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!

Wow! (My letter to my missionaries.)

I am sending the same letter to both of you this week. I am hoping that you were all part of the the church's largest missionary training conference. I imagined both of you sitting there, in a gathering in your particular mission, and learning from the experience. I saw your beloved faces, in mind's eye.

I did not even recognize the Marriott Center at BYU with all of the missionaries in attendance there. I was so impressed with the conference. In our stake, all members ages 18 and older were invited. A few parents brought youth approaching that age with them. There were not as many in attendance at our location as I would have hoped. I think there were something like 220 present. We were counted, as were the members of ward and stake councils present, so the number could be reported to Salt Lake.

“To all the full-time missionaries sharing in this broadcast around the world, we say never again in your entire life are you going to be part of a zone conference this large!” said Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum the Twelve as he conducted the meeting. “To the many members of the church gathered in innumerable locations, we affirm that ward and stake councils can no longer say of this great army of missionaries, ‘There they go.’ No, the hour is upon us in which we must now say, ‘Here they come.’ All of us must plan for and use this heaven-sent resource in the most productive way possible.”

Of course, in my "Tears At All Times and in All Places" stage of life, I did shed quite a few. I now know why my grandmother always told me that a lady carried a cloth handkerchief. I borrowed LHT's hanky. I need to invest in some of my own--cloth ones--so that I will be prepared for the floods of my own making.

LHT said that when he went into the mission field there were approximately 5,000 missionaries world-wide. Now there are 70,174.

Our ward met for Sacrament meeting only so that we would be out in plenty of time to get to the stake center. We are the late session and we do not end until the 4 p.m. hour. LHT and I had the distinction, at 3:15 p.m., of being the first in attendance. We certainly had our pick of seats.

LHT (Gramps/Dad) and I have been wondering about our neighborhood. Perhaps we can be of service among our neighbors. The older homes around us are being purchased by good young people but none of them are active. Some of them are, likely, not members. It does take courage to invite. The fellowship part is the easy part. It has always been easy for us to be good neighbors. That is particularly true of LHT who, at the drop of a hat, is off to shovel snow, lend himself and his tools, and be of general good service.

I cried when the missionaries sang. How powerful that was and how it made me think of the two missionary grandsons I have serving and of another about to serve. My little mission of working to provide Sacrament services for the assisted living center seemed so small in comparison with what our missionaries are doing in the field. LHT does most of the organizing and I do most of the "just showing up to love." I offer a lot of prayers, closing or opening, as needed. And I cry. As we receive the weekly letters, our testimonies are strengthened. How blessed we are, as a family, by the missionary service of our stalwart two.

I also was touched by the segment dealing with teaching and the one on repentance. I learned from them answers I had been seeking.

The story of Sister Neill F. Marriott, who, at the age of 22, was converted and baptized into the Church in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, was toucing. One year later she married David C. Marriott in the Salt Lake Temple, one of those who helped introduce her to the church. They are the parents of 11 children.

We love you. We are proud of your work. We are touched by your testimonies. How thankful we are that you are part of our family.

Some Random Memories

We didn't have a freezer when I was young. We had a tiny little box at the top of our fridge that was just big enough for a coupe of ice cube trays and we thought it was great. Sometimes you could even store a bit of ice cream in the little cubicle. If it was left too long, the container filled with ice crystals and became dreadful tasting. It was better, however, than the fridge that I remember from my three-year old life. That was a literal ice box. It had a chamber for keeping things cold and another for the ice. A man would come every few days and sell us some dry ice to put in the top of the box which kept things cold for a bit. That was during Word War II. 

My grandmother would be at school teaching and I would be home at the apartment we shared with my beloved Aunt Renee and Uncle Max. The ice man would come and I would be fascinated by the whole procedure. He would carry the ice into the house with a pair of large ice tongs. Aunt Renee said that if he touched the dry ice it would be so cold that it would burn his hands.

I also remember that we walked a lot. We walked to the small grocery to get needed items. There was a little corner grocery and we would just ask for what we wanted. The grocer would fill the order by giving you the item you wanted. Forget asking for a brand at that small store. You got what he had. Of course, we shopped once a week at the larger grocery store where you went around with a cart and picked out what you wanted. At the corner grocery, a child could be sent with a few dollars and come home with the item in a brown paper bag and some change. When I was tiny, of course, I just went with an adult. When I got older I was allowed to walk there and back. Usually, I was allowed a few pennies for a treat because I had run the errand. You know, had I kept walking everywhere, like I did back then, I would be in a lot better shape than I am. Now I have taken up daily walking for my health. Then I just did it because everyone else did. :)

When we moved to Carbon Avenue, there was Mabbitt's Market just a block away. When my cousins and I would be sent there for a can of tuna, for example, we were given a nickel to buy a treat. I liked to use it all on a Three Musketeers Bar because he actually had three chocolate sections and we could each have one. However, we usually got something else like all-day suckers. Sometimes we would buy popsicles which we all liked but which made a mess of the fronts of our outfits before we got the block back home.

I refuse to correct letters to the editor.

I really hate to disappoint you but I have been thinking over what you asked me to do. I appreciate that all writers like to get feedback from other writers. I do not think that I am the person to help you, however. I am really leery of reading and helping with letters-to-the editor.

 

I had a person, whom I thought of as a friendly school-mate of a couple of my children, who made all sorts of trouble for me a year ago. He brought a letter to me to have me correct (grammar and punctuation). I had him sign the copy I then printed off for him signifying that it was his work and not mine. I dated the copy and he turned it in to the newspaper. It was printed in our local paper. He was taken to court for what the authorities thought was the threatening nature of the letter. I was called to court, under oath, to bear witness as to what had happened with that letter. He tried to claim that I had changed the letter after it was printed. I had not, could not and would not. Luckily the jury considered my long newsprint reputation. He was found guilty and served jail time. I became a lot more concerned about what I help others with. The disclaimer that is printed on every opinion page was saving for the newspaper but Allan and I determined that we would not be so helpful in the future. At our local newspaper, we are mostly interested in local issues and are not interested in national issues or topics that the state papers cover.

There are many others in the community who would be willing to assist you with your need for a good critic.  Snow College has many classes of many types that are taught in Nephi via interactive computer instruction at the Juab School District office. Of course, for those there is a fee.

In Provo, there are writer's groups that you could join. I belonged to one such group for awhile and a chapter was even started here. We Juab County members all became too busy and closed the local chapter.

I hope that you understand. 

More from Myrna's Soapbox

To Barbara: The grandchildren we share are confused about the Latter-day Saint church because they get conflicting information. They hear little about the church that is really true. They do not attend meetings, except once a year with us, where they have an opportunity to hear what we really do believe. At Scouts, they do not talk about the gospel. They talk about scouting. The same happens at the week day meetings of Young Women. Sunday meetings are the only ones where they really talk about beliefs. Erin said that at Sunday School with the youth, she has no idea what they are talking about. Why would she? She hears one idea from you, another from her parents and another from us. She is not mature enough  to study on her own and really learn doctrine. We don't spend hours of time studying while they are here. We go places and visit family so that they will know who their cousins and aunts and uncles who live near are. Besides, we learn precept upon precept, here a little and there a little. It takes a lifetime of devotion to know truth of any kind.

Erin talked about Mountain Meadows Massacre with Julie and I was on the edge of the discussion. The only one of us who knew about it, really, was Leonard because he taught about it in Utah History. I told her to talk to him. Jim gave her good advice. He told her that she, if she REALLY wanted to know, should read about it on her own. He told her to go to the source nearest the actual happening. Historians can be biased but the people who lived the happening can best understand it. Our ancestor opposed the killings. He tried to get help to prevent them. He testified against the perpetrators. Those writings are available.

Grandpa Ray, the storekeeper

Did you know that my (Myrna's) Grandpa Ray Smith was the bookkeeper and the storekeeper at a CCC camp. That happened years after the Mexican/American War. In fact, that was after he had owned his own butcher shop in Huntington. He became ill, they later discovered that he had terminal lung cancer, and decided that he would train as a bookkeeper. He stayed with Fred and Pearle Smith, his brother and sister-in-law, in Springville, for a time and went to school. When he finished, he went to work as the bookkeeper at a CCC camp. He could add, so I was told, a long list of figures by moving his finger down the line arriving at the total, in his mind, when he reached the bottom of the line. He would then move up the line in the same way, checking his accuracy of the first time. He figures always resulted in the same total. 

Response

From: Barbara Anderson
RE: Gramps and His Owie

I am so sorry Myrna.  I hardly ever check my email.  I didn't even know to ask to find out how he was today.  I want you to know the kids love you guys very much.  They are a little confused about church, but David, Bree and I will support them in whatever they decide.  We are not actively discouraging them.  I really want you to know that.  I am honest with Erin about how I feel, but now in what I want her to do. 

I also want you to know I consider you my friend.  Im not much of a friend.  My life keeps me in a dither, but I feel like things have calmed down this last couple of years.  I was not taught how to be a friend.  I isolate very well. 

But, we love you.  I love you.  You are one of the best people I have ever met.  If you need anything, and this is from the bottom of my heart, just let me know.  I have a car now.  Until I go back to work, Im pretty much open.  Im only going to work 25-30 hours per week. 

So, let me know, or just get in touch. 

Barbara

 

I really didn't expect any kind of answer to the information about LHT's injury. It is healing well, from what I can tell from the outside. There is no pain. I think that is a good sign. We are to leave it alone for the full 10 days and then the doctor will look at it again.

I think of you as a friend also. We both want the best for the grandchildren we share in common. What wonderful children they are. 

I am not trying to be humble when I say this. It comes across that way but it is not meant that way. I do not think of myself as a good person. I think of myself as someone who is trying to improve each day. As I told them in Relief Society on Sunday, where Erin was with me, that I keep working on me. I keep trying not to be selfish and not to lose my temper. I work on being a better person every day. Sometimes I do well and sometimes I fail. The lesson was on turning our shortcomings (or failures) into successes.

Erin decided to go to Relief Society with me. It was her choice because when I found out that she did not want to be with the Young Women in our ward I tearfully offered to go home with her but she said she likes the older women in our ward because they "are kind" and treat her as one of them. 

Unfortunately, I have turned into a person who can shed tears at the drop of a handkerchief and I don't know what to do about it. My goodness, I am going to cry the rest of my life away. I wear my heart on my sleeve all of the time. I told Melanie that I thought it might be due to diabetes and she just laughed. She said that I had always been tearful. She reminded me that I cry during sad television commercials.

I worry about every grandchild of mine. I like them to be at church because, USUALLY, not always, there are good friends there. I like Girl's Camp because I loved it. I was (feel free to giggle) very shy as a girl but I liked being with people who were honest and upright and could still have a good time. Oh, the crafts I made. I believe in Boy Scouts. I think a young man who attains the rank of Eagle, has really done something to be proud of for his entire life. Leonard is not an Eagle. He is Wood Badge trained--a national training for leaders.

I am also frank about my feelings. If you ask me a question, I will not tell you what I think you want to hear. I will tell you what I really think, what I really believe. 

I have a couple of grandchildren who have decided, using their free-agency, to not follow in line with what I would, given the same choice, have selected. They are all still loved. I am in all of this for the long haul. I want my family to be happy. I want them to live as honest, loving people who enrich the lives of those around them. I like the church (an organization of people), aside from the gospel (the doctrine). Our ward, for example, is filled with loving and compassionate people who do their best to serve others and to make certain that there are no hungry and uncared for among us. The women I work with have watched me cry and are still understanding. You, of course, are that kind of person also. Scratch you and you also bleed. We are not so different after all.

My girls and I all tend to spend more time with family and less time on socializing. That may make us more difficult to know. I sense you feel that way about yourself. I include you as family and I truly do love you. You are always welcome in my life.

Leonard has a more compassionate heart than I do. He always thinks of the nice thing to do. Sometimes you actually have to remind me to be thoughtful. You have no idea how many snowy walks he shovels each winter. He is old enough that someone should be shoveling his. :) 

From Gordon

Hi Myrna,

I was reading your email about eating Jell-O powder.  We did that as children.  It brings back fond memories.  It tasted good!

One part of your email where you described eating permanent wave powder reminded me of a story I read.  A quote from your story is below, and my story is below that.

“After we consumed the Jell-O, we all found out that what we had really eaten was permanent wave powder. My goodness! We all had excited adults at that point.”

The story tells of a man and his wife on a trip.  They accidently hit a rabbit while driving.  They stopped to see if the rabbit was ok.  The rabbit appeared dead.  Just then a lady stopped to see if they needed help.  When they explained what had happened, the lady went to her car and came back with a package.  She opened it and placed some of the contents on the rabbit.  The rabbit jumped up and hopped toward the woods.  After a few feet it turned around and waved at them.  It  would then hop a few feet and turn to  wave again.  It did this all the way to the woods.  They asked the lady what she had used to heal the rabbit.  She handed them the package.  On the package was written, “New shampoo formula.  This new shampoo will bring life back to any hair, and your hair will have a permanent wave.”

Oh well, you and Leonard needed something to laugh about after his “Humpty Dumpty” experience.

Lots of love,

Gordon

Gramps' Owie

Dad/Gramps really opened a wound on his right arm yesterday. I tease him that he still thinks that he is age 16. We took the visiting grandchildren--Erin, Donovin, Caydin, Matthew, and Rachel--to the Nebo View Elementary playground (the one on 100 North) and LHT was going to help the grandkids have fun by going on a "spinner" with them. It is a device that has bent upright bars forming a loose cage-like spot for a person to stand or sit and spin around. He was going to demonstrate and was on the device alone. For some reason, LHT's foot slipped off the base and he fell out opening a 6-inch long 2-inch wide cut on his right arm as he hit some part of the equipment as he fell. 

We brought the grandkids to our house, about three blocks away, and LHT thought that I could pull the skin back in place using a pair of tweezers. I thought otherwise. AnnMarie arrived to pick up her two after a day at court (Matthew and Rachel). I had texted her telling her to com to the playground since she was due to arrive at 3 p.m and we went there at 2:30. So I had had Matthew text her to tell her that we were at the house instead. I had stamped my foot and said, "Leonard, we need to go to the doctor's." She, calmly, as befits her profession said, "Dad, there is too much tissue missing." She had to leave to get to Provo for an appointment. Erin, who is now 13, took over with her younger brothers and we headed to the doctor's office. Unknown to us at the time, was that there had been five ambulance runs come into the connected Central Valley Medical Center hospital, also staffed by the doctors at Central Valley Medical Clinic.

When he saw it, Dr. James M. Besendorfer, M.D., called it a "laceration." (I thought it just looked horrible and Dad/Gramps, as usual, thought that I, Myrna, could just fix it. Honestly.) After I watched the doctor take care of it, I likely could have. However, I lacked the prior knowledge and I am happy that we went to the doctor's office. Luckily, they were seeing patents. This happened at about 3 p.m., so the doctor's office was open. It must have been just another "laceration" for the day because the nurse commented that the doctor had "another" one. 

It is a good thing that the doctor and LHT are old friends who have worked on scouting projects together because he just smiled when he heard what had happened. He also knows that LHT is still just age 16 inside. At any rate, he was able to close the wound by carefully pulling the wounded (and purple-hued) skin back over the gapping area where the flesh had been exposed. He did it with a small pair of surgical tweezers, the type with the fine point, and only a small jag along the edge will be left to create a small scar. He sent over to physical therapy and obtained a foam dressing to use which the nurse applied after cleaning the area with saline solution.

The doctor said that the foam dressing is made from polyurethane. The polyurethane contains variably sized small open cells that pull exudate away from the wound bed. The dressing is absorbent and doesn't lint. It will be left in place for 10 days. The doctor will then remove it and see what it looks like. He said that he liked this way of dealing with lacerations. He had removed these types of bandages and found that they were healed. "It is just remarkable," he said. It was a new way of dealing with lacerations and was very successful.

So there you have it, LHT will keep the site dry and will return to the doctor in 10 days. After all that, his blood pressure was still low. I didn't even want them to check mine, though the nurse offered. I was afraid that all the excitement would have had such an effect on me that they would send LHT home and keep me. (Smile.)

We came home, and the kids and I went to order pizza and rent a movie. We had planned to go swimming or go to a movie last night but we stayed home instead. We are so exciting that it scares me. (Of course, you can see that we are not. I am surprised, as boring as we are, that any of the grandkids will even stay with us. As they get to be teens, they usually get to be too busy and those visits slow or stop.) Usually, we take the David Trauntvein kids places like Provo to go shopping or to Lagoon or camping or SOMETHING. This visit, we are just being boring. We have been to Provo and to Brick Oven. Of course, there is a always the appeal of the four-wheeler, the lawn-mower, and the great-outdoors in Nephi. (Hehehe.) 

Mrs. Richards' Treasured Cookies

Mrs. Richards’ Butter Cookies

*3/4 pound butter (three sticks)

4 eggs

2 cups sugar

1/2 cup milk (or fruit juice)

4 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons vanilla

6 cups all-purpose flour (or enough to make a stiff dough)

Cream butter and sugar together until fluffy. Add eggs, milk and

vanilla and beat together. Then add flour and baking powder. Mix well together. THE DOUGH WILL BE SOFT. Let sit for one-half hour. Roll on a lightly floured board to about one-half inch thick. Cut and place on ungreased baking sheet. (I usually cover the baking sheet with parchment paper first.) Bake at 375- to 400-degrees for 5 to 7 minutes or until edges are lightly browned. Remove from baking sheets to wire racks or cloth-covered table-top. Cool slightly. Then frost.

*Three sticks of butter is equal to 1 1/2 cups butter that is not precut. I melt the butter then add the sugar and mix well.

Frosting for Cookies

1 stick butter

1 small package powdered sugar

1 tablespoon milk

1 teaspoon vanilla

Few drops food coloring

Melt the butter and pour over powdered sugar in a medium-sized mixing bowl. Add milk, vanilla and food coloring. Beat until smooth. More milk may be needed but be cautious because it doesn’t take much to make it runny. Spread on cookies and decorate as desired. (Candy hearts for Valentine’s Day, etc.)

Story behind the cookies: My Grandmother Vivian Smith, a teacher, and her parents, the owners of a pharmacy and drug store in Huntington, Utah, were kind and generous to the Mrs. Richards who was the possessor of this recipe during a difficult time in her life. The one thing that she treasured was the recipe for these cookies. Everyone loved them when she made them but she did not share the recipe with any. Community legend had it that her family had baked them for the king before they found themselves as converts to the LDS Church and in Utah. One day, Mrs. Richards came to my Grandmother and told her that she had little to treasure but this recipe. She gave a copy to my grandmother who was allowed to share it with her parents. Mrs. Richards told my grandmother that she could share it with family. Since all are dead now, I do not feel a need to keep it as secret and have shared it a bit more. Grandmother did share it with her sisters-in-law and, through Aunt Pearle Smith, Russ Farrer, her grandson, who baked at Brick Oven in Provo, Utah, for awhile, made these cookies for sale while he was employed there. When he left, he kept the recipe.

Myrna Great-Grandmother Mina Ericksen Pritchett, her daughter Vivian Pritchett Smith, my mother, Elaine Smith Pitts and her sister, Renee Smith Childs, and I have all made these cookies and received countless compliments for them. My children have the recipe. It is still treasured.

I began making these cookies as a child with my grandmother who always made them for Christmas and for Valentine’s Day, as well as for most major holidays, and “just because.”

Picnic

While I ended up sick on Memorial Day itself, the Sunday afternoon that we decorated graves for the Smith grandparents, my mom, a Childs family ancestor, and the Smith aunts and uncles in the Evergreen Cemetery, was a good day. (Jim also has an ancestor buried nearby.)

Many hands made short work of the weeding and clean-up. Shawn had brought some gas-run garden tools which helped. The plots looked lovely when we were done.

We ended up having a tailgate picnic at roadside where my Smith family is buried. 

Toren warned us that we should not eat at the cemetery. He said it was just not a good idea so he sat in the car after the decorating was done. 

However, the other members of his family did join in. They had not received the memo that there would be a picnic so they mostly had dessert. The Jones and Howards did eat and they all remained well and healthy in spite of Toren's warning. There were others there who also had  picnics near other plots. I don't know how they fared. Shawn ended up being ill. I did fine until the next day when the bladder infection I had got much worse. 

Your dad's father (Henry) always told him to never take anything away from a cemetery because it was not good to do so. LHT and I had quite a discussion about the time I brought some sod pieces I had dug up and put them on the north side of our house. No one ever told me not to eat there. I think, however, that my relatives would not have an objection. They all liked picnics, to the best of my recollection. We certainly had enough of them as I was growing up.

When we used to decorate graves when I was a child, we would always end up at Uncle Fred and Aunt Pearle's house. There we would have a backyard picnic, if the weather was good. They had a wonderful backyard--green lawns and wonderful bushes. We would always have a wonderful time.

I give you all permission to have a picnic near my grave when I have joined the Smiths in that spot.