Wiki, forums topic of Aug. 14 PAF meeting | Mormon Times

Wiki, forums topic of Aug. 14 PAF meeting | Mormon Times

From That Generation to The Next- Each Has A Story To Tell

             The series “Who  Do You Think You Are?”, which  aired on NBC this spring, was an invitation to many to seek out and find who you are. I enjoyed the series.

             There is so much to choose from as far as research information out there. “Who Do You Think You Are?” is just one way of lighting the fire or giving us the spark to help get us interested in our ancestors. One line from the show which featured Spike Lee, when he was asked “do you know who you are?” he responded; “I have always known who I am. Now I know more”. Each of us, from the Day branch  of this “family tree” can know more about who we are by looking a little deeper into our genealogy.  Careful genealogy has been kept for literally centuries, and further. What a blessing. Finding who our ancestors are has  been made fairly easy to research because of the work already done. Not simple but easier than some other family lines are to research.

The inside first page of book

Larry sent me a PDF of the book he discovered.

A valuable find! (above is pictured the inside cover) Books Google.com  has scanned thousands of books that are no longer in print or the copyright has expired. This can and should be, used to our advantage in researching genealogy. http://books.google.com/googlebooks/about.html 

Back to Robert Day of Hartford, born 1604 or 1605 there are now at least 10 generations of Americans  (at least in my data base) from this man who came to America in 1634 from Ipswich England. Wow, that makes us pretty true blue, Yankee Doodle Dandies in my book!

Besides the wonderful genealogy this book holds, are other very interesting pages. My very favorite is Robert’s first son, Thomas’ last will and testament. He must have taken the “testament” part to heart because he bears his testimony of the Godhead and his knowledge of Jesus Christ, repentance, redemption, and resurrection. Very powerful! I read it through several times soaking it in. Thomas, is the older brother of John from who’s “branch” we hail. John’s testimony is not near as powerful. But just the same we are given some insight to the way these men were raised as good Christian people. They came to the Americas to escape religious persecution. What a leap of faith! 

This book is not, on the whole a “good read” but interesting just the same, especially when you come upon a few pages with ancestor's own words, it is a list of  descendants   for the most part.

Another book which is helpful in research is; British origins of American colonists, 1629-1775 by William Dollarhide. It gives a list of where ships that came to America landed. Such as; we know that Robert Day came from Ipswich, England. Ships coming from that area in England landed in the Boston harbor. Giving us better conclusion that indeed the Robert Day family did live in Hartford Connecticut.

These books are just a few of many that help in our quest to know who we are and where we are from. Maybe we are a speck in the whole picture in terms of this one family, not to mention the entire family of man, but, in researching our family lines we can identify ourselves with more conclusion. 

By the way I do like Who do You Think You Are on NBC television but, I think I enjoy the BYUtv series the Generation Project even more. You can watch the entire program on the following link, http://www.byutv.org/thegenerationsproject/Episodes/

Questions and Answers about the Day Family

When the Newsletter was sent out a few months ago, Larry and I got several great responses. I also received some questions about the Day Family. 
It was planned to answer questions as they arose. Family members sometimes forget that new-comers, meaning those marrying into the family, and the "next" generation just don't think to ask about those in the past, so they never learn. So, here are the first couple of questions;

     Question #1- What does the "L" stand for in L Movell's name?
I am going out on a limb answering this one myself. It was very popular during this day when he was born, to add an initial to a name instead of a full name. So his full name is L Movell; no period after the L and not quotation marks.


   Question #2- Which twin is older, Connie or Corinne?

Connie & Corinne (in that order) 

seniors in High School

It has been a long time since I was told by how many minutes my mother, Connie is older than Corinne. I think it was about 20 minutes. Helen and Movell did not know there were twins coming. This was a total surprise to give birth to twins! No fancy gadgets to detect such things in 1931. This family of 3 turn to 5 in 14 months! And to top that off, during the depression years!!

4 Generations of L Movell & Helen Sanford Day

 The following is a short history I acquired many years ago. I will add things like this from time to time. 

Elmira Bulkley Day

(Compiled and arranged by Pearl C. Day. From incidents, stories, and histories gathered at reunions 1940-1950).

E

lmira Bulkley Day, born 30 January 1820, Ruthalnd Village, Tioga Co, New York, the daughter of Noah Bulkley and Anna Newman. She received very little schooling. When she was 16 years old she was baptized into the Mormon Church. At 18 she met Abraham Day, and they were married in Pennsylvania on 16 June 1838. He had joined the Mormon Church that month in Tioga Co., New York. They soon moved to Pike Co., Illinois, and then to Berry, Ill. Where their first child, a son was born on 7 September 1839. He was blessed and named Joseph Smith Day by Hyrum Smith, the brother of the Prophet Joseph Smith. The next three children were girls; Matilda Ann, Born 27 October 1840; Harriet Hane, born 17 February 1842; and Amelia, born 4 August 1844. All three died in infancy and as little children. The fifth Child, Elmira Jennette was 7 April 1846, in Berry, Ill. The family then moved down the river a short way below Nauvoo to Montrose, Iowa. Here Grandma Elmira had nursing ability tested to full strength. Abraham fell ill and for some fifty odd hours lay in a state of coma. He was healed by the power of the Lord through the administration by Joseph Smith who visited them.

            When the Saints were driven out of Nauvoo, Abraham was made Captain of 

one company. He took Elmira, their two children, and her father and mother, all in a homemade wagon, and started their trek west. When at camp Council Bluffs, Iowa the government called the young men into service (Mormon Battalion) to go to Mexico to war. Abraham was one of the first to go, leaving Grandmother with an eight year old son, a daughter not quite a year old, an elderly mother and father, who was a one armed man. They did not know if they would ever meet again in this life. But President Brigham Young promised them that if they would keep the commandments of the Lord that they would be all right. And through her faith she carried on. Soon she found there was another baby on the way. Grandmother was very handy around the sick so she had plenty of work, and accepted anything to use, to eat or wear as pay. She was given some logs and lumber, and the logs were soon assembled to form a small cabin and the boards of the floor she nailed down herself. Later, she received a wiener pig and some corn as pay.

            Late in 1846, when the Missionary Cyrus Wheelock came from Ireland with his colony of converts, Charlotte Mellon, a girl of 14 years was among them. Bro. Wheelock brought her to Elmira to care for, and she always lived with the family from that time on.

            One 11 December 1847, a son Ezra Johanas was born. In December 1847, Abraham returned from his travels with the Mormon Battalion to his family. He found a little log cabin with a big fat hog butchered and hanging on the outside. In his own words, “that’s the grandest sight I ever saw.” He greeted his family and was so thankful to be again reunited with them. At once Abraham set about the make arrangements and preparations to take his loved ones to Salt Lake, the valley of the mountains. It took most of three years before they could get ready to leave Winter Quarters, and begin the trek. During that time the Mellon girl, “Aunt Charlotte” or later known as “Grandma Charlotte” was of great assistance when Elmira was sewing, weaving, knitting or away nursing. Two more daughters were born in Council Bluffs, Iowa, Juliette on 18 Oct 1848, and Alice on 22 February 1850. When the trek west began, there was work for all. Elmira drove one team of horses and two cows on one of the three wagons the men had built. Alice, the baby had to be carried most of the way. Elmira walked many a mile to relieve the load and to allow those unable to walk a place to ride. Charlotte also drove a team some as a relief. This company of fifty arrived in Salt Lake City 20 November 1851. Grandfather was a very good captain during their journey. Grandfather married the Mellon girl in President Brigham’s Office January 1852.

            They were still living at the south of Big Cottonwood in Salt Lake when Abraham Nelson was born 14 February 1852. The two families then moved to Springville, Utah and the following children were born in Springville; Laura Ann, 6 June 1853; Ira Alfred, 14 February 1855; Edwin Summers, 25 January 1857, and Ella or Geneva who died in infancy, was born on 22 March 1859.

            In these same years Elmira delivered for Charlotte six children. They helped one another with their many duties in caring for the families and Grandma Elmira did all the weaving and sewing for both families.

            In late spring of 1861 Abraham moved Elmira and her family to Mt. Pleasant into an adobe house near his mill where Albert Arlington was born 7 Aug 1861. The next move was to a 3 room house on the farm north west of town. The roof was good old mother earth, as most houses around were so built.

            In 1872, Abraham moved Charlotte to the farm. She passed away on 27 September 1872. Her eight youngest children were taken into Elmira’s home and she reared them as she did her own. The youngest was a baby of 9 months. They moved to town for the winter, returning to the farm for the summers.

            Grandmother Elmira had always known hardships and had little means financially until they took up residence near Mt. Pleasant. Then Elmira did not have to work so hard for people outside her home. Although she was always on call if needed.

            In 1884 they moved into the little town of Lawrence and grandfather soon built a large hall, which was the community headquarters for all recreations, with a small mercantile store in connection. When they held dances or other parties’ grandfather was generally behind the counter, but for the small trade Elmira was the one to do the waiting on customers. She was the only midwife in the valley, and continued her work for and near until the last five years of her life.

            While living in Emery County, in August 1885, she drove from the farm on Huntington River to Orangeville, to be with Ira and Polly when their son Abraham “Abe” was born 18 Aug 1885. She handed the baby to Ira saying “Here is you half grown Abraham”. So he was given the name Abraham after his grandfather and his sister who was born 6 December 1887, and was named after her grandmother.

            On May 21, 1888,when the Manti Temple was dedicated, Grandfather and Grandmother, their youngest son and wife (Arlington and Emmer) Ella Edwards, Ezra and Ella Day were there and remained until July the following year working. Ira and Polly’s five oldest children were sealed to them 3 July 1889. That summer the Days moved to the mountains to run a sawmill where Elmira like the younger women had many boarders. All their children marred except Ezra who remained single. Their children, grandchildren, and the great grandchildren were always around. Finally they left the old big house where they had seen births, marriages and parties. Christmas was always a big time.

Elmira continued making her salt-rising bread and her wonderful donuts. The cookie jar was never empty. She always known as Grandma Day by her family, friends, and passersby.

            After 62 years of married life, Abraham died 28 April 1900 and she prepared him for burial, desiring to do this last thing for him herself. Now being alone she soon closed up their store, etc. and moved to Castle Dale to live with her son Edwin and family. There she seemed to be reasonably happy and was always trying to help with all household duties. She passed away 24 December 1905 at 85 years and 11 months and was laid to rest by the side of her husband in the little cemetery in Lawrence, Utah.
Find a Grave

Writing your life history- not all in one Day

Capturing Living Memory

When I came across this article I was delighted. I am all about writing your personal history and that is what this article is also about. Here are some highlights or key points on writing.

Other keys Mr. Witcher suggested for beginning to write family stories include these:

Don't start writing at the beginning.

Don't think of sitting down to write a book.

Think in events and episodes.

Write in specifics: specific people, events and/or organizations.

Allow one event, memory or story to lead you to another event, memory or story, and write about them all.

Write fully rather than writing to get done. "You're never done writing."

Engage your senses in the writing process: sight, smell, sound, touch, taste.

Since I am still writing 2 newsletters, one for my ward Family History and the other is for the local Family History Center. This is the reason I am not writing one for the Day family any longer. I think this will be a good article to add to the Ward FH newsletter.

Family Tree Poem

“My Family Tree” Oh so many branches Are on my family tree. Each one tells a name from My family history. Grandma’s there and Grandpa, And lots and lots of greats. Each of these fine folks gave Me all my many traits. Branches that are empty Show names we haven’t found. But I’m sure to find them If I just look around. Filling in the branches Sure makes my tree look neat. When I know them all, then My tree will be complete. Jelaire Smedley, Friend, Oct 2009