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Thursday, December 3, 2015

Trip to the Drugstore

Saturday 5 December will by my mother's 101 birthday.  This is a story that didn't get into the Newspaper or on TV like it would have had had it happened today.  Not reaching the news media is a good thing because Mother wouldn't have come out of the house for months. She would have been so devastated that the whole town knew.
I'm guessing it was about 1969 or '70 when this happened.
This is in her own words retold to me some years later.  However, I was living in Pocatello at the time this event happened and remember the details as told to me to be accurate.

The drug store where I got my medication at that time was on a corner of Center Street and 5th Ave.  [A very busy intersection.]  I parked the car on the 5th Ave. side where the parking slopes away and perpendicular to the building. I put the car in park and left it running knowing I shouldn't but, I was only going to be a minute because the prescription would be ready for me.  Just as I was paying for the medication a customer in the store yelled "There's a car backing out of the parking place and nobody's in it."  Yes, my car; it was picking up speed because of the incline.  I ran out of the store and tried to slow it down but could not. [Can you imagine.]The car then rounded the corner, wheels turning as if someone were driving it then went forward and ran into the front window of the drugstore and stopped.  Most of the glass fell close to the window.  Thank Heavens because there were a lot of people in the store.  
     One of the worst things about it for me was the druggist, Paul, I had known for a long time and he was a good friend of my son-in-law, Earl. [Mother was always concerned about what other people would think] I could hardly look at Paul. I remember him saying "What the Hell!"  and all I could think of to say was "I'm sorry."  Then thinking what good does that do?
   I remember that someone moved  the car, I finished paying for the medicine and left for home.  I know there was more said but, I don't remember what.  
   The next thing I had to to is face my husband, Butch.  I tried to tell what happened but,he just couldn't believe it.  He tried to comfort me (I was sobbing hard.)  He said that that's what we have insurance for.  He left to see for himself if it was true that the car could back out and turn the corner and then turn in the front of the drugstore.  
     I still buy my medication from Paul who now works at the Pharmacy in the Fred Meyer store.  

I remember doing just what my father did.  Went to the scene of the accident; looking it over wondering just how that happened.  It could have been so much worse.  She could have been injured trying to stop the car, it could have hit another car or a pedestrian or someone in the store.  

Thanks Mom for the memories.





Sunday, November 22, 2015

Google Search for Ancestors

Again, I have been very busy and have neglected to post a story.  So until I can 'GET IT TOGETHER'
here is a link to:
6 'Secrets' Google Search Tricks for Genealogy that'll help you find your Ancestors.   

Google is where I go first to look for an Ancestor I don't have information on.  I have been doing this for some time and I learned a couple of new tricks from this information.  I hope it will help you. 




Tuesday, November 10, 2015

Veterans Day Honoree Denver E. Woodward; brother-in-law.

In honor of Veterans Day Earl and I would like to honor Denver Everett Woodward .  He married Earl’s sister Carolyn Petersen in 1945. 

Denver E. Woodward joined the Army Air Force 27 January 1941 at Fort Thomas, Kentucky as a Second Lt.. His specialty was Bombardier,  He was assigned to the 91st Bomb Group 401st Squadron flying B-17Fs.  Denver was stationed in England during the WW ll war.  During his mission his plane was shot down over Schweifurt. Germany.  Denver spent twenty three months in a German Prison Camp before he was released.  (August 1943 - April 1945.) He was awarded the Air Medal with three oak leaf Clusters and one Battle Star.  He completed twenty years in the Air Force Reserves. 
Denver died thirty three years ago this month from cancer.  
Thank You Denver for your service and sacrifices.  We are forever grateful.  

Sunday, November 1, 2015

Grandfather Sam's story of demise of Butterfield and Pleasents who were brothers-in-law.

Samuel Perrins age abt. 12
Very near the age of when this story took place.
Albion, Cassia , Idaho 

This is my grandfather Samuel Perrins the father of my mother Verona. He had a friendly outgoing personality and was known by everyone in the Albion Valley.   After Grandmother died; for years he would stay with one of his eight children going from home to home spreading out his visits and telling his stories.  When his only sister Flora Perrins Dumas’s husband died he then he moved into the basement room of her house in Twin Falls, Idaho.  He was living with my parents at the time of his death just shy of turning ninety years old.   
He was living with his oldest son Melvin Samuel Perrins and daughter-in-law Ressa Lounsbury Perrins in Deer Park, Washington when he retold this story and either Sam or Ressa typed it in his own words.  Keeping the story in Grandfathers own words is the best. 
I smile when he refers to the outdoor privy as the restroom; and how he sets up the story that helps with the ending.    He has a way of keeping your attention to what is going to happen next. Love you Grandfather Sam Perrins. 



This is a true story written by Samuel Perrins who was an eyewitness to this tragedy from beginning to the finish.

One bright sunny day in the year of 1888, I was walking down the Main Street of Albion, Idaho.  Albion at that time was the County Seat of Cassia County and I noticed coming out of the Court House, Sheriff E. J. Stokes and his two deputies, Dan Starks and William Holcome.  With them was a Deputy Sheriff from Salt Lake City, Mr. Butterfield.  They were well armed and headed straight for Joe Parks Saloon.

I stopped to see what it was all about.  Everyone in town knew that Mr. Butterfield had come for Perry Pleasents, who was wanted for stealing horses in Utah.  Mr. Butterfield and Mr. Pleasents were brothers-in-law and held a grudge against each other.  Mr. Butterfield requested the honor to run Mr. Pleasents down and fetch him back for trail.  The Sheriff of Salt Lake City swore Mr. Butterfield in as a Deputy, pinned a badge on him and sent him on his way.  After several days of trailing, Mr. Butterfield had located Mr. Pleasents in Albion.
Mr. Pleasents liked to play cards and gamble.  The card tables were in the back part of the saloon.  Mr. Pleasents, when he sat at a card game, always sat with his face towards the front door so he could see whoever came in that way.  He was playing cards at the time when the officers entered the saloon through the front door.  When the officers got inside the saloon, Mr. Pleasants got up quickly and left the card game through the back door and the officers followed him.  I ran to the corner of the block to watch and see where he went.  He ran catty-corner across the street and into the hotel and went through the hotel into the back yard and then into the restroom, which was outside in the back yard.  It was made of lumber and was double, marked on one end ‘Women’ and the other ‘Men’, he went n the Men’s side.   Mr. Pleasents went through the hotel; he stopped long enough in the kitchen to order him up a lunch.  This hotel was a 16 or 20 bedroom, two-story, frame building and the back yard was fenced in with a board fence seven feet high.  (Several years later this hotel caught fire and burned down, and one man was trapped in the building. The man that was trapped in the fire was Archey Howell.)
We used wood those days for heat and to do our cooking with and someone had thrown a load of wood over the fence into the back yard.  It was in long lengths, and the limbs stuck out in all directions.  Well, the officers surrounded the restroom where Mr. Pleasents was hiding.
I perches myself on top of this high board fence, resting my feet on top of the two-by-four which was nailed about one foot from the top of the fence, and right under me inside the yard and close up to this wood pile was a man by the name of Lewis.  I think his name was Heber Lewis; anyway his was [a] brother of Hyrum S. Lewis of Declo.  Little did I think while sitting on top of this fence what was going to happen, and I don’t think Mr. Lewis did either.  Well, Sheriff Stokes ordered Mr. Pleasents to come out and with his hand and arms up above his head, but he would not come out.  Finally the Sheriff added to his demand, ‘If you don’t come out, we will start shooting!’  Still Mr. Pleasents would not come out and then the fireworks started.  The Sheriff and his deputies started shooting through the higher part of the restroom and every round they would drop down a little lower until they got within 18 inches or two feet for the floor.  Mr. Pleasents yelled out ‘Don’t shoot any more, I am coming out.’  The Sheriff said ‘All right, come out with your hands up in the air.’  So he did.  The Deputy Sheriff from Salt Lake City, Mr. Butterfield, had a double-barrel, sawed off, shotgun, and when Mr. Pleasents came out of the restroom the deputy fro Salt Lake pointed the shotgun right at Mr. Pleasents breast and cocked both barrels of the shotgun, ready to shoot, and held it on him all the time.  Mr. Butterfield never took his eyes off him.  They stood about 8 or 10 feet apart.  The next thing was to search Mr. Pleasents for firearms which they did, but failed to search his boots where he carried his gun.  After they searched him for firearms, Mr. Pleasents asked if he could roll a pill (meaning a cigarette).  They rolled their own those days.  The Sheriff said ‘yes.’  Now right behind Mr. Pleasants where he stood rolling his pill was an old frame building, which was once a saloon.  After he rolled his pill as he called it he put it in his mouth and the next thing was to light it.  Now, all the time this was going on, the Deputy Sheriff from Salt Lake held the shotgun on him, pointing right at his breast with both barrels cocked.  He reached in his pocket and got a match and struck it on his pants leg, but broke the match, at the same time lifted his pants leg up a little where his gun was in his boot.  He repeated this operation, but the third time he got his pants leg up high enough to get his gun.  He shot the Deputy Sheriff from Salt Lake City, hitting him in the breast about two inches from his heart and as Mr. Butterfield was falling he automatically pulled the trigger of his shotgun and the blast struck Mr. Pleasents in the head, just above the eyes, and the contents of his head were smeared all over the side of this old building that was just back of him and stayed there for quite some time, in fact stayed there until the weather and rain washed it off.  The Sheriff from Salt Lake City did not live very long, in fact just long enough for his wife to come from Salt Lake to see him breath his last.  Both bodies were taken to Utah for burial.

I suppose you readers are wondering what happened to me and Mr. Lewis?  Well, I will tell you.  I rolled off the top of that high fence backwards and lit on my feet and took off.  Honestly, I believe I ran so fast that if anyone had taken a shot at me with a .45 Colt, the bullet would never have caught up with me and Mr. Lewis in his fright, whirled around to run and ran into the wood pile that was thrown over the fence and rammed a stick of wood in his stomach and fell on the ground flat on is back and shouted,  “My God, boys, I am shot, I am shot—.”


Saturday, October 24, 2015

Haunted Mansions of Albion Behind the Scenes Documentary

Albion, Idaho is the birth place of all eight children of Sam and Edna Phippen Perrins family.  The family home was and still is located across the street from the Albion Campus.  Six of the eight Perrins children graduated from Albion State Normal School including my father Vern Wherrett Tomlinson.  In 1951 it was sad to see the school close and windows boarded up and fall into deterioration.  
Several years ago the whole campus was sold to a private company for under a million dollars. 

They are restoring the buildings bit by bit and this is one way to make money to help with the restoration.  I think my parents would be surprised but, pleased of how the Mortensen's have come up with the idea of a haunted house.  You will see as you view this video of the time and talent that goes into this production.   For sure my father would love it.  He always made Holidays fun for me.  

RENEE

Sunday, October 11, 2015

Lide Hepworth (Eliza)

Eliza Hepworth 2nd great-aunt.
b 1866 - d 1950
By the end of the year I hope to "wrap it up" on the Hepworth line. In January I will start on the WHERRETT/TOMLINSON line.  I call this line my soap opera line.  Oh My! To keep it all straight a person will need to follow very carefully.

 This is Eliza, the tenth child of Thomas and Mary Hepworth. She was born on May 28, 1866, in Salt Lake City, her father was thirty seven years old and mother, was thirty four.   Eliza went by the nickname of Lide. 

Lide left Utah and moved to California but, I cannot pin point just what year.  

She married in California in 1917.
It was her only marriage and she was fifty one years old. She married a widower William Henry Moreland 
on October 24, 1917.
William Henry Moreland 1855-1938
Picture found posted on FamilySearch.org. 
 At the time she was living with her sister Frances Amelia Nutt  in California.  I found a small snip-it in the San Francisco Chronicle 
dated 4 November 1917
Miss Lide Hepworth became the bride of William Moreland in a cermony celetrated at the home of Mrs. E. A. Nutt, the brides sister. 

I find Lide and William together in the 1920 US Census in California however, the 1930 US Census they are living apart.  Lide is living with her sister Frances Amelia Hepworth Nutt and William Henry was living with his son William W. Moreland and his wife Elfreda B.(Johnson) and two grandchildren William and Emma. Eight years later William Henry died on 3 July 1938.  He is buried with his first wife Harriet Wolsey who died in 1916 in the Woodlawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.

The 1940 US California Census Lide is still living in the same house as in 1930 only her sister Frances Amelia died in 1935 and her sister Jane Elizabeth Hepworth Cobb is living with her.  Sister Frances died in 1943.  I don't know what happened to Lide between 1943 and when she died on 5 June 1950.  She was eighty four years old.She is buried in Pasadena, Los Angeles, California.   I wish I knew more about her.  From the Census records it states she didn't go beyond the eighth grade and in 1930-40 Census it states her occupation was a housekeeper for a private family.  I would like to know who was with her when she died?  Maybe by posting about her life someone will contact me with more of her story.  






Sunday, September 27, 2015

GreatGrandmother Ethel visits in 1964-1968

Correction on Nicole's age.  She is 4 maybe 5 weeks old 


























The top picture is when Grandmother Ethel came to visit about four or five weeks after Nicole was born, so this picture was taken at the end of August 1964. This is the only picture I know of where Grandmother is smiling.  She has a beautiful smile that certainly lights up her face.  Dad took the picture and I wonder what he said that was so funny that all are enjoying the moment except Nicole, she looks very sleepy.   You can see Grandmother’s handicap of how she always had to sit with her right leg in the air due to her stiff knee.  

It’s hard to believe that today the newborn on Grandmothers’ lap is a grandmother today.  Her oldest daughter Cassidy has a son who will be five in February and a daughter that just turned one.  Her second daughter Maddison has a son who turns two in a week (September) and is expecting a girl on Thanksgiving Day which is also Maddison’s birthday.    Her youngest son Christopher is getting married in January. 

Today, I am reflecting on this summer as all Nicole’s family was here the entire time and what a grand time was had by all. Then I was reminded of the summer in 1968 and was so happy I actually found a picture that has to do with the story I want to write about.

This time it’s 1968 when Grandmother came for a visit. Nicole had just turned four and the twins, Cari and Lori, just turned eighteen months and needless to say were a handful. 
 I had the silly idea to pick up Grandmother and spend the afternoon at Ross’s Park; one of the largest parks south of town.  But, how was I to manage the twins who would run in opposite directions every time they got a chance?  For some reason my mother was never interested in going with me to help with the children.

 I got this brilliant idea to buy a child harness to put them in. Safety was on my mind. I decided I’d better try it out on the twins before the big day so I put the harnesses on at home and they both immediately fell on the floor at the same time and kicked and screamed. 
Then I thought, “When at the park they will be so excited they won’t act like this.”  Right!

The next day I picked up Grandmother, had the car packed with a chair for her, a large blanket and plenty of goodies to eat.  I parked the car as close to the swings as I could. I told Nicole to play with the twins while I got Grandmother and with her cane walked slowly for about fifty steps, then settled her in the chair and quickly spread out the blanket then back to the car and told Nicole to go and be with Great-grandmother.  I got in the backseat with the twins and humored them into putting the harnesses on.   Yeah! Everything was going well.  As you can see in the picture they were wearing their cute white ‘tennis outfits’.  I carefully got them out of the car and yep, they both dropped in the powdery dirt ground kicking and crying.  Not wanting to get their white outfits dirty my reaction was to raise both my arms straight out to my side.  Now the twins were swinging with their noses just inches above the ground kicking and crying.  I took baby steps to get them on the grass (that was hard to do) and gently let them down and immediately took off the harness.  I quickly took their hand before they could get away and walked to our spot just in time for Nicole to announce she had to go to the restroom.  Now what was I to do?  

Looking at the ‘chair’ swings I put them in and gave them a big push. Then I relocated Grandmother nearby in her chair gave another big push to the swings and grabbed Nicole‘s hand and said, “lets run as fast as we can.”  The restrooms were about one hundred yards away up a hill.
Coming out of the restroom I could see a crowd of people (at least six) gathered around the back of the swings.  Thinking something terrible had happened, again I told Nicole, “Lets run” when we got closer what I saw was the funniest sight.  The swings were still and the twins were trying to climb out but my dear grandmother was leaning forward in her chair as far as she could and with her cane tapping each bar of the swing saying, “you stay in there,” Tap tap “Don’t you get out of there.”    The people were starring and talking to one another, wondering what in the world was this old lady doing with these babies?  And, where is the mother?

It was then I realized spending the afternoon at the park without another’s adult help was not a good Idea.

 I picked up my babies put them back in the car, told Nicole to play with them until I could get Grandmother loaded up.  Then back to my parents’ home.  You can see the twins are having their snacks in their cute tennis outfits and  big sister Nicole  in her bright sun dress and brown legs. Nicole was my best helper with the twins.   

This was the last memory I have of Grandmother Ethel Tomlinson.  Four months later Grandmother died. 
 18 November 1968.  Sadly she is buried at the Chapel of the Chimes Memorial Park.
  Hayward, California.  I say sadly because, it’s so far away from our hometown.

Friday, September 11, 2015

Fi-Wo-Ca Literary Club 1927/28 President Grandmother Ethel Hepworth Tomlinson

Fi-Wo-Ca was a Literary Club that my Grandmother and Great Grandmother was a member of when they moved from Salt Lake City to Ogden.  It was organized in 1923 in Ogden.  What a fascinating discovery! I love this woman's club.  
This is a program for the year's 1927-1928 in which Grandmother Ethel was President.    The Club would start in late September and would meet twice a month until the first week in June.  A lot of thought and preplanning was done then a  little booklet for the literary year would be printed for all members that I would guess would be given to the members at the first meeting.  I have several of them and they are so well done.
I have scanned all the pages of 1927/28 program; cover page; inside page - states the year is was organized; the next inside page's states the
 CLUB COLORS
 Lavender and Gold

EMBLEM  Poinsettia

MOTTO
F - FRIENDSHIP                                     OFFICERS   (Six positions are listed)
I - INDUSTRY                                        
W- WOMANHOOD                             MEMBERS NAMES  (Listed are eleven names)
O - ORDER
C -CULTURE                                          
F -ACCOMPLISHMENT 


The next page has the
 Fi-Wo-Ca Club Song.  Be sure to read all the words.(I don't know the tune that was put to this song.)  Remember this is 1927/28

Fi-Wo-Ca Club Song
Friendship proves the soul's fidelity 
Industry is wonderful to see
In the heart of every girl-
The longing to proclaim her womanhood.
Culture fine and Art we're striving for.
Opportunity is at our door.
Fi-Wo-Ca stands for friendship-
Woman hood and all that's good.
CHORUS                                                         
Fi-Wo-Ca we're happy,
Fi-Wo-Ca we're snappy,
Fi-Wo-Ca we're feeling fine. 
We're learning new stories 
We're planning new glories
We're seeking new Art sublime.
Fi-Wo-Ca friendship's good for the blues
Fi-Wo-Ca womanhood improves
Fi-Wo-Ca we're happy
Fi-Wo-Ca we're snappy 
Fi-Wo-Ca We're feeling fine. 


Members of this club would take turns in meeting in their homes so the first name on the program for each month would be the HOSTESS; (name)
next, CURRENT EVENTS;  (name)
Title of the book to review or music or plays or drama  (name) 

I must list what was being discussed during this literary year, it is so interesting!


"It Happened in Pekin"  (this one was reviewed by Great Grandmother Sarah K. Hepworth)
"United States Relations with China"
New Decalogue of Science by Wiggins
New Decalogue of Science (continued)
"Madam Clair" by Susanne Ertz 
"History, Government and Religious Customs of India"
Christmas Party
"One Act Plays"
"Tolerance"  by Hendrick Wellem Van Loon
"Tolerance" (continued)
"Tolerance" (last part)
Musical Number  (Open Meeting)
"Elmer Gantry"  by Sinclair Lewis
Drama
Paper on Geology 
Russian Music
"Italy and Mussolini"  (this was given by Grandmother Ethel)
'Is this an age of self indulgence?"
Last meeting in June was Resume and  Election of Officers.  

What a variety of topics for discussion.  I found in the Ogden Newspaper under 'SOCIAL" a writeup on the meeting after each one that included how the hostess decorated the tables and what was served for refreshments.  I hope you took  note in the song the line "friendship's good for the blues/ womanhood improves."    

I will sign off with one of my favorite FAMILY HISTORY QUOTES. 
"Knowing who our family 
WAS
Reveals part of who we
ARE." 


Sunday, August 9, 2015

Grandmother Ethel in the NEWS.

Newspaper research is one of my favorite ways to find information on my Ancestors.  I have found many articles on Grandmother Ethel Hepworth Tomlinson.  I will only post three to start with.  I'm sure Grandmother forgot about these events and they have never been talked about in the family.  

Salt LakeTelegram 1904-12-20
Small pox Cases Reported
Ethel Hepworth, aged 20 years, of 739 West First North, and Clarene Middlemas, aged 11 years of 378 F Street are reported ill with small pox.  

That must have been a miserable Christmas.  And, to have a sign put on your parents resident door "QUARANTINED STAY OUT SMALL POX"
and she was twenty years old.  

Ogden Standard 1927- 09-23
ANKLE SPRAINED IN STREET FALL 
     Mrs. George Tomlinson, 40, of 2515 Brinker avenue, is in the Dee hospital suffering from a severely sprained ankle received Thursday afternoon at Twenty-fifth street and Washington Avenue.  
    Mrs. Tomlinson is said to have stepped on some loose planks, which spread, allowing her foot to go between them.  She fell and was thought to have broken her ankle.
     However, an x-ray taken this morning revealed that the ankle was not fractured, but only badly sprained.  

Ouch!  It doesn't say which ankle.  Was it her right one with the stiff knee with no bend or her left ankle.   Either way  I'm sure she was miserable for some time. 

Ogden Standard  1927 - 05-15
CLUBS 

     Ogden Standard  1927 - 05-15
CLUBS 

    Mrs. George Tomlinson entertained the former Mount Ogden stake primary board at luncheon at her home on Brinker Avenue Thursday afternoon.  The table was centered with a large pink bowl of sweet peas while pink tapers in silver holders were at each end.  Bunco was the diversion of the afternoon.  The prizes were awarded to Mrs. Addie Sanders and Cora Reed.  Those present were Mrs. Jessie Bringham, Mrs, Mary A. White, Mrs. Cora Mortenson, Mrs. Mary Murdock, Mrs Cora Reed, Mrs. Laura George, Mrs Ruby Keys, Mrs Addie Sanders. 

     So Grandmother had a party at her house for the outgoing Stake primary board and they played BUNCO.  This certainly made me smile.   And what a popular name Cora was in 1927.  Two Cora's attended this small luncheon.
This article also verifies the address of  where Dad was living in 1927.
Valuable information for a FamilySearch person.   

At this writing I cannot find the newspaper article where Grandmother had an accident with the new family car at midnight.  She had several of her lady friends with her they had been to a BUNCO party.  Oh my.   Stuff I never would have guess about Grandmother.  

Next; FI-WO-CA club.  What does that mean?!  You will be surprised. 


  

Sunday, August 2, 2015

One Hundred and Two. Happy Birthday Dad

Do you have stories of your life written down for your posterity?

I only have a few but, I do have a goal to do more, lots more in the coming year.  
Each time I read what my father wrote about his life I am reminded how grateful I am he wrote what he did.  It is so important.  
I do know he was going to write more but, put he put it off until he was unable to do so in the last years of his life.  Many memories lost.   

I still can't get over that he was a twelve pound baby!   And the picture of him on his tricycle with the stuffed dog; I remember the toy dog it was on rollers; it was kept for Gary and I to play with.  The picture with Dad sitting on the bench; the girl  is his second cousin Pauline Trealoar.  Pauline had a little sister Katie and Dad spoke of them fondly.  The only stories that were told to me when I was a child were about the fun times with Pauline and Katie. 
In the bottom picture you can see Dad's face in the window of the car and I believe Pauline is the taller girl and I believe the little girl is Pauline's sister Katie.  The girl in the middle is not known but, probably another cousin.

Dad writes that his earliest memory is living at his Grandparents house James and Sadie Hepworth, at 757 West and First North (which is second north today) across the street from Jackson School in Salt Lake City.  
Pauline and Katie lived in the next house on the East side. Pauline was six years older than Dad and Katie was three years younger. Dad writes that they had great times together and that whenever he got into a neighborhood quarrel with the other kids Pauline always came to his rescue.  

They shared illnesses together too.  Pauline was the only one of the 'gang' that was attending school when she brought home the Chicken Pox and of course Dad and sister Louise and Katie all caught the disease.  Immediately the Health Department Authorities came to the houses and hung across the doorway a sign; QUARANTINED STAY OUT CHICKEN POX. 

"We had a great time anyway, we stretched a length of string from our living room window to Pauline's living room window and put tin cans on each end of the string and had ourselves a string telephone."  

Don't you just love it.  SOCIAL MEDIA!

Love you, DAD





Wednesday, July 29, 2015

Grandmother Ethel Hepworth Tomlinson - Number one person on my mind lately.

Grandmother Tomlinson had five grandchildren.  Only four are in this picture taken at Easter time, 1950, in front of our home in Jerome, Idaho. My younger brother Ted wasn't born until three years later. Gary is the oldest grandchild born in 1936; me born in 1942; Lee born in 1945; sadly Lee died at age forty four in 1990.  Next is Ardyth born in 1943. Ardyth is one of my greatest fans in doing FamilySearch. I always look forward to her comments on each post and appreciate her support.

Ethel Hepworth was born in Salt Lake City on
 9 May 1887 to James Hepworth and Sarah Ann Kidgell.  She married George Wherrett Tomlinson on 2 October 1912. Ethel was twenty five years old and George was twenty seven.  George's true surname is Wherrett but that's another story that will be told on this blog. (Someday)
Grandmother had three children.  My father Vern Wherrett Tomlinson was born in the Salt Lake City Hospital on  2 August 1913 and just thirteen months later Katheryn Wherrett Tomlinson was born 19 November 1914.  She died the same day; a premature baby. Dad was four years old when his sister Louise Wherrett Tomlinson was born on 12 February 1918.
George and Ethel separated when my Dad was about fifteen years old.   (Another tale to be told sometime in the future.)  After the separation Grandmother, Dad and Louise moved to Albion, Idaho and lived with Grandmother's parents Edward and Sarah Hepworth.  Also, living in Albion were Grandmother's brothers.   


Cousin Lee and Ardyth, Aunt Louise and Grandmother pictured on the right were the only family I knew on my dad's side all the while I was growing up. Really, I was an adult with children before I ever met another Hepworth.
It was different with my older brother Gary. He was best friends with one of Grandmother's nephews John Clifford 'Jack' Hepworth. As you can see in the photo below Gary is feeling pretty smug in the company of his first cousin (once removed.)  Jack is nine years older than Gary. Gary told me whenever he visited in Albion he was Jack's "shadow." 

 Grandmother's father Edward died in 1944.  In 1947 her mother Sarah died. I'm not quite clear on what happened but after her mother died Grandmother no longer had contact with her Hepworth relations.
It was near this time (1947) that my Aunt Louise divorced her husband and moved in with my grandmother in the Albion house.  Louise continued her education at the Albion Normal School and Grandmother took over the duties of caring for Lee and Ardyth. 
 Grandmother had a handicap.  Her right knee was stiff and she walked with this stiff leg as if she walked liked normal person.  She never complained and I was so amazed as to how well she got around with only having one normal leg.  It wasn't until I read in Dad's life history that I learned the reason for her handicap.  

Dad writes "Mother had rheumatism for years after I was born.  She went to several doctors without receiving much help.  Dr. Openshaw told her that Utah winters were too harsh for her."

Grandmother, Louise, Dad and Nana spent two winters in Santa Monica for the reason to help with Grandmothers condition with her stiff knee. 
Dad mentions that the treatment did help but, only temporarily.  "Dr. Openshaw came up with an idea of how to treat Mother's rheumatism. He built  an oven which was made of bricks, mortar and electric wires, which covered her knee.  She took treatments with her leg in this oven two times a day with a very hot temperature. After about a month of this type of treatment it was decided the oven was a failure.  What really happened was that the oven dried up the fluid that was in the knee.  Her knee went completely stiff and she had no movement in that knee for the rest of her life"


I have more to write about Grandmother which I will in the coming weeks.The person who knew her best is my cousin Ardyth.  
The following is Ardyth's sentiments about Grandmother.   

It's hard to put my feelings about Grandmother into words.  She was always there in my life.  I simply cannot remember a time when Grandma was not the one running our home front, while mother was either in school or working as a teacher, and at times her teaching was throughout multiple towns in Idaho.  Mother worked hard, often late into the evening, but she could do that because Grandma was always there taking care of my brother and me.  I remember being absolutely sure there was nothing in the world that Grandma couldn't do or explain to me.  She was also a true force for change, as shown by her having worked as a young woman for the telephone company in Salt Lake City.  Grandmother supervised all of the Salt Lake City telephone operators.  Some years later she also did bookkeeping for the Albion State Normal School.  I can still remember, even as a young child of 4 or 5, when the Director of Finance would stop at our home in Albion, Idaho, bringing with him a multitude of documents/books for Grandma to work on.  Years later, when I began working, Grandmother, Mother, and myself would often treat ourselves to a Friday evening shopping excursion in the next town over, which was somewhat larger than the town we lived in.  Grandmother had difficulty walking due to a stiff leg so, when we had to cross streets on those evenings, she would grab my arm and away we'd go at a pretty respectable rate of speed in order to make it across before the light changed.  I still miss my dear Grandma. 

Grandmother died at age 81 on 18 November 1968


Wednesday, July 15, 2015

It has been three months since I have posted on my blog.  I haven't given up, I have just been pre-occupied with other activities.  This is the first summer in a few years all of our family has been 'HOME'.  Well, not ALL - Earl and I have one other daughter who lives many miles away with her husband and daughter. 

I have always said "I only blog about deceased people;" there are exceptions and this is the exception.  

Christopher returned from his two year mission in Moscow Russia for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on 1 May which happens to be my birthday.  Certainly made my day, one I will never forget.   Maddison, Adrian, and Oliver have been here for several months and have just left for a job in Boston, MA.  Oh My.  Cassidy, Nick, Knox and little Capri are here for the summer because Nick is an instructor at a Community College and he has summers off. We are very happy about that. 

Since our last family picture three years ago we have increased by two more beings. First, Oliver who is not quite two then Capri who is ten months old.   In the next six months two more wonderful beings will join our family.  One more baby girl in November (Maddy and Adrian) and in January, Christopher will marry Inna in the Salt Lake City Temple.  

I have been replaced as the Stake Family History Director and it couldn't have happened at a better time.  I will say though, the Family History calling has been the best calling I have ever had.   So many wonderful experiences and wonderful people that I have had the privilege meet and to work with. .   And, I have learned so much.  I do know the more you learn the more you realize what you don't know.  I have lots of plans in the next months and it all has to do with doing more in Family History.  I'm not getting any younger and I need to ‘STEP IT UP.’ 

Oh! About not getting any younger was vividly discovered by all the activities with the family this summer.  Come evenings (early evening) this Great Grandmother was ready for rest. 

In a few more weeks  Christopher will be leaving for school and Cassidy and family will be returning to their home in Wyoming.  Nicole will be starting another year teaching English.   So grateful for the time we have been together; summer 2015.

 Renèe

Friday, April 17, 2015

TWINS AND MORE TWINS WITH SURNAME OF PETERSEN


The PETERSEN Twins.
Venus and Venice
Lori and Cari. 
What fun.
When I first married into the PETERSEN family Venus and Venice and me all had jobs locate downtown Pocatello.  When I would see one on the street during lunch time I never knew which one I was talking to.  It was so embarrassing for me.  Then we had twins.  Pay back time.  
It was so fun.  

RENEE 

Tuesday, March 24, 2015

Cari year SIX.

Cari and Lori
July 1976
Sun Valley, Idaho
I read somewhere that
 "Time Heals Nothing, it just replaces Memories."

Mom

Tuesday, March 17, 2015

"I'm not Irish or Catholic" says Verona.

Ten years ago today we buried my mother Verona Shirley Perrins Tomlinson.  I spoke at her funeral and I remember my introduction went like this, "Today is St Patrick's Day and every year on this day I would think about my mother. Every St. Pat's day she would say, 'I'm not Irish I'm not Catholic so why would I celebrate today then off to the kitchen to make my father Corn Beef and Cabbage for dinner."  (Something that would not pass my lips when I was living at home.)
Verona Shirley Perrins daughter of Edna Clare Phippen and Samuel Perrins:
b 1914 - d 2006
Verona: Albion High School 1931
Verona 1983
What a surprise when Mother reached the other side to be greeted by  IRISH ANCESTORS.  In 2014 I took a DNA test through Ancestry.com.    When the results came back my ethnicity (estimate) went like this; 49% Great Britain; 22% Ireland; 19% Scandinavia; 5 Other regions; which I will explain at another time.  When I saw the 22% IRISH I immediately thought "This is so bogus." and immediately clicked Ancestry.com off.
IF it was so it would come from my mother's side.
The last time I went into the newFamilySearch.org  and looked at Mother's pedigree it wasn't sourced much and when it's not sourced it's "a myth " as far as I'm concerned.
After much thought I decided to 'LOOK AGAIN' at Mother's pedigree in what is now a better more improved site called FamilySearch.org.  Oh my was I surprised.  IRISH ANCESTORS!  The DNA test proved right after all.   Even a picture and many stories to prove the pedigree.
So (Cousins) descendants of Grandmother Edna Clare Phippen; did you know?  My mother always thought these people were English.
It goes like this:Grandmother Edna Clare Phippen (Perrins)  - Eliza Jane Hudson - Wilford Heath Hudson - Robert Hudson who marries Damaris Lemmon (She's Irish) her father is James Lemmon whose picture and story is below.

There is more information about James and about his father Robert S. Lemmon b 1730 in Tyrone, Artrim, Ireland.   So if you have an LDS account and can access FamilySearch.org.  look up this person to get the rest of the story. His ID number is: L66D-W1P.

Fascinating reading.  I am going to insert a link that is a video on DNA that is one of the best explanation on DNA I have found.  It's one that a layman can understand. It was a class offered by Roots Tech 2015 and worth 44 minutes of your time.
Getting Started in Genetic Genealogy 44. by Diahan Southard

DNA is improving all the time.
I have taken another DNA test again from Ancestry.com and am waiting for the results.  It should tell me more  about my ethnicity than did the last one. This DNA test is called AUTOSUMAL and is explained in the video that is posted above.                                                                                                                     


Saturday, March 7, 2015

This is my dad at age five.  Sitting next to him is his sister Louise who was born in 1918 the year this picture was taken.  Finding this picture has been one of the best treasurer’s I have found; and one of the biggest surprises I have experienced.  (Number one surprise is finding out our biological surname is WHERRETT, Dad's middle name and not the name TOMLINSON) 
I was in Salt Lake City a couple days before the Roots Tech 2015 Conference started just for the purpose to visit sites before I got to busy to do so.  On the Tuesday 10 March 2015 I went to the Church History Library which is different from the well-known Family History Library.   The Church History Library houses only LDS Records. To view any records, documents, pictures, books etc. the first thing you are required to do is listen to a video that’s about eight minutes long that explains what you can do and cannot do in handling any of the materials you send for.  Sitting at one of the many computers I put in the surname Hepworth and found one record that caught my attention.  It was indexed as “Lester Hepworth by author; Ethel Hepworth.” Lester is not a name that is used by any of my ancestors.  But, Ethel is the name of my grandmother.  After a long thought I finally decided I should “check it out.’   And what a wonderful surprise I almost passed up.
I wrote the information on a pink slip and handed it to the man behind the counter.  He said it would take about ten minutes and for me  to proceed through double door into the Reading Room.  Before going into the Reading Room you put all your stuff (purse, coat, etc.) in a locker and secure it.  The only thing you can take in the Reading Room is a notebook and pencil and ID.  (No ink pens)  Inside you show a  picture ID and if you do not have one they will take a picture of you.  Then you put on white gloves so not to soil whatever it is you ordered.  Finally, the small envelope arrived and I was told it was a photograph. Again I'm thinking who is Lester Hepworth.  I immediately looked inside the small yellow covering  before I even sat down at the table and was astonished. I recognized the dark beautiful boy as my father with his grandmother or Nana as we called her and his mother  Ethel Hepworth Tomlinson then Dad's sister Louise. On the back of the picture was written “Lester Hepworth and her daughter Ethel and her two children.”  Looking closer I could see the word Lester should be indexed as Sister Hepworth.  Now my question was where was this picture taken and how did it get in the Church History Library?  The next clue was the name of the place where they were living that was displayed on the building where they were living. ,Oxford Apartments. Then I remembered Dad writing in his life history of going to Santa Monica for five months two years in a row and he wrote about attending church there.  That’s it – a member of the ward came around taking pictures of the members of the Los Angeles ward/branch and the pictures were part of the History of that Ward then sent to the Church History Department.  Now my next question was; “How can I get a copy/” The answer was easy, It was out of copyright and had been uploaded to the Web site..
ChurchHistoryLibrary  https://history.lds.org/section/library?lang=eng
   When you type in Ethel Hepworth in the Search box the above  picture will appear.
The Church History Staff member corrected the index entry. 


This is what Dad wrote in "My Personal History" about going to California:

"My Mother had rheumatism for years just after I was born.  She went to several doctors without receiving much help.  Dr. Openshaw told her that Utah winters were too harsh for her.  So Mother, ‘Nana’, my Grandmother, Louise, (just a baby) and I, boarded a train for Los Angeles.  It took two days for the trip.  We were met at the depot by a real-estate salesman who had found a house for us to lease for about five months.  The house was in Santa Monica and was right on the oceanfront.  A broad cement sidewalk about fifty feet wide stretched from our front door to a sea wall some four feet higher.  Then below was the sandy beach of the Pacific Ocean.  Mostly the weather was warm.  Only on Sunday did I dress up.  The other days I lived in a swimming suit, and I learned to swim in the ocean.  I remember being sent on an errand to buy something on the Pier about one half mile down the sidewalk where some commercial stores were located.  It was the time of morning when it was just beginning to get really hot and I took my time stopping frequently to throw a stick of some other thing into the ocean below the sea wall.  I made my purchase and started back home but by this time the pavement was so hot that it burned the soles of my bare feet so I got off the sidewalk and walked in the ocean with the sack I had held high. 
On Sunday we had to get up quite early, get ready to go to Church, walk some three hundred yards to a huge wooden stairway just east of where we lived.  We had to climb the stairway, about one hundred steps to the top and when we got there we were in a little park with palm trees, flowers and some grass.  There were benches to sit on as we waited for the streetcar which took us several miles to the center of Los Angeles.  We got off of the street car in front of the two story building with some type of store on the ground floor, and the second floor occupied by the Knights of Columbus organization, a part of the Catholic Church.  This K.C. Hall was to serve as the only LDS meeting house in the entire Los Angeles area at that time.  We were one of the first to arrive and I remember that when the door to that meeting house was opened the smell of cigarette and cigar smoke rushed out to the hallway.  We had to sweep the floor, pick up beer bottles, wine bottles and whatever as the K. of C. had had a party there on Saturday Night.  But, we cleaned it up and by that time our LDS people had arrived and we had our meetings; Sunday school and Sacrament.  I am proud to know that I was a small part of the first congregation in Los Angeles. 


How grateful I am that Dad wrote about this experience in his life history.   Without It I would still be wondering how this picture came about.  A good testimony of how important it is to write my own life history or even about the events that took place in my life.   

Dad had quite a memory at such an early age.  What a contrast in his skin coloring to his mother and sister Louise.  I bet Grandmother more than once had to explain "He really is mine and not adopted."   Dad's father was dark complected and one of the reasons why I started searching the background of our ancestors.  Still no concrete reason.  I was told a 'Story' of where the dark skin  came from but, to this date it is just that, A Story not proven.