Dear Family,
I just wanted to share a few experiences that I've had the last few days as I have been working on family history.
Experience #1:
I was working on some descendents of an ancestor when I started getting into the 1900's. As I thought about reserving their names for the temple I became worried. "What if these people were someone's grandparents? What if that grandchild converted to the gospel and was disappointed that the work had already been done? I decided to leave the name unreserved when I was hit by a very strong impression.
"Please do this work. These ancestors need the power to turn the hearts of
their living children to the gospel."
It was an awesome moment. It brought on a whole new light to the scripture "And the hearts of the children will turn to their fathers..." I can
only imagine the power that might come to the county in New York, if
the generations of its founding families are able
to turn the hearts of their children to the gospel. I am more excited
than ever to complete these baptisms, because I feel that it will have a powerful influence in the living posterity of these
people.
Experience #2:
This evening I was double checking some of the work I have previously done, tying up some loose ends, and merging some duplicates. One cousin, Amy Cromer, was stuck in a dead end. I knew the last name of her husband, but had no way to determine any more information on her family. I visited her again tonight, and noticed that all of her ordinances have been completed. I prepared her name, Cami Twede did her Baptism and Confirmation, NanaRue did the Initiatory, and Fay Howells completed the Endowment. It made me smile to know that our family had worked together to finish all of her work in under a month.
As I did a quick check on her, I was amazed to see that just 3 days ago, someone created a possible duplicate for Amy. Within minutes, the previously unknown name of her husband and three children were ready for baptisms. I teared up, realizing that now that Amy's work had been done, she now had the ability to help us find her own family.
I know that this work is important, I know that it gives us power, and I know that we aren't alone in our endeavors. I believe that the more we participate in family history work, the closer we come to those on the other side of the veil in a very literal sense. I feel so blessed to be a part of this work, and hope that you will find a testimony of it for yourself. I love you all!
Sunday, September 7, 2014
Tuesday, July 8, 2014
New Announcement from Family Search!
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Hi!
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Friday, July 4, 2014
Hastening the Work -By Michelle Twede
We recently held Stake conference. During
the Saturday Evening session Elder Summerhays from the Quorum of the Seventy spoke and
talked about the hastening of the work. I loved what he shared. He
told how someone in his family had adopted some children. He said that he
received a witness that the ancestors of these adopted children were aware and grateful to their family for saving their children. He said that they in re
turn would help save his family.
During
the Sunday session Elder Summerhays talked again about unlocking the
door for those on the other side, by doing their temple work. By doing this they will have the ability to administer to you in
your life. He spoke especially to the youth of the stake, that it is their sacred responsibility to seek after their ancestors. "Get on
Family Search. Take family names to the temple. The Spirit world is
close to you." He said if they do this, that they will
receive the privilege of help from beyond the veil. Both temporally and
physically if they unlock
the door for them.
Thursday, June 19, 2014
Adrie Twede: Expert Indexer!
I mentioned our June goal for indexing. Again, within minutes, she had found the online tutorials and dowloaded the program onto her computer. Today I got this email from her.
Hi Rachel.
this is adrie.
I got 15 points on indexing
i just finished today
it was super fun i liked it.
i want to do some more
thanks for helping me out
I am so proud of her! She is only 5 points away from achieving our individual goal of 20 points per person. Anyway, I thought I would spotlight her efforts. She is such an amazing girl! As you all begin the indexing challenge, send me an email and I'll put your experience up on the blog!
Thursday, June 12, 2014
Getting Started with Indexing
The Church has a great resource for training you on Indexing.
Click here to go to the Indexing overview website. There are four tabs to help you get started.
The TEST DRIVE tab will take you through the basics of indexing. It takes less than a minute. It is a great way to get your kids involved.
The GET STARTED tab will help you to download the Indexing program to your computer and get registered.
The FIND A PROJECT tab will show you where projects are coming from around the world.
The GET HELP tab will give you all the info you need if you have any questions.
Click here to go to the Indexing overview website. There are four tabs to help you get started.
The TEST DRIVE tab will take you through the basics of indexing. It takes less than a minute. It is a great way to get your kids involved.
The GET STARTED tab will help you to download the Indexing program to your computer and get registered.
The FIND A PROJECT tab will show you where projects are coming from around the world.
The GET HELP tab will give you all the info you need if you have any questions.
Goal for Month of June
For the month of June, I'd like to challenge everyone to try indexing! It's an easy way to contribute to family history work.
We have a goal for every person over the age of eight in the family to get 20 indexing points by the end of the reunion. So, lets get this going!
To get started, visit the "Indexing Tutorials" under the Tutorials tab. It will show you how to upload the indexing program from the church, and how everything works. If you want to email me with the points you earn, I'll add it to our running tally!
Love you all and have fun!
Thursday, June 5, 2014
Memory of Her Mother and Sister Leone- By Sylvia Vivian Tuttle Howells
My mother was very beautiful, high cheek
bones, long auburn hair beautiful peaches and cream complexion, a lean shape
and proud posture, evincing a fine discrimination of moral values. It was her spirit that made her truly
lovely. She reverenced God and there was
no insincerity, indolence or hypocrisy in her.
She was a wonderful cook, so proud of her children, generous to a fault,
always mild disposition and loved my father.
My Mother’s sacrifices never once visiting her folds, her care of us
when we were sick, and our happiness at meals when were altogether, yet her
willingness to let us leave home just when we could have been much a help to
her, to make our own way will ever be a constant reminder to me to live well
and noble.
There were 12 children in my Fathers and
Mothers family. Rena Kathleen, Sylvia
Vivian, Bertha Lillian, Leone, Harvey Frederick Eugene, Frances Willard ( named
after the great Temperance Speaker), Wallace Earl, Lulu bell, Virginia Rose
(whom I named being born on my birthday 14 years later) Benjamin Ward, John
Morrison, Earl Richard. Leone was the 1st
to leave. She was 14 years and 7
months. She died of pneumonia. In life she
was always such a little angel always unselfish and helpful. She had beautiful brown hair curly and
braided that hung down her back. Her
eyes were brown and I can remember how sober she was though never cross. She like us all had whooping cough one spring,
measles the next and the 3rd spring pneumonia. The Dr. came and told us she would not live
until morning. I had brought her a tiny
bouquet of sweet smelling wild flowers called Hipatias colored a delicate
orchid. She was so weak she could
scarcely hold them. Mother asked me to
go to the village and get my sister Bertha who was boarding with a family and
going to school. With every step I took I prayed that Leone would live. Then as
I hurried on I was impressed it was wrong and left off. I brought my sister and soon after we arrived
we were all standing around her bed when Leone looked at a big picture on the
wall of Jesus as he taught the Wise men in the Temple. Mother said, “God will
take care of you.” Leone smiled looking from face to face and died. My Mother
and I knelt by the lounge in the kitchen and asked God to take care of her. For
a long time after we’d set her place at the table and often spoke of her sweet
ways. We never cried for Leone, she seemed nearer to us than ever she was before.
I did her work in the Temple and hope I will be fine enough to enjoy her companionship
in the Spirit world. I never heard of the Gospel as members of the church know
it but my prayer had been answered. I knew the prompting of the Holy Ghost and accepted
without question the inspiration not to pray for her recovery. To me she had
always been like a little angel, a peace maker, always doing for others and so
dear. After I had been in the Church several years I told a lie about a person
who could have been hurt by what I said. (I believed I had told the truth but
the evidence was only circumstantial reinforced by one I highly respected) I
was going to the Temple frequently. One night I saw Leone. It was just a
fleeting glimpse but it was enough to make me do everything in my power to
correct what I had said even though I still believed I had not lied.
Memory of Frederick Eugene Tuttle- By Sylvia Vivian Tuttle Howells
My Father was called Fred for Frederick
Eugene. He was over 6’ tall, lean,
sported side burns, had dark wavy hair and hazel eyes after his great ancestor
John Tuthill of Long Island. I never can
remember my Dad without a twinkle in his eyes, truly handsome but in a very
humble self- effacing way. The ladies
were flattered by his slightest attention and Mother was a little jealous. A pretty unmarried lady on the way to the
Milk station used to seek a ride into town.
My Mother sent me to report. I
did. She told the pretty lady to get her rides into town elsewhere. She did.
My father was a good man and gave measure heaped up and running over of
his garden produce when he sold it. He
was a Baptist and sometimes went to church.
He was a man of few words, considerate and never harsh, living and
giving of himself to neighbors, friends and family alike. His vitality was a constant wonder to me as a
child and now I know it came from a pure and thankful heart, clean living and a
love of all good things. He was a
Latter-Day Saint through he had never heard the Gospel. Years later when my son Tom did his work for
him in the Temple he accepted it with a rejoicing heart. My Father taught us from nature, the writings
of Benjamin Franklin and the Bible. The
uncomplaining way he took the lean years with the good has been an inspiration
to me to this day. I have a home, a good
husband six beautiful sons and a powerful testimony of the Gospel but I do not
know the security as an adult that I did as a child with my Father and
Mother. How wonderful the Great Plan of
Life and Salvation is. What hope fills
us, to know we will be to-gather again.
My father had little formal education but was a kind generous person
loving the great out of doors, reverent and never tiring in giving. At 21 years he went to De Smett Kingsbury
South Dakota and took up a homestead with his brother Frank. Before this he had appreciated as a
carpenter. He left off ranching and
worked for the Wyoming Milling Company.
The ranch was sold in later years when I was little for $10,000. In his early 30’s he went to Cedar Rapids
Iowa and met and married Kate Verney Morrison daughter of John Dunlap Morrison
and Mariah Clark Caldwell, the 26th of July 1892, my mothers 17th
birthday. They made a romantic and
beautiful picture, he in his swallow tailed prince Albert and she in a lace
trimmed cream white wedding gown with kid slippers of white, Her titian hair
and green eyes him with dark brown curly hair and twinkling hazel eyes and
deferential way. The year she graduated
from school she was chosen Queen because of her beauty. They came East to Gouverneur, New York and
using his carpenters trade built some of the finest homes in the village. Some still standing to this day. This place where we lived was a city once but
the marble quarries gave out, the Paratese mines (containing a dark soft rock
used for topping roads) reached the end of production, leaving great deep holes
filled with water, the paper mills closed and also the lace factories. It now has a population of about 5000. It is one of the loveliest spots on earth. In the middle of the residential section is a
small park surrounded on all sides by churches, stores and the post office and
Library. Just to the west is $1,000,000
bridge crossing the Oswegtchie River (an Indian name meaning Hose – we – gotch
– ye). While in the building business my
father fell. When he recovered his
health he farmed on shares. In 1902 with
six children he bought a five acre plot with a big house well built near a good
Public School. It was 1 ¾ miles to the
town. Here we all grew up and went our
ways. He made furniture, beds, bureaus,
commodes, chairs, kitchen cabinets, and barns, milk houses and tool sheds for
the farmers. He had a big garden, a cow,
a pig, and chickens and helped in haying season. He could load more hay and milk more cows than
any man around. My mother never
milked. He sold his vegetables raising tomatoes
when every on else still thought they were poison. He had grapes and strawberries.
Photos- Sylvia Vivian Tuttles
(If you would like to add a caption, leave a comment below, and I'll add it.)
Memory of her Grandparents, Aunts and Uncles- by Sylvia Vivian Tuttles
There was 9 children in my Father’s family.
Charles, Frederick, Eugene (my father) Edmond S., Frank, Byron, Matie Lillian,
Nina Louella, Robert and Floyd. I knew
them all except Edmond S. and Nina Louella, they having died before I was born.
Grandfather, of medium height, strong, blue eyed and kind to me loved my father
as did all of his family. I remember
when Uncle Robert got sick Father took him to the hospital. Aunt Matie owned and operated a drug store in
Utica New York. She never married and
was so good to us my brothers and sisters as we grew up. She dressed beautifully and very chic. She was so pretty. She died when I was about 8. I remember how sad my father was when he went
to the funeral. Outside of my father’s
brothers and his parents she was the nicest person I ever remember as I grew
up. Uncle Byron owned a grocery
store. I was so proud of my father when
the hard years came and he never went to him for favors. My Uncle Frank was a baker and worked for
years at the St Lawrence Inn in Gouvernur New York where we all lived.. Uncle Robert worked at the marble
quarries. He made tombstones, book ends,
door stops and many other things. Uncle
Floyd lived in Watertown, 30 miles away.
We never saw him after Grandmother died grandfather kept a residence
while the people were away at their great summer home at the Thousand
Islands. He tended the horses and kept
the grounds. One day when I was about 12
he took me for a ride in the small rubber tired topless carriage of the time,
drawn by a beautifully groomed chestnut horse.
Right down main street we went clippity – clop. He sat straight and tall. I was so honored I’ve never forgotten. Once during school he loaned me $2.50 a lot
of money in those days. I told him I’d
pay him back but never did. His temple
work has been done for him and his wife and family sealed also that of many of
his great ancestors. I hope it was a
fair exchange. My grandfather lived at
our home for a while when I was small.
He was blind in one eye. We would
have the drippings of the pork for fat for our potatoes. Also my mother made syrup from sugar cooked
with water. Both were kept in small
bowls on the table at meal time. One
time Grandfather put syrup on his potatoes instead of the pork fat. We kids hid our heads under the table and
laughed. My Father’s house was a haven
for his family and some one was always staying with us until one day my Mother
objected. That was the end of it. Father always listened. There were 12 children at the time.
My father’s Mother Harriet Cornelia
Osterhout was a wonderful little person.
She had dark eyes and white hair.
When I was very small we would go to her home for dinner. The table was covered with a beautiful white
cloth and she had lovely silver ware. The lace curtains at the windows and
beautiful soft chairs we sat on were the loveliest I had ever seen. She made chocolates and I remember how she
would press the trousers of my Uncles as they prepared to get ready for a date. She was a quiet, humble little soul. I take after her in coloring and
features. My Grandmother loved my
father.
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