Family and Time
Happy birthday Seth. My brother would have been 25 today. Sometimes I miss him so much. It's been over two years now.
Parents took me up to Cove on Saturday, a little North of Logan, Utah, in the Cache Valley area, to go see the graves of my ancestors. Stillman Pond, who lost his wife and eleven children on the Westward trek to Utah, Mariner Wood Merrill, an apostle in the early days of the church. I got goosebumps and an over-whelming feeling at the grave of Drusilla Doris and James Warren Hendricks. They were Mormon pioneers who sacrificed everything they had for their faith. James was shot in the back of the neck by an angry, anti-mormon mob one night and was paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life. Drusilla took care of him and her five children, and helped them all across the plains to Utah. They faced angry mobs, had everything stolen, their lives threatened, suffered much, gave all. My family comes from her oldest son, William, who was the youngest member of the Mormon Battalion. He married the daughter of Amanda Barnes Smith (the lady in Mormon history who prayed and an angel told her how to heal her sons leg after he'd been shot in the Haun's Mill Massacre). It was quite amazing to see these grave markers, and to know how these people lived their lives. I would not be at all surprised if they were there with us.
It was the perfect way to celebrate my brother's birthday. You'd have to know they guy to understand that fully.
Spent all weekend at my parents. We listened to Conference together. It was nice to be able to just spend the weekend at home. Now that we are older, home has turned into this happy haven where I can go and just be myself and relax with my family.
Parents took me up to Cove on Saturday, a little North of Logan, Utah, in the Cache Valley area, to go see the graves of my ancestors. Stillman Pond, who lost his wife and eleven children on the Westward trek to Utah, Mariner Wood Merrill, an apostle in the early days of the church. I got goosebumps and an over-whelming feeling at the grave of Drusilla Doris and James Warren Hendricks. They were Mormon pioneers who sacrificed everything they had for their faith. James was shot in the back of the neck by an angry, anti-mormon mob one night and was paralyzed from the neck down for the rest of his life. Drusilla took care of him and her five children, and helped them all across the plains to Utah. They faced angry mobs, had everything stolen, their lives threatened, suffered much, gave all. My family comes from her oldest son, William, who was the youngest member of the Mormon Battalion. He married the daughter of Amanda Barnes Smith (the lady in Mormon history who prayed and an angel told her how to heal her sons leg after he'd been shot in the Haun's Mill Massacre). It was quite amazing to see these grave markers, and to know how these people lived their lives. I would not be at all surprised if they were there with us.
It was the perfect way to celebrate my brother's birthday. You'd have to know they guy to understand that fully.
Spent all weekend at my parents. We listened to Conference together. It was nice to be able to just spend the weekend at home. Now that we are older, home has turned into this happy haven where I can go and just be myself and relax with my family.
Comments
I just read your blog that mentioned your ancestor William Dorris Hendricks, who married my great-great aunt, Alvira Smith, daughter of Amanda and Warren Smith. My great-grandfather is Willard Smith, the oldest son of Amanda and Warren, so we have a common and wonderful ancestor. Do you have the account of the sealing of Amanda to the Prophet Joseph Smith? In case you don't, I would be happy to send it.
Take care,
Richard W. Linn
rlinn@vectorex.com