Introduction and Editorial Notes by Clifford Merrill Drury (read 8 Jan 2014) This is really quite an amazing book, being based on the diary which was kept by Mary Walker. She wanted to be a Presbyterian missionary but they refused to accept her because she was not married. She was put in touch with Elkanah Walker and after a 48-hour courtship they were married . They proceeded to the Oregon Trail and she made that trek, being pregnant. They reached Oregon Territory on Aug 29, 1838, and proceeded to make a home where her child was born Dec 7, 1838. Her husband was not a very appealing guy but she was married to him so she was determined to love him and did. The day-to-day account is not very varied but one cannot but be admiratory of the hard work she went through. She said unnice things about Catholics but they may not have said nice things about her and her husband either.. They lived in the dwelling they gradually improved, trying to do missionary work but spending most of their time on their home and rapidly growing family. After Marcus Whitman was murdered Nov 29, 1848, they ceased their missionary work among the Indians and lived in Oregon till they died. I was surprised how interesting I found this account of the difficult life they lived while trying to Christianize the Indians… (meer)