Family History Stories


MorningStar
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Years ago when I took a Family History Class, there was a wonderful quote given, which I don't remember exactly. It said something about family history giving deceased people their identity back. It is so important to locate the names of our loved ones so they can have their temple work done, but I think there is equal value in learning about our ancestors when possible.

A distant relative of mine put together the most amazing book about my great great great grandfather and his descendants. I noticed that his values have been passed through the generations, especially his integrity and strong work ethic. He was one of the first people to join the church in Denmark and he was beaten within an inch of his life while his family escaped out the windows. Years later he gave a talk in church and mentioned this incident. Afterwards, he was approached by a man in tears who said to him, "I was one of the men who beat you." I wish I had my own copy of this book. It was such a beautiful, inspiring story from his journal. That man who had been in the mob later joined the church! That has been a lesson to be that no matter how against the church someone may be, that doesn't mean they will never join or come back.

My ggg grandfather moved his family to Brigham City, UT where he opened his own flour mill. His son wrote about an experience where they went to buy some grain from another man and he said, "Here. Take the keys to the shed and go help yourself." After my ggg grandfather took the amount of scoops he said he was going to, he took a double handful and put it back. His son asked, "Why did you do that?" He said, "This man has entrusted us with his key and we must not take advantage of him." I couldn't help thinking about my own dad who was fired after he let a business know that they were overcharged. They never would've known, but he did the right thing and returned the money after his boss told him not to. It struck me how important our families are - even the ones we never met.

In more recent family history, I am so grateful to have video footage of my uncles I never met who passed away before I was born. Because I have access to their letters, journals, music, and videos of them, I feel like I know them. I see how much we have in common. My uncle put together a fantastic video to music from their childhood days for the most part and recordings of my uncle singing and playing the guitar. I still watch it on a regular basis. There is footage of my little 9-year-old uncle at a Father Son picnic that wasn't very long before he drowned. My dad was on his mission then in Argentina and he didn't get to come home. My grandpa filmed the family at the cemetary and when I saw that scene, I broke down crying to see the looks on their faces, knowing Grandpa must've been crying behind the camera. Somehow, it made me feel more connected to all of them. In that scene, my other uncle's recording of him singing "Sunshine On My Shoulders" is playing. He died at age 23 when his convertible flipped over while driving down Squaw Peak Rd. in Provo.

Last year when I was searching for my missing grandmother, my mom showed me some letters from her I didn't know existed. I never knew her either, but these letters are such a treasure for me. I felt more love and compassion for her when I read them. Growing up, I often felt angry at her for abandoning my mom and her siblings and reading those letters helped so much. It was obvious she was so unhappy with herself for what she had become and that she was full of regret. I asked my mom if she ever explained why she left. She had told her mom she thought it was better for her kids to have no mother than a bad mother. To look at those letters was such a powerful experience. I thought, "Wow! That is my grandmother's handwriting!" I never knew it would mean so much to me to see that.

I have a strong testimony of family history and recording our own history for our children, grandchildren, and so on. I want them to know me.

If you have any stories to share, I would love to read them.

:)

MorningStar

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Years ago when I took a Family History Class, there was a wonderful quote given, which I don't remember exactly. It said something about family history giving deceased people their identity back. It is so important to locate the names of our loved ones so they can have their temple work done, but I think there is equal value in learning about our ancestors when possible.

A distant relative of mine put together the most amazing book about my great great great grandfather and his descendants. I noticed that his values have been passed through the generations, especially his integrity and strong work ethic. He was one of the first people to join the church in Denmark and he was beaten within an inch of his life while his family escaped out the windows. Years later he gave a talk in church and mentioned this incident. Afterwards, he was approached by a man in tears who said to him, "I was one of the men who beat you." I wish I had my own copy of this book. It was such a beautiful, inspiring story from his journal. That man who had been in the mob later joined the church! That has been a lesson to be that no matter how against the church someone may be, that doesn't mean they will never join or come back.

My ggg grandfather moved his family to Brigham City, UT where he opened his own flour mill. His son wrote about an experience where they went to buy some grain from another man and he said, "Here. Take the keys to the shed and go help yourself." After my ggg grandfather took the amount of scoops he said he was going to, he took a double handful and put it back. His son asked, "Why did you do that?" He said, "This man has entrusted us with his key and we must not take advantage of him." I couldn't help thinking about my own dad who was fired after he let a business know that they were overcharged. They never would've known, but he did the right thing and returned the money after his boss told him not to. It struck me how important our families are - even the ones we never met.

In more recent family history, I am so grateful to have video footage of my uncles I never met who passed away before I was born. Because I have access to their letters, journals, music, and videos of them, I feel like I know them. I see how much we have in common. My uncle put together a fantastic video to music from their childhood days for the most part and recordings of my uncle singing and playing the guitar. I still watch it on a regular basis. There is footage of my little 9-year-old uncle at a Father Son picnic that wasn't very long before he drowned. My dad was on his mission then in Argentina and he didn't get to come home. My grandpa filmed the family at the cemetary and when I saw that scene, I broke down crying to see the looks on their faces, knowing Grandpa must've been crying behind the camera. Somehow, it made me feel more connected to all of them. In that scene, my other uncle's recording of him singing "Sunshine On My Shoulders" is playing. He died at age 23 when his convertible flipped over while driving down Squaw Peak Rd. in Provo.

Last year when I was searching for my missing grandmother, my mom showed me some letters from her I didn't know existed. I never knew her either, but these letters are such a treasure for me. I felt more love and compassion for her when I read them. Growing up, I often felt angry at her for abandoning my mom and her siblings and reading those letters helped so much. It was obvious she was so unhappy with herself for what she had become and that she was full of regret. I asked my mom if she ever explained why she left. She had told her mom she thought it was better for her kids to have no mother than a bad mother. To look at those letters was such a powerful experience. I thought, "Wow! That is my grandmother's handwriting!" I never knew it would mean so much to me to see that.

I have a strong testimony of family history and recording our own history for our children, grandchildren, and so on. I want them to know me.

If you have any stories to share, I would love to read them.

:)

MorningStar

My family {adams} has a really great geneology and family story history, the geneology supoosedly {i havent seen that part yet} that gos back to a cousan of Jesus. My Aunt reta whom is now 97 has worked on this her entire life. the adams were founders of sevearl towns in northern utah and south eastern idaho. now they are everywhere. We origanily came over from england on a ship and settled in Masscheusets? and colonaized lots of places back east before spreading to utah. in the 1800,s. And yes. L.D.S All the way!! Whhooooo Hooooo! We were some of the very first L.D.S in england.

:blink:

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My family {adams} has a really great geneology and family story history, the geneology supoosedly {i havent seen that part yet} that gos back to a cousan of Jesus. My Aunt reta whom is now 97 has worked on this her entire life. the adams were founders of sevearl towns in northern utah and south eastern idaho. now they are everywhere. We origanily came over from england on a ship and settled in Masscheusets? and colonaized lots of places back east before spreading to utah. in the 1800,s. And yes. L.D.S All the way!! Whhooooo Hooooo! We were some of the very first L.D.S in england.

:blink:

Very cool!

I'm hoping to learn Danish someday and go work on our genealogy in Denmark and see where my relatives lived. I had a layover there once, but that just didn't fulfill my dream of going there. :D

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I've mentioned my maternal family history previously on the MADB... my gggg-grandfather was Castillian Spanish... was an officer in the Spanish army... and a governor of Alta (northern) California, and later of Baja (southern), California... before California became a state and Calif was part of Mexico. He was also the Commandante of the Presidios of San Francisco and Monterey. Just Google ... Jose Dario Arguello, and his daughter Concepcion (Concha) Arguello... My family settled California along with about a dozen or so other mainly Spanish families... in the days of haciendas, cabelleros, and senoritas with flashing eyes. Concepcion Arguello (my ggg-Aunt) was known as the most beautiful senorita in Spanish California... and her tragic romance with the Chamberlain of the Russian Tsar is legendary and has been told over and over again.

Jose Dario Arguello had a Spanish Land Grant of over 50,000 acres from what is today San Mateo in the San Fran Bay Area, down to Palo Alto...home of Stanford University. Once California became a state, we lost the land grants/ranchos that were in the family.

The Garden Girl

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  • 3 months later...

I love my ancestors I really feel I know them by seeking them out & finding out as much as possible about them as I can.

A theme which runs through all lines is a sense of responsibility for each other & a making & keeping of strong family ties.

From my GGGGreat-Grandfather who fled the Potato famine in Ireland to start a new life in Scotland with his six children.To my feisty(she must have been) GGGGreat-Grandmother who gave birth to an illegitimate child in 1825.She raises him by herself,never lies about being single despite the fact she moved away from her hometown & could have become a widow.She then helps to raise her Grandson when her son's wife dies she lives to a ripe old age too.My Mother's namesake.

The above Grandfather remarries & has two more wee girls who both die in childhood.He is then killed aged 72 by "an engine passing over his person" still working down a mine.

My GGGRandfather accepted his wife's son into the family,also her orphaned niece & when she died would take my GGreat-Grandfather & younger brother to work with him & teach him about nature & the World around him.Their Father then dies when the youngest is 7.My Great-Grandfather becomes a boy soldier at age 9/10.He then moves to live with his elder brothers but they both die-one of TB & the

other falls between the wheels of a train he's working on.

As a parent my GGrandfather made sure all of his eight surviving children boys & girls had a trade to follow & when his "Sister/cousin" is widowed he helps her out financially.

I am so proud of these humble people-not a Lord or Lady or Professor amongst them-Master Masons,Blacksmiths,Shipwrights & Crofters in the main.

Also one of mine joined the Church & emigrated to Utah when aged 16-alone.She became a polygamous wife & lived with her husbands & both wives until her death in Idaho in 1915

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My GGGGGGG grandfather died in route to America from England.

My GGGGGG grandfather continued on and set foot on American soil as a very young child.

My GGGGG grandfather had 20 children, most of whom moved with him to Kentucky.

All the way down to my father, these men were farmers. My dad was the first man in his line to leave the farm and get a job in a factory after WWII.

I've found a lot of interesting little stories along the way. My GG grandfather was murdered by a man by the name of John Chapman (not THE Johnny Appleseed). I have cousins a few generations back who were killed by Indians while on their way to California for the gold rush. Just lots of little details that help make these people come alive for me.

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