Babies Dressed in White continued: If I only realized Fifty three years ago......

This Beautiful White Dress has a matching slip and inside of the back is a tag that says ZCMI. 

 (Zion's Cooperative Mercantile Institution [for more information click here]) History of ZCMI

 It was purchased in 1913 for the Priesthood ordinance of giving my father a name and a blessing:

 Vern Wherrett Tomlinson.
(In modern revelation, parents who are members of the Church [Church of Jesus Christ of - Latter Day Saints]are commanded to bring their children “before the church,” where the elders “are to lay their hands upon them in the name of Jesus Christ, and bless them in his name” (D&C 20:70). This is why parents bring babies to a sacrament meeting, where an elder—usually the father—gives them a name and a blessing.)

Vern's three living children Gary, Renée and Ted, seven Granddaughters and three Grandsons were given a name and a blessing wearing this dress.

After the thirteenth Great Grandchild it had become so frail it was time to retire the legendary Blessing Dress. My mother felt it was best that the oldest Tomlinson son should inherit Dad's dress. 

 Today it's  displayed in the home of  my oldest brother Gary Vern.

If only I had the nostalgia; the appreciation; fifty three years ago AS I DO today, I would have taken a more professional picture of my children and grandchildren wearing this dress. (Nicole is pictured above in 'The Dress.')  And I would have encouraged my two brothers to also encourage their children to take a more professional picture of their babies wearing Dad's dress. 

In my mother and fathers' picture albums I found all of the pictures of babies that wore the blessing gown for this special ordinance.  Some were OK but most are not OK.   The picture was either out of focus or it didn't show the whole dress.  Since I found the poem written by David O. Mckay it has really been on my mind of how important it is to preserve and cherish precious meaningful materialistic things for our posterity.

The above (out of focus) picture is me; the only picture taken of me in infancy. Mother was showing how much hair I was born with by using the mirror.  I did not notice until scanning this picture for this post that I indeed am wearing Dad's dress.  You can tell by looking closely at the sleeve and around the neck.   Makes me happy; that this pic verifies Mothers statement that I was given a name and blessing wearing Dad's dress.  

 Below is a picture of my Grandson Christopher.  I had to talk Christopher's father into wearing the dress for his blessing.  This was in the spring of 1994.  I promised his father Chris, that as soon as the blessing was over that his mother and I would take him out to the church building hallway and change him into his boy baby outfit.  This memory sure makes me smile and as
you see it made Christopher happy too.

Christopher Michael 

Once more I am enclosing the Poem by David O. McKay

The summer is getting HOT and LIFE is very busy.  I am now the caretaker for my husband Earl and am taking the summer off.  I may do one more post then not again until September.  

Have a great summer and thanks for stopping by. 

A Baby Dressed In White

Vern W. Tomlinson picture taken ca December 1913 or January 1914.
His own baby ring hangs by a ribbon on the right. Below are his parents.
Poem by President David O. Mckay "A Baby Dressed In White"

     As I have mentioned before I belong to an International Association with the Acronym - DUP aka as Daughters of Utah Pioneers. Below is the link to the ISDUP (International Society Daughters of Utah Pioneers.) web site.
ISDUP official web site. 
Here you will find lots of information about the Society.
Also, here is a site on YouTube that further explains about the museum that you can tour at no cost.  Take a look you will be surprised what you will find in this wonderful Museum.
   Best Pioneer Museum - Utah


   
      I want to make this short and to the point of why the picture above.  Each month we have a lesson on different subjects of Utah Pioneers and  April's lesson was one of my favorites this year because It inspired me to put this 'Shadow Box' together.  The lesson was titled "Pioneer Clothing" prepared by Lynnette Pieper Hanson a member of the ISDUP Board.  So, So interesting.  The part about babies clothing and how both girls and boys wore long dresses brought me to attention.  And especially the inclusion of a poem composed by President David O. McKay titled "A Baby Dressed In White ."
David O. McKay was the ninth President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1951 until his death in 1970.
          The picture is of my father when he was six months old. What a chunk he was; after all he weight 12 lb. at birth. Also, you can see his baby ring hanging from a ribbon on the right side of Dad's  head. Below his picture are pictures of his parents; George Wherrett Tomlinson and Ethel Hepworth who were married on 3 October 1912 then eleven months later; 2 August 1913 they became a family of three.
     David O. McKay has many wonderful quotes to his name of fame.  You can search on the internet using Google Images or Pinterest and find many quotes but, this gem you will not find.  All the more reason to be a member of DUP to come across this poem that could not be found easily anywhere else.

To be continued.