The 24th of July is a natural time for us to reflect on our family history. Many of us may not have Utah pioneer ancestors, however, one dictionary definition of “pioneer” is one who “prepares the way for others to follow.” We all have stories of “those who have prepared the way for us to… Read More Different Kinds of Pioneers
I hear some people say that their family history has all or mostly been done. They feel there isn’t much left for them to do or worry about. A lot of my family history has been done, at least on one side of my family and I admit I was somewhat relieved. Therefore, I decided to… Read More The Ancestor That Came to Life for Me
We all know the responsibility President Russell M. Nelson has placed on each one of us when it comes to the gathering of Israel. He has profoundly emphasized that our unique responsibility is to help gather scattered Israel and prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. Fortunately for all of us, our Father… Read More Helping to Gather Israel
Have you ever thought about messaging an unknown distant relative on FamilySearch or other family history sites? Reaching out to unknown family members is a great way to develop relationships with extended family and add information to your family tree. Back in the 1990s before online research, I connected with Geoff Sadler, who was researching… Read More Making New Family Connections
Recently I was visiting my aging mother in Central Utah. While I was there, I noticed an ad in her local newspaper promoting “Oral Histories” of some of the people who had lived in the area, but had since passed on. Reviewing the list, I noticed the names of those who had previously served as… Read More Gathering Information on Those We Love
My husband, David, is the only member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his family. We had been interested in finding his ancestors for decades and had worked on it to the best of our ability and time. Then, six years ago, we moved into the Little Cottonwood Ward. One of the… Read More Finding my Husband’s Italian Ancestors
A story from my mom’s childhood was turned into a children’s book! What a delightful way to share family history! My mom doesn’t talk much about herself so when she shared this story, I wanted to document it and this was a memorable way for her grandchildren and posterity. My 11 year old niece was visiting as… Read More A Fun Way to Share Family History: A Children’s Book
Some years ago I met a Hopi woman at her home high atop a desert plateau. She was a potter, who made clay vessels in their old traditional way. I asked about the designs on her pots, and what they meant. Some of them she described – for example, one was rain falling on the mesa and another… Read More Anything Can Be Family History
After her passing, my grandmother passed down a little carved wooden chest to her oldest granddaughter. During COVID, I contacted my cousin who inherited this chest and got the complete story from her. I have, of course, added it as a Memory on FamilySearch. Here is a summary: Grandmother’s father delivered mail by horse and buggy from… Read More A Gift From a Salesman
Recently my wife and I watched the documentary, “Mully.” It is a fascinating story about Charles Mully who was abandoned by his family as a young child in Kenya. He had nothing and initially went begging for food just to survive. His drive and ingenuity led him from rags to riches experiencing a stratospheric rise… Read More YOU CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE