Christmas as a Kid -Best Memories

Grandma spent hours sewing our PJ's every year. No matter the weather or her health, never fear; She made forty with Christmas looming near. We cherished our new ones. Now she is no longer here.

Sometimes I would get a nightgown or a top & pants. The soft plush flannel kept us warm all winter. Two of my sisters have carried on the tradition, with their children and now grand children. It is a huge undertaking. I wonder if it is appreciated by their little ones.

Bubble lights at my grand parents home were the best to watch as the air bubble bobbled up and down. We asked our parent's to get some. They never did. I was glad the lights came back in style, but I haven't bought any. When opening gifts with the whole family, we were required to take turns to see what everyone received. As our meal was prepared we played with cousins and enjoyed our gifts. It was a tight squeeze to fit everyone in or at the table. Some small tables were set up for the little ones. It was a big deal when we grew enough to eat at the adults table.

Remember When - Thanks to Grandparents

I remember when we went to our grandmother's home for Thanksgiving dinner. Those sweet angels had truly been slaving over a hot stove. Both of them had black cast iron ones heated with wood or coal. Now I understand why their pies, roasts and many things were a bit on the browned side (burned). They didn't have timers and perfect heating elements that made life easy, like it does today. Thanks to you both for your unselfish service all my life.

This milk separator was at my grand parents in a shed near the house. Each night after milking my brother, but before him my father and before him my grandfather, would carry the freshly obtained milk in pails to the "Milk House" to be separated. The sweet rich cream was the part we divided from the rest of the milk. With this cream we would churn butter, whip up whipped cream, make sweet treats and sell it. I never had pasteurized or homogenized milk until years after I married and moved away. Thank you Granddad, Dad and Jim, my brother, for providing this wonderful drink for our families. We were able to drink as much milk as we wanted. Now and since then, I have rationed it out knowing how costly it can be. When we were in Hawaii years ago it was $6 per gallon.

When or if I want to iron I just plug it in and turn it on, but my grandmother's had to heat their irons on the cook stove. when they were hot enough, they began the arduous task of ironing their wrinkled cotton clothes, bed sheets, pillowcases, and everything else. I hardly iron anything anymore. We are certainly spoiled.

Making do Like Women Do

Emily and her companion tried to heat up hot dogs in their toaster. Who knows what was in their heads or if the microwave was on the blitz.

I think I have tried the same thing a few times a work when the others heating devices were full.

The bush here is very full of fruit and looks tasty. The adventures of Sister Welch and her companion are lots of fun to read about. Be sure to get the emails forwarded from Camille, Paula or any family member. You wont want to miss a single one.

Rain is Falling All Around

Emily's companion has been lots of fun and they work well together. They have grown and taught many people and spiritual experiences have been abundant. So have the scary ones, but she walks on the other side of the street, stream or strip of mud. Keep up the great work, Emily.

If you missed the Facebook posts and email messages, here is Sister Welch up to her shins in water from non-stop rain. Ponpei is one of the rainiest islands in the world. They are getting what California wants. Emily is a good sport and trying to think of ways she can take advantage of all this water.

Emily Eases into the Eel

Emily is the missionary extraordinaire. She has been super busy teaching lessons, baptizing people, eating eel and more things than any of us will experience in a life time.

Best wishes Emily and may the force be with you.

Grandpa Crane's Birthday June 19th

I will always remember Grandpa Crane for the challenges he endured. Allergies and asthma were some of them. Living on a farm made it even more difficult when hay, grain, animals, dust were swirling in the air. The pasture where the sheep grazed was full of thistle. One summer as we grand children played, remember Grandpa out all day, week and month digging up the thistle plants. Not only did he hate them as well as being bad for the sheep, they made it difficult for him to breathe.

I wish now to have been a better grand daughter, that I had gone out into that field and helped my granddad dig out those thistles. If we all would have helped, the job would have been done quickly. He would have been spared a hot tedious job. Our appreciation for him and his for us would have been much stronger. Please forgive me, for being so selfish that summer long, long ago. Love you.

Try Flying on Trampoline Time

Breann was feeling like a kid when she climbed onto our old trampoline and began jumping. It's something about the bounce and flying into the air that makes us full of wonder and wow.

As one continues to jump that exhilarating feeling flows into them and they just cannot stop. The higher the bounce the more creative the juices are.

We were all laughing and I caught much of it on camera. As each adult came over, we convinced them they all have to experience the joy of the trampoline. They all were enjoying the journey with gusto.

Stop by some time and try it. You will definitely like (No, LOVE it)!

Emily Ever on the Go

Sister Emily Welch serving a mission in Guam and currently on one of the many islands nearby, had a baptism. Hip, hip, hurray!! Due to lots of hard work they found a handsome young man and look at the smiles on their faces.

Life is not without its challenges on this tropical island. It rains lots. In fact it's a very much like living 'in' a waterfall. The trick is to avoid it as much as possible. There are abundant dirt roads, waist high grasses, puddles as big as cars. You may just land in one of them. It is sure to happen at least once a week.

This doesn't deter Sister Welch from serving the Lord in the best way she knows how. It's with a smile on her face and a desire to keep on going and going.

Ann Eugenia An Amazing Matriarch

Grandma Gene celebrated her birthday this month on the 22nd. Born in 1896 in Nounan, Idaho. She lived a full life until passing away in 1971. She was a great storyteller, crochet and knitter, quilt and dress maker, farmer's wife and more. Raising a family of seven children during the depression, she met challenges head on. Sending four sons to war wasn't easy, but she was proud of them and wrote often. Not quite five feet tall, with a 5 EEE shoe size, she didn't let anyone take advantage of her. A braid wrapped into a bun on the back of her head, kept her three feet of hair tucked away. Only occasionally would she take it down for us to see. An apron was always protecting her dresses, which were all the same style. Sometimes her apron was the same fabric as her dress. She set a goal to make a quilt for every grandchild that graduated from high school. She even asked our favorite colors to incorporate into it. I was lucky enough to receive this beautiful Texas Star quilt from her. It is one of my most cherished items. She had several quilt tops ready to be quilted for many more that graduated after her passing.

Even though Grandma had cataracts and very poor vision, she kept going. She suffered many other health issues, but between every good moment and speck of sight, she sacrificed to make a quilt for her beloved grand children. Thank you, Grandma. We love you forever!!

Treasures Found at the Cemetery

I spent ten days near the Salt Lake City Cemetery, while Allan was in the hospital. It was interesting to hike to it and stroll among the graves. This week after his doctor's appointment we went there again, stopping in at the cemetery office. They located the headstones of Elizabeth and Adam Hunter, gave us a map and we found them.

How cool is that? One hundred year old graves, with our great, great, great grand parents residing there all these years. Now I know where they are.

Four Year Anniversary Today

It's the four year anniversary of when Mom died. It came all too soon, and the time has passed quickly. Much has happened since her death as life goes on. There have been three weddings, three missionary grandchildren and three missionary great-grand children serve, twelve great grand babies have been born, and so on. She left a great legacy. Many people still tell me how friendly and they loved her. Here are some of her favorite things: German Chocolate cake was her specialty. Her cake mix was Duncan Hines with homemade coconut frosting. We loved it.

Cereal Candy. She gave it as Christmas gifts, took it to every party and we had unlimited supplies. She kept a year storage of the ingredients, in case she was asked to make it. No one could duplicate it quite like she made it.

Green Jello with cottage cheese. My personal favorite of all time. I always said when she made it, "I will love this forever!" I still do.

She always wore a Timex men's watch with a metal band. The battery is still working to this day. I use her last one every morning to keep track of time, when I go walking.

KSL Radio was her one and only station. She listened to it every day. Her favorite DJ was Doug Wright. As a girl I remember the radio always being on. It was a battle to be able to listen to our sixties music, because she was KSL all the way.

The Babes Are Born & A Building's Blemish

A few months after the Adam Patterson Hunter family arrived in Zion, it was time for Elizabeth to have her baby. The nights in late October were becoming very cold. Their dugout was not adequate to birth the baby, so on a very cold, stormy night Elizabeth climbed into the wagon bed, while Adam kept it warm with hot stones from the fire. The mid-wife soon discovered Elizabeth, was going to have not one but two babies. The identical girls, Janette and Isabel, brought much joy to the family. It was difficult to tell them apart.

In November, Elizabeth and her oldest daughter each carrying a child, walked from the canyon dugout to Salt Lake where their home was being built on Seventh East and First South. Soon, the wagon was moved to the site and lived in until the first room of the structure was completed.

Adam continued to work at the Red Quarry, cutting stone and hauling it to the valley. Shortly after this, it was discovered that the sandstone foundation of the Temple, would not stand the test of time or weight of the building. The building had a big blemish. The stone had to be removed and a large vein of granite was found in Little Cottonwood Canyon. Adam had proven his ability to encourage the crews. He was assigned as the foreman of the new granite quarry. The men had come to love and appreciate his fairness and hard work.

The temple construction began anew with the Cottonwood quarry much further away, the stone was harder to cut and took much longer to get to the site. The men were glad the flaw was discovered before more time was spent and the building further along.

Grandma Elizabeth Entertains the Saints

Late in May of 1852 the Hunter family anxious to begin the journey to Salt Lake was assigned to the ten wagon ? Company, leaving from Winter Quarters. It didn't take long for Elizabeth to find how uncomfortable riding in the bumpy, jostling wagon was. Thus she began the 1,000 mile trek on foot and pregnant.

Every morning the family cow was milked and enjoyed by all. The surplus milk was attached to the wagon wheel. By end of day there was a delicious container of butter freshly churned. They shared with all.

At the end of each long day, the folks would gather round and asked Elizabeth and family to entertain them with some singing and dancing. Remember how she loves to dance. The family's favorite song was 'Get Up and Bar the Door'.

The company joined in for the chorus and all had a great time. Singing and dancing gave the Saints something to look forward during the long journey.This ballad became the Hunter family's most beloved song for five generations. Unfortunately, I am the sixth generation and had never heard of the song. You can bet we will be teaching to our loved ones and pass the memory along.

Adam Patterson Hunter Made a Promise

After the Hunter family was reunited in 1851 at St. Louis, Missouri. They were anxious to leave because the plans for the Salt Lake Temple had been completed. Work would begin soon. Unfortunately, Adam came down with cholera. Elizabeth's mother and brother did also, both of whom died. The disease was raging all up and down the Missouri and Mississippi River communities. People were dying from the illness they knew little about and its unknown cause.

The Hunter family's goal was to travel to Zion in Salt Lake City. But, how could they make the journey without their father and protector? Adam tried to get better and did everything he could, including having the elders give him a Priesthood blessing. Adam prayed to Heavenly Father, pleading that he be spared from this dreaded sickness. He trusted in the Lord and made a promise. 'If Heavenly Father would heal him, he would serve the Lord where ever needed all his life.' He had great faith.

Miraculously, Adam Hunter was made well. The family purchased the needed supplies for their trek to Zion and to keep them fed for a year. They left the end of May 1852 with a small company. The journey was long and hard. The group made it to the Red Quarry Canyon just east of the Salt Lake Valley on Sunday, August 19. True to his word, Adam, found work the very next day helping in the quarry. He donated his team of oxen to haul the stone from the mountain to the temple site. Adam managed the Little Cottonwood Quarry when it was decided the sandstone was insufficient to support the temple.

From 1852 to 1878, twenty-six years, Adam worked at building the temple. He longed for the day when it would be completed. It was not to be. This faithful servant donated his skills and services to the building of the Salt Lake Temple for the remainder of his life. How blessed we are to be the posterity of this righteous saint.

Great, Grandma Elizabeth - Saved Her Baby From Being Tossed Overboard

Shortly after Adam and Elizabeth joined the Church, they began making plans to come to America. In July of 1849 Adam left for St. Louis. He got a job in the Crowley Coal Mines earning money to send for his family. In November Elizabeth gave birth to their fourth child, Mary. Just two months later she, her mother, step-father and their children boarded passage on the Josiah Bradley ship bound for New Orleans.

During the journey, many passengers came down with small pox. The captain and ship's doctor threatened to throw the seriously ill people overboard. They enforced the rule and to stop the disease, the worst cases were sent to a watery grave.

Tiny baby Mary became ill with the pox. Mother Elizabeth, could not bear for her to be tossed into the ocean. Two of the children stood as guards and warned their mother, when they had sickness checks. The baby was placed under the straw mattress, until the coast was clear. She never cried or made a peep. Many times, Elizabeth wasn't sure if the baby was alive or not.

With many prayers, Mary, got well. She lived to old age. Finally their family arrived in New Orleans. The brand new Big St. Louis steamboat took them to St. Louis on the Mississippi River. They had a happy reunion with their beloved father, Adam.

Great, Great, Great Grandma Elizabeth is Scottish

I didn't even know I had Scottish blood, until great grandmother Patterson popped up on the horizon while preparing a report on an ancestor. Born October 6, 1822, in Devon, Scotland, she was the oldest of three children and loved to help rock her younger brothers to sleep. Tragically her dear dad died when she was only five years old. Her new father, Thomas Sharp, expected Elizabeth to earn her keep.

At seven she began to work in the coal mines, crawling through the narrow tunnels looking for coal. The carts were too heavy for her to push, so she used her head with those strong little arms to get them moving. After years of working with all her earnings going to her step-dad, a lump formed on the top of her head. This didn't keep her from being happy and singing her heart out down in those mines.

As a teen she began to learn the Highland Fling and other Scottish dances with such precision that she won many contests. She got the attention of her first cousin, Adam Patterson Hunter, who also worked in the mines. A quiet, hard working, honest young man four years older than Elizabeth, really admired her. His mom and Elizabeth's father, William, were siblings.

When Elizabeth was nineteen, Adam surprised her by proposing. They married April 25, 1842. After starting a family in 1847, they met the Mormon missionaries and were impressed. Many of their questions were answered. Both were baptized in September after receiving strong witnesses that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints was true. She had thirteen children. All but one lived to adulthood. Once when someone asked how many she had she stated proudly, “I ha’ thirteen and na’ne to gie away!"

I will share more interesting tidbits next time, because I know you are anxious to hear more.