NEIL SNOW FORSYTH WORLD WAR I

(1914-1919)
-

Grandfather Neil Snow Forsyth kept detailed journals for most of his life. The following record, from his time of service during World War I with Canadian troops, was arranged and compiled for his history by his daughter Ruth Forsyth Horne in 1996 from his journals. We sincerely appreciate the work of all that contribute to such valuable records. As much as possible she retained his spelling and punctuation. 

This record, and the postcards from the many places he saw in England, may be accessed at the LDS Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. A brief history, on this blog, of his childhood and growing years is titled 'Neil Snow Forsyth history'. Further history of  Grandpa Neil's courtship and marriage, the years the growing family lived in Magrath, and Cardston, Alberta, Canada, the years of WWII, and their golden wedding and Chloe's death, build a more detailed story that is completed with additional records for later years of his second marriage, and his death.

His words are often measured carefully into names, dates and travel but as we read we may wish to remember the human emotions such events might engender, not only for him but for his family. He lived in close proximity to parents and siblings, and his wife's brother (Lorenzo Hatch) lived with them to attend school in Magrath. Neil and Chloe had only been married for less than 2 years when the war began and their first child, Thomas Rex Forsyth, was about 1 1/2 years of age. From  Neil's own words we read:

"June 7, 1914 – Before there was any signs or thought of war breaking out, I asked Patriarch [John L ]Gibb to come to dinner with me one Sunday, to give Lorenzo a blessing. After he had given Lorenzo one, I asked him to give me one, .... When I got this [patriarchal] blessing and read it over no one had thought of the first world war and Chloe and I both thought I would sometime be called on another foreign mission. We layed it away and forgot what it said.

"Sept 1, 1914 – Our second son Neil Scott [Forsyth] was born.  On Sunday Nov 1, [1914] I blessed our 2^nd son and gave him his name, Neil Scott.

Neil Snow Forsyth 

"Dec 1, 1914 – I was elected on the Magrath School Board. Jan 7, 1915 I was made Chairman of the Board, I was re-elected in Dec 1915 and continued until I left for overseas June 20, 1916.

"** 1914 – When the war started in 1914, and Canada offered to send men to fight, I talked a lot against it and said let them fight their own battles. But after it had been on for two years, and some of our boys had been killed (I) began to think different.

"I talked to Chloe about going and helping bring it to an end, but never mentioned it to any others til April 1916. My bro in-law, Ammon Mercer [husband to his youngest sister Florence] and another of our school teachers and 4 more young men had enlisted and they were having a farewell dance for them. Major Hugh B. Brown came down from Cardston that morning to be at the dance. When I came from the office that night, I wanted Chloe to get ready and go to the dance with me, but she didn't feel like going. [From subsequent events we know she was about 5 months along with Uncle Ken.] She said I could go, if I promised not to enlist. I said I wanted to have a talk with Major Brown, but I wouldn't enlist. I went and had a talk with him, he asked me what Chloe thought about me going, and I said she didn't want me to go. He said he would not approve of any married man going without his wifes consent. When I got home she asked me what he said, and when I told her, she said, It’s decided that you don’t go. There was no more said about it. **

"May 15, 1916 – I was at the station when the train from Cardston came in and I saw Major Brown get off. While we were eating dinner that day Chloe said, I hear Major Brown is in town again, I have been taking to Florence this morning and I have decided that if you think you should go, I would rather you would go now with Major Brown and our own boys, than go later with someone else. [*This connection to Major Brown was later instrumental in Neil's life being spared and getting proper care, when someone gave him poison as cough medicine.] I said, Shall I phone Major Brown when I get back to the office and tell him I am ready to enlist, She said suit yourself. So I called Major Brown and arranged the time to give my employer a 30 day notice and I would be ready to leave July 1^st.

Front of Neil's World War I registration

Back of Neil's World War I registration

"Sunday morning I took Rex and went to SS. Chloe stayed home with Scott, when I got home Chloe asked me if I remembered the blessing Bro. Gibb gave me, we thought I would be called on another foreign mission. She said “This is it.” She had read that blessing while I was at SS. Then – I read it and we both felt that it was intended that I should go to war, and we felt sure I would return safely.

"June 10, 1916 – I got word from Major Brown that I must report at Medicine Hat for duty on June 20 as they were to leave there for overseas June 22. On June 12, we took stock at the lumber yard and turned it over to Campbell, but I stayed to on to help him until June 19.

"June 20, 1916. I went to Medicine Hat and stayed at a hotel that night. My sister Florence Mercer stayed at that hotel and was still there to see her husband off the morning of June 22. We passed through Fort Williams June 23.

"June 26, 1916 – We arrived at Ottowa at 4 a.m. at 8 a.m. we marched up to the parliament building and were inspected by His Honor the Duke of Canaught. As we went through the English speaking settlements across Canada, the people welcomed us with cheers, but the French settlements in Quebec Province had no cheers for us. We stopped and marched through the town of North Bay. A small boy came and took hold of my hand, and held it all through the parade. He told me his father had gone to the war. It made me think of my two boys at home with their mother [who happens to be 7 months along expecting their third child]."

From a history of Hugh B. Brown we learn, "Hugh B Brown was called by his stake president in 1912 to go to Calgary and take military training preliminary to organizing a Latter-day Saint contingent for the Canadian reserves, … It had been reported in Parliament at Ottawa that the Mormons were disloyal and would not support the motherland if a European war occurred. One of the members of Parliament from Lethbridge, Alberta, responded that the Mormons were loyal but wanted to be led by their own people.

President Wood called [Hugh B. Brown] along with four others, William G. Ainscough, Ben H. May, Andrew Woolf, and Clyde Brown, to take the military training necessary to become officers. Hugh trained every week for three years, rising from lieutenant to captain and finally major. The chosen officers organized a squadron in Cardston, the Twenty-third Alberta Rangers, and trained as cavalry at Calgary. With the outbreak of war in 1914, he was asked, along with the other four Mormon officers, to form a squadron for overseas duty. His unit became part of the Thirteenth Overseas Mounted Rifles in 1915 and, after training at Calgary and Medicine Hat, landed in Liverpool in 1916.

While en route to Liverpool, in Petawawa, Canada, a riot broke out among the 1,500 soldiers of the larger contingent within which the Mormon squadron had been placed. The quickly assembled officers recommended immediate use of armed force to quell the meeting. [Major Brown] argued against this and walked unarmed among the rebellious troops. He spoke with them for almost two hours, standing on a table top taken from a nearby tent. The situation was sufficiently grave that full mutiny could have been attempted and lives lost. However, the troops were finally persuaded to return to their tents and no charges were brought."

Grandpa Neil's record continues:

"June 28, We reached Halifax at 2 p.m. We went right on board the liner Olympic with 5,000 other troops. Early the next morning they pulled out into the harber and stayed there all day. Then 4 men were taken off, as German Spies. We set sail at 6 p.m. July 4, (6 days crossing) two torpedo boats met us and escorted us into Liverpool Harber. July 9, The Germans made an air raid on the British coast, near enough for us to hear the bombs drop.

"July 18, Major Brown and Sgt. Major Harrison with 16 of us pirvets were transferred to the cavalry and the next day we went to Summerset Barracks and were assigned to the ‘Fort Gary Horse’. I was right at home in the saddle, and got along very well.

"July 27, 9,000 Canadian troops landed at Liverpool. We keep hearing the big  guns in France, There is considerable activity in the air here too, day and night.

"Aug 29, Sam Hughes was here inspecting us. We stood in the rain all day and got soaked through, while he stood under a hedge with an umbrella over him and kept dry. Today I got a letter from Bro. Faulkner, telling me that he, Sis Faulkner and Nellie were in Cheriton. He had enlisted in Calgary and brought his family over with him. I went and spent the evening with them. Aug 30, I got a 6 day leave. I went to London, then Coventry. I visited saints and friends as I travelled to Birmingham. Sun Sept 3, I went to the Conference Home for SS. Then Pres. Laird and I went to Spearbrook and held Sacrament service. After that we went home with Fred Lamb. [Neil baptized Fred Lamb February 1909.] I was one of the speakers in the evening meeting. Later Pres. Laird and I went to Dudley, Woodside and Tipton visiting saints along the way. Sept 5, we went back to Dudley and I left to return to my unit. When I got there that evening, there was a letter telling me my third son was born Sept 2, and that Chloe had named him George Kenneth [Forsyth].

"Sept 14, I went to Ceasors Camp after supper, My bro. in-law Ammon Mercer, Roy Harris and I went to Faulkners and we all went and saw ‘The Battle of the Somm’ at the Electric Theatre in Folkstone. Sept 17, we had church parade this morning, Ammon Mercer, I and Gifford spent the rest of the day at Faulkners. We had a very pleasant afternoon and evening in song and conversation. 

approximate places locations in England and France

-

"Sept 26, 1916 – I had a bad cough this morning, and I went on sick parade. The Dr. put me on light duty, and they sent me to the sick horse lines. I was coughing around there and the corporal in charge took me into the saddle room, where he had some cough medicine. He took a quart bottle off the shelf, and told me to take a good drink of that. I tasted it and it tasted like a canker medicine mother used to make, so I took 3 or 4 swallows. He told me to lye down on some sacks there and go to sleep, so I did. About 5 a.m. Sept 27 I woke in a dimly lighted room with a soldier sitting by my cot. I told him I had to go to the bathroom, and he took me to one where I had a good movement. When I came back I asked him where I was and he said I was in the guardroom. I told him I wanted to see Major Brown. He couldn't leave till a change of guard came at 7 a.m. then he went to get Major Brown. I could see bugs crawling up the walls, and I couldn't go back to sleep. Major Brown came over with the Dr. He asked me what I had to drink the day before, I told him the corporal had given me some cough medicine. They went and found the corporal and soon came back, and asked how much I drank of the stuff. I told him 3 or 4 swallows. He said, God man, you drank enough to kill 3 men, that was Beladonia Poison, one spoonful is a dose for a horse, Now they sent me to the hospital where they took good care of me.

"Major Brown made a thura [thorough] investigation of the case. The Dr. that sent me to the guard house was discharged, and the horse lines corporal was reduced to the ranks.

"Oct 13, I was released from the hospital and the next morning I got a 10 day sick leave and went to Birmingham and stayed at the Conference House with Pres. Laird that night.  Oct 15, I went to SS in Birmingham then went to Coventry for Sacrament meeting. Oct 17, we administered to Bro. Lamb today as he was sick. I stayed at Mrs. Roe’s visiting the saints there. Oct 19, I went to Dudley and visited there and in Tipton the 20^th, then back to Birmingham on the 21^st and 22^nd. Oct 23, I returned to Somerset Barracks.

"Nov 11, I went to the YMCA in the evening and heard the Rev. Capt. Cameron give a very good talk on morality, and the harmful effects of immorality. Nov 18, I went to Cheriton and bought Christmas presents and mailed them to Chloe and the boys.

"Nov 21, I started a course in musketry and on Nov 30, I passed musketry with the highest score ever made in B Squadron, I scored 137 out of a possible 140. Dec 1^st I was ordered to wear cross guns on my tunic for my marksmanship.

"Dec 3, I was on Folkstone picket duty from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m. Dec 8, we practiced shooting with gas masks on. All last week we were busy doing cavalry drill, bayonet practice, bom throwing, horseback wrestling, etc. Dec 18, I got a Christmas box from home.

"Jan 2, 1917 – When I went for a horse to ride on troop drill, the officer in charge told me that Buck was the only horse left and all the men were afraid to ride him. I saddled him and got on and rode him without any trouble. He was nervous and high strung, but not mean, so he was detailed to me, and I rode him on troop drill as long as I was with the cavelry.  On Jan 6, as we were leaving the drill grounds Cap’t Ben May saw that the gate was closed, so he told me to ride ahead and open it. I started out on a gallop, Buck was anxious to run so as we neared the gate, I gave him free rein and he jumped it with ease.

"Jan 7, I was on Church Parade. Then I was detailed to do a 24 hr guard at the Water Tower. The next week I was on the stable picket, clipped the horses, patrol duty and guard duty at Moor Barracks Hospital.

"Jan 22, We had special parade all day and Major Hugh B Brown invited me to his quarters for the evening. Jan 31, I left Shornecliff at 5:15 p.m.  I stayed with the Elders at Deseret that night. I went to Coventry and visited for two days. I stayed at Mrs. Roes one night. Then I spent 3 days in Nuneaton, then went to Dudley where I stayed with Dr. Angus overnight. I went to Birmingham Feb 6, and had dinner with the Elders there, then I went on to London. I caught the 10 p.m. train at Carmon ST. Station, and arrived back at my unit at 1 a.m.

"Feb 8, While on troop drill my horse fell with me, but I was not hurt. That evening I was put on a draft for the Canadian Army Veternary Corp. I went to the medical officer for inspection and enoculation, then was transferred with several others to huts on St. Martins Plains. Feb 13, I was on stable picket. The weather is warming up some and things are thawing out.

"Feb 20, I paid 3 shilling and 3 pence for barbering tools, and the first week I made 4 shilling and 4 pence cutting hair in our camp. Mar 17, there was a Zepelin raid over England and one bomb dropped so near us that it shook our huts.

"Mar 25, A  general mobilization order was given for all troops to stand ready for further orders. We could hear heavy shelling all day, and there were rumors of a German raid on England. Mar 27, We saw a submarine going out this afternoon. Mar 28, We loaded two carloads of horses on the train for Crowborough.  Mar 30, we got 33 wounded horses from France. One called Kaiser Bill, the orderly Cap’t ordered him shot because he was so vishous, but Sgt Lorten suggested they let me take him for a while and see what I could do with him. They had him tied with tow ropes, one on each side of his stall. The report was that he was mean to kick, strike and bite. The next day I could curry him all over and the next day I took him out on exercise ride and got along fine with him.

March 1917 front of fold letter from Chloe to Neil first page

March 1917 inside fold letter Chloe to Neil

March 1917 back of outside, written beside first page, letter from Chloe to Neil 

"April 1, 1917 – After supper I got word that Major Brown wanted me to come over to his apartment.  I went over and he and Cap’t Ainscough were there, and he was really feeling blue.  He had returned from conducting troops to France a few days before.  Now the Colonel had put another Major in his place and had told him he could either revert to the ranks or return to Canada for discharge.  He said, if he reverted to the ranks he would probably be sent to France with troops he had never seen, and never see any of the boys he had brought over.  If he returned home he could never make the mothers of those boys understand the position he was in here.  There was only 16 of us here with him, and now he was being taken from us.  He felt it was almost more than he could stand.  Captain Ainscough had been given the same ultimatum, and they were returning home together.  The colonel liked to have his drinking parties, and because they would not join them, and because either of them could handle the troops better than he could, he was jealous of them."

Hugh B. Brown *, while serving as a member of 'the Council of the Twelve'  later told his experience as a story titled 'The Currant Bush'.  "[The General] went into the other room to answer the telephone, and I took a soldier’s privilege of looking on his desk. I saw my personal history sheet. Right across the bottom of it in bold, block-type letters was written, “THIS MAN IS A MORMON.” … When I saw that, I knew why I had not been appointed. I already held the highest rank of any Mormon in the British Army. He came back and said, “That’s all, Brown.” … I saluted out of duty and went out. I got on the train and started back to my town, 120 miles away, with a broken heart, with bitterness in my soul. And every click of the wheels on the rails seemed to say, “You are a failure. You will be called a coward when you get home. You raised all those Mormon boys to join the army, then you sneak off home.” I knew what I was going to get, and when I got to my tent, I was so bitter that I threw my cap and my saddle brown belt on the cot. I clinched my fists and I shook them at heaven. I said, “How could you do this to me, God? I have done everything I could do to measure up. There is nothing that I could have done—that I should have done—that I haven’t done. How could you do this to me?” I was as bitter as gall.

And then I heard a voice, and I recognized the tone of this voice. It was my own voice, and the voice said, “I am the gardener here. I know what I want you to do.” The bitterness went out of my soul, and I fell on my knees by the cot to ask forgiveness for my ungratefulness and my bitterness. While kneeling there I heard a song being sung in an adjoining tent. A number of Mormon boys met regularly every Tuesday night. I usually met with them. We would sit on the floor and have a Mutual Improvement Association. As I was kneeling there, praying for forgiveness, I heard their voices singing:

“It may not be on the mountain height

Or over the stormy sea;

It may not be at the battle’s front

My Lord will have need of me;

But if, by a still, small voice he calls

To paths that I do not know,

I’ll answer, dear Lord, with my hand in thine:

I’ll go where you want me to go.”

(Hymns, no. 75.)

I arose from my knees a humble man. And now, almost fifty years later, I look up to him and say, “Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for cutting me down, for loving me enough to hurt me.” I see now that it was wise that I should not become a general at that time … I have done better than I would have done if the Lord had let me go the way I wanted to go.”

The friendships these men formed during their war experiences endured for the rest of their lives. I return now to Grandpa's own record and words:

"April 20, I was put in command of the exercise ride and I did it on Kaiser Bill, I am riding him regular now, and they say I am making a real horse of him.  April 21, there was a sea fight off the coast of Dover, we could see it from our lines.  On April 24, I started on my vetenary coarse.  April 30, I was on stable picket again.  We can hear the big guns across the channel all the time now, day and night. .  May 14, we left the huts of St. Martins plains and moved into tents joining the cavelry depot. The fruit trees are out in bloom around here now and the weather is good.

Neil Snow Forsyth 1917

letter to Chloe  7 May 1917

"May 25, I was reading in my tent when I heard the whir of planes in the distance.  Soon I heard the bombs begin to drop and I got up and went out.  I saw 2 drop on St Martins plain.  It was only seconds till they were dropping around us.  One man was killed and two wounded near our pharmacy.  A trooper named Preston was shot full of shrapnel, I heard him cussing the Germans as I ran toward him, I picked him up and started for my tent.  I had only gone a few steps when he fainted.  Just then two soldiers came with a stretcher and took him to the hospital near our lines.  The bombers were then down bombing Folkstone.  There was 30 as near as I could count them.  Two of our tents were blown to bits and several others were full of holes.

"May 27, I went to Folkstone and saw the damage done there.  About 75 people were killed, in many cases it was impossible to tell who the parts belonged to, and they gathered them up in baskets.  A number of soldiers were killed at Risborough, and at St. Martins plain, and many other civilians and soldiers were wounded.

"May 30, 1917 – I was on a draft of 30 men chosen to go to France.

"June 5, We went on board of the G, 08 and set sail at 2:45 p.m.  There was  3 transports loaded with troops.  We reached Boulogne at 4:30 p.m.  They were loading two hospital ships with wounded soldiers as we landed there.  We marched to a rest camp for the night.  We had a good nights rest, and left at 7 a.m. to march to Etaples 20 miles distance.  When we finished breakfast this morning the men filled their canteens for the march, some with tea, some with beer, some laughed at me for filling mine with water.  I told them they would see by night which was best.  A pal who marched beside me filled his with tea.  After lunch it was very hot and several of the men fell out and were picked up by transports.  Later in the afternoon a very large man in our section was about to fall out, I took his pack and urged him to stay with us, but he dropped out on the next 10 mile rest.  One man just in front of us was about to quit and my pal took his pack so he stayed on.  One big strapper who had filled his canteen with beer, fell while marching and was picked up by transport.  We reached Etaples at 6 PM, with my pal and I each carrying two packs so he argued that tea was as good as water.  I was 38 and he was 28 so it really didn’t prove a point.

"June 7, We all left for Harfleur to the Haver veternary hospital.  I was assigned to go to No.1 dressing shed and was put to work with sick and wounded horses.  June 30, I was kicked by a horse and was in the base hospital till July 8.  I went back on duty in the dressing shed July 13.  There are also many German prisoners being garded here.

"July 30 While down in Le Haver in the afternoon I saw a shipload of U.S. troops landing there, as the U.S. had entered the war, and were now sending troops into France.   Aug 18, I went into Le Haver and bought $10 of presents and mailed them to Chloe and the boys at home.

"Aug 26, The Canadian troops in the Le Haver district held religious meeting in the YMCA.  They asked me to speak and I gave them the L.D.S. understanding of the three in one God head.

"Dec 12, I sent Christmas presents to mother, to Chloe and the boys, and to my sister Belle F Gardner in Lund Nevada.

"Jan 10, 1918 -** I have been having some prolems with my stomach ever since the Beladona incident. I have had several bilious attachs so the medical board suggested I have my eyes tested, Sat Jan 26, I got me a new pair of glasses. **

"Feb 7, I was on stable picket and got 2 ribs broken by a horse crowding me into a partition and was off duty til Feb 11.  Feb 27, I was ordered to put a lance corporal stripe on my left sleeve.

"Mar 6, 1918 – We were up for medical board, and for inspection for leave in the afternoon.  I bot 2 lbs of butter in Ruellen that evening for the Franks. Mar 7, We went to Le Haver for our leave but our ship didn’t show up till Mar 9, so we spent one night at the Salvation Army and spent the next night on board our ship and set sail for England Mar 10. We landed at Southampton at 8 a.m. and arrived in London at 11:30 a.m. I went right out to Deseret. They asked me to be the speaker at their evening meeting. ** As on previous leave, I visited the Faulkners, Mrs. Roe, Pres. Laird, Dr. Angus and other Saints as I travelled to Coventry, Dudley, Nuneaton and Birmingham, and returned to Le Haver for duty Mar 6. **

"Apr 10, I was given my second stripe and did my first night as corporal of the gard April 15.  May 17, I was made a Veternary Sgt.  I went in charge of remounts to the front in the 14^th bregade of the Canadian artillery.

Sgt. Neil Snow Forsyth about 1918

"Mar 24, I reached Rovon at 7:45 this morning, I arrived in Coloune at 5 p.m. May 25.  The next morning on muster parade I learned I was on the wrong rout.  About 11 a.m. I was told that I had to go back to St. Paul and would be directed there which way to go.  At 12:30 I got on a train for St. Paul.  There I was directed to go to Mont. St. Eloy.  There the officer in charge of a supply train phoned around trying to find the 14^th bregade, but failed to get any trace of them.  He was determined not to have me on his hands overnight, so he told me to take my equipment and start walking up the road, and he thought I might find some trace of them.  It was nearly sundown and shells were dropping all around us.  I started out and I found very little traffic and no buildings in sight.  There was here and there a demolished house but no one around.  I kept walking till after dark, then I came to a demolished house by the road with a truck in front of it.  There was a soldier there on gard. I asked him if he could tell me anything about the 14^th brigade.  He told me the Sgt. driver of the truck was sleeping in that house and he might tell me something.  I went in and woke him, but he could tell me nothing.  It was then 10 pm so he told me I could sleep there.  The Sgt. And his Batman were Canadians.  The next morning the gard showed us a big hole about 50 yards away where a German shell had dropped during the night, and left a hole big enough to bury the demolished house.   The Sgt. told me to leave my equipment there and follow the road to the left.  He said I would find a Military Police on that road that could likely tell me where to go.  So I went and soon came to the police.  He told me the 14^th brigade went up that road about 2 days before.  I went back and got my equipment and started on again.  About a mile up the road I came to an infantry unit.  They were just having breakfast.  Hyrum and Charley Broadbent were with them, they were both 13^th men from Leavitt, Alberta.  They told me the 14^th was a short distance up the road.  I walked on till I came to their lines and I was assigned to the 61^st battery that had lost it’s vet a short time before.  They gave me a nice looking black mare as a mount.  I like her and got along fine with her.  It was nearly noon when I arrived at the battery May 27, 1918.

"June 1, I was appointed caterer for the Sgts. Mess. Each Sgt. Gave me 5 franks to buy anything I could at the French farms, as I was free to go any place in our eria.  I had a staff officers belt so I was never stopped by Military Police.  Whenever I ran out of money each Sgt. would give me another 5 franks.  So we lived high and I got fat.  I weighed 186 all the time I was in France, 20 lbs above my usual weight.

"June 5, I saw a German plain brought down by our anti aircraft guns.  Today I was assigned a Mr. Pennycook as my Batman.  He stayed with me till after we left Belgium after selling all our horses in May 1919.

Batman Mr. Pennycook about 1918

"June 26, Pennycook and I were riding across some of the battle eria, and we rode across one ridge litterly covered with scores of dead Canadians.  At the foot of the ridge we crossed the deserted machine gun positions that had done the dirty work.

"June 30, a large gun with a 54 ft barrel was brought in on the railroad and stationed right by our lines.  It’s name was Bochey Buster, it was there just 4 hrs, fired 19 shots on a bridge 20 miles from here, over Vimy ridge.  The shells weighted 1600 lbs each.  There was a plain flying overhead that told them the results of their shots.  After the 19^th shot the plain reported the bridge totally demolished and they took the gun back down the track.  We never saw it again.

"July 12, while lying on my back watching a fight in the air, something said to me “sit up quick” As I sat up I heard a thud right where my head had been.  I turned around and dug a hot splinter out of the sod.  It was rough and as big as my two fingers, sharp on one end. ** Once again my life had been spared**

"July 14, I rode over to the infantry lines and found Walter Berryesser, who was one of the 13^th CMR boys [Canadian Mormon Recruit].  He and I went and found Will Leavitts grave at the foot of Vimy Ridge where he was killed.  We place empty shells around his grave so they could find it later for proper burial.  Walter was very discouraged and the next afternoon I got a horse for him, and we rode up to the north end of Vimy.  Many shells were dropping around there, so we put our horses in a dugout and walked up to the top of the ridge.  Ammon Mercer had given me a description of the place Roy Harris had been buried alive in the trench were Ammon was wounded.  It was on the flat, east of Vimy Ridge.  We could see a heavy infantry battle going on down the ridge so we rode back to the 61^st lines and Berryesser went on to his unit.  I never saw him again.

"July 30, 1918 – We received orders to break camp and at 2 a.m. Aug 1^st we were bombed along the road by German planes, but had no casualties. We entrained at Anbigmy at 10:30 a.m. and detrained at Bacoul at 5 p.m. We then moved on to Cagney which we reached about 2 a.m. Aug 2. We saw 4 observation balloons brought down by our guns, near Amons.

"Aug 8, our big drive started at 4:20 a.m., 10 mins ahead of the Germans. By 5:30 a.m. we had them on the run and we pulled our wagon lines and started after them. We camped that night on what had been the German lines that morning. The stream of water there was so bloody that our horses would not drink it. It had cleared by morning. We stayed there all that day burying the German dead. Their disks were sent to Germany to be registered.

"Aug 10, We moved on under heavy firing all day. ** For the next 10 days we were under heavy shelling by day and air raids by night. Our unit lost no men or horses. **

Aug 22, we moved to Solvex, we arrived there at 3 a.m. – Aug 24, My 39th birthday, I had a shave by a French lady barber. We entrained at Solvex at 4 p.m. and arrived back at Anbimy at 5 a.m., Aug 25. We detrained and moved up to Arris Front, in heavy rain. It rained hard for about 24 hours.

** We are on the front lines now, with constant shelling mainly from ground troops with some loss of life and horses. By Sept 1 we had the Germans on the run, or retreating so fast it was hard to keep up with them. Sept 3 we lost our Sgt. Major and two Sgts. **

"Sept 27, We moved to Queant, on the way a gas shell burst right in front of me.  The road was so crowded that I couldn’t get away from it and my horse so hard to control that I was unable to put my gas mask on till I had enough gas to make me real sick.  One horse was so badly burned from the explosion that I had to stop and dress his burns.  I went to the Dr. that night and asked him what to do, he knew that I never took the nightly rum ration, so he told me to go to the quarter master and asked him to give me all the rum I could drink.  I went to him and he set a jug of rum and a pint cup and told me to help myself.  I drank two cups of rum (medicinal) and went to bed.  I was still too sick to eat any breakfast, and I stayed sick for 3 days.  Sep 29, I went to see the veterinary officer of our brigade, I was still sick from the gas.  When I rode up to his dugout, his batman took my horse and sent me in.  When I went in I saw a quart bottle of old Scotch whiskey he had just opened.  He saw me look at it, so asked me to have a drink.  I told him I thought it would do me good, he told me to help myself.   I took a good drink, then talked over the business I had with him.  When I go up he asked me to have another drink, which I did.  I didn’t get back to our lines till after supper, but I felt hungry so I asked the cook to fix me some.  He knew I hadn’t eaten much, so he fixed me a good super.  I got up the next morning feeling much better.

" Sep 30, 1918 -  We moved to Bourlon, across the Canal DuNord. It was hard fighting all the way. ** During the next few weeks the fighting is constant, but we have the Germans moving out of France and Belgium.**

"Nov 1, The kickoff for the big drive was at 5 a.m. and was a huge success. The next day we moved on to Angin and the next we moved to Valenciennes, then to Mons and Quievrain, Belgium. Nov 10^th we reached Thulin and were ordered to remain there.

"Nov 11, The Armistis was signed by the Germans. Nov 13, we received orders to start for Germany with the army occupation, to remain till the peace terms were signed.

"Nov 18, We got up early and started on as usual, headed for Cambrai, St. Vincent. There was a lieutenant riding just ahead of me who had only been with us a short time. I had never spoken to him, I didn’t even know his name. We had only gone a short distance when he dropped back by me, and said, “I saw in the English paper last night that the Pres. Of your church just died.” I was so surprised that I asked, “The Pres. of my church?” He answered “Yes, Joseph F. Smith. He must have been a remarkable man to hold all the positions he was holding at his age. There was a long article in the paper about him.” He then rode by me for about an hour asking questions about him, and the teachings of our church. He was very friendly with me from then on.

"Dec 13,  I was assigned to billit with a very nice German family the Unclebrauch, a man and wife, a daughter and a son. The son had just been released from the German army. I soon learned that he and I had been just over Vimy Ridge from each other for about 6 months during the summer. They had another son still in the service who was not allowed to come home while we were there. The mother was very nice to me and kept my boots polished and insisted I have breakfast with them every single morning.

"Dec 25,  Christmas morning they brought me a large plate filled with fruit, candy, nuts, etc. They insisted that I go with them to their married daughters for dinner. None of the German service men could come within 20 kilometers of the occupied territory while we were there. For them to treat me so well, when I knew their own son could not come home for Christmas because of me, spoiled the day for me. They noticed how I felt and tried to cheer me up, but I could only think of home and of their son in the German army, and I sure had a miserable day.

"Jan 17, [1919]  We went to Wahu and entrained for Belgium. Jan 23, I was told to report to Bregade Head quarters for my leave to England. ** I travelled again from London to Coventry, then Birmingham, where I attended a Saturday night social, then Sun. Feb 2^nd attended Sunday meetings and spoke in both meetings. **

"Feb 3, Pres. England and I went to Dudley and visited the saints there and I stayed at Dr. Angus that night. I went to Coventry and visited til Feb 7, then went to London and did some business, and attended the theater, then went to church at the Dessert on Sunday.

"Feb 10, 1919 – I sent a parcel home, and went to a show in the evening.

"Feb 11, I went to Folkstone and sailed for France. We landed at Callis, then travelled by land to Brussels.

"Feb 14, I went to Antwerp. I visited the Notre Dame Catherdral, also St. Pauls. I saw several paintings in each by Ruben and Vandyke. 

"They were 128 years building Notre Dame in the 14^th century. St. Pauls had statues of the ancient apostles, and of the crucificiton of Christ, and of the Virgin Mary. Also a reproduction of Purgetory, and of St. Peter when the cock crew.

"I saw a Canadian officer in one of the cathedrals, I saw him talking to another soldier, so when I met him later I asked what the officer said to him. He said “He wanted to know how I got here without being caught by the Military Police.” So we were all in the same box!

"Feb 19, Since returning I have been busy selling our horses to the Belgium Gov’t.

"Mar 15, I went to the YMCA and saw ‘The Merchant of Venice.’

"April 15, I have the last of our horse ready to ship.

"April 26, I went on a 3 day pass to Brussels and Waterloo and returned to camp April 29.

"May 1, we left for Le Havre, passed through the war torn country side, then sailed to Southampton. We stayed at Whitely Camp to wait for the boat back to Canada and home!

"May 16, 1919 - ** Because there was not a ship available to take us home, I took leave to visit my mission area again. At Deseret I met other Canadian Soldiers from the 13^th Bregade. From there I went to Coventry for Sat. and Sun. and I was the speaker at their evening meeting. Then on to Dudley and Tipton where I stayed overnight with the Angus family. May 20, I went into Birmingham, but found no one home at the Conference House or Bro. Lambs, so I stayed at Sis Lily Pitts that night. She had a boy 12 and a girl 10 who had never been baptized, also a sister who is not a member of the church. So I talked about baptism and other doctrine while I was there. I extended my leave so I could baptize all three the following Sunday.**

"May 26, I returned to Coventry and then on to London where I saw a show ‘In the Night Watch’.

"May 28, I sent a suitcase home by C.R.O. then returned to my unit. Again our ship was given to another unit so I was given yet another leave to visit my mission.

"June 10, Our unit entrained for Liverpool, where we boarded the Scotion and after a short delay we finally pulled out June 13, 10 a.m. The seas were rough, so I was sick much of the trip home. June 18, the ship received a wire announcing the Hanley Page had flown the Atlantic in 19 hrs and 20 min.

"June 19, We entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the evening. We had a pleasant two day voyage up the St. Lawrence and docked at Quebec at 5:30 p.m. We left for Montreal at 7:30 a.m. and arrived there at 7:30 p.m. June 22 We got off the ship and onto a train.

"June 26, We arrived in Medicine Hat at 1:20 a.m. We went to the Demobilization Bldg and had a bath and went to bed. We were demobilized at 8:30 a.m. and left for Lethbridge at 12 noon. Emil Ehlert was there with Chloe and the three boys to meet me, and he took us to Magrath in his car. Kenneth will be 3 years old Sept 2 and he sat on my lap for the first time on the way home. 

"July 8, I went to Lethbridge and joined the Great War Veterans Association and had some work done on my teeth. I have worked around the home ever since I got back, fixing up some of the things that had been neglected in my absence...."

As Neil adjusted back to civilian life more children joined the family in Magrath and the family prospered. In 1924, not long after the dedication of the Alberta LDS temple in Cardston, he tells us that they decided to leave Magrath and move to the Cardston area. 

"Mar 24, 1924 – I went to Cardston and saw Mr. Perry, the Soldier Settlement Field Man. He took me out and showed me the ¼ section south of town that they wanted me to buy. April 5, I decided to buy the land in Cardston. April 7, Mr. Perry came and checked my stock and equipment and I signed the contract with him."

His daughter Ruth tells us, "I remember my Dad as a great story teller, he having been a school teacher in his younger years in Utah. On cold winter nights the family would gather as he brought his big trunk from the closet under the spiral staircase, it was full of his souvenirs from his mission [to England] and his 3 years in the first World War. I have his large book of Postcards from all the places he served on his mission, as there were no cameras in 1907 this was his way of preserving his memories. He had a bible in a walnut shell. From his years in the service he had his revolver and steel helmet, a bayonet and 2 cannon shell casings. Mother occasionally used the shell casings for flower vases. I still have the Belgium lace handkerchief he purchased from the factory when he was in Brussels after the war in April 1919. Along with his stories he loved to sing the war songs; 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary' and 'When Johnny Comes Marching Home Again' and other's. 

"He also told us faith promoting stories of how his life was spared on two different occasions ... He knew he had been protected from serious harm."

* Many other speakers and articles have referred to this experience of Hugh B Brown.  A recent April 2011 General Conference talk  As Many As I Love I Rebuke comforts and guides those seeking to understand such experiences.

NEIL SNOW AND CHLOE ROSELTHA FORSYTH, MAGRATH YEARS

My paternal grandparents were married the same month as my husband and I, December. They were married 5 days before Christmas  and spent the holidays and much of the month of January visiting many relatives and friends in Utah, before returning to the small Southern Alberta town of Magrath to begin establishing their home and family. The story of their courtship and those holidays is posted on this blog with the title 'Neil Snow Forsyth and Chloe Roseltha Hatch courtship and marriage.'

Married: 20 December 1911
Place: Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah
Sealed: 20 December 1911
Salt Lake Temple, Salt Lake City, Utah

Neil and Chloe had 8 children; 5 boys, a girl, and 2 more boys: Thomas Rex Forsyth, Neil Scott Forsyth, George Kenneth Forsyth, Mylo Wilfred Forsyth, Duane H Forsyth, Ruth Forsyth, Garth Dean Forsyth, and Bryce H Forsyth.

Several of Neil and Chloe's children have graciously shared their memories of parent's and family. Gratitude and special thanks are in order to each of them and their families for preserving the records of their parents, our ancestors. Neil's history, compiled and arranged in 1996 by his daughter Ruth Forsyth Horne (Robert), from his many handwritten and typed journals, may be accessed at the LDS Church History Library in Salt Lake City, Utah. We sincerely appreciate her work on these and other records as well as pictures she has shared. As much as possible she retained his spelling and punctuation.

Aunt Ruth tells us that, 'At age 80 her father bought a typewriter and taught himself to type because his handwriting was 'shaky'. A brief history, on this blog, of his childhood and growing years is titled 'Neil Snow Forsyth history'. With her kind permission I quote from her work.Grandpa tells us:

"Apr 14 [ca. 1912] – Will and Mary Evans and Ammon Mercer [siblings to Neil] came home with us after SS and had dinner with us. After Sac meeting Curtis Hatch, Chloes cousin from Granam came with his wife and had a short visit with us. Apr 21, Uncle Orrin Snow and Aunt Viola came from Raymond to attend services here and we all had dinner with Will and Mary Evans. Apr 28, Hyrum Ririe, Ralph Winnerton and I were the speakers at church.

"May 12  – We went to SS here then went to Raymond in the afternoon for Quarterly Stake Conference. The weather has been good since May 5. I finished disking and seeding, then I planted potatoes and other garden seeds thru May 17^th.

"May 18 – I took Chloe and went to Johns farm [Neil's brother, John James Forsyth 1881] and did a small job of repair work on his house while Chloe visited with Jennie. It was stormy that day and cont. to storm for 4 or 5 days, so I did odd jobs inside till it cleared up. Then I worked the farm planting wheat and oats and ploughing summerfallow.

"May 30 – Chloe and I spent the evening with George and May Robins, English Converts. I spent most of the next two weeks watering, weeding and other maintenance on the farm.

"Jul 10, 1912 – Chloe went with me to Johns and I started working some changes on his house. As it was stormy I stayed there and worked for the rest of the week, then was busy with the farm for the next month.

"Aug 3 – We went to Lethbridge and saw the ‘Sels Floto Circus.’ On Aug 11, Will and Mary Evans, Chloe and I went to Raymond for Taylor Stake Quarterly Conference with Apostle Orson F. Whitney and Seventies Pres. McMurran. It was stormy both ways.

Sylvester Henry Pearce

"Aug 12 – Father, mother and her sister, Aunt Lucy Gardner [Rueben] came from Utah. Aunt Lucy [age 51] came for a month for a rest as her health is not very good. 

Aug 14, Chloes Grandfather [Sylvester Henry] Pearce [age 69] came and stayed with us till Aug 19^th.

"Sep 15 – We had a bountiful harvest from our garden and the farm this year. This evening Chloe and I took our entries to the Fall Fair. I took 2^nd prize on my Potatoes and 2^nd on my alfalfa. Chloe took a first and two seconds on her home grown and preserved fruits.

"Oct 5 – My sister Mary Evans newborn baby died this morning. I made a coffin for it and helped Will dig a grave and bury it this afternoon. The weather is cold and stormy now but most of the harvest is in.

"Oct 22 – Chloe took sick soon after midnight, and I phoned the Dr. He came right up and he worked with her till 9:15 am when she gave birth to a 9 lb boy. He was very poor and weak and Chloe was in critical condition. The Dr. worked with them till 11 a.m. before he had them out of danger. I have kept busy taking care of Chloe and the baby. The baby sleeps most of the time and is gaining weight right along. [This day was Grandpa Thomas Hatch's 50th birthday.]

Nov 11^th Mrs. Amy Bennion and Mrs. Phoebe Fleming, two of Chloes cousins came and spent the afternoon with us.

"Nov 14 – I started building a house for Wm Passey and with a few weather delays I had it all closed in by Nov 22^nd. On the 27^th I started work in Welling to do some building for John Heninger.

"Dec 1 – We took the baby to church where I blessed him and gave him the name of Thomas Rex. He and his mother are both doing very well. Dec 8^th a bunch of us got together and organized to put on a play, ‘One Girl In A Thousand’ I stayed home all week studying and rehearsing. We put it on Fri night. We had a packed house and cleared $70. We bought books for the SS with the money.

"Dec 14 – I sold 20 young roosters to the Grant and Davis Store for .35 per lb. Erma Woodruff and Ellsworth Bevans were here from Cardston, visiting her parents, on their way to Salt Lake to be married. We spent the afternoon with them. Dec 22^nd BP Harker called me out of the audience in Sacrament Meeting to give them a talk on the life of Joseph Smith.

Dec 25, 1912 – My mother cooked Christmas Dinner for all the family in Canada. There were 13 grownups and 8 grandchildren. Bell was the only one not here. It was the first Christmas I had spent with my family for 12 years. We had a very happy day visiting and singing together.

"Jan 12, 1913 – Mary Forsyth Evans birthday was on Jan 6, Chloe Hatch Forsyth was Jan 9, and J Frank Forsyth Jan 12. Because of the snowdrifts and cold weather there was no church service. We all met at my place and had a triple birthday dinner party. It was 22 below zero at 5 p.m. that evening, the coldest for the winter to date.

"Jan 19 – Was promotion day at SS and the teachers were promoted with their classes, so now I am the teacher of the Theological Class. Chloe went to SS with me as the weather has moderated. After SS we took Rex to the Photographer and had his photo taken (with us). Jan 24^th we had dinner with Ammon and Florence Mercer [Neil’s youngest sister], then we went to a concert put on by the Magrath Ward choir, in the Electric Theater that evening.

"Jan 28 – Mr Stacey took me into Lethbridge and interduced me to Mr. Jackson, the general manager of the Citizens Lumber Co. and we made arrangements for me to take over as manager of their Magrath Yard on Feb 1^st. Mr. Stacey had sold me his home and was moving to Utah.

"Feb 1^st – I started in the Lumbar Yard. Stacey and I signed our agreement that day and I paid him $475 down on the home, leaving a balance of $1,525 to be paid at 5% interest. That afternoon I cleared a place across the driveway from the office to build a shop where I can do carpenter work in my sparetime. I cut some of the material that afternoon and built the shop the next day.

"Feb 5 – When I got to the office to open up, the Co. Auditor was there to audit the books and turn the business over to me. Stacey had helped me make out my first report the day before, now I was left on my own.

"Feb 26, They had a farewell party at the church for the Stacey family. Mar 2, I was sustained as Ward clerk in the Magrath Ward. Mar 21, we moved into our new home. Mar 31, Fred and Fern Anderson came over from Raymond and stayed overnight with us. They are moving to Utah this spring. Sanford Dudley and his new bride spent the evening with us and the Andersons.

** Business is good. I have 2 ½ acres in this place and I have a small nursery. We have 2 milk cows, 1 pig. I got strawberry plants and native currant starts from fathers place, I have plenty to keep me busy nights and mornings. In my spare time at the lumber yard, I made some butter boxes for the creamery and window boxes for the Bank of Montreal. I finished a baby bed for Rex to sleep in and a wash bench and baby bed for Mary Evans. May 13, I am planting my garden between showers, and I’ve put in a quarter acre of alfalfa. **

"Jun 1913 - Business was good at the Lumber yard all through the month of June, the rains and the sunshine have made the crops grow fast and the whole country looks wonderful. The Lord is surely blessing us here and we thank him for his many blessings unto us."

Another event that significantly affected this family occurred in June and July of 1913. On June 27, the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints announced a temple would be built in Cardston, Alberta and the site was dedicated July 27 by Joseph F. Smith.

"July 1, 1913 – Being Dominion Day we all went out to Johns farm. The whole Forsyth family had dinner there and we enjoyed the day very much visiting and singing together. July 13, we had new green peas out of our garden, and our strawberries and currants are coming on now. We raised a good garden and I cut alfalfa and corn fodder to feed my milk cows. We had plenty of eggs from our hens for our own use and to sell, chickens and turkey to eat and some for market. We made our own butter and raised our small fruits.

"Sep 1913 – They started building the Alberta Temple at Cardston. Bishop Harker and I collected money donated from our ward, as clerk I wrote all the receipts for temple donations. Chloes bro Lorenzo came to live with us, and go to high school here in Magrath."

Although Neil records the start of the building in September, the official ground breaking for the LDS Alberta  Temple does not occur until November 13. We return to the routines of his history in 1914:

"June 7, 1914 – Before there was any signs or thought of war breaking out, I asked Patriarch [John L] Gibb to come to dinner with me one Sunday, to give Lorenzo a blessing. After he had given Lorenzo one, I asked him to give me one,  …

"When I got this [patriarchal] blessing and read it over no one had thought of the first world war and Chloe and I both thought I would sometime be called on another foreign mission. We layed it away and forgot what it said.

Neil Scott and Thomas Rex Forsyth

"Sept 1, 1914 – Our second son Neil Scott was born.  On Sunday Nov 1, [1914] I blessed our 2^nd son and gave him his name, Neil Scott.

Neil Scott and Thomas Rex Forsyth

"Dec 1, 1914 – I was elected on the Magrath School Board. Jan 7, 1915 I was made Chairman of the Board, I was re-elected in Dec 1915 and continued until I left for overseas June 20, 1916.

" ** 1914 – When the war started in 1914, and Canada offered to send men to fight, I talked a lot against it and said let them fight their own battles. But after it had been on for two years, and some of our boys had been killed (I) began to think different."

David O McKay standing 19 September 1915,
Cardston Alberta Temple cornerstone ceremony 

When the cornerstone for the LDS temple at Cardston, Alberta was laid by David O McKay, Neil and his father attended. The reason we know this is because we can plainly see their faces in a photograph taken at that time.We see him in the photo above just behind the coat tail of Elder McKay. His father, George James Forsyth, is behind him and to the left, partially hidden in the crowd.

George James Forsyth (white hair and mustache - partially behind man on left,
Neil Snow Forsyth squinting upward.

Other interesting photos and details may be found on an LDS web site providing additional details of this exciting time in the lives of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. As work progresses on temple, many Latter Day Saint boys and men in the area begin to sign up with Major Hugh B Brown to go overseas to join the fighting in World War I. We read more about Neil's feelings as we return again to his own record:

"I talked to Chloe about going and helping bring it to an end, but never mentioned it to any others til April 1916. My bro in-law, Ammon Mercer and another of our school teachers and 4 more young men had enlisted and they were having a farewell dance for them. Major Hugh B. Brown came down from Cardston that morning to be at the dance. When I came from the office that night, I wanted Chloe to get ready and go to the dance with me, but she didn't feel like going. [From subsequent events we know she was about 5 months along with Uncle Ken.] She said I could go, if I promised not to enlist. I said I wanted to have a talk with Major Brown, but I wouldn't enlist. I went and had a talk with him, he asked me what Chloe thought about me going, and I said she didn't want me to go. He said he would not approve of any married man going without his wife's consent. When I got home she asked me what he said, and when I told her, she said, It’s decided that you don’t go. There was no more said about it. **

"May 15, 1916 – I was at the station when the train from Cardston came in and I saw Major Brown get off. While we were eating dinner that day Chloe said, I hear Major Brown is in town again, I have been taking to Florence this morning and I have decided that if you think you should go, I would rather you would go now with Major Brown and our own boys, than go later with someone else. I said, Shall I phone Major Brown when I get back to the office and tell him I am ready to enlist, She said suit yourself. So I called Major Brown and arranged the time to give my employer a 30 day notice and I would be ready to leave July 1^st.

"Sunday morning I took Rex and went to SS. Chloe stayed home with Scott, when I got home Chloe asked me if I remembered the blessing Bro. Gibb gave me, we thought I would be called on another foreign mission. She said “This is it.” She had read that blessing while I was at SS. Then – I read it and we both felt that it was intended that I should go to war, and we felt sure I would return safely.

'June 10, 1916 – I got word from Major Brown that I must report at Medicine Hat for duty on June 20 as they were to leave there for overseas June 22. On June 12, we took stock at the lumber yard and turned it over to Campbell, but I stayed to on to help him until June 19.

1916 Magrath Alberta Canada Census

"June 20, 1916. I went to Medicine Hat and stayed at a hotel that night. My sister Florence Mercer stayed at that hotel and was still there to see her husband off the morning of June 22. We passed through Fort Williams June 23.

"June 26, 1916 – We arrived at Ottowa at 4 a.m. at 8 a.m. we marched up to the parliament building and were inspected by His Honor the Duke of Canaught. As we went through the English speaking settlements across Canada, the people welcomed us with cheers, but the French settlements in Quebec Province had no cheers for us. We stopped and marched through the town of North Bay. A small boy came and took hold of my hand, and held it all through the parade. He told me his father had gone to the war. It made me think of my two boys at home with their mother [who happens to be 7 months pregnant].

"June 28, We reached Halifax at 2 p.m. We went right on board the liner Olympic with 5,000 other troops. Early the next morning they pulled out into the barber and stayed there all day. Then 4 men were taken off, as German Spies. We set sail at 6 p.m. July 4, (6 days crossing) two torpedo boats met us and escorted us into Liverpool Harber. July 9, The Germans made an air raid on the British coast, near enough for us to hear the bombs drop.

"July 18, Major Brown and Sgt. Major Harrison with 16 of us Pirvets were transferred to the cavalry and the next day we went to Summerset Barracks and were assigned to the ‘Fort Gary Horse’. I was right at home in the saddle, and got along very well.

"July 27,  9,000 Canadian troops landed at Liverpool. We keep hearing the big  guns in France, There is considerable activity in the air here too, day and night. ...

"Aug 29, Sam Hughes was here inspecting us. We stood in the rain all day and got soaked through, while he stood under a hedge with an umbrella over him and kept dry. Today I got a letter from Bro. Faulkner, telling me that he, Sis Faulkner and Nellie were in Cheriton. He had enlisted in Calgary and brought his family over with him. I went and spent the evening with them. Aug 30, I got a 6 day leave. I went to London, then Coventry. I visited saints and friends as I travelled to Birmingham. Sun Sept 3, I went to the Conference Home for SS. Then Pres. Laird and I went to Spearbrook and held Sacrament service. After that we went home with Fred Lamb. [Neil baptized Fred Lamb February 1909.] I was one of the speakers in the evening meeting. Later Pres. Laird and I went to Dudley, Woodside and Tipton visiting saints along the way. Sept 5, we went back to Dudley and I left to return to my unit. When I got there that evening, there was a letter telling me my third son was born Sept 2, and that Chloe had named him George Kenneth.

George Kenneth, Chloe Roseltha, Neil Scott and Thomas Rex Forsyth

"Sept 14, I went to Ceasors Camp after supper, My bro. in-law Ammon Mercer, Roy Harris and I went to Faulkners and we all went and saw ‘The Battle of the Somm’ at the Electric Theatre in Folkstone. Sept 17, we had church parade this morning, Ammon Mercer, I and Gifford spent the rest of the day at Faulkners. We had a very pleasant afternoon and evening in song and conversation.

 [Neil's World War I adventures will comprise a separate post. We skip ahead now to 1919 and his return to his family. During the war and the time his unit waited to 'ship out' he was able to spend a significant amount of time traveling and visiting in his mission areas.]

"May 16, 1919 - ** Because there was not a ship available to take us home, I took leave to visit my mission area again.  At Deseret I met other Canadian Soldiers from the 13^th Bregade. From there I went to Coventry for Sat. and Sun. and I was the speaker at their evening meeting. Then on to Dudley and Tipton where I stayed overnight with the Angus family. May 20, I went into Birmingham, but found no one home at the Conference House or Bro. Lambs, so I stayed at Sis Lily Pitts that night. She had a boy 12 and a girl 10 who had never been baptized, also a sister who is not a member of the church. So I talked about baptism and other doctrine while I was there. I extended my leave so I could baptize all three the following Sunday.**

"May 26, I returned to Coventry and then on to London where I saw a show ‘In the Night Watch’.

"May 28, I sent a suitcase home by C.R.O. then returned to my unit. Again our ship was given to another unit so I was given yet another leave to visit my mission.

1916 Scotian passenger list with Neil Snow Forsyth top  mid right

"June 10, Our unit entrained for Liverpool, where we boarded the Scotion and after a short delay we finally pulled out June 13, 10 a.m. The seas were rough, so I was sick much of the trip home. June 18, the ship received a wire announcing the Hanley Page had flown the Atlantic in 19 hrs and 20 min.

"June 19, We entered the Gulf of St. Lawrence in the evening. We had a pleasant two day voyage up the St. Lawrence and docked at Quebec at 5:30 p.m. We left for Montreal at 7:30 a.m. and arrived there at 7:30 p.m. June 22 We got off the ship and onto a train.

"June 26, We arrived in Medicine Hat at 1:20 a.m. We went to the Demobilization Bldg and had a bath and went to bed. We were demobilized at 8:30 a.m. and left for Lethbridge at 12 noon. Emil Ehlert was there with Chloe and the three boys to meet me, and he took us to Magrath in his car. Kenneth will be 3 years old Sept 2 and he sat on my lap for the first time on the way home. 

Ken, Scott, Chloe, Neil, and Rex Forsyth

"July 8, I went to Lethbridge and joined the Great War Veterans Association and had some work done on my teeth. I have worked around the home ever since I got back, fixing up some of the things that had been neglected in my absence.

"July 12, We all went to Cardston to visit Chloes sister Kate and family. We went to church with them on Sun. After church we went to Glenwood, and spent the night with her sister Nora Dudley. Monday we all went to Waterton and back, July 16, Chloe and I and the boys went back to Waterton and stayed till Sat. then returned to Glenwood and went to church. July 21, we returned home to Magrath.

"July 24, I bought a Model T Ford. I took the family to Raymond and back in the evening. July 26, I took my brother Tom to Raymond, then went to Lethbridge and back to Magrath.

"Aug 2, 1919 – We went to Cardston for Conference and I went through the temple under construction. On Tues. we went to Glenwood, then back to Magrath.

"Aug 7, Ira Fletcher and I left for Utah with our family’s. He in a new Chev. And I in my Ford. We had nothing but dirt wagon roads to travel on. I burned out a connection rod, broke a steering rod and ruined a tire and tube in the 3 ½ days it took us to get to Bountiful. We visited with Father and Mother, they moved t Bountiful in 1918. We also visited with other relatives in Salt Lake, Provo, Logan etc. About Aug 15 we took Rex to Salt Lake to a Dr. to have his tonsils out. The Dr. had me give the anesthetic, and performed the operation in his office. I came out carrying Rex, still unconscious, with Chloe and the other two boys. When we got to the car there was a ticket in the seat for illegal parking. When the police saw us, he came and asked me a few questions, then gave me some friendly legal advice and tore up the ticket. Rex recovered in a day, and was never troubled after that.

"Aug 28 Fletchers came and we headed for Canada. We arrived home Sept. 1 in time for Rex to start school.

** I keep busy with my farm and nursery and doing carpentry work for friends and relatives. **

"April 12, 1920 – our 4^th son was born and we named him Mylo Wilfred.

"Oct 31, 1920 - ** Father and Mother came to Canada to celebrate their Golden Wedding Anniversary here, with their children and grandchildren. Neil wrote the ... tribute ...

"1921 – I now sell a lot of trees to people in Cardston, Hillspring, Raymond, as well as here in Magrath. Much of my carpentry work is for the C.C. Thompson family in Spring Coulee.

"1922 – I am doing carpentry work all around Southern Alberta.

"June 3, 1922 – Our 5^th son was born today and his mother named him Duane H. (Duane tells the story that Dad said he would call him June, but mother wouldn't have a girls name for a boy.)

"Aug 26, 1923 – Chloe and I went to the dedication of the Cardston temple. We attended several sessions of the temple that winter.

"Mar 24, 1924 – I went to Cardston and saw Mr. Perry, the Soldier Settlement Field Man. He took me out and showed me the ¼ section south of town that they wanted me to buy. April 5, I decided to buy the land in Cardston. April 7, Mr. Perry came and checked my stock and equipment and I signed the contract with him.

"When school was out the end of June, I sold my home to Wm. Mendelkow, I took his home south of Magrath as part pay and I rented it to Ida Chipman. I put a hayrack on my wagon and loaded all my furniture, chickens etc. in the rack, I hooked four horses on it. I put Rex (age 12) on the saddle horse and started him out with the cattle and horses. I took Scott on the wagon with me and we headed for Cardston. I left Chloe and the other three boys to come later on the train.  We stopped at Fred Wagners, a farm near Raley that night. We went on to Cardston the next day. Chloe and the three boys cam on the train the next day. I bought 80 acres north of my ¼ sec. from C.E. Snow.  

Additional adventures are posted seperately for the Forsyth family's Cardston years. Better or additional pictures may be forthcoming as they are discovered/digitized. These few poor quality photo copies indicate there are some wonderful pictures available from this era. Do you have any? Will you share?

DEAR RAANIN

Can you divide 100 by 10?
Simple right? Just take off a zero - eh?
That's nothin' - bwahhahahahhhh!!!

Happy 10th birthday!
Age 10  is such a great age to be!

Do you think you can live to be 10 X 10?
Many people live to be 100 years old!

They take care of themselves by eating the right balance of nutritious food and doing something physically active every day. My father's brother Ken had his 96th birthday in September. You would like him. He likes jokes and pranks, kind of like you. He is a good example to me of being healthy. In less than 4 years he will be 100 years old.

I am almost 6 X 10.
I am surprised.
That is more than 1/2 of 10 X 10.

How old will you be when I am 100?

YOU DON'T NEED AN INVITATION

Music can make words memorable.

This past week I watched the Saturday evening cultural celebration that preceded the dedication of the Calgary, Alberta, Canada Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I lived in Calgary for about 5 years. My third child was born there.

I love Calgary.
It is just a really big town.

Watching youth dance to Tracy Byrd's 'I'm From the Country' was the epitome of life in Calgary.

    "Everybody knows everybody, everybody calls you friend
     You don’t need an invitation, kick off your shoes come on in
     Yeah, we know how to work and we know how to play
     We’re from the country and we like it that way."

The lyrics stuck to my mind and psyche. 

I should live more like that. 

Calgary, although a metropolitan area with about 1.5 million people, is for the most part down home country: friendly and hospitable. When the chips are down your enemy is more likely to be the climate than your neighbor. Your neighbor would keep you from freezing and maybe even run his snowblower up your driveway as well as the length of the block. 

Mormon culture reflects these same values. 

We are all brothers and sisters. 

We're all family. 

We love, help and look after each other.

I grew up in such a family.

I was raised in a culture of consideration.

You are always welcome at my house.

     "You don't need an invitation, 
      kick off your shoes and come on in"

INTO MY HEART (or on the porch)

Have you ever been offended because you were not invited to a party or event that you did not plan on attending anyway? You know - the birthday party you didn't want to go to, the wedding you couldn't afford a gift for, or one of those social events you feel like a third wheel at. But then the invitation never came. No one thought of you or if they did they chose to not include you on the guest list.

Many of us are lonely. We want friends but if someone approaches us we may wonder what they 'want'. If someone 'drops by' we may greet them at the door and visit with them 'on the porch'. It seems to be the 'new' way.

 Do you have any friends?

Interactions with others can be comfortable or awkward. 

I was called, at one time, as a Visiting Teacher to a woman named Isabelle Olsen. She lived directly across the street from me. Isabelle was just a bit younger than my grandmother.

Isabelle was truly old school. She did not drive because 'it was not lady like' at one time and she had never learned. Her husband Frank would take her where ever she needed to go. Her door was always 'open' (figuratively at least). I was always welcome, any time day or night. She expected me to not only come to see her but to come into her home and sit down. She absolutely insisted.

No matter what else was happening she welcomed me and made time to visit with me. One day I dropped off some items I had picked up for her. After visiting a brief moment at the door I tried to excuse myself. When I declined even the 3rd invitation to go in, because I was too busy that day, imagine my shock and astonishment when she insisted that I 'at least' meet her dinner guests. They were all seated at the table with her husband! Isabelle was always friendly, always gracious, and always welcoming. When you were with Isabelle you were 'queen'.

I often ask myself how I can be as gracious as Isabelle.

Do I invite you into my home?
And into my heart?
Do I always make time for you?

Do I trust you to love me, 'warts and all'.
Do I love you (first)?
Even if you seem to not be sure of me? 

OR

Do I keep you on the porch?

DEAR CASEY

Happy Birthday!!
And it's a 'crown' birthday too.
Thanks for expanding my horizons.
I did not know about this concept.

Enjoy - wish we could be there!
One of us could wear black and the other one white - lol!

Black and white,
dark and light,
love and spite,
day and night,
wrong and right ...

I just couldn't resist.
I just do that sometimes - let rhymes or ideas run.

Consider the contrasts of opposites.
Isn't it nice we get to pick the nice part of combinations?

We hope you have a wonderful day full of light and love.
So glad you are a part of our family.
Please kiss the kiddos and Ben for us.
Love to you all and again -

Happy Birthday. Love Papa and Mom Ames

DEAR CALVIN

HAPPY BIRTHDAY!

You are at such a fun age.
You are not a child and are almost a man.
You can do anything.
Your choices are just beginning.

We think of you often.
And we pray for your happiness -
and the happiness of all your family too.

I was so pleased to get to see you this summer, and I hope you know our door is always open. We love you  very much and miss seeing you all the time and knowing you better. Here's hoping your day is truly wonderful like you are.
Love and Happy Birthday Papa and Grandma Ames

THINK ...

"I am a child of God, ..."

SERIOUSLY!

We all are his children.
He loves each of us uniquely and individually.

If I can think about and pray for each of my children every day surely an omniscient being thinks about and cares deeply about each of his children and watches over them. I often feel his love and blessings in my days. I try to watch every day for the simple things that show he cares.

"Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings, and not one of them is forgotten before God? But even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not therefore: ye are of more value than many sparrows." Luke 12: 6-7

Sometimes I am a sparrow in the dark, sometimes in the light ...

-
God is thinking of you today.

Have you thought about him?

I BELIEVE - I CAN

I believe I can ...

I CAN do things I want to do.

I want to be more healthy.
I want to weigh less!

Since January 2010 I have lost approximately 1/8 pound per week - not much and not fast BUT 1/8 x 101 weeks = about 13 pounds and I weigh about 15 pounds less than I did then.  A few couple of bonus pounds seem to have slipped away with those other 13.

I am pleased.

My mother has always been heavy. So were her sisters, her mother and both of her grandmothers. I have always been careful to eat decently and have never craved sweets but I have not always been careful about the quantity I ate. A few years ago she had some serious health problems that required others to physically care for her. When she came home from the hospital she began to lose weight. I asked how she was doing that, if she had a diet or medication change. She claimed she did not. I asked if she thought her health problems contributed to changed hormones or other factors of that kind. She said no.

A year later mom weighed a lot less and I worried she could actually lose too much weight too fast. I spoke to her and dad and some siblings about it and they went to the doctor. Everything was fine and it was not health problems or meds that were the cause of the weight loss. I personally think she just made up her mind to never again be subject to the indignities lifting a fat person inflicts. I asked her what she thought contributed to her weight loss -
"how did you do this, mom?"

She told me I was not going to like her answer.
I kept bugging her.

She told me she eats less food!

I saw a television program once about some obese people that had stomach surgery to lose weight. They were asked to reduce their body weight a specific percent (about 10 - 20 perhaps) by doing a liquid diet for 6 weeks. After their surgery they could not eat more than about 1/2 cup of food. They ate more often but only a small amount at a time. Perhaps that is good for some people. I don't like surgeons. I don't like hospitals. I don't even like needles. And I despise liquid diets. I don't want to do that to my body either!

I thought quite a bit about that and for a year or so I paid attention to how much I ate. I was somewhat surprised. Go ahead - try it. I invite you to conduct the same experiment. For a week measure every thing you eat and write the quantities down. Yes - every single thing. While you are at it measure out 1/2 cup or 4 ounces. And if you want to know, measure 1 cup quantities also. I did. I just wanted to be able to visualize 1/2 or 1 cup of salad, or spaghetti or whatever we were having. No I do not have a scale. Yes I did squish and pack the salad; then I dumped it out and 'fluffed' it up again - I wanted to know. You will get a good idea of how much 1/2 cup looks like. Now pay attention to how often you eat how much. For a month or two measure out the portions every time you eat something you haven't measured before.

I do not need a surgeon to mutilate my body to force me to eat less. I can make a choice to do that just because I want to. My usual portions were much more than 1/2 cup. They were often more than 1 cup. I often ate more than 1 cup of several things at every meal!

I decided if my aging mother can do it I can too.

I began to eat less.
One less scoop of mashed potatoes.
One less dollop of salad dressing.
A thinner skin of butter on the bread.
A smaller chunk of cheese.
One spoon full less of what ever I was dishing up.

I allowed myself unlimited plain green vegetables. I love vegetables both cooked and raw. If I felt hungry I ate lettuce, spinach, green beans, broccoli, peas in the pods, cabbage, cauliflower or celery. I have reward systems in place too. I 'treat' myself when I stick to my plan and if I don't - oh well - I can always start again, right?

I ate 'less' for about a year.
I did not really lose any weight.
I did not gain any either.
Surprisingly friends asked several times if I had.
My clothes seemed not quite so tight.
My stomach felt not so bloated.

I decided to get serious.
I grilled my mom again.
There was no magic solution.
She insisted that she merely ate less food.
How much less?
About 1 cup total per meal - 3 meals a day!
Sometimes 1 1/2 cups with vegetables.
And about 1/2 cup per serving per snack - 3 times a day.
I visited for a couple of weeks.
I watched.
Very little meat, some cereals, lots of veggies, some fruit.
And she mostly drank water.
She had one glass of milk with some meals.

What do you want?
Do you want more or less?
Can you make small choices to achieve it?

Can you save a few dollars at a time?
Can you eat less?
Can you exercise more?
I am working on that one now.

I believe.
I believe I can.
I can choose.

MAYBE I NEED A BIG DOG

If I walk across your flower bed and do not crush any flowers you may notice a foot print but not be too concerned. If I make a habit of it, sooner or later I will cause some damage. Soon your flowers will fail to grow as a path forms.

If I walk across your lawn you will never know, unless you see me. If I do it every day soon you WILL notice because a compacted area of shorter grass begins to show a path. If all my friends also cut through your yard the path will become a trail. Everyone going by will assume it is OK to use that trail and drive their carts and buggies along it and ride their bikes and skateboards on it.

Soon your yard is a rutted muddy mess strewn with the debris that is discarded by passersby. Even if you pick up the debris every day sooner or later bits of food, partially empty drink containers, and other undesirable things attract animals. They will defecate and urinate and mark their territory on every bit of landscape you have. This attracts more animals and I don't think the scent is ever fully eradicated ever again. Now your yard will be a neighborhood pet toilet and dumping ground.

If you put up fences trespassers will break and bend them so they can continue to travel as usual. If you post signs, report the trespassers and call animal control you will become a target for threats, vandalism, theft, and graffiti: random paints and permanent markers are not easily removed or disguised. Trespassers will knock on you windows and house in the night and throw eggs at it. You will get some of those things even if you don't make any waves, just because of the sheer number of random individuals using the path that you so kindly provide.

Good luck changing any of those problems. You can buy pet repellents  You pay for a higher stronger fence. You can till and toil but it will be a constant losing and costly battle. Maybe you will have to move. That will cost you a lot of money and inconvenience too. And where will you move to? Is there somewhere civil where rude and selfish, self centered people and their pets are banned?

Wait ... I am not talking about your yard after all.
I am talking about mine.
That is where the path is.
That is where the debris is.
It is the neighborhood pet toilet.
It is me that wants to move!

Not really. I like my little house.
I like my location.
Maybe I need a dog.

Maybe I need a big dog.
A GIANT scary protective dog.
If I have to clean up it might as well be of my own choice.

DEAR MEG

Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday to you,
Happy Birthday, dear Meg,
Happy Birthday to you ....
And many more ...

From the time you were a baby we all had hopes and dreams ...

Now you have your own - AND are living them.
We are so proud of you.
Keep planning and dreaming.

And KEEP 'the face'!

Hope your day is as amazing as you are.
Love Papa and Grandma

1000

Happy Thanksgiving Canada.
I love Thanksgiving being in October.

A suggestion I read one year asked readers to list 100 things they are grateful for. That seemed like a long list to me, until I read further. It broke the list down into groups of 10.

10 living people I am grateful for.
10 dead people I am grateful for.
10 foods I am grateful for.
10 inventions I am grateful for.
10 animals I am grateful for.
10 plants I am grateful for.
10 places I am grateful for.
10 activities I am grateful for.
10 events I am grateful for.
10 ideas I am grateful for.

Hmmm I can do that and not even be started yet!

What about birds, insects, scriptures, body parts, opportunities, household items, temperatures,books, hymns, art, words, fruits, vegetables, meats, - well - you get the idea ... I can make an endless specific list.

Can I make a list of 1000 blessings?
Count them off one by one x1x1 by one?
This might be fun!

And this is just getting started!

Living or Dead people: 
Heavenly Father and mother, Jesus Christ, ancestors - and that alone numbers in the thousands that we know the names for, Dad, Mom, Wallace and  Kit, Papa, Jason and Ginger,
Tad and Kurri, Marty and Kimber, Ryan and Nena, Benjamin and Casey, Clarence,
Babies, Erin, Raanin, Avalin, Calvin, Campbell, Cody, Benson, Meg, Joseph, Jaegar, Jaidon, Quinton, Winslow, Zaymes, Mikkel, Beckham, Hendrix, Cynthia, Damian, Rex and Bet, Gene and Deb, Randy and Kathy, Tim and Karyn, Shane and Sharon, Rick and Necia, Scott and Teri, Becky and Kevin, Bonnie and Darcy, Wilfred and Charlotte, DD and Clayton, Wally and Jill, Richard and Cindy, (and my dozens and dozens of  nieces and nephews, cousins, aunts and uncles, with all your spouses and more dozens of children), angels, prophets - and that includes all ancient and modern prophets (a long list), Maurice and Necia Bennett, friends,  doctors,  Bishops, Stake Presidents, Regional Representatives, Auxilary leaders,visiting teachers, home teachers, famous inventors and peacemakers, good presidents and kings, founding fathers of America, soldiers that fight for life and liberty, C.S. Lewis, George MacDonald, Bill Peet,

Foods: olive oil, honey, jam, eggs, Cheese Whiz and raspberry jam, pepper sandwiches, macaroni and tomatoes, fried potatoes (and therefore lard!) with ketchup, salt, sugar, pancakes, cackle berries, moo juice,   fresh bread, chokecherry jelly,  baked beans in the can, porridge, casseroles, porridge, crusty white bread, muffins, baking powder biscuits, tacos, pizza, spaghetti,
Meats: beef, pork, chicken, turkey, duck, goose, venison, baloney, jerky, sausage, bacon, ham, steak, roasts, prairie chicken; hamburgers, hot dogs, Li'l Smokies,
dairy products: butter, milk, cheddar cheese, cottage cheese, Parmesan cheese, Gouda, Baby Bell, German Butter cheese, Pepper Jack, Mozzarella  feta cheese, blue cheese, ice cream, yogurt, whipped cream, sour cream, buttermilk,
Fruits: apples, rhubarb, mandarins  strawberries, blueberries, service berries, peaches, apricots, pears, oranges, plums, mangos, kiwi fruit, black berries, grapes, raisins, cranberries,
Vegetables:  beans - in the garden, peas, carrots, potatoes, tomatoes, squash - yes all of them but especially zucchini and butternut, cucumbers, lettuce, spinach, beets, swiss chard, corn, peppers,
Condiments: mustard, ketchup, mayonnaise  soy sauce  horseradish, salsa, sweet pickles, dill pickles, relish, BBQ sauce, ranch salad dressing, olives, syrup,
Desserts: cake- with or without icing, cookies, donuts, brownies, pie, tarts, tapioca, rice pudding, bread pudding, custard, lemon bars,
Treats: marshmallows, Roger's Golden Syrup, Revels, JuJubes, Orange bars, fudgesicles, fudge, Macintosh toffee, stretch candy, pretzels, taco chips, salt and vinegar chips,
Drinks: Orange Crush, lemonade, grape pop, homemade root beer, orange juice, Canada Dry, clear pop, white grape juice, cranberry cocktail, chocolate milk, eggnog,
Fish: trout, salmon, whitefish, tuna, crab, shrimp, lobster, pike,
Grains: wheat, corn, rice, legumes, millet, quinoa, oats, barely, popcorn, rye,
Seeds: sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, sprouts,
Nuts: pecans, pistachios, walnuts, macadamia, hazel nuts, peanuts,

Things: grace, water, shelter, rocks, hills, plains, dirt, sand, stars, sun and sky, northern lights, moon, mountains, midnight, Winter, Spring  Summer, Autumn, years, time, gold, silver, copper, prophecy, wings, stillness, sleep, gifts, praise, peace, news, thread, fabric, languages, seasons, day, night, dark, light, snow, rain, mist, cloud, dirt, land, a '54 Chevy or the 'purple people eater' truck - that used to be blue, tents and tarps, water balloons, schools and buses, pencils, books,  pictures,  pebbles, jam cans, fences,

Inventions: telephone, cameras, zippers, elastic,  pop top cans, bottles, plastic, computers and printers, electricity,  medicines, antibiotics, lasers, scissors,

Modes of transportation: bicycles, scooters, airplanes, automobiles, wagons, handcarts, buggies, quads, motorbikes, ambulance, helicopters,
Activities: skiing, knitting, sewing, crafts, embroidery, handwork, carving,

Plants:  trees- and how many varieties is that? peonies, grass, lilies, roses, bleeding hearts, hollyhocks,  buffalo beans, phlox, clematis, sweet peas, canterbury bells, lupines, columbines, sweet williams, foxglove, snapdragons, marigolds, 

Animals:  Brownie, Beethoven, Shep, Chic, Sox, Gravy, sheep,cattle, pigs, lambs, horses, dogs, cats, beavers, elephants, lions, rabbits, goats,

Birds: chickens, turkeys, ducks, sparrows, geese, swans, herons, Jenny Wren, robins, owls, hawks, meadowlarks, orioles, budgies,

Insects: ants because they make peonies bloom, crickets chirping, glow-bugs, praying mantis,

Creatures: dinosaurs, salamanders, frogs,

Places: World, heaven, Kimball, Ross Lake, Rothe's, HorseShoe Bend, St. Mary's, Waterton,  Creston, Westcastle,  Orion, Mt.View, Cardston, temple, chapels, Milky Way, Cassiopeia, Ursula Major and Minor, fields, rivers, streams, Israel, Bethlehem, nations - go ahead and list them ... how many are you grateful for?,  North, South, East, West, 2nd hand stores, shopping malls, hardware stores, libraries, universities,

Events: birth, death, life, weddings, potluck parties, birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Thanksgiving, April Fool's Day, garage sales,

Activities: hiking, fishing, gardening, weeding - it makes me keep active, western movies, softball, soccer, walking, biking, sleeping, movies, kissing,

Ideas: freedom, forgiveness, hope, wisdom, mercy, kindness, stories, charity,

Opportunities: education, careers, worship, reading, travel,

Body parts:heart, voice, face, eyes, ears, knees, elbows, wrists, heart, legs, ankles, liver, teeth, eyebrows, fingers, toes, shoulders, lungs, arms, hands, muscles, nerves, lymphatics, kidneys, eyelashes,

Abilities: sight, hear, speak, feel, walk, run, jump, dance, roll, bend, flex, twist, duck, hop, cycle, taste,

Instruments: pianos, organs, harps, violas, tambourines, drums, bells, flutes, guitars, oboes, clarinets, castanets  xylophone, reeds, violins, cellos, trombones, trumpets

Music: choirs, concerts, symphonies,

Songs: Hallelujah Chorus, hymns - that's about 341 just in the LDS hymn book, children's songs - well over 300 in the Children's song book, Humpbacked Mule, How Would You Like To Swing On A Star?, Sowin' Love, Hey Good Lookin', see Standing Still Dancing above for more ...

Poetry: Paradise Lost, Abou Ben Adam, Father William, Jonathan Bing, Twas the Night Before Christmans

Household Items: windows, doors, bed, blankets, quilts, sheets, pillows, floors, carpets, shingles, paint, vents, washer, dryer, dishwasher, microwave, refrigerator, freezer, stove, pots and pans, plates, bowls, cups, spoons, forks, knifes, mugs, spatulas, salt and pepper shakers, glasses, pitchers, crockpots, cutting boards, bleach, soap, paper towels, towels, facecloths, tea towels, hot mitts, frying pans, muffin tins, pie pans, eggbeaters, graters, vacuums, tables and chairs, calendars, sofas, bleach, Tide,

Vitamins and Minerals: calcium, zinc, phosphorous, oxygen, carbon dioxide, cinders, coal, magnesium,

Clothes: pants, coats, dresses, t-shirts, blouses, dresses, shoes, runners, sandals, flipflops, boots, slippers, slips, underwear, lingerie, jackets, shirts, buttons, buckles, belts, ribbons, stockings

Games: Rook, Rummicub,  piñatas, Bocce, hide and seek, pente, tag, ante-I-over, fox and geese, Go Fish, Old Maid, Mancala, 

Tools: hammers,saws, screw drivers, nails, salt blocks, post holes, wire-cutters, pliers, planes, sanders, routers, wrenches, shovels, hoes, rakes, guns, screws, scissors, nail clippers, trowels,

          

DEAR CAMPBELL

Happy 13th!!

We hope you have a great day!
I think you will because you are that kind of guy.
A person of 'good cheer'.
Your father was always like that when he was your age.
He was a boy of good cheer and humour.

 When I was your age, I used to dread choosing teams for games. I was one of the slowest, smallest, and clumsiest of kids. You can guess how soon I got picked - usually near the last.

I loved to play games though. I had fun, no matter which team I was on, whether we won or lost, as long as I got a fair chance to play. I couldn't hit the ball out of the park. I never knew where the puck was or what a 'down' meant and why would I try to stop you from getting the ball through the hoop if you could?

Such things didn't worry me too much.
It was more important to just have fun.
I wanted everybody to have fun together.

I had lots of brothers and sisters to play Checkers, Fish, Monopoly, Old Maids, Sorry, or Crazy 8's with. We loved to play Button Button, Slambangs, Ante-I-Over, hide and seek, all kinds of tag and other games.

You are blessed with many brothers.
And you have a cheerful mom and dad.
I hope you can always have fun together.
I hope you are good friends.
Family makes the best birthdays ...

And other days too!
Love Grandma and Papa

PICKING SIDES

Did you ever draw a line and dare someone to cross it?
Or warn them not to?
Or were you the one being challenged?
Did you dare? 

Did you ever get picked last for a team? 

Did you ever get to choose your team?  

George Albert Smith often quoted his grandfather, George A. Smith, who said, “There is a line of demarcation well defined between the Lord’s territory and the devil’s territory. ...

Which side of the line am I on?"  

Teachings of President's of the Church, 

George Albert Smith, Lesson 18, 

That is a soul searching question.
How can I know?

President Smith gave several suggestions.
"All safety, all righteousness, all happiness, ... all that enriches our lives and makes us happy and prepares us for eternal joy is on the Lord's side of the line."

He taught at length about the matter.
You can peruse that lesson at your leisure.
If you want to know more ...

And I already talked about sin.
(Sin or 'evil' is to deny ourselves blessings and happiness.

It may also be to try to take 'good' away from others.) 

Moroni 7:10-19 spells it out simply and specifically.
All things good are from God.
That which is evil cometh of the devil.

Moroni, (of whom it is written "if all men had been, and were, and ever would be, like unto a Moroni, behold, the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever; yea, the devil would never have power over the hearts of the children of men") explained in precise detail what each means and how to judge.  He said,

15 "The way to judge is plain ... as the daylight is from the dark night ...

16 "... the Spirit of Christ is given to every man, that he may know good from evil;

17 "... whatsoever thing persuadeth men to do evil, and believe not in Christ, and deny him, and serve not God, then ye may know with a perfect knowledge it is of the devil; for after this manner doth the devil work, for he persuadeth no man to do good, no, not one; neither do his angels; neither do they who subject themselves unto him.

18 "And now, my brethren, seeing that ye know the light by which ye may judge, which light is the light of Christ, see that ye do not judge wrongfully; for with that same judgment which ye judge ye shall also be judged.

19 "Wherefore, I beseech of you, brethren, that ye should search diligently in the light of Christ that ye may know good from evil; and if ye will lay hold upon every good thing, and condemn it not, ye certainly will be a child of Christ."

I love the Book of Mormon.
It is so simple even children can understand.
Even a young child knows 'good' and 'bad'.

Which side of the line am I on?

Do I 'dare' be on Christ's side of the line?

I get to choose this team! 

I get to pick. 

DEAR JAIDON

Lucky 13.

I have always loved the number 13.

Thirteen people usually ate meals at our house - Dad, Mom and 11 kids. Our table was really big but our kitchen was not. There was barely room to squeeze through during meals. The two boys that were 'lefties' had to sit on specific corners so that they didn't elbow their brothers and sisters.

A 'baker's dozen' is 13 instead of 12. That is very convenient when you have thirteen people in your family. Long, long ago there were laws that said how much bread and other baked goods needed to weigh. Breaking the law had very harsh penalties. Some people think that baker's always gave 13 instead of 12 to make sure they did not break the law.

My grandfather, Neil Snow Forsyth, was known for his honesty. In his store when he needed to measure things that were sold by weight he had a rule to never take out any of what was put in.  He would measure the flour or sugar to nearly the right amount and then put in a little more. There was always an extra piece of candy put in the bag purchased. Everyone knew they got a good deal at his store because they saw the scale tip in their favor.

I was taught to always give just a little bit more than asked for.
Do more, give more, love more and forgive more.
At least a little bit, and sometimes even a lot more.

I think that is a good family secret. I think it gives me a bit more satisfaction, more happiness, and a little more peace of mind.

I hope you have a birthday that is more fun than any you have ever had. After all - thirteen is a little more.
HAPPY BIRTHDAY soon. Love Grandma and Papa

KNOWING and BELIEVING

I know God exists.
He is a loving, merciful being.

Scriptures tell us we are all his children.
I know scriptures are God's words.
I know prophets reveal those words to us - and record them.
I know prophets are good men that talk with God.
The words they write from God are sacred.

I know these things - and others.

I believe Joseph Smith was and is a prophet.

I knew my father's father.
He was known as a very honest man of great integrity.
He told me that he knew his grandmother, Sally Adams.
He said she was known for her honesty and noble integrity.
She knew Joseph Smith and his mother personally.

Great Great Granmother Snow (Sally married William Snow) told Grandpa that the Smith's were honest, good, kind people and that Joseph translated the Book of Mormon. His mother told her about many things that happened then. Grandpa knew that what his grandma told him was true - and told me.

I believe him.

Doctrine and Covenants 46 tells us that there are many spiritual gifts. Verse 13 tells us that "To some is given by the Holy Ghost to know that Jesus Christ is the son of God." And then verse 14 tells us "To others it is given to believe on their words, that they also might have eternal life if they continue faithful."

I know some things.
I believe some things.

I believe Thomas S Monson is a prophet.
He lives now and speaks with God.
I believe apostles and prophets live on earth today.
October 6th and 7th I am invited to hear them.
They will speak to the world.
Everyone is invited to hear what they will say.
I know they will testify Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer.
That is what prophets do.
They invite us to come to Him.
They invite us to follow Him.

Come - listen.
You are invited.

CANADIAN MOSQUITOES

Biting insects are plentiful in Canada and can seem quite large.

I swear this one sounded like a helicopter in our hotel room
until  introduced to fate by Papa.

We went to a family reunion in Cardston last month. Mosquitoes don't usually bother me much - especially if you are near by - they seem to think you taste better. On this last trip I met a few that were very persistently pesky. I wondered if I was going to need  a useful tool I found once in the 'Dollar Store' there. It was an immediate must have.

I am sure this could 'skin out' biting flies, too. 

I purchased this little gem a couple of years ago. I would buy you one as a souvenir if I could find them again. 

I watched one mosquito land on my denim jacket and walk around, up and down. I wasn't worried about getting bitten. She was small and my jacket was heavy. She stopped and I saw her working at finding lunch. To my surprise it was not long before I felt her probing and introduced her to the next life. Really? - she could get through heavy denim?

This tiny, real workable pocket knife is a mere 1 1/2 " long.

We have heard quite a few mosquito jokes. Like:

Q: How do you know if you have a tough mosquito?

A: You slap him and he slaps you back.

And did you see the picture of the mosquito drinking the red bar on one end of the Canadian flag?It is not uncommon to see flags flapping in the wind with only one bar left - the furthest out end is completely gone! LOL.  If you happen to have a picture I would love to post a copy.

This 'swatter' we found while visiting family in Northern Canada one year goes nicely with our pocket knife. We use it to help 'hunt' for mosquito 'fur'.

JUST JOKES*

 If you are going to be eaten alive you might as well laugh as cry.


* When I was a kid growing up in Cardston, Alberta, Canada and someone told tall tales, a whopper of a story, or played a prank it was common to hear, "Just Jokes". 

PRINCIPLES VS DOCTRINES

In an on-line Religion class, I am taking, students are asked to read an assigned block of scripture, identify 2 doctrines or principles that stand out to them and post a comment about each one on the class discussion board.

The class is kind of fun but a challenge too.

So what is a doctrine?
And what is a principle?
What is the difference?

I did a bit of research - both religious research (it is after all a religion class) and secular research. I read a lot of definitions, information and references. Papa, who is always up for such intriguing questions, really did some digging and gave me some wonderful insights and references.

Here is what we learned:
Doctrine from a religious standpoint is revealed truth - simple, right? From a secular point of view it is any dogma, opinion, principle or tenet presented for belief. Doctrine is 'that which is taught. It is learning and teaching - Hmmm ...

Principles are much less clear cut. They are the basics of the practice of doctrines. In both instances, from both religious and secular points of view, the definitions differ very little. Principles are the fundamental truths, qualities or attributes of any given topic: math, science, language, religion, philosophy, politics etc and etc. A principle is the beginning, origin, essence, source, fountainhead, guide, commencement, or initial state. It is the root or primary element, law or force. It is rudimentary and has natural law as a basis.

Based on this research is every true principle a doctrine?

Can you name any doctrines?
What principles, when practiced, prove those doctrines?

Let me give you a couple of hints.
Hebrews 5:12
Moroni 9:20
Titus 2
1 Timothy 2:5
Doctrine and Covenants 10:67; 68:25;101:77-78
1 Nephi 1: 8-9, 19,
2 Peter 1:5-9

And please share your insights, opinions, doctrines or principles.

MORE PERFECT

Do you ever want more - of whatever?

More friends, optimum health, nicer cars, bigger houses, kinder family? More money, more hair, more education, a pretty nose, greater talents, stronger muscles? More toys, more gadgets, more knowledge, more wisdom, more children, clearer eyesight, more opportunity?

Is it coveting to wish to have something we don't?
Maybe!

Or is it longing to be more than we are?
To become something more?
To be more perfect?

Longing for ideals is not a bad thing.

We want family to be perfect. We want to look our best, have the best, eat the tastiest, know everything, share everything, do everything - enjoy everything.

I want to be perfectly happy - full of joy.
I want to enjoy all good things.
You should have such joy also.

Today I find myself praying for for us both.

As we long for ideals, and feel the pangs of being less, may God comfort and sustain us - more. He is our ultimate role model. He has everything. I know he loves me - and you - we are his children. It is his desire to give us all he has.

He has given us a perfect pattern, his son Jesus Christ.
Jesus lived among us as a human being, yet is the very son of God.
His death ransoms us from all that is not ideal.

I pray that when we long for 'more' we are remembering our celestial, ideal selves and that we may long for Christ's ways and all those things that remind us of him and of our loving Father in Heaven.

I pray we may listen to the quiet whisperings in our heart's that remind us to be kind and patient with others and ourselves.

I pray we may let go of cynicism and its accompanying pride and skepticism, purge sin from our lives and begin to choose more commendable things that exalt and ennoble sincere longings.

I pray we may sense more of the good of life and be more grateful for all we already have.