Category Archives: Family History

Family History Friday (FHF): True Love!

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Today for FHF, I want to wish my hubby
Happy Anniversary!
We have been married for 24 years and he is still my best friend.
He is the one I want to share forever with.
We had been friends for about 7 years when we finally started dating. In fact, on our first date, I wasn’t even sure if it was a date. For weeks leading up to “the date” we would talk after church, sometimes for hours. Time together has always been very comfortable, just like it was back then. Then he asked me to go to a fireside with him. In case you don’t know what that is, it’s an extra church meeting on Sunday night with a special speaker. The first thought that crossed my mind was, is this a date? And if it is, how will I know? (I have to add here that Brett was very shy, much more so than me.) I decided that if he opened the car door for me when he picked me up, then it must be a date. Sure enough, he did open the car door for me. After our first date I had a hard time not wanting to be with Brett every minute of everyday. We dated for a short while and got engaged.
And on August 7, 1985 we were married
in the Salt Lake Temple.
It was a beautiful and perfect day. The years have brought with them 4 wonderful children, a gorgeous granddaughter, not to mention, many struggles and challenges, and some disappointments. It has been hard work, but I wouldn’t trade a second of it for anything in the world. One thing that I learned early in my marriage is this; Focus on the good things about your sweetheart. He isn’t perfect, but neither am I. Spend more time thinking about all the things that make him the wonderful man that you fell in love with, and less time focusing on his flaws. Is he a hard worker? Does he come home to his family after work? Does he love God? If he does, he will be obedient to Him. That alone is a biggy. Then I know he is doing his best to be honest, faithful, considerate, and to cleave unto me and none else.
In fact, God is a partner in our marriage.
We try to live the life he wants for us and follow Him. We listen for help from Him in all aspects of our lives. Once you’ve focused on your darlin’s goodness, then be the best you that you can be. Be the type of person you want him to be to you. I know I don’t have a perfect marriage, but we love each other and we’re committed to each other forever.
I love you, Brett!!!!
Thanks for reading about part of the history if this family.
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday: NOT!

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Okay, I missed Family History Friday, but it was all for a good cause. My daughters and I had a little early Halloween. We went to a Zombie Prom. I know July 31st isn’t anywhere near October, but it was the 31st. My dear friend and her children had a fundraiser for Juvenile Diabetes. It was so fun. Everyone dressed as zombies and danced. The costumes were amazing! There was a silent aution with donated items. This dance club came and did the “Thriller” dance. I must say they were awesome dancers. A great time was had by all. I am so glad I was invited to come.

Family History Friday (FHF): Who were you named after?

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Cornwall, England
A lot of couples, when having a baby, want to pay tribute to or honor a loved one by naming their child after them. It is common all over the world. One interesting example of this is in England and Wales from around 1700-1875. The people used what is called a naming pattern. This is how it went:

The first son was named

after the father’s father,
the second son was named
after the mother’s father,
the third son was named
after the father,
the fourth son was named
after the father’s eldest brother,
the first daughter was named
after the mother’s mother,
the second daughter was named
after the father’s mother,
the third daughter was named
after the mother,
the fourth daughter was named
after the mother’s eldest sister.

This was not the always the case, however, it is a help if your ancestors used it. Some people would say, that is very confusing, especially if one or two or even more of the children died in their infancy. If this happened, it was common for the parents to name the next child the same name. Why? Because they would want the name to continue on. It was a living tribute to their loved ones. For example, there could be two or three little boys named William in the same family, which may mean that the first ones died and the last one lived to adulthood or at least until the family was through having children. I have been able to find information about my family thanks to this naming pattern. Samson and Charity’s oldest daughter was named Harriet and their second oldest son was name Henry. Guess what? That meant that when I looked for information concerning their family I would look for Charity’s mother and father’s names to be Henry and Harriet, and they were. I’m glad there are tools like this to help us find our ancestors.
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Heritage

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“In all of us there is a hunger, marrow deep, to know our heritage. To know who we are and where we’ve come from.” -Alex Haley

Of course, many people know Alex Haley as the one who wrote the book “Roots”. It became a television series that I watched as young child. What a powerful story. You and I can see why Alex felt so much love for his ancestors. They went through so much in their lives. I also have a love for my ancestors. In fact, as I learn more about my ancestors, I can see part of them in me. I really wonder, is it because the trait I see in me is in the DNA, or just a coincidence? Really, they were so much more than I am. I think of my Great Great Grandma, Charity James, who had 16 children. Five of them died before she came to America, but the other ten she brought with her. The year before she came, her husband Samson had come to find work and a place for them to live. She brought the children All by herself! What a woman!! I feel so overwhelmed with 4 kids, and I can’t imagine leaving my home and land of my birth for good, knowing I’ll never be back. I might not see some of my family ever again. Wow, I love her so much for coming to this beautiful land of America! Because of her, and others like her, my life is better. Hopefully, those who come after me will be able to see ways that I made life better for them. Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday (FHF): Start With You!

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Sometimes when we start a hobby or project, the first question is where do I start? The answer to this fun past time is…start with you. That’s easy, who knows you better than you. Start by writing a history of yourself. You can do a brief timeline of your life from birth to where you are now. For example, make a list of homes you lived in, or towns and cities you’ve lived in. It could even be schools you attended. Maybe list when siblings were born, and your memories of that. After you have your timeline, start filling in the unwritten history in between; fill in the blanks. You will be amazed how thinking about places you’ve lived, and memories of school or family will jog your memory and cause you to think about your feelings and your story. No one else can tell your story. Only you! Others may be able to tell the things that happened in your life, from their point of view, but you are the only one who can tell how you felt about your life experiences. Make a goal to write a page a week/month. Put the names of your family on a “Family group sheet”. Make a pedigree chart with you as #1 and fill in as many family members as you know. Put all important dates that you know on your chart. Then you will know what you need to do next, and what information is missing. It has been said-
You live as long as you are remembered.–Russian Proverb
Happy Family History Friday! Love, Joy

Family History Friday

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I’ve decided to have every Friday be a Family History post. Those who know me, know that I love Family History. Some people don’t know what Family History is. Well, it’s like genealogy, learning about your roots, but more about the history of our ancestors. I love these people, because I know them. I know life is better because of them. I enjoy getting to know them by reading their histories, and learning about how life was in the places they lived. So what I plan to do is talk about one of my ancestors or a Family History topic every Friday. Have an open mind and you may be bit by the Family History bug, too!!
I thought I would tell you my favorite way to keep my Family History organized. I am a visual person. One of my objectives in organizing my Family History is, first, so I can find the information I’m looking for when I’m researching, but also, anyone can find the information. So, here it is- I color code my ancestors. I know it’s not a new thing, but it works for me! To start out with, I use only the primary colors, plus green. Green in not technically a primary color. So, I have four grand parents. Most of us do. Some may have more if they have blended families. Then I pick a color of out of the primary colors plus green that reminds me of my grandparent or of the place they are from. So, my paternal grandfather is blue, they came from Norway. It is a country surrounded by the ocean and is very cold. My paternal grandmother is green. They are Native American, and came from the Great Lakes area. They were Woodland Indians. My maternal grandfather is red. They came from Wales and England. They were miners and life was very hard. My maternal grandmother is yellow. They are also from England and the Channel Islands, in the English Channel. They were pioneers. They joined the LDS church and came across the American plains, sacrificing much, sometimes everything. In doing my organizing in this way, I know at a glance which family names belong together. If you’d like, pick a color for your grandparents. Use this color by putting it somewhere on each piece of paper or document that pertains to that family. Good luck! Happy Family History Friday!!!