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.