📚 Motty’s Files: Civil War Chaos — Week 4 Digest
Mary Hesch. Motty’s sister—her sweet spirit, her misunderstood differences, and the vow that changed everything.
Mary is a central figure in Motty’s Vow—misunderstood by many, labeled by the census, and fiercely protected by Motty. This week, we explored her story from three angles: the label that followed her, the vow that shaped her care, and the joy she brought to every birthday celebration.
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🧠 Insane in the Eye of the Beholder
In the 1860 census, a girl named Lena was marked “insane.” She died young—but in Motty’s Vow, I gave her story to Mary. Her speech was delayed. Her boundaries were blurred. And yet, she brought joy and meaning to those who saw past the label.
The instructions given to census takers were vague and subjective. What did “insane” even mean? Whatever it meant in 1860, it didn’t stop Motty from seeing her sister’s worth.
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🛡️A Vow Demands More Than Love
Motty’s promise to keep Mary with her always came from love—and spite. But when Mary wandered off in Turner Hall and couldn’t even say where she lived, love wasn’t enough.
“You have two choices,” a family friend said. “Teach her to be afraid. Or protect her. For the rest of her life.”
From that moment on, Motty didn’t try to change Mary. She changed the world around her.
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🎂 **The Birthday Wreath: A Candle for Every Year**
Of all the German traditions I could have highlighted, I chose birthdays. The Geburtstagskranz—a wooden wreath with twelve candles—became a small but powerful symbol in Motty’s Vow.
It’s also a quiet tribute to my son, who loves birthdays more than anyone I know. In our family, we light a candle and sing just for him—every time, no matter whose birthday it is.
Mary’s joy in celebrating birthdays was my way of giving that love a home in history.
In her world, every birthday was worth marking. Every year deserved a celebration.
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🔁 Next up: we’ll explore the disease that stole so many mothers: tuberculosis.
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Diane Wahn Shotton
Torchbearer of untold histories.