MEMORY MONDAY KICKOFF

While reading the other day I was reminded of one of my favorite memories of Mom. It must have been summer or a weekend as all of the neighbors were over watching a movie. I am sure the name of the movie was Ghost Town and I found a movie by that name in 1988. You can check out the info here.

I remember the movie being a scary one. In fact, I got so scared that Danny and I had to leave and sought out Mom in the kitchen. I believe she was cooking dinner at the time. Like any loving mother, she stopped what she was doing to help comfort us. One thing lead to another and we found ourselves sitting in the entrance between the living room and kitchen singing primary songs.

I can only imagine how frustrated the older kids were trying to watch this R-rated horror movie and at the edge of the room there was Mom, Danny and I trying to bring back the comfort of the spirit while singing. No wonder why they never wanted to play with their annoying younger sister, she ruined all the fun!

But forget about that annoying sister and focus on that incredible motherly act. Wasn’t she amazing?! Love you Mom!

Meeting a U.S. President with the MoTab Choir

For those who are interested, I found this on FamilySearch. Who knew we had a grandparent in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and one who met a President while in the White House while touring with them? There is also a great story dealing with the death of a child.

P.S. The record just ends, so I am not sure what happened to the rest of it.

 

HISTORY OF VERNON LORENZO CHAPMAN
26 June 1902 - 28 March 1982

Personal record of VERNON L. CHAPMAN as written by Vernon L. Chapman
22 Jan.1958.

I was born in a good "T" shaped frame house on an 80 acre farm three miles northwest of Blackfoot Idaho. I was helped into the world by Mrs. Plant, a close friend of my mother. My mother also did this kind of work for other women. Whenever a baby was born in that part of the county it was either my mother or Mrs. Plant to help them. My mother never had a real doctor with any of the children. I had 6 brothers and three sisters and one sister I didn't know as she died before I was born, it was my sister Evelyn. She lived 9 months and died with Pneumonia. She would have been 4 years older than I if she had lived. I remember of my mother telling me how she grieved greatly over the loss of this baby, until one evening after going to bed she lay there grieving when her mother (my grandmother Holden) came and appeared at the foot of the bed. She called my mother by her first name; "Millicent, do not grieve further for Evelyn as I have her with me and she cannot progress while you grieve. She feels your grieving and grieves also. She is alright. Give her up and you shall see her later." My mother grieved no more. My mother said she was wide awake. It was no dream. I remember my sister Hazel while playing over a big water flume, fell in, our big dog Prince saw her fall and ran to her rescue and caught her by the dress and pulled her out of the big canal before my father could get to her.

I recall my father telling of the time my brother, Samuel, was a little boy about 4 years old, playing in a buggy behind a flighty team of horses, when the horses began to run away. My father grabbed for the reigns and was thrown under the buggy. The reigns pulled through his hands leaving him in the road. My father called , "Oh God, save my boy!" Soon the horses stopped. My father ran to them and discovered a double half hitch wrapped around the hub of the buggy stopping the horses. Not just a single half hitch but a double half hitch that could not be loosened very easy.

I attended grammar school, Rose Dist. #29 in Blackfoot Idaho and Lowell High School in Logan, Utah, then business college at BYC Logan, Utah featuring accounting, bookkeeping, and carpentry. When 15 to 18 years old I was baptized for 2555 souls in the Logan Temple. Patriarch Joseph R. Shepherd was president of the temple, he gave me my wonderful patriarchal blessing in his office there. My sister Mary Jane Bolander was scribe.

For the first 3 years of my married life I sold Woolen goods for The Cache Knitting Goods of Logan, Utah. My Territory was in Southern Oregon and Northern California. I did very well but had to settle down with my family. I then took a bookkeeping job with the Diamond Match Co. of Chico, California. I worked awhile and then took sick with Malaria Fever and almost died. We came to Salt Lake City, Utah and Dr. John Z. Brown helped me wonderfully and advised me to go to my mothers farm in Blackfoot, Idaho to recuperate. After this we went back to California, taking jobs in stores and bookkeeping for Pacific Fruit and Produce Co. and the California Packing Co. of Chico and Oakland, Calif. I worked for Cal Pack for 6 years as bookkeeper. My health kept failing me and we had a hard time getting along. But the Lord did bless us with many good friends who spurred us on. I sold Insurance for the Metropolitan Life Insurance Co. for about a year when I got Laryngitis and couldn't talk above a whisper for about 6 months. I was leading the Oakland Ward Choir at this time and the president of the Choir had to stand beside me to give the choir my Instructions. Then I took a part-time contract with the Beneficial Life Ins. Co. and also did carpenter work as I could get it.

Then during the Great Depression, I sang and led the big Federal Music Chorus of Oakland which lasted for 6 years. We had language classes where we learned to pronounce and sing in 4 different languages. When this closed in 1934, I did carpentry work and contracting.

We came to Salt lake City in April 1942. We rented for 1 year then bought the home at 725 South Second West from Widow Emma Johnson. The church loaned us $500.00 for the down payment. I did carpentry until the middle of Jan.1950, when I went to work for the Deseret News Press first as carpenter, then as Receiving Clerk and bookkeeper and assistant to the paper stock man, which I am still doing, and doing carpenter work as I can get on Saturdays and after work when my regular job doesn't need me.

As Church appointments, I have served as First Assistant in Sunday School in the Oroville Branch Calif. and First Asst.. and Music Director in the Killingworth Branch, Portland, Oregon. I worked in Sunday School and was also Ward Music Director, Oakland Ward, Oakland Cal. 1931 to 1934. Also Second Assistant for about 1 year of Oakland Sunday School. I taught Sunday School and priesthood classes along with my other duties. When we first came to Salt Lake City in 1942, I was called into the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. I led the Fifth ward Sunday School singing and also the Fifth Ward Choir for several years.

I greatly enjoyed singing with the Tabernacle Choir for 12 years. I also served as Temple View Stake MIA music director for 3 years. I was set apart to serve as Second Assistant to the Fifth Ward Genealogical Chairman Oct. 1957 and to teach the SS Genealogical class in Jan 1958. I still sing in the Fifth ward choir. I have a strong testimony of the truthfulness of the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ and sincerely hope and pray that never falters. I love my wonderful wife and family very much, and hope to make them love and respect me. I love the authorities of the Church both general and local stake and ward and hope I always shall. God bless them all.

I had the great privilege of going to Europe and the British Isles with the Famous Mormon Tabernacle Choir. While on this trip, I met my missionary son, Robert Edward Chapman, in Cardiff Wales and spent 3 wonderful days touring with him in and around London, England. I also met him at Berne, Switzerland at the dedication of that temple of the Lord. The Tabernacle Choir also made an Eastern Tour of the United States and sang at the inauguration of the President of the United States. While on the Eastern Tour, the choir was visiting the "White House." I was standing reading a plaque when someone came up to me and commented on how profound the wording of the plaque was. I said, "Yes, it was," and turned around to see who was talking to me and it was our President Dwight Eisenhower, Pres. of United States of America.
Our daughter Mary Kathleen (Marilyn) served as a missionary in the Texas-Louisiana Mission and our son Vernon J. served as a missionary in the New England-Vermont mission and our son Robert E. in Britain. All of which we are very proud. We are very proud of all of our children. They add great happiness to our lives. And we love them very much. (We are just sorry we didn't send them all on missions.)

Out of our 7 children, 6 have been married in the Temple of the Lord. Don Howard is not married yet. We hope he will live up to his very wonderful Patriarchal Blessing.

VERNON LORENZO CHAPMAN - MY FATHER
By Sylvia Corine Chapman Althouse

Vernon L., or Vern as referred to by my mother, was the youngest of the 11 children and was born on the Chapman farm in Blackfoot, Idaho. He was the baby of the family and was "Vernie" to his brothers and sisters and parents. I suppose he was catered to by his older sisters, who loved their younger brother very dearly. He was tall and a very handsome child with dark brown hair and large blue eyes. He had a sturdy, healthy, body and was taught to work and to do his share on the farm. The work was hard, but profitable in the area of bodybuilding. To break up the monotony of the work, races and contests were organized by the local farmers to show off their strength and endurance. Vernon was proud that he had on several occasions won the title of "Champion Beet Topper" (or thinner). I understand the object of this contest was to arrive at the end of the seemingly endless row of Sugar Beets, thinning as they went, yet not touching nor destroying the beet tops that were left to grow.

Vern grew tall and thin with a taunt and sinewy body. I suppose that he was not much over 6'1", although to me, he seemed to be the tallest man I knew. He inherited from his father, the love for music. He developed a beautiful voice with a wide range but sang mostly baritone in his adult life. Music was to become his greatest love, and I am sure our Father In Heaven is pleased with Vern's obedience to the Lord's commandment to develop his talents. He had a natural ear for music and had the ability to play several instruments. Although he did not master any instrument, to me he was good on any he picked up. I especially remember his natural talent for chording any song or melody he chose at random, or by request, on the old upright piano. He played by ear mostly. He also did very well on the violin, viola, banjo and mandolin. He attended the "BYC" at Logan, Utah for several quarters, majoring in music and bookkeeping, but did not graduate due to lack of funds and his early marriage.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ was instilled in Vernon as a young lad and although he suffered a few set backs in his lifetime, he remained a member of the Church all his lifetime, contributing much in the fields of music and teaching. To my knowledge he never turned down a church calling and taught the importance of this principle to his children. I feel that through his diligence to his church callings he was an example to his children and to many others. He had many talents and several occupations including bookkeeper, musician, salesman, and carpenter; but the one he served the longest and the last was that of carpenter-contractor with a specialty of custom

Not Quite Flight of the Bumblebee: A random childhood memory…

Smells and music, probably other things too, always bring back strong memories for me. Today as I cooked lunch there was a very distinct smell, not one expected with just a quesadilla, but one with a memory that I thought you would all enjoy. As with many memories, I can’t recall the details as well as I would like, but will try anyway.  

It was sometime between spring and autumn as the front windows were opened to bring in a breeze. A non-memorable form of meat product was cooking in the kitchen. This specific meat, or the way it was prepared, caused a very pungent smell that filled the air.

Apparently this smell drifted for miles catching the attention of many unwanted flies in the area.  Before we knew it there were a hundred flies in competition with one another to get into the house. This meat smell must have been powerful enough to make the flies believe it was a dead rotting thing in which they could lay their disgusting eggs.

Within a few minutes the flies were hardly distinguishable and appeared to be black cloud seeping into our home like the blackest smoke from a fire. As the family became aware of the pest problem Dad yelled from his usually spot on the floor for Karen and Charlie to grab the fly-swatters.

The rest of the memory solely consists of Karen and Charlie furiously swatting fly and fly after fly with dad consistently yelling something about chopping their heads off or they will come back to life. Are you kidding me? Those highly energetic kids couldn’t even keep up with the live ones, let alone making sure the ones on the ground were properly beheaded for their transgressions.

Karen and Charlie whipped those fly-swatters with reckless abandon long after the windows were closed and the flies were lying helplessly on the floor. Dad filled in as final executioner to make sure the job was done to his satisfaction. The vacuum was wheeled in to clean up the remains and I am sure we devoured what was a delicious dinner despite what we had just witnessed.

I am not sure what role I actually played in the story other than awe and laughter over what was unfolding before my eyes. Anyone else remember this event?

Orphan Trains

I recently read a book titled Orphan Train by Christina Baker Kline. It taught me about an era in our American history that I was not previously aware of. Apparently orphan trains operated from around 1850 to 1929 by taking orphans from New York City to the Midwest in the hopes of being adopted or at least providing the child with a stable family unit and education. Some children received great families, where some children were merely seen as an indentured servant or a slave for their own benefit.

I am not sure if any of our ancestors are part of this historical event, but I did find a website with Family Search that will help us in our family history searches, just in case. You can view it here. Good luck in finding our family stories.  

 

Marriage Records or Lack Thereof

I once read you can plan your family history research around holidays. For example, on Veteran’s Day you can look for military records and on Valentine’s Day you can look for marriage certificates.

For the past few days I have been reading a book called Winter Sea by Susanna Kearsley. The book is a historical fiction novel based in Scotland. It is a great read, but more importantly it brought up some important topics I wanted to research more. One is called “handfasting”.

I found a few websites that I listed below about this topic. As a general overview it is a marriage done without the use of a clergyman. It could be used for two people wishing to make a commitment to each other, but perhaps didn’t want to wait the requisite months before an officer of the church would visit the area.

One of the reasons handfasting is used could be for couples who want to have a trial marriage of sorts. The wedding lasts for a year and a day and after that the couple can choose if they wish to continue in marriage or take different paths. How is that for commitment?  It might have even been used if one or both of the individuals were not religious and didn’t desire a church marriage.

The thing that troubles me most about marriages of this sort is based around the fact that they could be performed without any legal documentation. It is kind of like a common law marriage today.

It can be frustrating when you think of genealogical research. Now you have to determine if that person you thought was single was in fact married.  Perhaps there were not as many illegitimate children as we are lead to believe if handfasting were used. It is something to think about. Happy Valentine’s Day!

Further Research:

http://www.handfastings.org/abouthandfastings.htm 

http://handfasting.org/ 

http://www.celticjewelry.com/content/celtic-weddings/a-brief-history-of-handfasting-in-celtic-marriage/

Genetics and Vintage Photographs

Today I came across an article on Meridian Magazine about genetics. The article covers a topic concerning the debate over nature versus nurture. However, the author (an adopted individual) comments on how there is another missing piece. This piece is our spirit. While nature and nurture do have their own unique affect upon us, our spirit ultimately has a strong impact on what really makes us who we are. If you are as interested in genetics as I am you might find the article intriguing.

I also came across a few other interesting articles. One was on KSL about an Australian photographer who recreated well known and vintage photographs using his daughter. You can read the short article here as it briefly describes his technique and comments on how these photo sessions provide valuable family time. Or if you are just interested in the amazing photos, you can view them here. How fun would it be if we could recreate vintage photographs of our ancestors?

The last article was again with KSL. This article informed us that Ancestry.com is releasing more than 1 billion records in relation to their collaboration with FamilySearch.org. Wow, that is a lot of records. Maybe we will have more of our family records within those numbers. Happy Hunting!

9 Generation Fan Chart and Patriarchal Blessings

Something I really wanted to do for Mom and Dad for Christmas was to make a display of our Family Fan Chart. I saved a PDF copy of our 9 generation list, which starts with me since I created it. It is color coded to help keep track of which family line you are looking at. However, it can be pricey to make this display, so I wanted to have a more complete version.

Our Fan Chart is almost completely filled out for those 9 generations. We only have a few generations plus a few additional missing people in small sections. I am not sure how accurate that all is. While comparing it to the information I have obtained, I show a few people are completely different. Before I invested the money for a wall hanging, I wanted to make sure it was complete as possible.

You may view the Fan Chart here. The alternative is to create your own chart at Family Search by clicking here. All you need is your LDS.org login.

Looking at the chart you can find quite a bit of interesting information. Either the information is very wrong, or we are a bunch of inbreeds. On the Curtis side in the pink lines you will see some of the same couples listed. It is easiest to find it in the 9^th generation on the outside. The dark pink lines and the third pink shade in, you will find 4 couples listed twice: Jeremiah Curtis and Hannah Burnham to Capt. Stephen Fuller and Mary Abbott. It is not until the 6^th generation, when you find the brother and sister, that the information starts to change.

Another problem comes on the Jenkins side. It is the second green shade from the top of the chart on the 9^th generation. It appears that a brother and sister got married under the couple Anna Barbara Streiss and Jorg Valentine Clapp. Was this not illegal at that time? It is no wonder why we all look alike! The third and fourth green shade from the top shows more duplicate couple names. Excellent. Some research might need to be done in those areas.

Another interesting thing I learned was how the Curtis side from Denmark obtains their surnames. You will find a lot of “son”, “sen”, “datter” and “dr”. The word that precedes this is the father’s first name. For example, you will see that Jensen is Jens’ son.

Remember how I mentioned above that we are missing a few generations from a line? That would be Annis Jessop’s line. Want to know something else mysterious? I have been obtaining the patriarchal blessings for our ancestors. You can only request your direct line, so grandmas and grandpas. I am sending them to Mom and Dad as I obtain them. They might let you read them if you ask, but we are to be reminded of their sacred and personal nature. Please only read and tell them as such. My main reason in obtaining them was to find out which tribe of Israel they were from; the rest of the blessing was a perk.

So far many of the blessings have been very intriguing and may even offer insight into that person’s life. Annis Jessop’s stood out for one specific reason. It appeared the patriarch was ready to close the blessing, but at the last moment continued to say that an important matter should be brought to her attention. This matter was in relation to doing her ancestor’s work. Apparently this is an area we definitely need to be spending some time on.

I don’t know about the rest of you who obtained your patriarchal blessing, but Stephanie and I got ours together with somewhat similar results. There are a few things I remember about that day, but the one that stands out most was after we obtained our blessings.

Right before we left, the patriarch felt the need to tell us how strong the feeling of family history work was. It was at this time when Dad shared a dream that Grandpa Jenkins had. Neither Dad, nor I remember all the details of the dream, but it dealt with people missing in our family unit. For some reason an individual that stood out in all of this was Lydia Rosabell Jenkins, daughter of John Jenkins and Mary Jane Elizabeth Oviatt. She was known to also go by Rose, but most frequently, Bell or Belle. She married Henry Sparks and was a sister-in-law to Annis.

When I started to get into family history years ago in Logan, I decided to look into Belle’s history a little more. I was able to find a stillborn boy that wasn’t listed on the information I obtained from Rosanna. I can still remember the burning I felt as I found little Stillborn Sparks. As far as I could tell he was already sealed to his parents, but then again I found a few different sealing dates for Belle and Henry (even if he wasn’t the rules for a stillborn are gray). No matter if he was already sealed to his parents, someone still wanted to make sure he was remembered. He was important and needed to be recorded within his family unit.  I should have looked more into his family sealing, but I moved and found excuses not to follow-up. Now is the time for me to get back on track. Maybe you all can help keep me accountable so I make sure it gets done.