First lady Abby Cox wrote a children's book

SALT LAKE CITY — Utah first lady Abby Cox invited students to unveil her new book, "Jennie Makes Room," honoring philanthropist Jennie Judge Kearns.

Jennie Kearns and her husband, Sen. Thomas Kearns, grew wealthy from Park City's Silver King mine in the late 19th century.

Through her passion to serve others, she became a philanthropist in Utah. She helped to fund an orphanage, which later became Kearns-Saint Ann Catholic School, helped finance the Cathedral of the Madeleine, and donated a mansion to use as the governor's residence.

Bringing Jennie's story to life

Cox read her book to the students in the Utah Governor's Mansion ballroom on Monday morning, using student helpers, props and questions to make her story interactive.

She read of Kearns' life from marrying Thomas and finding wealth to tragedies she faced, such as the passing of their newborn daughter, Mary.

Despite the setbacks, Jennie continues to focus on others and asks, "How can I share? How can I help? How can I welcome everyone?"

Cox said, "She was sad herself, and she still looked out and tried to serve others."

She ended by encouraging students to read, serve others and include people who are different from them.

Cox chose Matt Loveridge to illustrate her book and said, "I knew from the moment I saw what his work looked like, that's what I wanted this book to look like."

There were many Easter eggs and hidden references to the mansion in the art. She said, "You'll see the actual original painting that Jennie bought in France and brought back" and "some of the patterns around the ceiling or in the floor."

A shared commitment to service

The first lady's initiatives center around the theme "show up," specifically for service, educator wellness, foster care and unified sports.

Cox said, "She really did look out for the children of the state. And I realized how much my work intersected with the things that she was passionate about."

"I felt like Jennie and I really connected," she said.

Cox added, "The proceeds from this book will all go back into the Mansion Foundation, so that we can keep this mansion as beautiful as it is today and continue to make sure that it is preserved for generations to come."

A legacy that lives on at school

Dominique Kearns McCarthey Aragon, principal of Kearns-St. Ann Catholic School and great-great-granddaughter of Jennie Kearns, addressed the audience.

She said of Kearns, who died in 1943, "She believed that children deserve to be cared for, loved, educated and given the opportunity for a better future."

"Our students are not simply visiting the governor's mansion. They are walking through the very home, built by the family whose generosity helped make their school possible," said Aragon.

She told the Deseret News that her school works to keep the memory of Jennie Kearns alive through paintings, Founder's Day, and in classrooms.

An invitation to serve

Gov. Spencer Cox spoke to the students and invited them to be like Jennie and "think of what you can do for someone else" during this Thanksgiving and Christmas season.

The Rev. John S. Evans, vicar general of the Catholic Diocese of Salt Lake City, also invited students to serve others. He gave credit to Jennie for helping to fund the orphanage, which "helped lots of children have a warm bed and a warm meal and a full life."

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