Who's Named After Who?

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Time for another challenge!  This time the challenge is to find out who in Harold Jones' (your grandpa) family was named after another family member.  This one will be pretty easy if you go onto familysearch.org, click on Harold Guy Jones who is your great grandpa and find out the names of his kids.  Then look at their parents, grandparents, aunts, and uncles to see who was named after a family member.  I found 8.  In the comments of this post put the name of Grandpa Jones' brothers or sisters and who they were named after.  Don't forget to include your Grandpa Jones too!  Middle names count as well as first names.  Good luck!  And may the best niece or nephew win!! The prize is a $10 gift certificate to one of these eating places, you choose: Arby's, Domino's Pizza, or Olive Garden.

Do you know who YOUR mom and dad are named after?  Go ask them!

Saving Baby Alice

Alice Ryan Jones

As I was reading stories of our pioneer ancestors yesterday I was very moved (to tears!) by this one comment written by my great grandmother, Alice Ryan Jones, about her travels across the plains at a very tender age, "My mother often said that I would not have survived because I was so tiny and frail if it hadn't been for the teamster who carried me most of the way."

Because of the daily kind act of this man carrying three month old baby Alice with him on the wagon, my great grandmother was granted the opportunity to grow to adulthood, marry, have children, and live a full life.  I have no idea the name or identity of this man but I am truly grateful to him for the great kindness he showed in caring for this small baby who was one of my ancestors.  He didn't have to do it.  He had no obligation to baby Alice or her mother.

Alice's mother set out across the plains with her 2 year old daughter, Kittie, and Alice who was only 3 months. Alice's father and 16 year old brother were to follow two weeks later to drive mule teams and freight.  During the trek, Kittie died and was buried near the Platte River.

Blessed, Honored Pioneers

I got an email from FamilySearch today with this link showing how many of my ancestors (that they know of) were Mormon pioneers who crossed the plains.  Any guesses how many?  YOU count them!

Pretty cool!  And I think there are even more.  We come from some pretty tough people who had faith in God that was strong enough to get them half way across the United States on one very tough trek.

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One of them was Ruth May Fox.  She is your Grandma Jones' grandmother so that makes her your great-great grandmother.  She was 13 years old when she came across the plains.  She wrote the song "Carry On" which is in our hymnbook.

Here is Grandma Fox's testimony:
“Ever since I could understand, the gospel has meant everything to me. It has been my very breath, my mantle of protection against temptation, my consolation in sorrow, my joy and glory throughout all my days, and my hope of eternal life. ‘The Kingdom of God or nothing’ has been my motto.” 

Here is a story she remembers from the trail:
"One day we camped a short distance from a river, and we girls were sent for water.  Apparently we stayed too long. While we were gone, Father had unyoked the cattle and being very tired had thrown himself on the ground to rest. One of the brethren came along and asked, "Brother May, how are you?" The answer came back, "Oh there isn't much the matter. I have a sick wife, two sore heels, and two dummies." I was one of the dummies."

And this was her reaction when she first saw the Salt Lake Valley:

"At last the long journey was ended. We had pulled up the hill out of Parley's Canyon just as twilight shrouded the valley. We could still catch a glimpse of the city below, but I confessed to some disappointment as I asked, "Did we come all this way for that?" This, however was my first and last disappointment."

Take a Family Name to the Temple! Another Challege

Have you ever found a family name to take to the temple so you can do their ordinance work?  I know Easton has.  I have and it's a very cool thing.  I found a woman, Grace Davis, who is my 6th great-grandmother.  She and her husband, William Sanger, are the first two names I found when I started doing research.  It was VERY EXCITING!

There are 6 ordinances that our ancestors need to have performed for them in the temple: 1) baptism, 2) confirmation, 3) initiatories, 4) endowment, 5) sealed to parents, 6) sealed to spouse.  I stood proxy for Grace in each of the ordinances performed for her and now I feel like I somehow know her a little bit.  I can't WAIT to meet her after I die.

Which ordinance do you think I felt the spirit most powerfully while I was performing it for her?  Her confirmation!  When the temple worker spoke the words, "I confirm you a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints," I felt this amazing, powerful feeling and a HUGE rush of joy that I believe came from Grace.  It was a very special experience for me and I think that Grace is overjoyed to finally be a member of Christ's church.  No doubt she has been taught the gospel in the Spirit World and I believe she has been waiting for the opportunity to belong to this church.  Grace was born in 1723 at a time when Christ's church had been taken from the earth so she had no chance of finding it during her lifetime.

Here's YOUR chance to find a family name of one of our ancestors to take to the temple.  I've already done some of the work for you and so I know this person's temple work needs to be done.  The challenge: all you have to do is go find John Kelbrick on Family Search, click on "request ordinances", print out a request form, then take it to the temple and do the baptism and confirmation for them.  There's also a $5.00 reward for the person who accomplishes this first.

You need to get on Family Search and do the hunting to find him.  I'll give you a hint, look at Mary Grayson's ancestors (she's my grandma.)  After you've found John Kelbrick and completed his baptism and confirmation (girls, you can print the name and ask your dad, brothers, or husband to do the temple work) then post in the comment section to let me know it's done.  I'll go to Family Search and be able to see that his baptism and confirmation are completed and then I'll send you the cash!  Good luck!

The Little Birdies Story Winner!!

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Travis has done it again!  He won the little birdies challenge and $5.00 is on its way to Texas.  OK, cousins, is anyone going to challenge Travis or are y'all going to let him win every time?

In case you didn't get to read the Little Birdies story, here it is.  The person telling the story is Grayson Hyrum Jones.  He is Harold Jones' (your Grandpa Jones) big brother.  Harold wasn't born yet when this story took place.

LITTLE BIRDIES LEARN LIFE'S LESSON

Mom had baked a cake.  Cakes were few and far between.  Most of the eggs were bartered at the store for needs such as baking soda, matches, and coal oil, but this day we were getting a cake.

Boy, did it smell good.  Gertrude and I watched its creation every step of the way.  After it was out of the oven and cooled, mom did a strange thing, she set it down on the low bench by the side of the table.

"Children, I am going to the post office.  I am leaving this cake here.  Do not touch it.  We will eat it later tonight after supper.  Grayson, you are responsible for Gertrude and Alice."  She put on her broad-brimmed black hat and left for the post office.  She always wore her hat to keep the sun from damaging the skin on her face.  It was approximately a half mile from the outskirts of Tabiona to the post office.  

We were good for about ten minutes.  Then I said, "I am a little birdie.  I will eat just this crumb."  I selected a small crumb on the edge of the plate.

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Gertrude copied me.  "I am a little birdie too."  She selected another crumb beside the cake.  I took another peck.  She took another peck.  Soon it was necessary to select a small spot on the bottom of the cake, where it was not too obvious, for me to take my little peck.  Gertrude, being three-and-a-half, was not as coordinated as I was and her peck really showed.

Baby Alice, who was just beginning to walk, toddled over.  She took a handful.  I knew we were doomed.  We all began to eat as much as we could.  Finally, Alice climbed up and straddled the bench beside the cake.  Needless to say, it was a mess.

As soon as I heard mom walking up to the door, I headed for the bed and crawled under it.  Gertrude followed.  Alice sat contentedly with the cake between her legs, eating.

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Mom came in, methodically took off her hat, picked up Alice, washed her off and set her on the bed.  She put the remains of the cake up on the table.  Then she took the razor strap off the door handle and called for Gertrude.  Gertrude did not budge.  Mom came over, leaned down beside the bed, grabbed Gertrude's foot and dragged her out.  Gertrude got several swats with the razor strap.  I knew I was really going to get it.  I flattened myself tightly against the wall but then I realized that if I resisted it would be worse so I crawled out from under the bed.  I got five swats, one for each year of my life.

Three or four years later I asked mom why she left the cake right where we could get it.  "I knew you would eat it," she replied.  "That's why I left it there."  

This is who WE are!  We were raised by parents and grandparents who were taught to be honest and obey their parents.  My Grandma Jones set her kids up for failure that day.  She knew they would eat the cake while she was gone.  And I really respect her for it.  It was a difficult lesson to learn but one that really stayed with them the rest of their lives.  Grayson was an old man when he told this story to his little sister, Meada, to put in her book, but he still remembered it all of those years later.

Fan Chart

Have you ever seen one of these?  It's called a fan chart and is a cool way to look at your genealogy.  You are in the white circle.  Your parents are in the half circle around you.  Your grandparents are in the next white half circle then it just keeps going out from there.  The color coordination helps keep things in order.  You can see 9 generations of your ancestors when looking at this fan chart.  Of course, you can make it larger so you can actually see the names and dates of the people.  And all those blank spaces?  Those are people we still need to find and get their temple work done for them!  Since I first printed out my fan chart about 2 years ago, some of the blank spaces have been filled in...and some of them by ME!  It's exciting when you find someone!!

Here's how to make your own fan chart.  Go to createfan.com then use your LDS login and follow the easy directions.  You can download a copy.  Go try it!

Don't Be a Weak Link

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There is a talk given by Gordon B. Hinckley that has always made an impression on me.  (Entire talk found here.)  He talks about how each of us is a link to the generations that came before us and the generations that come after us...especially a link of faith.

Gordon B. Hinckley

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As President Hinckley sat in the celestial room before the dedication of the Columbus Ohio Temple, he had these thoughts:
"In that sacred and hallowed house there passed through my mind a sense of the tremendous obligation that was mine to pass on all that I had received as an inheritance from my forebears to the generations who have now come after me.

As I sat in the celestial room of the temple pondering these things, I said to myself, “Never permit yourself to become a weak link in the chain of your generations.” It is so important that we pass on without a blemish our inheritance of body and brain and, if you please, faith and virtue untarnished to the generations who will come after us."

He also said at a different time, "We stand on the shoulders of those who preceded us, men and women of courage and conviction who, in the midst of adversity, put their trust in the Almighty and worked endlessly to make their dreams come true."

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We are so blessed in this Jones family to have a long heritage of faith that has come down through the years and has been passed on to us.  Our ancestors have preserved this faith and taught their children and grandchildren "that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins." (2 Nephi 25:26)

Elisha Jones is one of our ancestors who was a convert to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.  He passed the legacy of faith on to his son, Hyrum Jones.  Hyrum Jones maintained his testimony and passed his faith on to his son, Harold Guy Jones.  Guy taught his children the gospel through example and passed his faith on to his son, Harold Jones, who is my father.  My father taught me the gospel and I am very grateful for men and women of faith whose shoulders I stand on!

Elisha Jones 1813-1880

Here is Elisha Jones' conversion story in his own words.

"About 1842 there came a man into the neighborhood that told of a people called Mormons. His name was James Dunn. My brother James believed the work and left immediately for Illinois. I read their books and believed them, especially the Voice of Warning. My wife was dissatisfied with my reading so I laid them by for a while. My brother James went to Illinois and joined the Church and was gone four years. 

At this time Joseph Smith and Hyram Smith were murdered on the 27th day of June 1844. The Church was driven from Illinois to Winter Quarters. My brother James came back to Ohio to my father's and stayed all winter. 

As soon as my brother came I was anxious to know about the work of the Lord. My brother James N. Jones baptized me and my wife in the nighttime, because of persecution, about the 3rd of March, 1847.

I immediately began to get ready to start for Winter Quarters with my family that was left: Martha, Richard, John, Mary, Sarah and Elizabeth. The mob spirit raged and enemies would have mobbed me if they had known I was going. We arrived in Winter Quarters on July 27, 1847. Heard Orson Hyde preach. My wife took sick with the fever and lay three months. About this time I was building a log house and broke a blood vessel in my breast. I lost so much blood I could not stand. I lay five months and lost all of my property."

Elisha Jones and his family came across the plains with the Mormon pioneers soon after their stay at Winter Quarters.  You can read more of Elisha's journal here (after signing in to familysearch.)