Tribute to my Pioneer Ancestors

 Being that I'm living here in Missouri, I really didn't get a chance to celebrate Utah's Pioneer Day, 24th of July.

So, I decided I would pay tribute by posting these of my Pioneer Ancestors.

Gabriel Marion Utley

My Great-Grandfather

1844-1929

Traveled with the Robert Wimmer Company

He was 7 years old when departed on 1 July 1852; 2 years after I was born

 

Harrison Burgess

My 2ND GREAT-GRANDFATHER

3 September 1814 – 10 February 1883

Wives Sophia and Amanda Burgess traveled in the Brigham Young Company in 1848 while Harrison was serving a mission to England. When he returned in 1850, he joined the Aaron Johnson Company and traveled to Salt Lake where he was reunited with his wives. His daughter, Sophia Minerva Burgess, born in Utah, married Gabriel Marion Utley on 1 January 1872.

Amanda Melvina Hammond

My 2ND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

Birth 6 May 1827; Death 8 August 1882.

Traveled in the Brigham Young Company in 1848.

Married Harrison Burgess Feb. 6, 1846.

Levi Hunt

2ND GREAT-GRANDFATHER

1833 –1921

He was 22 years old when he traveled to Utah in 1855 with the Richard Ballantyne Company

 

Jane M Gadd

2^nd Great-Grandmother

30 March 1839 – 14 June 1863

Jane was 17 years old when in 1856 she traveled with her family in the James G. Willie Handcart Company. Her father and brother died in the tragic trek. She barely survived.

Married Levi Hunt in 1858.

 

John Smith Defreeze Hyatt

2ND GREAT-GRANDFATHER

12 August 1832 – 25 December 1911

In 1846, he sailed from New York, United States to San Francisco, California. He arrived in Utah in 1848.

 

Martha Jane Turner (Howd)

2^nd Great-Grandmother

14 January 1836 – 10 December 1899

Arrived in Utah on Oct. 2, 1847

Married John Hyatt in Salt Lake Endowment House Jan. 28, 1856.

 

William Cook Prows

2ND GREAT-GRANDFATHER

11 June 1827 – 23 May 1894, Buried in the Mormon Colony of Colonia Juárez, Casas Grandes, Chihuahua, Mexico.

After leaving Nauvoo, he was recruited 16 July 1846 at Council Bluffs, Iowa, serving in the Mexican War Mormon Battalion March; Dischared to 16 July 1847 in Los Angeles, California.

 

Lodesky Ann Roberds

2ND GREAT-GRANDMOTHER

28 July 1835 – 2 September 1922

Under the direction of Amasa Lyman, who was sent from Brigham Young's vanguard company, her company arrived in Utah in July of 1847.

Married William Cook Prows 14 April 1850.        

Oh, That I Were An Angel -- In My Dreams

   Well, I feel compelled to share an amazing dream I experienced early this morning! (June 11, 2016.)

   Nancy has been on my case the last couple of weeks – or so – because I’ve been watching a lot of Kung-Fu type movies and war movies, including 13 hours. So you might expect that this amazing dream would be so related. But, nope, pretty much just the opposite.

   I wish I could convey the whole feeling of the dream, but it was inspirational and peaceful.

   I was with a man and his wife and their daughter (it felt like they were my relatives), but I didn’t recognize them. Because I can’t remember the exact details, I’ll need to do some dream interpretation here: I was trying to explain to them how we build our spiritual lives step by step, principle by principle. Some have their spiritual lives built higher than others, but we need to be building our spiritual edifice as a family. I was talking to them about how we gain a testimony about a certain principle and how that then becomes part of our foundation and edifice, and we build upon that.

Angel Moroni atop Star Valley LDS Temple
 (Jerel Olson Photography)

   Then we look down and see how much we have built and say how could I have built so much, and I replied that we didn’t do it ourselves. God has done most of the hard labor (the Atonement). He has seen our efforts and has glorified our efforts and has helped us build – more than we could ever do ourselves. His Grace is like that.

For me, the most profound feeling was that I was singing all of this and praising our Father in Heaven as I taught them. The dream really was a powerful musical.

In fact, it was like Moroni and his trumpet sounding to the whole world the Everlasting

Salt Lake Valley looking south from above the State Capital.

Gospel, but instead I was singing. I have never song as strongly and as powerfully as in that dream as I taught them.

    I could feel that the couple in the dream understood that they needed to work together as a family to build their Eternal Family – step by step.

   Then it was as if I was taking them on an airplane ride above the Salt Lake

Valley, but there was nothing obscuring our view straight down as we saw the beautiful Salt Lake Valley all green and vibrant – as if after a late-spring rain. Then I’m thinking that maybe we were actually flying (as in angels) because of the unobstructed panoramic view. And the feeling was glorious and spiritual. There was no fear that we were going to crash, like in most of my dreams.

   Then Nancy woke me up! But instead of being mad about being awakened during such an amazing dream, I was happy that I had had such a marvelous experience – and feeling the Marvelous Work and Wonder!

Recovered Wedding Memories

I was going through a box in my storage closet for missionary pictures and find these pictures from our wedding, April 9, 1976! The originals weren't very good but, now with new technology, I was able to improve them a little.
See if you recognize anyone! Here are some hints:
Chris Smith, Anne Isabel, Don Roundy, Orin Bawden, Merrill Hunt, Stacy Hunt, Rhonda Hunt, Lorraine Hunt, Rhea Westwood, Bruce Westwood, JoAnn Westwood, Jim Westwood, Rendall Hunt, Jay Westwood, Trena Hunt (Trena didn't even realize it was her after picking out a bunch of the other people), Kathy Westwood and Phil Sarborough. Troyleen was pregant at the time and was seated at the host desk, greeting everyone.
Of course, the biggest disappointment is we don't have any pictures of my dad there, which created a lot of regret and conflict!!!



Pretty Bride!
Yes, that's me without a beard and balancing
on that

I'm wondering what she's telling me?
Maybe it's about her missing gravy bowl!

Wedding reception held at the Granger 4th Wardhouse
in West Valley, Utah.

Cutting the cake! Look at them cooperate!

Mothers Rhea and Lorraine.

What a good-looking group of guys!
Left to right, startint in back: Rendall Hunt, Jay Westwood,
Bruce Westwood, Phil Scarbrough, Merrill Hunt, Lee,
Jim Westwood, Orin Bawden, and Don Roundy.

Fun picture of family members and family members to be!
Left to right, starting in back, Jim, JoAnn, Nancy,
Lee, Merrill, Lorraine, Rhea, Bruce, Trena Hunt, Kathy
Westwood (Jim and Kathy got married just months before
us), Stacy and Rhonda Hunt, Anne Isabel (who married
Chris Smith's brother, and Chris, of course, married Bruce. 

I wonder if Nancy's again asking about her gravy bowl!

OK, all eyes on the photographer!

Sweet Little Lena Bena

Our second daughter, Lena Marie, always seemed to have a smile and a twinkle in her eye. She was the Little Mother who took take of her little brothers even though was was a baby herself.