Journey to Ishmael Phillips' Past (Part 1)--Looking for an LDS Baptism in 1800s England

In recent weeks, I have undertaken a major project that guarantees me months and months of research: writing a biography on Ishmael Phillips. The first fact I have sought to uncover was proving that my 4th Great Grandfather was indeed baptized into the LDS Church by then Mormon Apostle Wilford Woodruff on May 29, 1840. I have found several family histories claiming Elder Woodruff was Ishmael's baptizer, but I wanted more solid proof. Taking the information I already have, I sought to dig deeper on this matter.

Since Wilford Woodruff was a major figure in early LDS history, his records would be easily accessible for me being in a location with a major LDS repository. With Elder Woodruff being a prolific journal writer in his day, that is the first place I went. I only met with slight disappointment as I found a short entry for the date Brother Phillips was baptized for. The entry read:

"We met at the Creek & I Baptized 2 & Elder Richards Confirmed them & walked to Shucknell Hill. After meeting I Baptized 3, one a preacher on the plan. We Confirmed them & ordained one priest Benjamin Williams making 5 Baptized and Confirmed."

This gave me slight hope though. Shucknell Hill was in fact a location that Ishmael is associated with in some of his early church records. Deciding not to give up right here, I pressed on. 

A wonderful feature of the FamilySearch website that many people take for granted is the Family History Library Catalog. When you type "Familysearch.org" into the URL, you come up with the home view:

Under the "Search" link, you will find "Catalog." Click here and it takes you directly to the Family History Library Catalog:

You can change the way you want to browse the catalog, but in this instance I will use location--I normally like to start out basic and narrow down to specifics, so when researching England, I will start by looking at the records under the county. Choosing "Herefordshire, England," I will then be directed to a page of categorized links  associated with Herefordshire. Looking under the Category "Church Records," I see a microfilm I have access to, "Wilford Woodruff's Baptism Record, 1840."

Eager to view this microfilm, I confirm that the library indeed has it--which it does! Looking through it, I start looking at the baptisms performed in April, working forward. When I reach May 29, I saw for myself from a photographed version of a primary source, the proof of Ishmael's baptism I was seeking. Look for yourself on May 29, his name is with another, identifying the two individuals that Wilford Woodruff wrote in his own words that he baptized at the location he provided already:

Thanks to modern technology and the ease of finding available resources, I am one step closer to writing Ishmael's biography. I now have a more concrete date, place, and name to attach to an important event in his life, his baptism into the LDS Church. Miracles happen when you persist. If you do not know how to find something though, do not be afraid to ask for help or to try other avenues. 

Now I can say with irrefutable evidence that my 4th great grandfather Ishmael Phillips was baptized by the hand of Apostle Wilford Woodruff, who would later become the 4th president of the LDS Church. 

Grandma's Cunning Prank

Yet again, the stories and anecdotes unfold as I peruse over my great aunt's narratives. While reading about my great-great grandfather, I encountered this little gem as told by my great aunt:

"William made homemade 'Brew...' From this following story I get the impression that Grandma...didn't appreciate this very much. When William would leave to go to work—Ida put SALT into the mixture—she said the first time this happened it was by accident—but then she kept putting salt in the mixture every time William would make it...William blamed the failed brew on water and finally stopped making any. Can’t you just imagine Ida smiling in the background? Sounds like quite an ingenious lady."

Score:
Wife: 1

Husband: 0

Grandpa's Scandalous Purchase...Anecdote of the Day

Ah, the joy in finding small gems in the family histories you read through. I was amused to find the following anecdote as I was typing up my GG-Grandma Ella's history. The story centers on Ella and her husband David, lending a dash of color to the more pious members of my family tree.

So the tale goes as follows, told by the daughters of Ella and David:

"David, already in Oakland, had bought a rooming house (or Boarding House) and Ella was going to operate it. We stayed at the campground, and the next day Ella, David and I went to see the property David had bought. As we were going through the building Ella got VERY ANGRY..., and she took hold of Maud’s hand and started hurrying them along—cautioning Maud not to touch any of the walls, the doorknobs, or the bannister, and Maud realized Ella was VERY UPSET. Ella wanted us out of the building!!! And out of Oakland as soon as possible!!! I didn't know until years later that the property David had bought was...a house of ill repute, or whatever they called them in those days!..."

"...I have often wondered if my Dad had known about that house all along?? I don’t know how Mother found out what kind of a house it was—maybe the ‘tenants’ were still there? When she told me about it later, she...was very adamant about not telling me any of the details.”

Lesson of the day? Investigate your property before settling on a deal. And let your wife be part of the decision.

Going My Way--72 Years Later

USS Lexington exploding, May 8, 1942

May 1942...

A year not to be forgotten in the annals of American History: The U. S. had been fighting in the Second World War for less than a year, FDR was president during these troubled times, and newspaper headlines were reporting the overseas action on a regular basis. Many families were impacted, my own included--young men responded to the draft and their women left to pray for their safe return...

In the state of Utah, residents were also affected by the impending war...Headlines on May 8, 1942 reported U. S. Navy action with the Japanese, finances tied to military funding, Japanese atrocities in the Philippines, British troops in Madagascar, and many other stories about the war. As the newspaper progresses past world and national news, the reader finally jumps into local happenings. Towards the back of the newspaper is the event nearest and dearest to my heart: the obituary for my 3rd great grandmother, Harriet Lovinia Bowen Leavitt. 

Why would one obituary matter over others in my vast collection of obituaries? Because Grandma Harriet died where I now consider home. Although I did not grow up here, it has been home for six years now; it is here I went to school, found a job, dated, and started building my own life. What makes it most special is it's the city where she spent most of her life and where I first discovered my love of genealogy. 

Grandma came from Iowa, the daughter of prominent Mormon pioneers. After crossing the plains, they settled in my present area. Her husband, who was more than 20 years her senior, preceded her in death by almost 40 years. When Grandma Harriet died, she was currently the oldest women in town, passing away at the age of 97. Rest in peace, sweet lady, I am proud to live in your hometown and walk where you walked. 

Sympathy Saturday: Gone But Not Forgotten--A Poem to the Dean Family

I sit and ponder o'er your life

As by your grave I stand

Of how you brought into this world

The life now in my hand

You came into a muddled world

A small life to begin

Raised by the hands of those who loved

and gave their lives to kin

I think about your pains and joys

Your triumphs and your falls

I never met you in this life

But something to me calls

I feel I know you from those times

I read about your life

Your story lives inside my heart

And calms me through my strife

I feel a closeness words can't tell

I stand here by your grave

So grateful for a legacy

And what to life you gave

"Everybody Lives!"--and Other Genealogy Tips from the Doctor

Believe it or not, the Doctor would make a fantastic genealogist with the wisdom he has acquired from over his 900 year lifespan. Several of the ideas and gems he shares with his companions can be applied family history and the pursuit of our ancestors.

1. Books are the Best Weapons!  

“You want weapons? We’re in a library! Books! The best weapons in the world!” (S 2, Ep 2)

Indeed they are! Many library-rats would give their right arms for one that covers the surface of a planet—and a genealogist would never be seen again in such a building! But the Doctor makes a valid point—Books are the Best Weapons—Internet resources are only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to doing research. Books are an indispensable tool for the average researcher.

2. Life is a Pile of Good Things and Bad Things

“The way I see it, every life is a pile of good things and bad things. The good things don’t always soften the bad things, but vice versa, the bad things don’t always spoil the good things and make them unimportant.” (S 5, Ep 10)

Matt Smith said these beautiful words to Amy when she was grieving Vincent Van Gogh’s suicide. Although Van Gogh died in 1890, the pain was fresh to Amy after spending a day with the artist in attempts to vanquish the Krafayis. Like with genealogy, any time spent learning about an ancestor’s life is time not wasted. Any fact learned should be accepted as a part of that individual, good or bad. What matters is remembering your ancestor is human with a lifetime of good and bad things. Their existence and legacy is a part of you.

3. It's not Time but the Person

“Some people live more in 20 years than others do in 80. It’s not the time that matters, it’s the person.” (S 3, Ep 6)

This is another principle that hits home for doing genealogy. All people who lived made their

mark on history, big or small—my grandfather who died at 40 is not less important than my grandfather who turned 90 this week. Both have lived their lives and contributed to the fabric of our family.

4. I've Never Met Anyone Not Important

“In 900 years of time and space, I’ve never met anyone who wasn’t important.” (S 6, Christmas Special)

The Doctor said this one best—no individual, big or small, young or old, rich or poor, should be looked over. Everybody deserves to have their story told.

5. Everybody Lives!"

“Everybody lives, Rose. Just this once…Everybody lives!” (S 1, Ep 10)

A truly heartwarming moment--the cure for the gasmask people was in the nanogenes! The Doctor's love for life and its beauty is conveyed in his ecstatic proclamation: "Everybody Lives!" Who cannot cry with the Doctor over the joy of all who were thought to be lost regaining life? When doing family history, this is how I feel about "meeting" my ancestors; they come alive as I learn their stories.  

Who Stands Behind You?

One of the greatest ways to find out who you are is to discover where you come from. Begin to today to learn what you can about those who came before you. Who makes up your lineage?