My Mayflower Line and other connections by Reba LOGUE McMillan: Another Interesting Story of An Ancestor - Penelope Stout

My Mayflower Line and other connections by Reba LOGUE McMillan: Another Interesting Story of An Ancestor - Penelope Stout

Penelope, An Ancestor

Baer, Mabel V. D. "Richard Stout and Some Descendants". National Genealogical Society Quarterly, vol. 52, 1964, pages 86-94.

Friend, Maurie L. "The Perils of Penelope Kent". Drumbeat, vol. 45, no. 2, Fall 1966, pages 4-5.

Hornor, William S.. "Penelope VanPrinces". This Old Monmouth of Ours, Moreau Brothers, Freehold, NJ, 1932, pages 146-148.

Hornor, William S.. "Richard Stout". This Old Monmouth of Ours, Moreau Brothers, Freehold, NJ, 1932, page 181.

McFarlane, Jim. "Penelope: A Novel of New Amsterdam". Greer, SC: Twisted Cedar Press, 2012. 371 pages. The ISBN is 9780985112202 See external links below.

Salter, Edwin. "Stout". A History of Monmouth and Ocean Counties, E. Gardner & Son, Bayonne, NJ, 1890, pages lvi-lvii.

Schott, Penelope S. Penelope: The Story of the Half-Scalped Woman, University Press of Florida, Gainesville, 1999, 64 pages.

Stockton, Frank R. "The Story of Penelope Stout". Stories of New Jersey, Rutgers Univ. Press, New Brunswick, NJ, 1961, pages 57-68.

Stout, Herald F. Some of the Descendants of Richard Stout of New Jersey, Glendale, CA, 1940, 92 pages.

Stout, Herald F. "Family History..Richard Stout". Stauden Blatter, vol. 5, no. 4, Winter 1964-65, pages 2-8.

Stout, Herald F. Stout and Allied Families, San Diego, CA, 3rd edition, vol. 1, 1986, 800 pages.

Stout, J. D. Stout and Allied Families, Chariton, IA, 1991, pages 1-4.

Stout, Kemble. James Pindall Stout 1819-1903 and Burthena Shackelford Kemble 1824-1908, 1975, 353 pages.

Stout, Wayne D. Genealogy of the Sagers, Fisk, and Stout Families, Salt Lake City, UT, 1960, 583 pages.

External links

Monmouth County Historical Association

many non-copyrighted source documents

author page for Penelope: A Novel of New Amsterdam

a blog trying to separate truth from fiction about Penelope

Facebook page entitled Penelope Stout Descendants

Facebook page entitled Stout Families

Penelope Stout (van Princis), The Mother of Middletown

Nicknames: "Penelope van Printzen", "Penelope Kent (Lent) Van Princess", "Penelope /Thompson/", "Penelope Kent /Prncis/", "Penelope /Van Princen/", "Kent / lent"

Birthplace: Amsterdam, (Present Noord-Holland), Holland, Republiek der Zeven Verenigde Nederlanden (present The Netherlands)

Death: Died 1732 in Middletown, Monmouth County, Province of New Jersey, (Present USA)

Further Sources:

From Benedicts History of Baptists: Penelope's first husband was hurt in boat wreck when they were stranded in Sandy Hook, NJ and she stayed with him. Indians came and killed them and stripped them to skin but Penelope came to even though her skull was fractured and left shoulder hacked. She was cut across the abdomen and her bowels appeared and she kept them in with her hand. She continued in this condition for 7 days, taking shelter in a hollow tree and eating the excresence of it. Then saw a deer with arrows sticking out and 2 Indians appeared, whom she hoped would put her out of her misery. One went to knock her on the head but the other, an elderly man, prevented him and throwing his matchcoat about her carried her to his wigwam and cured her of her wounds and bruises. After this the Indian took her to New York and made a present of her to her countrymen, viz. an Indian present, expecting 10 times the value in return. In NY Richard Stout married her. He was a native of England and of a good family and Penelope was now in her 22nd year and he in his 40th. She bore him 7 sons and 3 daughters.

Birth dates seem to vary. Some say that dates should be 20 years later i.e. birth 1622 and death 1732. Some stories state that her 1st husband's name was Van Princen born in late 1500's in Holland and died in 1620 (or 1640). Various records regarding Penelope's father. One states that he is Rev. Prince who was banished from his church in Sheffield, England and moved to Holland where Penelope was born. Others say he was Baron Van Princis. Penelope's maiden name was Kent.

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http://womenhistory.blogspot.com/2007/11/penelope-van-princis-stout.html

http://www.johnpratt.com/gen/a/0/9.penelope.html

Penelope Kent was born in Amsterdam, Holland, in 1622. She married a Mr. Van Princen in 1642 and they set off to make their fortune in the New World. The ship bringing them wrecked just off Sandy Hook, New Jersey, in 1643. Her husband had been very ill on the journey, and was seriously injured in their attempt to reach land. When they did reach land, those who had survived feared an Indian attack. They decided to hasten to New Amsterdam, but Mr. Van Prince was in no condition to travel, so the group left Penelope and her husband behind to fare for themselves. Soon afterward in the woods the dreaded attack materialized and both of them were hacked up and left for dead. Penelope survived, having had her skull fractured, and left shoulder so badly cut that she never regained full use of her arm. Her abdomen was also slit open so that her intestines appeared, so she held them in with hand. She took shelter in a hollow tree, trying to recover. After seven days, she saw a deer with arrows sticking in it, and soon two Indians appeared. The younger was going to kill her, but the other more elderly man prevented him. He carried her to his wigwam and cured her of her wounds. Then he took her to New Amsterdam, and returned her, collecting a reward for her.

The young widow met Richard Stout in New Amsterdam and they were married in 1644. Later she prevailed on him to move to Middleton, New Jersey in 1648. They had ten children, and she lived to be 110 years old and lived to see 502 total offspring before she died in 1732.

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See Thomas H. Street's "Story of Penelope Stout." (pages scanned)

information from (p. 1, footnote 1) Stout and Allied Families: Volume One, 1951, Harold F. Stout, The Eagle Press, Dover, Ohio

Below from http://freepages.genealogy.rootsweb.ancestry.com/~brookefamily/vanprincispenolope.htm

The story of the Stout family and Penelope Van Princes, as handed down in the Stout family, is that Richard Stout, the first of the name in America, came from Nottinghamshire, England, a son of John. Richard served for some years in the English navy and was finally discharged at the port of New Amsterdam, N. Y. About this time a ship from Holland, with many Dutch immigrants, was driven ashore during a severe storm, on the Jersey coast near Middletown, Monmouth Co. The crew and passengers reached shore safely, but were soon attacked by a band of Indians, who it is said, massacred the entire party. Among the passengers was Penelope Van Princes and her husband. The husband was killed outright, and Penelope, badly bruised, ripped open and unconscious, was left for dead. Recovering consciousness she crawled to a hollow tree for some protection and seclusion where she was discovered by a friendly Indian. Compassionately he carried her to his wigwam, nursed her back to life and eventually carried her in his canoe to New Amsterdam and sold her to the Dutch. Later, Penelope met and married Richard Stout in 1663, in N. Y. City, and settled in Monmouth County, N. J. The name of Penelope's father was Van Princes; her husband's name uncertain. (First publication of the story was in "Proceeds," 1st Series, vol. 1:162-3, pub. 1845-6.)

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Newspaper article - Newspaper name and time of publicatio n unknown, author was John T. Cunningham

------------ THE STORY OF PENELOPE STOUT -----------

There is cause to dispute the traditional claim that Penelope vanPrincis Stout of Monmouth County lived to a mature 110 years before she died in 1712, but no one can deny that for indomitable will to live and in number of descendants Penelope has had few equals.

Penelopes's story is obscured slightly by discrepancies in the dates of her birth and other occurrences in her life, but consider first the narrative as it is usually told.

Born in Holland (in 1602 according to the usual version,) Penelope vanPrincis joined her young husband and other Dutch settlers headed for New Amsterdam in 1620. Violent storms caught their ship, drove it off course and finally wrecked it off Sandy Hook.

--- ON THE BEACH ---

All survived, and the passengers and crew set off for New Amsterdam on foot, leaving Penelope on the beach to nurse her desperately ill husband (whose name was never recorded by Penelope and all of the large brood she would later rear.) Indians found the Dutch couple on the beach, killed the husband and left Penelope viciously hacked.

The young widow lay unconscious, her skull fractured, her left arm so mangled that it would never again be normal and her abdomen slashed open. Somehow she revived and crawled into a hollow tree, where two Indians found her several days later.

---- SHE PRAYED ---

Penelope prayed that they might end her misery and the younger Indian was willing to oblige. The older Indian dissented, carried her over his shoulder to camp, and there nursed her back to health. She stayed with the Indians , working, learning their language and their ways.

Some of her shipwrecked friends returned after a tim e and asked the Indians to give her up. Penelope's Indian benefactor said he would let the young woman decide for h erself. Penelope decided to leave, "very much to the surpr ise of this good Indian," according to Frank Stocktons's ve rsion.

About two years later Penelope met Richard Stout who h ad left Nottingham, England, because of parental disapprova l of his love affair with a girl they considered socially i nferior. He enlisted in the navy, served for seven years a nd left ship in New Amsterdam when his enlistment ended.

Penelope vanPrincis and Richard Stout were married in 1624 (according to tradition), when she was 22 and Richar d was 40. Some time after, they moved to Middletown, wher e through the years their family grew and prospered.

Several years after the Stouts came to Middletown, Penelope's old Indian benefactor called on her to warn of an impending attack by his tribe. Penelope and her children fl ed in a canoe, but Richard Stout and his neighbors stood u p to the Indians and argued them out of an attack. So the Stouts lived on into the 18th century.

Dr. Thomas Hale Streets questioned the time sequence in a study he made of the Delaware branch of the Stout family in 1915.

He said that all dates in recorded accounts were abou t 20 years too early, thus making the date of the shipwrec k about 1640 rather than 1620 and making the date of the ma rriage to Richard Stout about 1644 rather than 1624. This logic seems sound.

For example, there was no New Amsterdam in 1620 and ce rtainly there was no Middletown at the time when the Stou t allegedly moved over. Advancing all dates 20 years, howev er, makes New Amsterdam, Middletown and all else fall in line.

His most telling rebuttal hinged on the known birh date of Penelope's 10th and last child, David, born in 1669. That would have made Mrs. Stout a mother at age 67 and R ichard a father at 85. Speaking of the mother, Dr. Street s commented drily:

"No medical man, it is safe to say, ever knew of suc h a case."

Penelope vanPrincis Stout died in 1712, either at the age of 110, if you believe traditional accounts, or at the age of 90 if Dr. Streets is correct.

Before dying, Mrs. Stout saw her seven sons and three daughters multiplied into 492 other descendants.

One son, Jonathan, bought a large tract of land at Hopewell in 1706 and quickly the number of Stout descendants in and near Hopewell became almost as numerous as those in Monmouth. Today huge numbers of Stout descendants cherish a noble name; they recognize that without Penelope vanPrincis, a stout-hearted woman if ever there was one, they wouldn't be here at all.

Obituary of John Crow Thompson

OGDEN NEWS OGDEN - NOV. 14, 1900 J. C. THOMPSON'S FUNERAL A Survivor of the Mormon Battalion and Highly Respected Citizen. The funeral services over the remains of John C. Thompson, one of Weber county's most respected citizens and a member of the "Mormon" Battalion, were held yesterday afternoon in the Ogden Tabernacle, Bishop Bingham, of Riverdale, presiding. The music was furnished by the First ward choir, and solos were beautifully rendered by Mrs. Clarabell Pike and Mrs. Ethel Pike Holbrook. The speakers were President Charles F. Middleton, Hon. David H. Peery, Bishop Bingham, Elders Jesse Brown and Charles Hancock, each dilating upon the useful career of the deceased and his faithfulness to the cause of truth. The last two speakers were members of the Battalion with the deceased and referred to his unwavering courage and many noble traits. The attendance at the funeral was large, and the casket was covered with beautiful floral designs. The funeral cortege which followed the remains to their last resting place in the city cemetery, was over a half mile long, which bore evidence of the high esteem in which Brother Thompson was held in the community. (Deseret News, 14 November 1900, p. 6) -------------------------------------------------------------------- RIVERDALE Demise of John C. Thompson, a Member of the Mormon Battalion. Special Correspondence. Riverdale, Weber Co., Utah, Nov. 13. - Riverdale mourns the loss of one of her earliest settlers, John C. Thompson, who died Nov. 11th. The immediate cause of death was erysipelas in the head. He was 79 years and 6 months of age, and was the father of twenty children, and progenitor of seventy-two grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. He was a member of the Mormon Battalion, and has held many important positions among the people. He lived in Riverdale the last forty-two years of his life. (Deseret News, 14 November 1900, p. 7) Source: Deseret News, (Salt Lake City, Utah), 14 November 1900, pages 6,7, microfilm; LDS Historical Library, Salt Lake City, Utah. Obituary of John C. Thompson.

Martha Ann Stout Pitts

OUR PIONEER ANCESTORS 

By Wayne D. Stout

Martha Ann Stout Pitts 

1848-1889 

Martha was born January 25, 1848 at Winter Quarters, Nebraska. She married Thomas Pitts July 28, 1866. Martha and Thomas went to Paragonah to make their home. Thomas Pitts was the son of Peter and Mary Pitts, born in December, 

1826 in Leeds, England. Thomas died November 16, 1890 in Utah. 

Martha was the mother of four sons: 

Thomas Miles Pitts, born April 18, 1867, at Paragonah, Utah: married Mary Selina Robison June 14, 1893 at Richfield, Utah. They had five children. Thomas Miles Pitts died October 22. 1936 at Price, Utah.  (One of those was Myrna’s Grandfather Thomas Vivian Pitts.)

James Alfred Pitts, born December 9, 1869 at Beaver, Utah: married Eva Robinson June 24, 1895. Six children were born to them. James died October 13, 1911 at 

Vernal, Utah and was buried in Myton. Eva later married Scott Hickey and moved to Bishop, California. 

Charles Allen Pitts, born February 27, 1872 at Paragonah, Utah; maried a 

widow named Adair, who had two sons (James and George) ; her maiden name was Adelia Francesca Sawyer, born March 25, 1878 at New Harmony, Utah. Charles Allen Pitts and Mrs. Adair were married April 24, 1904. Their only son, Charles Edward Pitts, was born September 11, 1906. Charles Allen Pitts died October 7, 1909 at Joseph City, Utah, and was buried three days later at Myton. 

Jonathan Edward Pitts, born October 11, 1874 at Paragona, Utah, married the 

widow of his brother, Charles Allen, Mrs. Adelia F. Adair Pitts, December 5, 1910. They had no children. Jonathan died October 21, 1918 at Alunite, Pinte County, Utah and was buried at Thompsonville a few miles distance. Adelia later married a Mr. Seely and moved to California. 

After 1874, Martha and Thomas moved to Joseph City, Seviere County, then to Ogden where Martha's brother Allen Joseph Stout then lived. She died in Ogden July 8, 1889, buried three days later. 

My Aunt, Patricia Evelyn Pitts Lubbe

Birth:	Mar. 17, 1927 Price Carbon County Utah, USA
Death:	Jan. 20, 2014 California, USA
Patricia Evelyn Pitts Lubbe March 17, 1927-January 20, 2014 Beloved mother, grandmother, aunt, and sister passed away on Monday, January 20th at the age of 86. Patricia was born in Price, Utah to Thomas V. and Ruth Edwards Pitts. In her late teens, she moved to San Francisco where she met her future husband, Joseph Lubbe, a skilled baker. They had two children – Joseph and Elaine. She spent her working life in the bakery business. In her retirement, she lived in Redwood City and then Las Vegas. She is survived by her brother, Robert Pitts, her son, Joe, and his wife, Rose, and their children: Cathy, Alex and Jonathan; and her daughter, Elaine, and husband, Michael Johnson, and their son, Scott and wife, Julie, and their sons, Garrett and Spencer and daughter, Michele and her daughter, Madison. Preceding in death was her sister, Bernice R. Nurisso, and brothers, Howard Pitts, Morgan Pitts, and Kenneth Pitts and nephews, Norman Nurisso and Gary Pitts. Funeral services will be held Tuesday, January 28 at 10:00 a.m. at Duggan's Serra Mortuary, 500 Westlake Ave., Daly City with interment at 12:00 noon at Golden Gate Military Cemetery. Published in San Francisco Chronicle on Jan. 26, 2014 Spouse link provided by contributor Mark Utley #47178748 Jan 31, 2014 Family links:  Parents:   Thomas Vivian Pitts (1894 - 1977)   Ruth Edwards Pitts (1896 - 1978)  Spouse:   Joseph A Lubbe (1915 - 1976)
Burial: Golden Gate National Cemetery San Bruno San Mateo County California, USA Plot: SECTION M SITE 370

Erin's Letter

Erin wrote: I am terribley sorry about youre bathroom issue. That would deffinately make me loose my head. haha. Im glad you had a nice vacation at the temple though. Im also sure you and grandpa will think of something fun to do on labor day weekend even if it is only you and grandpa.  I also just wanteed to remind you you are not old. Think of it as maturly mature(speel check). I dont know about anyone els but I condsider 92 years old, old. If you see Rachel anytime soon although I know it is late tell her that I am excited for her and I wish her good luck. For some odd reason though I cannot beleive that she is eight years old already I remember when she was only 1 or 2 as idiotic that may sound haha. I am looking forward to the next that I see you and grandpa. I did a report on a couple of stories that I remember you guys told me for history class. I havent turned it in yet but I am positive it will get and A+++++++ because your history is better than most. I wrote about the story on how you and grandpa met and also on how grandpa devcided to go on a mission. My freind Brinley looked at my essay and thought that your guys storie was the most entertaining one that she had ever herd. Brinley is a character though :) haha. I am also happy for you that you found your wedding photos. That must have been a nice walk down memory lane for and grandpa. Sorry that  I havent been responding to the emails as much as I would like to. I have been getting a lot of homework in honors Language Arts and math but even my regular classes like to pile it on me so that it makes it hard for me to ever be on the computer. Being with my freind Maddie most nights doesnt help much either. I wont promise anything but I will try to find a way to read your emails through my phone and if possible respond to them sooner. I am sure you would like to hear about Donovin and Caydin too though. Donovin has just started football and he loves it. Last Saturday he had a football thing called midnight madness in cedar city he played 5 scrimigages and did very well. In the first one he made an amazing tackle. It was great. He has been sick for a couple of days though so tonight will be his first night back in 4 days and he still has to take it easy. I am mad at him though because I think he passed it on to me but thankfully it only lasted for a day wich was yesterday. Caydin has just started kindergarten. He is so excited about his teacher and all of the new freinds he is making. If your on the phone with him anytime soon be sure to ask him about school if you want your chatted off that is. He loves talking about it even though his stories take forever. He is also very excited about his very first loose tooth. We have just recently dicovered that. He loves the fact of growing up. Caydin is so proud. He also wants me to tell you about his Iron Man. :) I love you both lots and lots I hope your weekend is great. O I forgot to tell you I have to audition for what seat I play in orchestra and I received 2nd seat. I am so happy but my fingers arent those hard fingertips are coming back after the year they had to soften up. LOVE YOU!
 <3 erin="" p="" trauntvein="">
Myrna wrote: It is so good to get a letter from you! Three cheers! It was well-written and both Gramps and I enjoyed reading every word. You do have a talent for writing.

We get our bathroom work done beginning on Tuesday. I don't know how long it will take but it will be really good to have it over with. I am so very tired of it being all torn apart and yucky.

Congratulations on winning the second chair. That took a lot of work. Now let us know when your concerts are so that we can come and be proud. I hope your poor fingers hurry and get tough so that they do not hurt anymore. I think you are brave to hang in there. I am so glad that you are playing in the orchestra.

It also sounds as though you are having a good year at school and are enjoying your classes and your friends. That is so good to know. That makes us happy.

Rachel was so happy to be baptized. She was floating on a cloud all day, both before and after. I am like you. It seems just yesterday that she was a baby. Of course, it seems that way to me about you. I know I was just holding you on my lap a short time ago and here you are, almost grown up. I don't know how that happened.

Tell Caydin and Donovin hello from us. Caydin is proud to be going to school and Donovin is proud to be playing football. I can hardly believe that Caydin is old enough to have a loose tooth. My goodness. Tell him that we think that is great. Donovin is an outstanding player. I bet it is fun to watch him. We wanted to come and see him play and would like to know when the games are.

We love you all. We are proud of you and are glad that you are happy. You will always be my special baby girl.

Love, Grammy and Gramps

Healthy Basic Crepes

Crepes are an easy and elegant breakfast , brunch or even dessert. These crepes use whole wheat flour.

Ingredients: 

2 cups whole wheat flour

5 eggs

I cup non-fat or regular plain Greek yogurt

1 cup low-fat milk

1 cup water

4 Tablespoons butter, melted

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Directions: 

1. Whisk together flour, leavenings, eggs and yogurt in a large mixing bowl. Gradually add milk and water, stirring to combine. Beat until smooth.

2. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium-high heat. Pour or scoop 1/4 cup batter onto griddle. (If using a crepe pan, tilt pan with a circular motion so batter coats the surface evenly.) If using a griddle, pour the batter in a circular motion so the batter is quite thin on the griddle. 

3. Cook crepe until bottom is light brown, about 2 minutes. Loosen with a spatula, turn and cook other side. 

4. Serve hot with yogurt and blueberries. (Use other fruits as desired. Also whipped cream or ice cream may be used if the crepe is served as dessert.)

From Nephi

We have been feeling the effects of the change in missionary age at the temple. Each of the two days that we serve, there are several young women who are turning 19 and are now entering the mission field and who have come to the temple to receive their endowments prior to entering the mission training center(s) of the church. There are also a great many young Elders who are ready to accept the call for the 18-year old men to become missionaries. We have been delighted at the great numbers of young people we see who are worthy to be missionaries. It is great to know that we have such wonderful young people in our family. 

My service as a temple sift assistant coordinator is now over. My two years are up and we were replaced this past Friday. It was strange knowing that every leadership service was the last time that we would be doing that work. It was also a bit sad since the five of us have worked so closely together and have formed a close friendship as a result. However, we no longer have the responsibility of making certain that things for our shift run smoothly. Now the new group gets to do that. 

We have been teaching the temple preparation class in our ward. We are teaching a young couple and one missionary-to-be in our ward. It is a great experience to share this special time with those who are preparing to attend the temple.

We had another missionary farewell, although we do not call it that anymore, yesterday. This young man is going to Peru and will go to the missionary training center for those Spanish speakers. He has been taking Spanish for some time now and chose to bear his testimony in Spanish. He certainly had a lot of people there to hear him. The chapel and the recreation center was filled. In fact, the recreation center was filled clear back to the stage. Mary Horrocks, Julie's good friend, spoke about her son, Ben, who is serving in Italy. 

We now have eight missionaries who are currently serving from our ward. Three more have recently returned home.

We also had a convert baptism in our ward and he was asked to bear his testimony as part of the meeting. We have a young man in our ward, Clifton Taylor, who is affiliated with the American Red Cross. He has been trying to leave for a mission but has been having a difficult time getting his health to the point where that can happen. He has really low iron and cannot seem to build his levels up. He went back to help at one of the disaster areas and, while there, met this young man. The missionary-to-be (Clifton Taylor), was asked by his parents to leave his home here in Nephi when he decided that he wanted to be active in the church. He moved in with Russ and Colleen Bender, at their invitation, and he called and asked if this young (32-year-old) man could come and stay with them also. They were happy to have him and he requested the missionary discussions while at the Bender's home. He was baptized on Saturday. He said that he had attended church with Clifton while he was working with him in Oklahoma and had felt that he found the spirit that he had been searching for. He wanted to know more and was now certain that he was in the "true church."

We are having weird weather here in Nephi. Last night, a huge wind and hail storm was forecast for our area. We were listening to the radio and heard a storm warning come over the line. It reported high winds and hail would move into our area. We sort of battened down the hatches, so to speak. When it came, the winds were not as high as predicted and there was no hail. There was a lot of lightening and thunder and a deluge of rain but it was only 15-minutes or so in duration. That was a relief. Hail at this time of year can wreak a garden and ours is doing really well at this point. The corn, to quote the song, "is as high as an elephant's eye." Maybe ours is higher than that. A couple of years ago, a high wind blew limbs off of our fruit trees and split one of the big branches. Luckily, that did not happen this time.

Michael's great-grandmother, Maxine Gordon, was at the Manti Temple on Saturday and I had the good fortune to be able to spend a few minutes with her. She is an elect lady. We were able to see each other a couple of times and give hugs and exchange "I love you" words. It was great. I do get to see so many people there. I met a "cousin" of sorts also on Saturday. He was a descendent of Judge Ferdinand Ericksen. One delight for me is working with one of my bridesmaids from way back when. Gerri Page was the former Gerri Shield of Price. She still lives in Price and now is one of the assistant matrons.

Gramps and I are so proud of the work you are doing in the mission field. It makes our hearts happy and strengthens our testimonies each week when we read your letters. We pray for you several times each day and want you to know that we love you. You are great! Thanks for serving our Father in Heaven, His son, Jesus Christ, and your fellow men.

The missionary yesterday told the story of a young man who had a dream that he would go into the world and find his pre-earth life friend who had not been sent to as great a place as he had been sent. He later wrote his bishop that he had found his friend. I know that you are also finding yours.

Love, Grammy and Gramps

I changed the letter for Michael to read: 

We saw your great-grandmother, Maxine Gordon, who was at the Manti Temple on Saturday and I had the good fortune to be able to spend a few minutes with her. She is an elect lady. We were able to see each other a couple of times and give hugs and exchange "I love you" words. It was great. 

Myrna's 1981 Journal, Page 2

The honest truth of the matter is that I'm converted to everybody else keeping a journal but maybe I don't really want to keep one myself. The clincher is always the idea that your progeny will know what you are really like but, to be honest, I don't want my progeny to know what I'm really like. In fact, the less they know what I am really like, the happier I'll be.

I'm a person who holds resentments and keeps lists inside my mind. I continually work to not be like that. That holding on to things can't be something you want others to emulate. I have a struggle trying to love others (this does not include my children whom I always love) and I have a struggle trying to forgive. That includes forgiving myself. I sometimes wonder if it's possible to "love everyone." I wonder if it is possible to forgive and "remember it no more."

At this stage in my life, I'm not even sure what I want or who I want to be and I'm 41. My life is nearly half over by regular standards and I don't even know what I want to do with what is left.

Many days, I have to work on being forgiving. People can say the meanest things. Some of them mean to be hurtful and others do not mean to be they just, I suppose like me, make comments without thinking.

My life is just a work in progress. I am, eventually, and who knows when, going to have to die and meet my Savior. I think I would rather not be so mortal and so much the "natural man" and would much rather be more Christlike, more like the Master. I really don't want my unrepented sins to be broadcast from the rooftops for all to know.

December 26, 1981

The following is retyped from my poorly kept journal.

I have just finished reading, "President Kimball Speaks Out on Personal Journals," printed in the December 1980 "Ensign." I also read: "Will I Ever Forget This Day, Excerpts from the Diaries of Carol Lynn Pearson," editied by Elouise M. Bell.

I don't beleive it would be possible to read either the book or the article without deciding to keep a journal. So, once again, I am making a beginning.

Tomorrow I teach the lesson in Relief Society. I don't feel up to my usual pizazz. It is 3 a.m. and I am very tired and humble and worried. I need another four hours to be ready and I don't have them. The newspaper stacks were just left outside and snow is blowing against the windows. It will be cold tomorrow--or today--and I am weary.

Goodnight!