Our pretend day of pioneering

Every Thursday, much to the astonishment of our friends and family, we turn off all electronics, i.e. T.V., game consoles, cell phones (limited use) and anything else that disconnects us from each other, and spend the whole day doing things as a family.  Some days, we hang around the house putting together puzzles but for today I had this brilliant idea to get us out of the house....we were going to hike the 2 miles up the mountain to Lamoille Lake.  We packed plenty of water and lunch and headed up.

The problem is that this old gal is...out of shape!! Big time.  What for most people is a 2 hour hike took me around 3 hours.  Yikes!

So as we are hiking up this steep mountainside, it occurred to me that I had two miles to go.  That was it!  And I was crying and complaining.  The pioneers of old had thousands of miles to walk, sometimes having to cross steep mountains like the one I was crawling up.  What a thought that gave me.

Lamoille Lake, NV 18 July 2013 (That is my family on the outcropping of rock)

My 2x Great Grandmother Loucinda (Patterson) (Burrows) Witherspoon, migrated from Wise County, Texas to Roger Mills County, Oklahoma.  I have a little story she wrote for a book about pioneers from Sayre, Beckham, Oklahoma (where she later moved).  In her story she talks about how on the trip to Oklahoma they lost her Ma, and ran out of money.  They had to stop and pick cotton to earn enough money to make the rest of the trip.  And they were lucky enough to find people to help care for their horses.  Once they made it to Roger Mills, they lived in a dugout for the first winter.  And her husband my 2x Great Grandfather Benjamin Burrows became ill and passed away.  She doesn't talk about the fact that she lost a baby around the same time, but who can blame her...it was probably hard enough talking about losing her husband.  And that was for a relatively short distance.  Many pioneers traveled across the county to get to their destinations. 

Once the wagon was loaded with their belongings and supplies for the trip, their usually wasn't a lot of room for the women and children.  So they were forced to walk the whole trip.  How their feet must have hurt and their muscles sore.  After awhile, their bodies would get used to the constant walking. 

The sites they must have seen though! Heavenly Father's work was all around them, for them to rejoice in.  I would like to think that that might have helped them make it through the days and nights of travel.  It certainly helped me today....

Sobering thought for the day....

Try to put your ancestors experience into perspective.  It's easy to not understand what they may have gone through, while sitting on the couch under the air conditioner.  Instead, get up and try to do the things they might have done.  Just a two hour (or in my case three hour) hike, could give you a new perspective for what they went through.  Try making butter or cheese, use a hoe instead of a rototiller, walk instead of putting together a puzzle.  There are a lot of different things you can do, to help you understand the things that your family went through to get you where you are today.

Benjamin Talton Burrows

Loucinda (Patterson) (Burrows) Witherspoon

Nancy Elston Hammer

On the 24th of July every year, the LDS church members celebrate Pioneer Day.  The Day Brigham Young made it to the Salt Lake Valley.  I am blessed enough to be a part of that great church.  In preparing a lesson to teach to the young girls about the pioneers of our church, I knew just who I wanted to talk about.

A couple years ago, while working on my husband's family, I made it back to his 5x Great Grandparents, Austin & Nancy Elston Hammer.  Up till this point, I hadn't really felt connected to his family.   But while researching Austin & Nancy, I came across this website Far West History.  Which is a site "Dedicated to identifying, collecting and preserving information related to Missouri Mormon history."  On this site I found a "History of Austin and Nancy Elston Hammer" by John Hammer  "From a personal history of unknown origin in the possession of Robert S. Raymond, given to me by my grandmother, Ireta Pitcher Raymond, ggranddaughter of Austin Hammer. The history consists mostly of John Hammer's account.",  which you can see here.  As I was reading through this personal account from the son of Austin & Nancy, John, I became fully aware that while I might not be directly related to these brave people, my children were.  It no longer was a story about distant people but became a legacy that my children will be able to talk about when they get older and understand.  What an epiphany I had that day.  I sat and cried as I read about how the children's feet bled as they walked across the frozen ground, after being expelled from their home in the middle of winter.  And how strong the women had to be in order to survive, and the faith they had in a loving Heavenly Father to see them through it all.  And how the men tried to defend their family, home & religion.

So it was with great pride that I taught our young girls this evening about the life and struggles of these wonderful pioneers.  Their faith and trust in God was so complete that even through all the hardships they had to endure it shined ever on.  And what a legacy they left, in deed.

My family are not, besides an occasional cousin here or there, members of the church.  I do have a few living relatives that have joined the church recently.  But no Latter-Day pioneers to write about or to tell my children about.  Us few that are living now are the pioneers in my family.  So it is wonderful that I am able to share my husband's side of the family with my children.  They can see the long line of faithful believers and have faith the way the early pioneers did.

I have many pioneers on my side of the family, don't mistake me there.  But it is nice for my children that they can take the story of their ancestor's and their strength and apply it when it comes to matters of faith and religion.  And to me that is a beautiful thing.

Nancy Hammer survived many hardships that I know would have tested my faith and strength.  So I thought she was a perfect example to share with the young girls I teach at church.  I was so excited to get to share her story with such a great group of girls and show to them, that with faith and trust we women are a strong people.

Working Day

Man, it was good to get back into all my stuff today! In order to figure out where I left off in my work, I had to get a little organized.  So I spent the day sorting through all the random papers I had laying around.  And put them all in with the surname they belong to.  It was great to look at all the things I have gathered in the last few months.  But it was time to get it in order. 

Now, I can start working again and have an idea where everything is. :) I am so excited to be getting back on track.

Sibling Saturday: Gerald K Adamson

My poor Grandma had a handful raising my Dad and his two brothers.  But there was always someone missing in their lives.  My Dad has two older brothers and is a twin.  Sadly, their oldest brother, Gerald passed away when he was just a month old. 

Talking about Gerald was always hard for my Grandparents.  But he was never far from their thoughts.  At the time Gerald was born my Grandparents were living in Granite, OR.  Gerald was born in Portland though where my Grandma's family lived.  And he was buried in Portland, OR.  You can see a picture of his tombstone at find a grave.  Poor little guy didn't really have a chance, he was born premature and weighed only 4lbs 4 1/2 oz. His death certificate listed he died from Bronchopneumonia and that the contributing factor was his premature birth.  Gerald was born on Mar 11, 1939 and passed on April 14, 1939.  Just one short month they had him.  But it's comforting to know that they are in Heaven with him now.

Oregonian 15 Apr 1939 

Funeral Card Friday: Grandpa Bill

Well sticking with my theme of writing about my Grandparents, thought I would share with you the funeral card from my Grandpa Bill's funeral and his obit.  I was in 5th grade when my Grandpa passed and I don't remember much about him.  So I treasure the few memories I have of him.  And anything I can find or learn about him is so precious.

Reno Gazette Journal 26 Feb 1990

Those places Thursday: Look to your Community

Today, driving home from town we seen something that is not all that odd here in our mining town in Nevada.  But I got to thinking that for someone that wasn't from the area, it would have been something to see.  We were driving on the freeway and on the lower road was the bed of a dump truck with police escort headed to the rebuild place down the road.  And like the good blogger I am I seen an opportunity and got ahead in time to take pictures.

This may not be a regular thing but certainly not an unusual site for us here in Elko, NV.  It got me thinking about what kind of things our ancestors might have done or seen where they were from.  So what are you sitting her reading this for....go look!

OK, so your still here and you what me to share a little something about one of my ancestors...well, your wish is my command.  In 1964, Nevada celebrated it's 100  years of statehood.  One of the things we do to celebrate our statehood every year is have a Nevada Day Parade in Carson City.  There were 230 entries in the parade in 1964.  You can read more about the Nevada Day Parade here at Nevada Day.  My Grandpa Bill (Kenneth Vern Adamson) and a couple friends made a float for the parade that year, while living in Empire which is near Gerlach.

Unknown, Bill Adamson, Unknown

Bill Adamson,Walt Caravan

This is a look at the float in process of being built...looks like they were having a good time.  I think this is a very cool look into something that my Grandpa was a part of.  Because of his work on this float my Grandma and him were invited to the Centennial Ball.  Don't know if they went but I would like to think that maybe they did.

When searching for your family and trying to learn about them, look to their community.  It's amazing the things you can find and learn about them.  They weren't just teachers, farmers  or miners.  They had other interests too....just like you do! :)

The finished project!

And yes, those rings were spinning! ;)

Tombstone Tuesday: Helen & Lloyd Timbrel

Well, I decided since I have been talking a lot about how much I miss my Grandma & Grandpa Timbrel I decided to post some pictures of there final resting place for those cousins that are too far away to visit....I bet they miss them just as much as I do.

My Grandparents decided they didn't want to be buried but cremated instead and their ashes spread in one the their favorite valley's, Gabbs Valley.  My cousin had a baby daughter who also passed shortly after they did and so she has a marker their with them, but out of respect I won't post her name or any information.  Although, I think of her ofter too.  We all know that she is with our Grandparents in Heaven, just waiting on all us down here.

The first photo is a bit blurry but shows their first markers (over the years they have gotten new ones).  The second was taken Jan 2011 with their new markers.  And the third one was taken July 2012.  The last one is a view of the valley beyond Gabbs Valley....home.

Jan 2011 Courtesy: Charity Brown

July 2012

Gabbs Valley July 2012

Mystery Monday: John Adamson 1793 PA

One of the hardest parts of being sick...well besides the intense pain....was not being able to work on my genealogy.  But guess what...I am back baby! The only thing that will keep me from getting back to work is all the family time I have been spending with my little family this summer.  We have had such a good summer so far but it's time for me to get to work. :)

Today I just want to talk a little about my brickwall on the Adamson side John Adamson b. abt 1795 PA, USA d. (poss) 1865 Steuben Co., NY, USA.  John is my 3x Great Grandfather, my direct paternal line. John married Minerva Mulford sometime before 1835, as their oldest son John Adamson Jr. was born in May 1836 (my 2x Great Grandfather).  They went on to have another son Mulford Adamson and three daughters Emily, Louisa, and Edith.

I have not found much on my John Sr., other than those little facts.  The 1850 & 1860 US Federal Census' have him living in Thurston, Steuben, New York.  The 1850 Cesus has him being born in 1817 PA, but the 1860 Census says 1793 PA.  I think the 1850 Census is a transcription error though because if you look at the actual census it is very hard to read the age for John.  There is a cemetery index for the Cameron Mills or Townline Cemetery listed on Painted Hills Genealogy Society website, which lists a John Adamson being born in 1793 and passing in 1865.  I have a photo request for a headstone on his find a grave memorial.  Someday I hope that there will be someone available to find John's headstone and also the rest of his family that are buried there. Or better yet, that I would be able to go and see it for myself (hint hint hubby). ;)

I have found some mention of John Adamson Jr., adventures in business in Steuben County which reference that his father settled the "river below" around 1845.  But no mention of his family or where in Pennsylvania he might have been born. 

Someday......

I will find my  family...yes it is the wish of every genealogist!!!