Road Trip To My Past and My Ancestors Past.

10 June 2011 I left my home  - just me - for a ten day road trip.  I must say On Star is worth every penny spent!  Those who know me, know I am directional challenged but, with On Star NO PROBLEM.
My first stop was just five hours away, Boise!  Spent the night with a cousin Bev Halling(our mother's are sisters) and enjoyed catching up on family and dinner out.   Next stop was just a few hours away in Jerome where I was born and lived until twelve years old.  The only familiar building downtown was the bank on the corner, otherwise it looked like 'Little Mexico'.  The swimming pool where I spent many many summer hours is now just a playground!  The front porch of our old house is the same (just like you see in my blog pic with me sitting on my fathers lap) otherwise a pretty sad worn out house.  I won't go into all details of my trip just to say it was a great ten days.  I will mention all the other places I spent time visiting, Albion, Twin Falls, Pocatello, Lava Hot Springs, Logan, Ogden, Salt Lake City.  In Salt Lake City I visited my Great-Great-Grandfather's house Thomas Hepworth that is being restored.

Renee in front of the Hepworth House

This is the house on 1 May 2010.   Picture below was taken on
18 June 2011; you will see that the porch cover has been taken down in preparation to restore it to the original LOOK.    Alan B. is the owner and restorer and lives in the house.  When he purchased the Hepworth House it had been turned into apartments and the brick had been covered with ugly asbestos siding.  Alan has done a wonderful job restoring the outside and soon it will have the original look of the porch.  He works from a photograph.  Fortunately no walls had been altered inside the house just walls added which he has removed.  (Mostly)  

Lyndi (niece)-Sandi (sis-in-law)-Ted Tomlinson (younger brother)-
Renee-Alan Barnett-Kathy Biele (4th double cousin on the Hepworth side)

Alan has a done a remarkable job in researching the house which was built by Thomas and Mary Hepworth in 1877 and has had several owners through the years before Alan purchased it in 1999.  How fortunate we are to have someone see the beauty of our ancestors house and so carefully and lovingly
bring it back to the original beautiful structure.
Many Thanks!

When I get finished with the Kidgell life histories the HEPWORTH'S  are next.
Did you read the post where Sadie (Sarah Ann) Kidgell married James Fletcher Hepworth?  Remember?  They were married in this house.