My Golden Plates

November 9, 2011

When I picked up the mail today, I found a surprise.... a package sent anonymously.  I call it my Golden Plates - a disk containing the genealogy of our family, tucked away inside the manila envelope.  A note with some general information of how to get started on family research was included.  I have been so stressed out thinking about the responsibility of mom's genealogy.  That's about all I have been able to think about since she passed away.  

The last time I was at her house, we got out some of her family history books.  She told me some more family stories, which I always looked forward to.  Before I left, she took me in her bedroom and showed me some very important papers on her cedar chest.  She told me that she wanted me to take good care of her family genealogy and continue the work.  She showed me a blue file folder containing her family history... the Perry line went back to 6 A.D.  She held it next to her heart!  She wanted me to know where it was, it was that important to her.  After mom went to the Care Center I saw the blue folder move from the floor to the table... to??? I never felt quite comfortable in taking it, although I knew I should have.  The blue folder with the genealogy is lost... no where to be found.  My heart has hurt over that.    

The disk may not mean the same thing to all of us, but to me it means mom is watching over me.  She is trying to make it as easy as possible for me.  I feel like she had a hand in sending me my Golden Plates. Thank you Angel Mother!  I won't let you down.

Day 151 - Remembering

May 31

Memorial Day is all about remembering those who went before us. Many of my ancestors helped pave the way for the freedoms I enjoy today. I was not about to let this weekend pass by with giving the kids a lesson on remembering. We went to the Mendon Cemetery in Cache County and found my gggrandfather Charles Bird and wife Mary Ann's headstones on the highest point on the hill. I told the kids the story of grandfather Bird's life and his unwavering faith in the cause of religious freedom as he and his family treked across the plains and settled in the mountains of Utah. I love my ancestors and the rich heritage and legacy of faith they left me.

Day 40 - Aunt Ruth's street

Going to Aunt Ruth's house was always a treat. Her, uncle Pink, and Virginia lived in a little house just below the University of Utah on a narrow street overlooking the Salt Lake Valley. Looking out over the valley today brought back a flood of memories of days gone by. We didn't visit very often, but it's just one of those places that paint a vivid picture in your mind that can be retrieved easily.

Aunt Ruth's house was small, but comfortable. I remember the beautiful wood dining room table and the meager meals prepared for our family. Uncle Pink was a timid man with a soft, quiet voice. Aunt Ruth was stern in voice and demeanor but always looked so beautiful in her dark dress and bright red lipstick. So she didn't scare me too much. Virginia's cerebral palsy confined her to a wheelchair, but that didn't stop her enthusiasm to be a part of our visit. Virginia was just another member of the family.... and she was always treated as such.

The street always beckoned me to wander out and take a peek at the vast valley below. It has changed a lot over the past 40 years, but the memories take me to a time and place where it seems like yesterday that I was at Aunt Ruth's house.

Day 37 - Last Goodbye

Aunt Pearl, a great aunt, was layed to rest today. She was 99 years old and lived an exceptional life dedicated to family and faith. She was the last of Grandma & Grandpa Richardson's children to pass away. Aunt Nedra passed away only a week earlier.

Aunt Pearl had a marvelous sense of humor. When visiting with family at the end of her life and realizing her memory was fading her -- she didn't have an excuse, just said "the old gray mare ain't what she used to be"! It wasn't long before family burst into singing "The Old Gray Mare She Ain't What She Used to Be" . Aunt Pearl caught the spirit of it and soon joined in the singing!

I will miss you Aunt Pearl.