ANNUAL LDS GENERAL CONFERENCE 2012

You are invited ...

            Come. See. Hear prophets ...

Worship Jesus Christ, 

Redeemer of ALL

Sunday April 1, 2012

9 - 11 a.m. PDT [10-12 a.m. MDT]

1 - 3 a.m PDT [2-4 p.m. MDT]

Fun and interesting facts and stats

JAMES ANDREW McNICHOLL DEATH

Papa's great grandfather, his mother's grandfather, was a frontier settler and pioneer of the western United States.

Died: 29 March 1910
Grangeville, Idaho, Idaho
Buried: 6 April 1910
Grangeville, Idaho, Idaho

He left behind a young widow, Frances Alois McNicholl nee Huckins, after only 20 years of marriage and 4 living daughters, the youngest a toddler. Two daughters preceded him in death. His widow moved from Idaho to be with family in Washington state. Her father died 8 months prior to her husband and on the 1910 census taken in June she is head of a household that includes her 4 daughters, her mother, 3 brothers and an 8 year old nephew.

This move vitally affected the family. On the 1900 census Fannie's father is the mine foreman for the Tom Hal Mining Company founded in 1899. Their household includes 20 miners as boarders. One of the miners is Robert Dougherty who married Fannie McNicholl's sister Daisy in 1897. The 3 older daughter's of James and Fannie soon marry in that area.

Photo and Death certificate in possession of Patricia Shelton Erdman.

DEAR ZAYMES

Happy Birthday!

I am amazed that you are old enough to go to scouts. It was so fun for us to talk with you on the phone about your very first scout camp.  We loved seeing the pictures of your pack too - it was bigger than you are.

Do you know what a wood tick is?

Please be sure to have you mom or dad teach you about ticks.  I took this quiz and only got 8 out of 15 of the answers right. Papapa is right to be very careful to never get a tick. When you get home from camps and hikes ALWAYS check (even in your hair) to make sure you do not have any ticks. And clean all your stuff carefully too so none are hiding out in there.

We notice that your brothers are getting almost bigger than you are. That might make it very hard to remember to be kind to them.  Do it anyway. You are a very clever boy.  You can think of HOW to do that - even when it is not easy.

ALWAYS be kind to you mom and your sister as well as your brothers and your dad.  You know that being kind is one of the most important things to help you be happy in life. If you ever feel unhappy be kind to someone and you will feel a lot better.

AND if you have been unkind to someone just stop it. Say, "I'm sorry for ______", and then do something nice for them. They will be very surprised. You can even say 'I am sorry' in a letter but it is better if you look them in the eye and say it to their face.

You can only be truly happy when you are kind.

We love you lots and lots and sure miss you.  Love Papapa and Grandma.

ELNA BOHNE history

Born: 26 March 1909 Aetna, Alberta, Canada

Elna Bohne Birth Certificate

My maternal grandmother, Elna Bohne, was the 8th and 4th surviving child of her parents. Records tell us that an older brother, "Samuel Hatcher Cobb, was given by his father William Cobbs to his cousin Laura Elizabeth Carpenter, due to his own mother's death [Ada Cobb].  Samuel was sealed to Laura and Henry at the time of their marriage in the Manti, Utah temple".

Death was common in the early 20th century for women and their babies during and shortly after birth. Five of Elna's ten siblings died at birth or within a few weeks and months.
They are buried in the Aetna, Alberta cemetery.

Henry Bohne Family  - Elna on mother's knee

Anitbiotics and many other modern medicines and marvels were just beginning to be thought out, invented and refined. Grandma Campbell was born into a world where such things as cars, airplanes, telephones, radios and televisions were being developed. In 1939 her own toddler, Annetta Lou, would die because antibiotics were not yet a common solution to simple sickness and infection.

I once asked Grandma what they did when someone had a bad infection. She said they used poultices (or plasters). One of the most effective was made from fresh, whole milk that was scalded (NOT boiled) and mixed with white bread to a thick paste-y consistency. She said just crumble the bread and pour a small amount of the hot milk into it, then let it cool enough to not burn but while still very warm apply to the affected area.

I saw it work for an infected hangnail that antibiotics were not solving. They did know and have many good remedies. Other poultices/plasters were made of raw onions, or mustard and flour.

Campbell home built by William Warren Campbell (original log with additions) 

In1989 my Grandma Campbell allowed me to copy some documents that she kept in a trunk. I called to ask if she could share information she might have. I think my mother and I drove about an hour from her home in Kimball, Alberta to her mother's in Hill Spring, Alberta.

When we arrived she had a large trunk in the kitchen. She said I could take anything in the trunk to copy as long as I brought it back. I worried about getting things back to the places she had them organized at. She laughed, right outloud, and told me she just put things she thought might be worth keeping in the trunk and that when they got looked at over the years they got mixed up many times.

We spent the afternoon visiting, hearing stories about her childhood and family and I went through the contents of the trunk. It didn't seem practical to copy everything. I couldn't lift it and I certainly didn't have enough cash to pay the bill at the copy shop. My mother had handwritten copies of most of the genealogical information and there were not many photographs in the trunk.
  -

handwriting of Elna Bohne Campbell

With my limited budget in mind I sorted and sifted out a small stack of papers, letters, and mementos that gave information I thought might be useful someday. I put everything into one package to keep it all together so that none could possibly be misplaced.

I carefully photocopied the information the next morning, paid the astronomical (for me) bill, and returned it promptly. My greatest worry was if a disaster or accident happened while I was responsible for such precious cargo. Whew - I was so relieved when it was all safely back in her trunk at her house. My copies are appropriately filed for the most part.

From her personal record, written in her hand, I learn:
Blood type - AB
Born at home - weighed 7 pounds.
First home - Aetna, Alberta, Canada.
-

Henry Magnus Bohne

Father: Henry Magnus Bohne (1868-1957)
               born Mr Pleasant, Utah.
(son of: Henry Morten Bohne and Juliett Day).
-

Laura Elizabeth Carpenter

Mother: Laura Elizabeth Carpenter (1869-1928)
               born in Richmond, Virginia 
daughter of: John Samuel Carpenter and
                       Ann Marie Cobb.
-
Blessed by her father 6 June 1909, 
              Aetna Ward, Alberta Stake 
[of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints]. 
-

Henry  and Laura Bohne Family - Elna standing in front of her mother

-
Baptized [a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] 17 July 1917 in the river at Orton, [Alberta, Canada] by George Silito.  Other records say the date was 7 July 1917.

I asked my mother if she knew who George Silito [likely Sillito] is and why he might have been the person that baptized Grandma. She said that many years ago, when she was baptized, that the Ward would wait until there was a load of kids that needed to be baptized and then they would all travel together to the designated place and the Priesthood holder that was available would baptize them all. She said there were many Sillitos in the church in that area. She surmises that the children in the Ward were taken to the river in Orton to be baptized when the weather was warmer than March.
-

ASIDE: When mother was baptized the kids were taken to be baptized in Cardston at the temple because someone had a car and they could go and come back in such a short time. Bubble Gum was a new and wonderful thing and someone (she doesn't remember whose car or who had the gum) gave each of the children a small piece of Bubble Gum. They thought they had the world, she says, and were so thrilled.  She gets car sick easily (but at that time did not yet know that). As she chewed it she became nauseous.  She knew she was going to throw up so she rolled the window down as far as it would go but that is only part way on those old cars. She began to throw up and the driver kept driving. She said she threw up over and over again.  In the temple at that time they bathed  all children before they were allowed to be baptized. She remembers the bathtub there. She was very grateful to get a bath. -

Elementary School was attended in Orten, Alberta and Aetna, Alberta. Her father farmed there for approximately 10 years before returning to Aetna.

In a book entitled 'Range 25 Country, History of a Valley, A River, and a People' about Aetna and Kimball, Alberta and area we read that Elna's paternal grandparent's, Henry Morten and Juliette Bohne, and their family arrived October 8,1898 on the banks of the St. Mary's River after a six week journey in 4 covered sheep wagons from Birch Creek, Utah. They homesteaded on land west of Aetna, later moving to the townsite of Aetna and building a large one room house on the north bank of Snake Creek. Henry kept promising to add more rooms later.  One time when Juliette went to Utah for a visit she refused to come home until they were complete. A carpenter was hired and several rooms and a spacious pantry were finished. Then Juliette came home.

Garth and Jean Forsyth moved into this house in April 1953 and rented the farm with a one year lease. There was no power or indoor bathroom. It had a wood stove in the kitchen. It was  heated with an oil stove but was almost impossible to heat because of the high ceilings. The water came from a well outside just under the South window. They had never been on such a big place. Dad says the 55 acres ran west of the house about 1/2 mile up to the gravel pit. They got a bunch of sheep that spring and fattened them and sold most of them that fall. Tim was born there in Oct. They had planned to stay many years but the deal that Hugh and Zelma were in fell through and they had to move when the year lease was up.

Page 370 of the above book states, "[Henry and Laura Bohne] lived in the old Bohne place for many years, milking cows [a significant part of their livelihood], raising chickens, pigs and running their farm. While milking a cow one day, the cow flipped her tail across Henry's face resulting in the loss of one of his eyes.[It was his left eye.] The Bohne family kept the Aetna stray pound for many years."

On page 371 we read further about Elna's grandparent's. "At their 50th Wedding Anniversary [about 1916] the meeting house was crowded with friends and relatives. Speakers ... paid tribute and Owen Bohne, then a small boy, stood on a chair and sang 'Put On Your Old Grey Bonnet'. All of Juliette's sons danced with her at the evening ball and upon request she tap danced for the crowd. Juliette was a large tall woman possessing remarkable carriage and poise. " Elna would have been approximately 7 years of age.

The book continues, "Henry Bohne [Sr.] had well-groomed horses with polished harnesses. Each Christmas morning all the grandchildren were taken for a sleigh ride, sleigh bells jingling with Henry cracking his whip."

Surely such events were part of Elna's life.

Elna, herself, tells in a short one page typed history, "My first memories: I was told we moved to Orton, a small place seven mile east of Fort Macleod when I was a small child about 1 1/2 years old [I] grew up there till I was nine years old. ... In the fall of 1919-192- father loaded up our two big grain wagones with all our possesions and moved us back to Aetna. Here I went to school till I was married ... I loved to ride horses and helped father on the farm. I drove four head of horses or a plough following father with his bigger one with six head. I also milked ten cows night and morning and took them to pasture before school time in the mornings.

"I loved haying time and the smell of the new mown hay. It was fun to make the big stacks of hay we didn't have bailes then it was stacked loose and we tramped it down as it was halled to the stack. I also stooked the wheat bundles in the fields and then came thrashing time with big crews of men going field to field to threash the grains. At which time each field owner would feed these crews while on his land." [original spelling and punctuation retained]

Elna placed check marks on her personal record sheet to indicate she participated in the LDS Primary, 'Home Builders Program' and received her Blue Bird and Sea Gull awards in Aetna.

represented from link

The Home Builder Program for children included Top Pilots [age 8], and Larks, Bluebirds, and Seagulls were the class emblems [for 9–to 11–year–old girls].

represented from link 

A system of awards encouraged each girl to earn stamps/stickers for her booklet and awards to be placed on her bandlo - originally flapper style headwear for girls.


Elna also checks off  that in the 'YWMIA Program' she received a Beehive award in Aetna in 1924, an Honor Bee award in Aetna in 1925 and her Mia Maid award in 1926. 

Elna Bohne About Age 15 [approximately 1924]

Fur in every form was VERY stylish

-
An online history of  the Young Women's program explains the structure of the organization and gives a list of sample goals. To achieve each rank, girls were required to fulfill 14-16 foundation requirements and 36 additional requirements of their own choosing.  At one time there were about 373 choices like:

·           -  Care successfully for a hive of bees for one season and know their habits.

·           -  Sleep out-of-doors or with wide-open windows.

·           -  During three consecutive months, abstain from candy, ice cream, commercially manufactured beverages, and chewing gum.

·           -  Clear sagebrush, etc. off of a half acre of land.

·          -  Care for at least two kerosene lamps daily.

·           -  Without help or advice, care for and harness a team of horses at least five times; drive 50 miles in one season.

·           -  Identify 12 kinds of lace and tell the reasonable price and appropriate use of each.

·           -  During two weeks, keep the house free from flies or destroy at least 25 flies daily.

Someone else's grandmother blogs what an experience of YWMIA (perhaps a few years later)was like for her.
-

Elna Bohne - about 1923

When Elna was 14 years old she attended the dedication by Hebert J Grant of the newly completed LDS temple at Cardston, Alberta on 27 August 1923 at 6pm. She told me that it is one of her most treasured memories. She said her father got all of his children in his family that could go to the dedication tickets and they went. [Only children age 8 and older are permitted to attend.]  In June 1991 when that temple had been refurbished and rededicated by Gordon B. Hinckley she was thrilled to still be alive to witness it. She was age 82.
-

memento - ticket to the dedication of the Alberta  LDS Temple

Her next older sibling, a sister named LuRay, had a malformed hip. The youngest son, Hughie, did also. Grandma and Aunt LuRay (and my parents) told me that LuRay and Hugh worked inside the house helping their mother and Elna and their oldest sister, Annie, worked like field hands with their father out-of-doors. Memories from LuRay and Elna often do not sound like they were even in the same family. Grandma told me that at age 8 she could hitch her own team for plowing. She said her father used more horses but she only had 4 Perchons!

Elna about age 17 and LuRay, single sisters,
clowning around with some chocolate.
Look at the fur on LuRay's sweater!

Spouse: William [Bill] David Campbell
Married: 22 December 1926 Cardston, Alberta, Canada
- 
Sealed by Edward J. Wood, temple president, in the Cardston Alberta, Temple [of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints] 22 December 1926.
-

Bill and Elna eating chocolate (according to Aunt LuRay)
shortly before their marriage.

- 
Bill and Elna met in 1924. Their first date was 24 July 1924 to the 24 of July celebration in Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada.

Died: 9 February 2003, Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Buried: 13 February 2003, Hill Spring, Alberta, Canada

I promise that I will get transcripts typed from the fun stories she shared. One of my favorite stories, that I have heard her tell several times was about stopping to rest at THE rock between Hill Spring and Cardston and looking down on an Indian Burial. Does anyone happen to have a picture of THE rock? We all know where it is out on that old gravel road and what it looks like, right? at least all of us over 50 years of age.

HEROIC:

Heroic: pertaining to, or after the manner of, a hero.
Thought to be an intermediary between Gods and men;
daring, gallant, stout, valiant, brave, laudable, epic, superhuman,
courageous, intrepid, extreme, illustrious. 

And I would add 'thrifty, awesome, inspired and impressive'.

Does the definition above pertain to you?
Why not?

Anyone can choose to be a hero.
Any day, any place, any time.
Every day, every place, every time ...

Dare to be kind.
Stand up for what is right.
Mediate for someone - just help them out.

Did anyone ever 'mediate' for you?
That is a hero.

I caught a picture of a hero, in action, last night.

there is something ironic and perhaps even iconic about this photo ... 

The kitchen at our son's rental was flooding.
How wet? Empty a large yogurt container every 2 hours.
Yes that IS too wet to wait. Those are 32 oz containers.
That is a quart an hour!

Son away at school; dad = hero on the way.
Dad replaces ancient corroded faucet that is ready to blow out.

And doing all this with a spouse in tow is definitely gallant.
Not to mention doing it for the 'damsel'/ tenant in distress.
And the house - ah yes that old dame will live on now.

Heroic?

Easy right?
Simple?

Sure, if you are a plumber.
Or if you are a handyman.
And if you have required tools.
Not to mention if you live nearby - sort of ...

Nope. No. None of the above paragraph applies ...
except lives nearby - within 2 hours anyway ...

BUT being a hero, dad goes.

After a brief inspection we hurry to the hardware store. A new faucet is needed. We arrive 15 minutes before closing time. Kind staff are mercifully helpful. They make time to answer questions as the store closes. They are illustrious heroes to us. We buy the recommended tools and supplies.

I think asking for help is brave, maybe even epic.
I hate humbling myself to 'non-handy/unskilled' status.
I think giving help, even if it is your job, is also heroic.

Before embarking we grabbed a lot of tools hanging out at our house.
 The box has a long list. Some, checked, we have. Some we don't.
Some we wonder about.  Some, like caulking, we left home. We buy it.
The store is closing! Rats, utility knife is at home - we decide to try to get by.
  Seriously - a hacksaw? maybe that would have helped open the packaging!

Hero does not buy the extensive, expensive list on the box.
An essential item, forgotten at home, is not even listed: googles.
(And from now on I will also throw in 'cleanup' supplies.)

High in the cabinet under a sink it is dark.
Hero courageously borrows flashlight from damsel in distress.
Don't you hate having to ask to borrow things?
Kind, well prepared damsel has needed flashlight.
Hero rescues kitchen.

This stuff is heroic. All of it.
I told Papa he is awesome.
I admire doers - people willing to make an effort.

Being willing to try is extremely laudable, and definitely intrepid.
Especially when you have never done anything like this before.

Anyone that can lay backwards under a sink, over the ledge of the cabinet, with their arms reaching up to twist corroded bolts while water drips onto their head is surely stout in constitution, AND valiant and diligent in character - actually - I am sure they are superhuman! Especially when recovering from a serious root canal the day before - serious enough to merit time off work.

You can see the water seeping up from beneath.  Kind of hard on a floor!

And can you identify this unknown object?
It was under the tap, on a bolt resisting removal.
The one that required a socket wrench.
Since when do you need a socket wrench to fix a sink?
We left those at home. Hero had to buy one.
Wait ... that WAS the needed socket wrench? OH!!!
That inspiration comes hours afterwards, on the way home.
It would not have worked anyway. It was plastic.
Maybe when that bolt was all jumbled on but not now.
Everything was too corroded.

I commented that I thought he was very admirable.
He commented about his lack of knowledge.

He worried about how long it was taking, and he had concerns if he was doing it 'properly' - whatever that is. We decided that no spouting, spraying or dripping qualifies as 'properly'.

I supposed a plumber would have all the equipment, tools, supplies and knowledge to do the tap replacement in a fraction of the time, at an exponential price. I also supposed a plumber may not know if he will have another job tomorrow or next week. Perhaps it depends on not only how reliable and dependable said plumber is but also on how competitive prices are.

It may depend on how many thrifty heroes exist and how successful the local hardware/department store heroes are at selling parts and giving directions - not to mention if said directions can be followed and the missing tidbits filled in with good common sense combined with inspiration.

Not surprisingly, that hose just would not connect with this orange cap on it ...
no matter what, even if the directions said to just push it into place ...

I submit photo evidence that the instruction sheet left out directions to remove the small orange cap from the sprayer hose ... and it does not even show in any pictures.  After the whole shebang was dropped on the floor in abject resignation it fell off. "Hey, what is this?" hero asks no one. I question ... might it be a filter of some kind? No - it is solid - except a small hole in the very center. And the hose will NOT attach with it. The hose clips easily into place and works fine without it.

Then the water supply lines will not reattach. The new faucet has inlet pipes several inches shorter than the previous ones. WHAT?!?!?

Hero makes multiple trips to the local department store - it is open.Twenty and a half inches would be long enough for one but the other needs to be at least 24 " long. The store only carries 12'' and 20" supply lines.  There does happen to be one 36" line. It is different and cheaply made but it will do.

 The hardware store assured us those would not need to be replaced. They were in good condition - but just happened to be unpredictably short. Hero tries to figure out if a longer and a shorter line can be joined. There are no adapters and they can not be screwed together.

Despite the label claims, that these are 1/2" to 1/2",
one end will not attach. It is too small.  

Desperate hero prays for inspiration.
That is always what real heroes do - they pray - all the time.
He picks up two supply lines and lays them side by side.
Although labeled identically, one is 1/2" longer.
That may be enough.

Hero goes to customer service for the third time.
The hero working there is nice. He is enjoying his work.
Hero helps hero exchange short supply line for longer supply line.

Hero finishes replacement. Hours have elapsed.
Hero goes to drive-thru for hamburger/milkshake supper.
Some heroes work there to pay for their needs.
Hero drives 2 hours to get home.
Hero reads scriptures and goes to bed.
Even heroes need scripture study and sleep.

Hero wonders if a plumber might be able to do his job.
I suppose they could not.
It is highly trained and specialized.
It has taken hero years to learn and relearn WAC's.
He is a hero every day to those needing assistance.
He relies on inspiration and prays for it every day.
AND he goes to work - every day.
Except when he needs a root canal.

We are surrounded by heroes.
Some give more. Some give less.
Some do a little. Some do their best.

Do I do my best every day?
Do I serve others? all others?
Do I speak kindly? especially to my spouse and children?
Am I gentle and respectful? especially to my parents?
Am I concerned for others? Am I patient? loving?
Do I show gratitude? Do I say thank you?

Am I doing my best?

DEAR WINSLOW

Happy Birthday.

There is a picture of you as a young boy in a swing that comes to mind when ever I hear the word happy.  In the picture you are laughing in delight with the pure joy and exhilaration a swing can give - I love that feeling.

My family always had a swing. Usually it was on the beams that held up the clothes line between two end poles. My father would cut an old tire so that the middle circles remained intact but half the actual tire was missing. When it was turned inside out it made a swing like a 'chair'.  Here is an old picture (although badly damaged) of your Aunt Ginger when she was a toddler in such a swing. She loved to swing too.

I often sat curled up in the tire swing just swaying in the warm sunshine - I could stay there for hours. Sometimes when I was older I would read but often I just swayed to and fro quietly watching the sky and clouds, the animals and busy farm life around me.

 I think some of my happiest moments were sitting in a swing like that, one toe dragging along the ground or pushing myself every now and again to keep the swing moving slightly.

A whole room may be a bit much but
what about just a smaller area or wainscoting?

I know you love Legos.
Did you know that I love Legos too?

 I saw a fun idea. Make a Lego bulletin board or wall with the base plates. Even if you only had a small area you could be very creative...

 I also saw one that had a long narrow bin underneath the Lego bulletin board. And if you can get that creative why not have some display shelves along each side of it too?

And I love this picture of a wall at a Lego store.
The things you could stash on it would be pretty endless!

I hope you have a very nice day.
And lots of quiet time to enjoy.

Keep smiling - and as Uncle Tad says,
"If you can't lift the corners let the middle sag".
 Love Grandma and Papapa

WILLIAM HENRY AMES death

William Henry Ames about 1914/15
Scan of a photo copy made in the 1990's.  Special thanks to
Cousin Charlun (Ames) Hunt for helping us to access
and copy several family photos at that time.

Died: 19 March 1959;  Pocatello, Bannock, Idaho

I have a few bare facts about the death of David's paternal grandfather.
He died in mid March 1959 in Pocatello and is buried there.
He was nearing his 69th birthday - he was only 68 years old.

David's father, Wallace Will Ames, notes in his genealogy records that his father died of 'caridac arrest'.

I suppose we have some work to do.
Watch for an update.

We would love help.
Do you know anything about him?

WILLIAM WARREN CAMPBELL death

Died: 16 March 1941, Cardston, Alberta, Canada
Buried: Hillspring, Alberta, Canada

Some sources state that he died 19 February 1939.
As can be seen from the death certificate above that is incorrect.

For privacy, when this certificate was obtained,  any certificates not over a specified number of years had the cause of death blacked out. One day while sitting at a table in the sunlight I happened to notice that on the original I was holding that I could read through the ink used to stroke it out. It said the cause of death was Cardiac Decomposition.

The 18 March 1941 edition of the "Cardston News" carried a notice that William Warren Campbell passed away.

The 1 April 1941 edition published funeral details.

William Warren Campbell b. 3 August 1871 d. 16 March 1941 

Age: 70 years, 7 months, 13 days.

Can you identify the unknown couple on the right -  the car or the place?

My mother knew her Grandfather and Grandmother Campbell.

She tells many stories about picking peas for the first of July or making ice-cream with him for big celebrations in the town of Hillspring, Alberta where they all lived. I am working on typing those stories for a history.

He is buried in Hillspring, Alberta, Canada where he lived so many years. His wife Phoebe Alice Tolman is buried there also, nearby. His son, William David Campbell,  (my grandfather), is also buried nearby.

JOURNAL JUNCTION

The Friend magazine is written for children to age 12.

It is a favorite of mine.
I still subscribe and my children are all adults.

In 2012, starting in January, I noted a spot called 'Journal Junction'. It suggests: Each month this year you can write a little bit of your own history in your journal.

I checked out past issues and realized I have been ignoring the feature with thoughts like, "yeah - I keep a journal" or "I don't feel like writing about that" and "maybe I will write about that sometime".

There are great suggestions there.  The suggestions this year seem more personal and have raised some questions in my mind about myself, and suggested if I don't know to ask my parents. I thought, "My parents are aging. How much longer will I be able to ask them my questions?"

Here is a sample of the questions on Journal Junction in 2012.

January: When is your birthday? What city were you born in? Were you born in a hospital, a house, or another place? Was it day or night? You can ask your parents if you don’t know, and you can write down other details they remember about your special day.

February: This month write about your first memory. What was the memory of? Do you know how old you were at the time? Do you remember seeing something, or is your memory of a noise or a smell? Write down how the memory makes you feel.

March: This month write about the first place you lived. Did you live in a big city or in the country? Were you in a house or an apartment? What was your room like? You can ask your parents if you don’t know, and you can write down other details they remember about your first home.

Do you know the answers to all these questions? 

Can you ask your parents (or perhaps another relative if not)?

What age are your parents?

What else can they tell you?

My cell phone has a 'record' feature. 

With their permission I use it all the time.

I record our conversations.

I have learned SO MUCH I didn't know.

Thank you Journal Junction. 

I will try to do better.

I will try to be more like the children.

I think I will get to work on a history of myself!

DEAR JASON

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

March has always been a special month.

My grandmother and her sister, LuRay, both had birthdays in March. We never usually made birthdays big events or parties but I always called them, visited them, or sent a card to them.

March was a time to honor someone important in our family.
We feel you are an important part of our family.
And this is as close to a card as you will get - lol!

Thanks for loving and supporting our daughter, and leading, loving, and teaching our grandchildren in the choices they each want to make and for also being humble enough to learn from them and with them. We were thinking the other day and had a bit of a chuckle because you and Erin are the same distance apart in age that Papa is with Ginger. Papa remembers being THAT age. He feels like he learned a lot. *wide smile* wink* And he feels like he still is!

We appreciate all you do for all our family. You have often helped and been considerate of the needs and wishes of Ginger's siblings and others in our extended family also - and that is A LOT of people. We see you  get along, and go along with us all. Thank you.

Thank you for your friendship and example of diligence. We love you and hope you have many good things to look forward to in the coming year.

JAMES ANDREW MCNICHOLL history

Born: 9 March 1857
Sioux City, Woodbury, Iowa

Father: John James McNicholl (b. abt 1831)
 Bernard (Barney) McNicholl (b. abt 1829)

Mother: Sarah Wright (b. abt 1835)
 Rebecca Donins (b. abt 1830)

Can anyone verify the parents of this man? They are listed in several ways on several hand written and typed records.
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We have little information about this great grandfather.
We have a few names, dates and places.
Do your know more?
Do you have any pictures?

In a cook book published for a Shelton / Bennett Family reunion in 1990, compiled by Carrie and Gina Shelton, cousins, there is a photocopy of an old photo of James Andrew McNicholl.  The book is full of fun pictures of many family members. It says photos and Geneology research were courtesy of June Shupe, her daughter Pat Shelton Erdman, and Hazel Bennett Berry.

We are grateful for all the work and research anyone so generously shares with our family in the discovery, and preservation of,  records and photos. They also contributed significantly to a history of Sarah Isabelle McNicholl Shelton, a daughter of James Andrew McNicholl.

In that history (of Sarah Isabelle McNicholl) some of her children tell some of the stories and memories they heard from their mother and father.

Sarah's son (Herman Shelton) records, "[In our family] the boys height came from Fanny's uncles and James McNicholl was tall - 6 feet. I understand [Fanny] was nice but she was very strict. That's the way it was in those days ... James wasn't a farmer - he worked in town in a profession of some kind but Mom [Sarah Shelton] never told us what. I got the impression they were not poor."
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1870 Denamrk, Lee, Iowa US Census

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Census records verify a few facts. In 1870 James McNicholl, age 13, is 'at home' with Barney McNicholl, an Irish Farmer and his wife Rebecca, and 7 siblings in Denmark, Lee, Iowa.  He attended school that year and can read and write.
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In 1880, at age 23, a James McNicholl is working as a farm laborer and boarding at a house hold in Green Bay Township, Lee, Iowa for Lewis or Louis Derle and his wife Emma. He is listed as a boarder.
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In 1900 census records we see James Andrew McNicholl married and living, with his wife and 3 children, in Mt. Idaho, Idaho County, Idaho State. He is working as a teamster and his wife is a laundress. They both were 'not employed' for 6 months in 1900. Unemployment was very common following the panic, widespread strikes and economic depression of the mid 1890s.

The profession, Farmer, on the first line is for the person listed above him. 

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Spouse: Francis Alois Huckins (b. 1875)
Married: 6 June 1890 (or 23 March 1890)
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As you can tell we still have many unanswered questions - be sure to watch for updates, and please share if you learn something we do not know yet. We will do the same.


                                                   
 

JOSEPH ARNOLD AMES death

Joseph Arnold Ames
Died:  6 March 1933  Ucon, Bonneville, Idaho
Buried: 9 March 1933  Ucon, Bonneville, Idaho

Approximately 9 miles North East of Idaho Falls on the way to Rexburg, Idaho  is a small rural town named Ucon. Papa's paternal great grandfather, Joseph Arnold Ames was buried there 9 March 1933.

Special thanks to Rebecca Hulet that added this photo to 'Find A Grave' , thereby making it possible for us to see his grave stone without having to incur the expenses or take the time to travel to Idaho and find the grave. And also to Rhonda Durrant for the photo below of the cemetery itself.  Perhaps some day we can visit there.

Joseph Arnold Ames was the second son of 11 children of Clark Carter and Frances Jane (Beaven) Ames, stalwart Mormon pioneers that crossed America and helped settle the West.

He was born 28 July 1857 in Salt Lake City, Utah.

We have a few facts on some pedigree charts and family group records but know little of his life. There seems to be an abundance of cousins yet we know none of them.  Maybe it is time to start searching for some living relatives.

Hmmm - what might it take to find a cousin, or a parent's cousin?

Update May 2012: I happened on an image of a short history and a few photos.

Joseph Arnold Ames with his son Hyrum and his son

He was active in civic affairs and religious activity during his life and was much sought after in the community to locate wells and measure hay.  It seems he had a knack for telling where to cut it off for a ton. He had a severe case of small pox and nearly lost his life at one time. The final paragraph of this history states, "In the spring of 1919 he sold his farm and moved to Ucon, Idaho and bought 40 acres of land there. This he farmed until his health was so impaired that he couldn't go on. He died [there]."

SARAH SOPHRONIA SNOW death

Sarah Sophronia Forsyth nee Snow 
   Died: 5 March 1927, 
          Bountiful, Davis, Utah, USA

   Buried: 8 March 1927, 
            Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, USA

I found a copy of Sarah's death certificate on line here.

When we traveled to Salt Lake a few years ago to visit our son and his family, they lived in the 'Avenues' near the Salt Lake Cemetery. We took a walk through the well manicured graveyard and photographed some of the final resting spots of several ancestors. Although that day was quite warm we enjoyed the cool shade of the many large trees and the quiet peace of the open park. 

We discovered many Forsyth's listed there
and even knew where some fit onto family records.

We also visited the Sexton's office to review the records there. The Interment Books list every grave with locations identified on blocks, lots and tiers of plots.

For additional information about Sarah's husband George James see my blog post for his death. They died within a month of each other.

I am one one side of the room.  You can see my toes.
The silver metal in the picture is the other side.

We were given permission to take photos and spent an afternoon perusing the various huge books kept there in a tiny room. We were learning to use a digital camera so some photos are not clear and the exposures are odd.

Sarah Snow Forsyth's name is near the bottom of the page. 

I opened a cropped version of the page (above) that shows Sarah's interment in a photo editing program and added a couple red arrows to help identify her name.

We also photographed Lot 13 burial records and the Lot Ownership Record.

From 'The Life of Sarah Sophronia Snow Forsyth' * we read, "Sarah developed cancer, and suffered with it for many years. One time she said she was ready to go, if her husband died, but she had not wanted to die and leave him behind. Her prayers were answered in this. In the fall of 1926 George took ill and was hospitalized in Salt Lake, at the LDS hospital.

"At this time, Sariah Lott [a step-sister], a daughter of Lydia Leavitt and William Snow, came to stay a few weeks with Sarah ... Chloe, another sister, came to stay for a few days [also] ...

"On 5 February 1927, George [Sarah's husband] died. The doctor said that Sarah could not last very long, so Mary stayed with the mother, Florence lived nearby, and along with Tom, they nurse the mother with tender care. Neil, John and Frank came from Canada, Mary from California and Bell from Nevada [for their father's funeral]. They all showed their mother every kindness and although she may have suffered, she never murmured or made a complaint. One month later she passed away. She had said she wanted to die with George, and she came as close as she could. They had lived a full life, they had done the best they could. The Bishop of Bountiful, a cousin, Ed. Snow of St George and a lady from Wayne County all paid tribute to her.

"The last two stanzas of a poem read at her funeral are:

"Your heart has ever sought for truth and beauty
You've found them where others found but strife,
You've taught us how to dignify our duty
And love our life.

"You made the worst yield up its best in somewise,
So the fragrance of your youth clings round you still,
Your influence so sweet, yet strong and lasting
As a rock clad hill."

The 7 living children of George and Sarah Forsyth all attended their father's funeral. Sarah knew she would 'follow' her husband soon and asked those from great distances to not incur the expense of another trip to attend hers. They bade her farewell and granted their mother her express request. John, Frank, and Neil from Alberta Canada and Bell from Lund Nevada did not return when she passed away one month later. **



* 'The Life of Sarah Sophronia Snow Forsyth,' is a typed, single spaced, 3 page history. A copy in my possession  is stapled to a similar 6 page history of Sally Adams Snow. Neither document identifies its author. Both are clearly photo copies and were given to me before I knew that sources should be carefully noted.  


** See Neil Snow Forsyth History by Ruth Horne chapter 5 - 1919 to 1940, page 6.