tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-79788466440850524952024-03-13T16:05:40.516-06:00The McGee FamilyWhere the McGee family can keep in touch and share pictures, stories, information, etc. with each other. Great for family announcements!rayechealhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10824442790089530632noreply@blogger.comBlogger610125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-2011888722046002182024-02-28T09:39:00.000-07:002024-02-28T09:39:05.568-07:00Another History of the McGee Family from Elwood, an older brother of Ross McGee.<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;"><a href="https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/3813392?cid=mem_copy">https://www.familysearch.org/photos/artifacts/3813392?cid=mem_copy</a><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; mso-outline-level: 1;"><span style="color: #76a117; font-family: "Times New Roman",serif; font-size: 24.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">ELWOOD DEWITT MCGEE<o:p></o:p></span></p>Family Search [KWZL-4M1] written in 1962. He died in 1968 at age 90<p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">I
began my schooling at the age of 6. I well remember my teacher, Wallis Smith.
In those days we had to learn the ABC's. This teacher would take us on his lap
and have me say them after him. I continued my schooling under different
teachers until I was 12 years old.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;"> In September of 1890, the family moved to
the Cherokee Nation---Now Oklahoma. The reason for this move was because we had
Indian blood, so we went there to establish our rights----to get what
rightfully belonged to us. When the Cherokee tribe was moved by the Government
from the Indian territory, the McGee's as well as many others did not go with
the tribe. After arriving there we rented some land and engaged in farming.
Later we helped ourselves to some good land and built us a house. In the meantime
we had proven our Indian blood, then for 7 years we were in a law suit, but
during all of this time, we continued to improve our farm and raised cattle,
hoping the law suit would win and become thoroughly established. During this
time we continued our schooling, such as it was, for only 3 months out of the
year. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">Many of the people were very antagonistic towards us, calling us
intruders, taking possession of things that did not belong to us. This would
often be thrown up to us in school, which we boys did not like. It would
sometimes have to be settled with a fight, which of course did not help matters
any. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">The McGee's were finally defeated in the courts, so we had to give up our
home. If it had not been for a good few friends, we would of lost everything.
They bought our cattle and hogs. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">About this time some Mormon Elders came into
our district and taught us the true gospel in which we accepted. This of course
did not make it any better for us as far as the people were concerned. In their
eyes we were not only intruders, but we were horrible Mormons.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;"> This calls to
mind a circumstance that happened while I was working on a thrashing machine. A
few other men and myself were sitting under the wagons which were loaded with
wheat bundles. We were waiting our turn at the thrashers. One man made a
slurring remark about me joining the Mormon Church. Of course my Irish blood
just boiled, but before I said anything, one of the friends jumped up and said:
" I don't give a **** if Elwood did join the Mormon Church, he is still my
friend and I am a friend to him." Nothing more was said, so I didn't have
to say anything or give him a licking either. At that time I did not know
anything about turning the other cheek. This was in the Summer of 1899.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;"> During
this time we were busy making plans for our move Westward and settle somewhere
among the Latter-Day-Saints. Just where, we were not fully decided. We had 2
places in view: Old Mexico or Fruitland, New Mexico. After disposing of our
personal property as best we could, we bid farewell to the Indian territory.
This was in September.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">In this company besides us were: my uncle William McGee,
his wife and son, Thomas and his wife; also Mr. Hildebran and family, who was
the father-in-law of Thomas McGee. The company consisted of 4 wagons, 1 buggy
and 1 hack. We were the only ones belonging to the Mormon Church. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">We all agreed
before leaving, that we would not travel on Sunday, so every Saturday at noon
we would make camp until Monday morning, then continue on our way toward the setting
sun. We all enjoyed our travels very much, as we were seeing new things every
day. Our family and the Hildebrans were made up with a lot of young people,
which made it very pleasant for us youngsters. My father was 41 years old, but
we thought he was quite old.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;"> We all had good health during the entire journey.
No tragedies of any kind, nor ill feelings among any of the company. One of the
Mormon Elders that labored in the Indian territory and that had stayed in our
home had also confirmed me a member of the Church lived in Manassa, Colorado.
He made a special request for us to visit with his family---which we agreed to
do. We found them to be a very nice family and they treated us very kindly. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">I
will state again that we would make camp on Saturday at noon, but this time we
told the rest of the company that we would drive into Manassa, Colorado. It was
farther than we thought, so we did not get there until Sunday. They were having
Stake Conference. Apostle Heber J. Grant was there. This is the first Apostle I
have ever seen. We attended the 2:00 P.M. session. During his discourse,
Brother Grant talked about some of his business dealings. He said that someone
had asked him how he was getting along with his obligations, as he was very
heavily in debt. He told this party that he was getting his debts where he
could handle them all right, as he now only owed 80 thousand dollars. I thought
that was a terrible debt to owe up to this time. We had never been in debt at
all. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: "Verdana",sans-serif; font-size: 13.0pt; letter-spacing: -.1pt; line-height: 115%;">Sunday night we stayed with the Boise family. We did not know when we left
our camp Saturday at noon that we would not all travel together again.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> When we
left Manassa, Colorado, we took the wrong road. Instead of going to Antonito,
Colorado, we went further South. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">When we got to the Continental Divide it was
Sunday. Fearing that we would get into a snow storm, we again broke the rule.
Before crossing the Divide we got a good supply of feed for our teams but
didn't get very much food for ourselves thinking of course we had plenty to
carry us to the next place.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> Again we got on the wrong road and finally ran out
of food entirely. I will here state, we had long given up going to old Mexico
and had decided to go to Fruitland, New Mexico instead. It being almost sundown
we made camp. You can imagine how we felt in a canyon and no road. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">On looking
across the canyon we saw a group of men and horses so Ulysses and I got on our
saddle horses and started over where these men were. As we got closer to them
we could see that they were Indians with painted faces. The leader of the gang
came alone to where we were as close to us as there was a big wash between us.
He could talk good English. He said that they were on the war path with the
Mexican people as they were intruding on their land and as they saw us they were
coming over. We told him that we were moving through the country and was lost
as we had some way missed the right road. He told us if we were to cross the
country to the North of us we would get on the right road.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">I have thought many
times since how easy we could have been killed, if Ulysses and I had not gone
over to them - that might have happened. The next morning we started across the
country and traveled until noon. We found no road so we decided to backtrack
and get back to where we had camped the night before. You can imagine how we
felt. The Indians had told us the truth about the road, but we were just afraid
to go on any farther, without any road to travel on. So here we were, having
gained nothing. Our teams were very tired as we had traveled all day over very
soft ground - making our own road. We were here in a narrow canyon with no road
to lead us on. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">We were nearly out of our food supply so we had to ration
ourselves. The younger children seemed to understand our situation, so they too
would eat very little. We had no idea where and when we would be able to get
any more supplies for ourselves and also our teams. However, our teams were not
in as bad a situation as we were. We went to bed feeling very discouraged and
lonely. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Up to this time we had not formed the habit of family prayer. Just new
in the church, we had a lot to learn. Although I don't doubt but what the most
of us would offer up a secret prayer now and then. I think that most people do
during their lives and thank the Lord for their blessings. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">At this time if
anyone needed help we sure did. That night as I lay in my bed before going to
sleep, I prayed very earnestly that it might be opened up for us to know how
and where to go. That night I had a dream (or vision), you may call it what you
will. In that dream I saw a light wagon go down the canyon. It was so real that
I got up just as soon as it began to get daylight and walked out to the place
where I saw the wagon, or hack as they were called, and I saw the tracks this
vehicle had made. It was just as plain as could be as though it had just been
made. I told the folks after they got up what I had seen and for proof I showed
them the tracks. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">So after breakfast (that is what it was after a fashion - not
much - but it tasted mighty good), we started on our way, following the tracks.
We had to cross some deep gullies and would have to take our pick and shovel
and fill the gullies up so we could cross them. The tracks of the dream-wagon
was there and had crossed without fill these washes up.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> On we went and finally
came to a road or at least we could call it a road that had not been traveled
very much. To our great joy we came up to a Mexican sheep camp. After telling
him of our troubles and of being almost out of food, he gave us what he could
spare - which we were thankful for. He told us to keep on going down this
canyon, that it would take us to the Large Canyon. It would take us to the San
Juan Basin. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">So on we went feeling much relieved but we still had to keep on our
rations as it was a long way to go before reaching the river - and water was
another problem. One day as we stopped for noon, we dug a hole in the wash and
got some water so Mother made us some biscuits from the flour the Mexican had
given us. The water was everything but clear but my those biscuits were good.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> We finally got to the river so Ulysses and I got on saddle horses and crossed
the San Juan river and went over to a store. We told the family that had the
store our situation - that we were hungry and had been going on rations for
several days. That we had run out of money, we had no change - only a
government check. They let us have what we wanted and needed. Just before
leaving, this man's wife said "I have a lot of cookies I would like to
give you if you won't be insulted." I said, "Do you think you could
insult a hungry person by giving them something good to eat such as
cookies?"</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> When we got back to camp we began to prepare a real supper. We
peeled a lot of potatoes, and I mean a lot, and put them on to boil. Mother
made a lot of good biscuits. After everything was done, we began dishing out
the potatoes, meat, and biscuits for a real good supper. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">To our surprise we
could not eat the potatoes. Somehow in getting everything ready for a real good
meal the bar of soap that Mother had been using got mixed in with the potatoes.
The potatoes were clean but not edible. We had to prepare another supply of
spuds (as they call them in the West). We always called them Irish potatoes. We
finally got a real supper and how we did enjoy it. We went to bed with our
appetites really satisfied. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">The next morning we crossed the San Juan river and
went back to the store and pawned a gun (22 caliber) as they could not cash our
check for more supplies. We then headed down the river for Fruitland, New
Mexico. We arrived there on Saturday, November 18, 1899. We thought of all
places - this was it. We did not feel like saying as Brigham Young "This
is the place - STOP!" We felt like saying, "Drive on", and if
our teams had been in shape we would have done just that. We had been on the
road for 62 days (with two very hard weeks). Our team was all in, so here we
were and would have to make the best of it whether we liked it or not. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">We went
down to the San Juan river and made camp. One of our horses died during the
night. Sunday morning some of us went to Sunday School. Not knowing anyone, we
were strangers in a strange place. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">We found a small house which we moved into
for the Winter. I went to work for Bishop Ashcroft for $15.00 a month. I worked
for him all winter and part of the summer. After I quit working for Bishop
Ashcroft I worked for a man by the name of Stephens for a while. I bought me a
cow from him as pay for my work and from that one I soon had several head of
cattle.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> We later purchased a farm of 160 acres for $4000,00. That was a lot of
money in those days. 80 acres of the land was in alfalfa-hay. As there were 6
boys in the family, we didn't have to hire any help. We would put up 200 tons
of hay each year. The price of hay at this time was $5.00 per ton or $10.00
hauled and delivered to Farmington, New Mexico. We also had a lot of fruit,
which we would haul to Durango, Colorado and other places to market. Fruit was
also very cheap as well as everything else we had to sell. By being conservative,
we managed to meet our payments on the farm and meet our obligations. The
people in the valley were all poor in those days, just existing, and making the
best of everything. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">This was in the wagon and buggy days. Mostly wagon. A lot
of people wanted us to haul their produce to Gallup, New Mexico. It took from 8
to 12 days for the trip, and sometimes we hardly made enough to pay expenses. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In those days we had to make our own amusements, such as dances and plays. We
would put on some home talent, which was very good, and was enjoyed by all. I
had the privilege of being in a lot of those plays. The second Winter we were
there, Ulysses, Henry and I went to school in Fruitland, New Mexico. We had
rented a small house in Fruitland, New Mexico and stayed there during the week
(going home Friday Evening and back Sunday).</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> Harvey Tanner was our teacher. We
all liked him very much, although he didn't belong to the LDS Church. Our
school was held in the ward meeting house. It was also used for all our
entertainments, such as plays and dances. Apostle Brigham Young and Brother
Cowdrey would come very often to our quarterly conferences as Brother Young had
a wife living in Fruitland. We had some wonderful conferences in that small
Church house. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In the Spring of 1902, a family by the name of Hunt moved into
the valley and purchased a farm in the Jewett Valley about 6 miles from
Fruitland. Brother William James and Sister Elise Schmutz Hunt, like the
McGee's, had a large family. One of the girls (Celia Hunt) in the family, and
I, well, I became very much interested in her welfare. We began to keep
company, which resulted in marriage on October 11, 1904, in the Salt Lake
Temple.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">[<i>Ross McGee married her sister Irene Hunt in 1907 in the St George Temple</i>]</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> Celia was a very beautiful girl, or at least I thought so, and winning
her over was not too easy a job, as I had to get rid of several suitors, who
thought I was hunting out of Season. From this marriage came 10 noble children,
seven boys and three girls, all living except our youngest, Lawrence. We lost
him at the age of 14.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">I want to pay tribute to my noble wife. She has been a
wonderful wife to me and I want to say to all of my boys and girls that you
have been blessed with one of God's elect to be your mother. She has been very
devoted to her family. Not only to her family, but true to God and the Church,
always doing good to someone, even doing good for evil. We stayed in Fruitland,
New Mexico for 3 years after we were married. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In the Summer of 1907, we sold
everything and went by train to LaGrande, Oregon. That being a great fruit
country, I worked in the fruit (mostly apples). I would pack them in the box
cars ready for shipment to many places. Later I went to work for the Sugar
Company, as they had a factory there. I worked in the beet fields and never did
have to work in the factory, always on the outside.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> I should have said that
when we left Fruitland, New Mexico, all of the McGee's left and they all came
to LaGrande. My father and some of the rest, worked in the factory. After
staying there for 2 years, we all went into Idaho (Nampa). There we McGee boys
went into the contracting business of clearing and plowing sage brush land. We
would complete the job for $7.00 per acre. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">After working at that for sometime,
we sold out and moved to Oakley, Idaho, and went into the movie-picture business.
We stayed there for awhile, then sold out and moved to Richfield, Utah and went
into the picture business there. This was not a very good paying business. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">I
finally sold out my interest and went to work for Mr. Stillman on a large farm.
I worked for him for 2 years. Then we moved to Springdale, Utah. My father and
mother, James Grover (my brother) and his wife went with us. My brother, Ross
and his family had moved there a little sooner. This was in the Fall of 1916. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">About a year later, my brother, Henry and family, also moved to Springdale,
Utah. By that time there were quite a number of McGee's there. We boys helped
to build the road into Zions National Park. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">We left Springdale, Utah and went
to Harrisburg, Utah and rented some land from Joseph Lee. After staying there
for a little over 1 year we moved back to Kirtland, New Mexico after an absence
of thirteen years. We bought a home from Elmer F. Taylor which consisted of a
home and ten acres of land. We gave him $1800.00, paying $500.00 down and the
balance on time, which ran on for a number of years as we had a large family to
provide for.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;"> We loved our home in New Mexico. It was here that I began my
church activities. I was ordained a Deacon and set apart as president of the
quorum. Later I was ordained a Teacher and labored as a Ward Teacher. Later on
I was ordained to the office of Priest. I was ordained an Elder on the same day
as we were married on October 11, 1904 by W. W. Writer. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In the Spring of 1905,
we rented a farm from Larkin Beck. It was located at the head of what we called
"lovers lane". It was here that our first child was born, Harvey Leo.
The next year we rented a farm from the same man. This is now known as the AL
FOUTZ ranch. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">Oh yes, while we were in Nampa, Idaho, it was under the Western
States Mission, at that time presided over by Melvin J. Ballard. He later
became one of the council of the Twelve. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">In the Spring of 1920, we were settled
in Kirtland and I had many opportunities to serve in the church. I was called
to preside over the young Mens Improvement Association, which position I held
for 10 years. I was released from this position and called to preside over the
Sunday School. I held the position for 4 years. I was then called into the
Stake Sunday School as a counselor. After being released from this I was called
into the High Counsel of the Young Stake. I held this position for 12 years and
served under 3 stake Presidents namely Elmer F. Taylor, Roy B. Burnham, and
Willard C. Stolworthy. After being released from this position I was called and
set apart as President of the High Priest Quorum of the Young Stake. </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="background-color: white; color: #4f4f4c; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: 13pt; letter-spacing: -0.1pt;">After
serving in this position for 4 1/2 years Celia and I were called by President
Stolworthy as guides on the Mesa, Arizona Temple grounds. This was in 1952. On
December 7, 1953, we were called as ordinance workers in the Temple. We were
still guides on the grounds too. I was released as a guide after 8 years. Celia
was released 1 year prior. I am still carrying on in the Temple and will until
my release if my health will permit. I have enjoyed each of my callings to the
fullest. I will be 84 on October 1, 1962. THE END</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-81768993496693185592023-06-01T05:18:00.000-06:002023-06-01T05:18:44.661-06:00<p> Alpheus Gifford is one of my 3rd great grandfathers. This <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39DzT1p4CI&list=PLAQjirPyEfLDhEqBSvC5byKdu1rmTRT5H&index=9&t=74s"> video clip is a reenactment of a talk by Brigham Young</a><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R39DzT1p4CI&list=PLAQjirPyEfLDhEqBSvC5byKdu1rmTRT5H&index=9&t=74s" target="_blank"> </a>where he talks about hearing the Testimony of the Gospel from humble followers of Christ before Brigham Young joined the church. And this is a picture from the video showing someone who might represent Alpheus Gifford. He was a Methodist minister in Pennsylvania who joined the church and then shared with people from his congregation. Eleazer Miller was a member of his congregation and later LDS branch. The talk was given in Salt lake City in the 1850's but the testimony was heard in Columbia Pennsylvania in January1832.</p><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEDz7BdqdNIbg0kVoXJamTKtBSxdKFckw0HOY92_Zf0yweRc1YWE1MFmg9pW4a36w4_S7Jy1mA8FAA6j-hhMIcDcGvwjg1_zp4QpeDdSpW9nuHc7MfwDG5JDtqxNDk15lR1Pg-n26KMA9x8Cz2h2-rxrc0GT0a0l2DF39nHKNWXEThZA1m-HNnKH-H" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="" data-original-height="313" data-original-width="211" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhEDz7BdqdNIbg0kVoXJamTKtBSxdKFckw0HOY92_Zf0yweRc1YWE1MFmg9pW4a36w4_S7Jy1mA8FAA6j-hhMIcDcGvwjg1_zp4QpeDdSpW9nuHc7MfwDG5JDtqxNDk15lR1Pg-n26KMA9x8Cz2h2-rxrc0GT0a0l2DF39nHKNWXEThZA1m-HNnKH-H" width="162" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-18488890064435166842020-12-17T20:38:00.004-07:002021-01-19T12:39:39.841-07:00Gifford Chairs<p> Samuel Kendall Gifford was an apprentice for Edwin Whiting [KWJW-7B9] in the Nauvoo area where he learned to make chairs. Edwin Whiting was also the local branch president who performed the wedding of Samuel to Lora Ann Demille in 1848. She was a granddaughter of Joseph Knight. They initially pioneered in Manti Utah in 1851. By 1865 they moved to Rockville in Southern Utah and later to Springdale which is surrounded by Zion National Park.</p><p>He continued to make chairs and taught some of his sons the same skill. There were some complaints about the quantity and quality of wood available for them to work with. Recently I met via Family Search a third cousin of mine (another 2nd great grandson of Samuel Kendall Gifford) by the name of Bill Fairbanks. He owns two of the Gifford chairs and today sent me photographs of the chairs. </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Z-_Bc5iOoo/X9wjYOdAVPI/AAAAAAAATJQ/JLv10b_QvJ40ZrpySgOCcq28gzqzdM0TACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GiffordChairs_BillFairbanks.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/--Z-_Bc5iOoo/X9wjYOdAVPI/AAAAAAAATJQ/JLv10b_QvJ40ZrpySgOCcq28gzqzdM0TACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/GiffordChairs_BillFairbanks.jpg" /></a></div><br /><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4LQEwXqMHo/X9wjV5TixhI/AAAAAAAATJM/6JUUvJCplQsVGgGpZbS8gEH6yYvfBKVlACLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GiffordChairs_BillFairbanks_single.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2048" data-original-width="1536" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-T4LQEwXqMHo/X9wjV5TixhI/AAAAAAAATJM/6JUUvJCplQsVGgGpZbS8gEH6yYvfBKVlACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/GiffordChairs_BillFairbanks_single.jpg" /></a></div>Very intriguing ropework. I think I'll try to match that weaving. Should be a fun project.<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36-GetH5BBI/X9wj__0UMtI/AAAAAAAATJc/5Gcn38yfVqgXThB6RlCsE-lEhtVvVfHSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s2048/GiffordChairs_Ropework.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1133" data-original-width="2048" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-36-GetH5BBI/X9wj__0UMtI/AAAAAAAATJc/5Gcn38yfVqgXThB6RlCsE-lEhtVvVfHSgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/GiffordChairs_Ropework.jpg" width="320" /></a></div><div><br /></div><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-size: 13px;">Update from Bill Fairbanks: "The rope weave was done by my father [Merwin Gifford Fairbanks KWC8-L1X] in the same pattern as the old leather stringing that was taken off of the chairs. He stripped the layers of paint and put the rope weave seat on in the late 1950s.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px;" /><span face="arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #202020; font-size: 13px;">[The chairs] are mine. I understood that they actually came across the plains."</span><br /><p></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p><p><br /></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-28823320307243100472020-12-04T11:19:00.003-07:002020-12-04T11:26:20.453-07:00Ross McGee: The rest of the Story<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span><span style="font-size: 13.3333px; text-align: left;"><b>The Ross McGee Family Story: Installment 5</b></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><span><i style="font-size: 10pt;">(In the words of Myrna McGee Smith) </i></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">After the war was over Ward
and Irene [Despain] moved to Granite while he attended school at the University of Utah.
They later moved to Coalville where Ward was Principal and teacher at the North
Summit LDS Seminary. After leaving </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Coalville, Ward was
Coordinator of Seminaries in Southeastern Utah at Price, Utah and then
Coordinator of Indian Seminaries in Provo, Utah. Later they lived in Pullman,
Washington where Ward received his doctorate degree.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then to St George, Utah where he was Director
and teacher at the LDS Institute at Dixie College. They had many church
callings from Bishopric, High Priest Group Leadership, teaching opportunities
for both of them. Prior to his retirement they went to Hilo,Hawaii at the LDS
Institute for four years. It was an enjoyable experience for them. Since that
time Ward and Irene have served at the St George Temple.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ward and Irene are the
parents of three children. Mary Ann, Steven and David.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">School began for the family
of Ross and Elsie McGee during that year of 1943 in American Fork, Utah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lloyd, LaRaine and Colleen were at the
American Fork High School and Leola and Myrna at the Harrington
Elementary.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lloyd and LaRaine both had
jobs very quickly after we moved to American Fork. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">They worked for Bob Crookston
hauling hay and later LaRaine worked for Mutual </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Creamery which was later
called Arden Dairy.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">It was an adjustment
especially for Myrna after attending a school in Granite with three grades in
one room to a school in American Fork that seemed so large and overwhelming to
her.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">She was in Miss Rasmussen's class (who was</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">very stern and irritable) She
went to school with Leola and wanted to stay </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">with her, but she couldn't go
in her class so she left the school and walked home and told Ross that she
wasn't going again.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He very patiently
told her that she had to go to school and he would take her.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The next day she would go to school and then
end up going home again and each time Ross would take her back to school.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Then she told the teacher she
was sick so she would spend time in the sick room until the door got locked and
she couldn't get out and she screamed out the window for someone to let her
out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After that she decided she would
have to go to class and finally seemed to adjust.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The next year in the fourth
grade she did much better because she had Mrs. Hill for her teacher who really
gave her special love and attention that she needed and she like school after
that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Solon was married to Louise
Christiansen, a daughter of Henry Oscar and Eloise Christiansen on November 14,
1943 in Salt Lake City. On May 12, 1944 they were sealed in the Salt Lake
Temple. They are the parents of six children: Diana, Kathleen, Michael, David,
Melody and Rosemary. Solon died on October 4, 1983 and was buried in Kearns,
Utah.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross didn't work at Geneva
Steel very long because of his age he had to quit and find other work. In 1944
he was working for Walker Construction as a night watchman near American Fork
Canyon. Walkers Construction was putting in a big pipe line and had been
filling in the trench over the pipe by taking one of the construction roads and
pushing the dirt from it as a fill.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We
had heard that there was a big fire up the canyon so Lloyd and LaRaine drove up
to make sure that Ross was alright. As they drove along in LaRaine’s Model A
the dirt road<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>came to a an abrupt halt
and the road dropped 10 feet.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lloyd’s
head hit the rear view mirrow necessitating several stitches in his forehead.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He woke up the next morning in the hospital
with a sore knee which resulted when his knee put a dent in the area of the car
under the dashboard.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">After living in American Fork
for a time Ross became active in the 4<sup>th</sup> Ward where he became close
friends of those in the High Priest Group and enjoyed their friendship. Elsie became involved in genealogy and family
records and they began attending the temple very often.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">After working at different
jobs Ross began selling McNess Products and worked at this for sometime until
his health didn’t permit him to do very much.<o:p></o:p></span></p><span style="font-size: 10pt;"></span><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lloyd worked at Geneva Steel
for a time when he was a senior in High School working the swing shift for six
months. He graduated from American Fork High School in 1945 and the
following</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">month was drafted into the
Army.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">His basic training was at Camp
Roberts, California. He later signed up for three years in the regular army
joining the Corps of Engineers. In January 1946 he was sent to Germany where he
was with an engineering company and was assigned to guard the war prisoners.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">LaRaine graduated from
American Fork High School in 1946. He
stayed with Ward and Irene for a time when he worked for Al Despain on his
farm. Later he lived in Salt Lake with a friend Paul Hansen. After Lloyd
returned from the service he also lived with LaRaine and Paul. LaRaine
eventually had his own business in construction and under ground telephone
lines.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">On November 16, 1949 LaRaine
married Dolly June McCandless, a daughter of Gene and Hazel Green
McCandless in the Salt Lake Temple. They made their home in Salt Lake City where
LaRaine continued with his construction business.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">LaRaine was active in the
Scouting Program in their Salt Lake City Ward for about fifteen years, which he
enjoyed very much.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He and Dolly have enjoyed all
of their antique cars which he started getting even when he was still in High
School and through the years. They have enjoyed traveling with a group of
friends driving the antique cars on many trips.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">LaRaine and Dolly are the
parents of four children: Susan, Gary, Kenneth and Kerry.</span></p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Colleen graduated from
American Fork High School in 1948. After her graduation</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">she was employed at the Mt States Telephone
Co. She worked in American Fork and later was transferred to the Telephone Co
in Salt Lake City where she lived with a group of girls.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">On January 17, 1952 Lloyd
married Marna Ruth Maynes, a daughter of John Alexander and Sarah Louretta
Despain Maynes.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Marna was a cousin of
Ward Despain and a sister of Fred and Colleen Maynes. They were married in the
Salt Lake Temple.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">They lived in Salt Lake City
where he was going to school at the University of </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Utah. They later moved to
Wilmington, Delaware for Dupont Co. as a Research Chemist. In 1959 they returned
to Utah where Lloyd worked at Thiokol in Brigham City until his retirement.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lloyd and Marna are the
parents of eight children: Larry, Karen, James, Linda, John, Robert, Patricia
and Heidi.</span></p><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lloyd and Marna have served
in various callings in the church over the years, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Lloyd serving in the
Bishopric and High Priest Group Leadership. Marna has enjoyed serving in many
teaching and other callings.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Since his
retirement he and Marna have served in the Ogden Temple and at St Louis,
Missouri serving a Temple Mission during 1998-99.</span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Leola attended American Fork
High School through her Jr year and then moved to Coalville, Utah to live with
Ward and Irene during her Sr year and graduated from North Summit High School
in Coalville.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-family: "Javanese Text"; font-size: 10pt;">Leola married Roger Ball,
son of William Alton and Mary Rogers Ball, on April 17, 1953 and lived in Salt
Lake City for a number of years and then moved to Pleasanton, Calif. They are
the parents of three children, </span><span style="font-family: "Javanese Text"; font-size: 10pt;">Connie,
Mary and Diane. She worked in banking while she was there. Roger and Leola were
later divorced. She later moved to St George, Utah and there she continued
working in banking. </span></p><p style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">On July 7, 1992 Leola married
Elwin (Pink) Rees in the Jordan River Temple and lived in Salt Lake City and
recently in 1997 built a home in Hoytsville, Utah.</span></p><p style="text-align: left;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">She has served in many
position in the Church through the years. Primary and </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Relief Society and in the
Young Women MIA program.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Myrna graduated from American
Fork High School in 1953 and began working at First Security Bank in Salt Lake
City. A business teacher from the high school referred several girls to work at
that bank to give them experience.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">On Oct 12, 1953 she married
Kale Smith, a son of Clyde and Florence Jeppson Smith. They were sealed in the
Salt Lake Temple June 24, 1955. They lived in American Fork until Kale was
called into the service training in Ft Hood, Texas and later at the Hanford
Works in Richland, Washington. They lived in Kennewick, Washington. In 1958
they returned to Utah and lived</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">again in
American Fork. Myrna worked in Provo at Deseret Federal Savings and Loan.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">In 1962 they moved to Salt
Lake City, Utah and lived there for ten years and </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">then in 1973 returned to
American Fork. Kale worked for Gibbons and Reed Construction Co. as a
Superintendent for highway construction until his retirement. Myrna worked
again for Deseret Federal Savings and Loan and then </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">from 1973-1999 at Bank of
American Fork.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Kale served in the Elders
Quorum Presidency in Salt Lake City and American Fork and Counselor in the High
Priest Group and Temple Assignment Coordinator. Myrna has served in the Primary
in Salt Lake City and American Fork and in the Young Women MIA program and
Missionary Coordinator.</span></p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Kale and Myrna are the
parents of three children: Judie, Marcia and Carol.<o:p></o:p></span></p><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Colleen married Frederick
Despain Maynes, a son of John Alexander and Sarah Louretta Despain Maynes on
Sept 10, 1954 in the Salt Lake Temple. (Fred is a brother of Marna Maynes
McGee. and cousin to Ward Despain). Fred and Colleen lived in Salt Lake City
and then built a home in Granite, Utah.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fred worked at Jordan School
District as an electrician and building inspector </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">over construction of new
schools.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Through the years he served as
Scout Master</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Elders Quorum President,
Ward Clerk and in the High Priest Leadership. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Colleen served as MIA
Secretary, Primary, cub scouts, Librarian.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Fred and Colleen are the
parents of five children: Mark, Kurt, Jolene, Kevin and Brent.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p></div><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross spoke so often of his
early life in Missouri and Oklahoma and always had a desire to return there one
day. He was able to realize that desire
when Leo </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">and Gladys took him on a trip
back to Oklahoma in October 1962 and it was such a thrill to him. They went
into Kansas and then to Oklahoma and Ross knew his way. He was only fourteen
when he left there but he recognized it. It had been modernized some and he was
so thrilled at the thought that he could go out where the old garden was, where
they raised melons.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">The farm wasn’t
little anymore, it was now a fifteen thousand acre cattle ranch but the well
they had dug in his youth was still there.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">
</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross was a great story teller and he enjoyed telling about his life
there. He remembered so well the Dalton Brothers, the famous racketeers and
told how they would greet them in their fancy saddles.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">They gave these brothers watermelon they had
raised and he thrilled to tell the story. He remembered the pond they played in
but now it was a big lake with a dike. He talked about the ducks and geese they
used to hunt there and as they traveled along he seen many ducks and geese and
thought what a beautiful sight that was to him.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> <o:p></o:p></span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross would tell about the
missionaries who came to teach them the gospel of Jesus Christ and how they
enjoyed being around these Elders and how they got converted to the gospel and
about their baptism.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">He remembered how they just
left their home there in Oklahoma and traveled to New Mexico and told how they
got into Blanco Canyon and run into the Indians, </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">who were all painted and they
would scare people and how they ran out of food and how they had faith in the
Lord that they would get through this situation and how they ran into a Mexican
sheepherder and how he provided them with flour so they could make bread to
eat.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross remembered moving on to
Richfield and Springdale and into St George and the struggles they had through
the years. And after moving north to Draper and Granite, how he would always
talk of returning to St George again, how he had loved it there and always
wanted to go back.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross has enjoyed the
closeness of his family through the years and has loved each one very dearly.
He was proud of everyone of them. </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">His posterity was eleven
children, forty-one grandchildren, one hundred- twenty great grand children and
the number of his great great grand-children will continue to grow.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">There is much mention of the
lives of his brothers and sisters and his own children and not just a story of
himself, but his family was his life whom he loved so much.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Elise lived with Ross and
Elsie through her life time until they had to live at Alpine Care Center and
then she lived with Leo and Gladys for several years. She was very devoted and
gave much service to her parents.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross’s health continued to
fail through the late 60's and 70's and in Nov 1975 was unable to care for
himself and for Elsie so they then went to the Alpine Care Center.</span><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Elsie passed away on April 28. 1976 and for
the next two years it was very lonely for Ross without his wife. His health
became worse and he passed away September 6. 1978.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Ross was now able to return to St George,
Utah where he and Elsie McGee are buried at the St George Cemetery.</span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-81372352809739472262020-11-02T17:40:00.004-07:002020-11-02T17:57:47.492-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Ross Solon McGee Story: Installment 4</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(in the words of Myrna McGee Smith)</i></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;">In April 1938 Ross McGee and
his family moved a few miles north to Granite.
The town of Granite has a lot of history and was a special place to
live.</p><p></p><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Granite is a story of a land
and its people.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granite is of Rich
Pioneer Heritage...</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">As early as 1859 the land on
which Granite Ward is located was used as a camping ground for workers who were
cutting rock in Little Cottonwood Canyon to be used for the building of the
Salt Lake Temple.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was soon found that
this granite was excellent stone from which to construct this great Mormon
Temple.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Solomon Joseph Despain was
the first person to homestead Granite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>He homesteaded 160 acres and later sold several acres to different
individuals.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It should be noted that most
of the people who lived in Granite were related to each other from his line.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Granite was originally called
Ragtown because there was no permanent<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>buildings.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The residents lived in
large railroad tents that closely resembled large giant rags.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The town of Granite grew to be a town of
considerable importance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Granite was
also known as Temple Rock Quarry.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
forty years of removing granite stone to build the Salt Lake Temple Granite
became a recreational paradise as well as a spiritually rooted environment
where families could live
peacefully and with total commitment to their God. Granite was fast becoming a very good place
to live.</p></div><div class="WordSection2">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We moved into a home owned by
Roland Egbert. Roland was a cousin of Charles Despain’s family. We were good
friends of many of the Despains and eventually became related to them through
marriage of family members. We were able to live in Roland Egbert’s home for
five years just for taking care of the house and the land. This house years
earlier was the Granite School. Later the front part was built on. This house
had not been lived in for a long time so it was in need of repair and painting,
so with the help of Gladys & Leo and Russell and Alice it was fixed up so
we could live in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The house was a
brick home with lots of rooms, the front room had an arch-way making two front
rooms but one was made into a bedroom and it had three other bedrooms, a big
kitchen and a storage room on the back of the house. It had no bathroom and no
running water.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There was a well outside
(called a cistern). We had to draw water out with a bucket out of this spring
well. During the summer we kept the cistern full of water by flowing in water
from the irrigation ditch. We would fill it in the fall but that generally was
not enough to keep it supplied all winter. As a result we had to haul water in
10 gallon milk cans for our water supply. Each spring we would clean out the floor
of the cistern so we could start the process over again. The house was on a large area with fruit
trees and a place for a garden and a berry patch and another area of Barnes and
a chicken coop. We had a team of horses that us little kids would ride while
our Dad walked behind the plow tilling the garden area.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">The old Granite Ward holds
many memories.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was on the corner a
block down the street from our home. The church was called the White church
because of the color of the bricks which were painted white.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There were approximately 150 people in the
ward while we lived there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we first
moved into this Ward in 1938 our first Bishop was Riego S. Hawkins with J. Fred
Potter and Charles W Despain as Counselors and S. Peter Peterson was Ward
Clerk.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Brother Peterson often said very
long prayers and we called him St Peter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 1939 James Whitmore (who
was also the school Principal) was called to be Bishop with Elbert Despain and
Emerson Hand as Counselors and Joseph W Despain as Ward Clerk. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We have memories of the many
church dinners and get togethers in the basement of the church. Our mother made
many quilts and doilies along with others where they held bazaars and other
fund raising dinners to help cover the cost for our Ward.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Our mother had a calling in
the church as Blazer Teacher and spent a lot of time working with the young
boys in our Ward.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">After Ross quit working at
the Draper Feed Mill, he worked in Granite building rock irrigation
ditches.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He built a rock wall on the
side of our house to separate the yard from the orchard area.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He was very proud of his rock wall he built
and it was there for over fifty years.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We really loved it while we
lived in Granite.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lloyd and LaRaine
spent many hours building little roads up through the oak brush and trees where
they could drive their go-carts they made out of old wagons or push old car
tires up and down the hills and run after them and try to reach them before
they would fall over which was a great sport in those days.</p></div><div class="WordSection3">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There was a time when we
drove over to Draper to see Uncle Jim and Aunt Sally when LaRaine and Lloyd
were playing with a dog and when we drove back home the dog had followed our
car back to Granite, so we had to take it back to Draper to try and find the owner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Uncle Elias had two dogs that kept getting
into his animals so he gave them to the boys.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>One dog we had was very
attached to Lloyd and LaRaine and each day about four o'clock it seemed to know
when the bus would be coming and it would run down the road to meet them. All
us kids loved that dog but it got in some people's fox or mink farm where they
had poison set out and it began to foam at the mouth so Dad had to put it to
sleep. Dad buried the dog at the top of the field and it was really a sad day
for all of us.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There was a lot of wild cats
that hid under the shed except when Dad and Mom were around they would rub
against their legs and purr but would run and hide if us kids came around, so
we didn't like them very well and if we could catch them we wasn't to nice to
them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We didn't have running water
in the house so it paid off to have a well close to the garage. Myrna was
playing like she was a movie star and of course had to roll up paper and play
like she was smoking a cigaret until the burning paper burned her fingers and
she dropped the burning paper right next to a bottle of gas or oil and it
caught the garage on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Lloyd had to
run to the well to get water to put out the fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then the waiting for Dad to come home and to
have to face him was very hard for her. But he just sat her on his lap and was
very kind and told her of the dangers of playing with matches and that she must
never do that again. It was a well learned lesson.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Down the street from the
church was the Granite Elementary School. It was a two class room school with
one teacher, Miss Broadhead who taught first, second and third grades and the
Principal Mr. Whitmore who taught the fourth, fifth and six grades.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of the students were kind of scared of
Mr. Whitmore because he was very strict with them and they knew he meant
business.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">There were mountains and
hills that surrounded Granite and one such mountain will always be remembered
the year of the big fire.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">It was thought that Don
Peterson, who was the son of Mrs. Weiss who lived on the corner from us had
caused it. He had an argument with his step-father and went up on top of the
mountain and set the fire. As the time passed the fire got steadily worse and
by night it was a full blaze.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Late into
the night you could see the flames rolling down the hill side and going across
the road as it reached our house and sparks hit the roof.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We had to get out of the house and Dad took
his important papers and took them down by the garden and buried his strong
box. It was a great relief when the fire was out.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> T</o:p>he boy, who was thought to
be responsible continued to get into trouble and a little later the Weiss home
burned to the ground and it was thought by some neighbors that maybe he was the
cause of that fire too. Later in his
life he went to jail for car theft. It was then that the Weiss family moved
away from Granite. They moved to Delta where they managed a bakery. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Our families spent a lot of
time together, mostly Leo and Gladys and Russell and Alice. Golda lived in New
Mexico so we didn't see her very often.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One year we had a surprise
birthday party for Dad that was really fun. Leo and Gladys hid their car up in
the field so when he came home he wouldn't know what was going on. Mom had a
nice dinner prepared with homemade ice cream for dessert. Us kids played hide
and seek out in the sugar cane and we trampled down the stalks in a lot of
places. After Leo and Gladys and Russell
and Alice left Dad went out to do his chores and seen what we had done so we
were in a lot of trouble.</p></div><div class="WordSection4">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We also spent a lot of time
with the family going to Liberty Park and taking our picnic lunch and riding on
the rides and riding on the Ferry Boat around the pond.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We went to Lagoon on occasion which gave us
many memories and many good times together.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">We became acquainted with the
Despain family when we first moved to Granite in 1938. Merland Despain was our
paper boy and on occasion his brother Ward would bring the paper (most likely
so he could see Irene). In the winter Merland had quit so LaRaine took over the
paper route. Ward had a new bike so he gave his old one for LaRaine to use.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">One of the memories we have
was that of Sunday morning December 7, 1941 when Pearl Harbor was bombed by the
Japanese and it threw the United States into World War II. When we were at
school following the attack,it was announced by the President of the United
States that there would be a black out. No home or business was to have on any
lights on and there was such a feeling of fright.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">In 1941 when Irene was 16 and
Ward was 19 years old they started dating in between Ward being away at college
and Irene was still in High School. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">With the war going on the gas
was rationed and so there wasn't much opportunity for them to go on dates in a
car so Ward came to our home for dinner quite often and they would go for walks
around Granite. This was usually on Sunday and every time they looked behind
them there was five brothers and sisters tagging behind.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This happened quite often and Irene would get
so mad at us and wanted us to quit bothering them. But we continued to be the
five little pest and kept following behind them.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Even the night they got
engaged Leola was behind the curtain watching the whole thing when Ward gave
Irene her engagement ring.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>Ward knew he would soon be
called into the service and would have to leave so they decided to make plans
for their wedding. Irene wouldn't
graduate from High School until the end of May.
But They knew their future was very uncertain with the war and wanted to
get married before he left.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p>Charley and Elsie Despain
became very special to our family. When Dad worked at the Arms Plant during the
war each week-end Mom and the boys would go pick him up. Elsie Despain would
come over to our house just to check on us kids and make sure we were alright
while we were alone or she would come over and we would just go for walks up
through the fields picking wild flowers and visiting with her. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ward and Irene were married
March 19, 1943 in the Salt Lake Temple. Mom and Charley and Elsie Despain and
members of their family went to the Temple to see them get married but Dad
wasn't very active in the church at that time so he couldn't go. It must have
been hard for him not to be there.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
had a wedding reception at Ward's brother and sister in-law Joseph and Nina
Despain's home in Granite. It was a special day for all of us.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ward and Irene lived in a one
room cabin that Ward’s grandfather had built many years earlier. It was used in
Logan for Ward to stay in while he went to school. After they were married Ward hauled it back
to Granite for them to live in behind Despain’s home. One day she made a
delicious looking lemon pie for Ward and left it setting on the cupboard when
LaRaine, who was working for Despains after school was tired and went into the
cabin to get a drink of water when he seen that lemon pie and just thought he
would take a little piece of it. When
Irene came home she knew exactly who had done it and was she ever mad at him.</p></div><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">Ward was called into the
service about two weeks after their marriage. On April 5, 1943 he left with a
group of R.O.T.C. friends for Camp Callan, Calif. After his basic training
Ward’s group was sent to Logan, Utah to attend a special school and Irene was
able to be with him again for about two months and then Ward got his orders to
ship out to Officers Training School in North Carolina and wives were not
allowed to go so Irene left Logan and returned to Granite and stayed with
Despains for six months . War time was a very hard time not knowing when they
would be able to be together. Ward got his new assignment to California when
Irene was able to be with him but it only lasted for two months. It was so up
and down not knowing what was coming next until new orders came and then it was
to Georgia and Alabama where they could be with each other again but for only a
short time and then the orders came for overseas duty. Irene then returned to
Granite and stayed with Despains again. </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">A year after Ward entered the
Army he became a 2<sup>nd</sup> Lieutenant and was promoted to 1<sup>st</sup>
Lieutenant during the year he was overseas. After a month on a ship as they
crossed the Pacific Ward arrived in the
Philippines and served there for a time and he was then sent to Japan. After
serving overseas he was able to return to the States to finish out his service
time and Irene was able to be with him until his discharge.</p><p class="MsoNormal">On July 18, 1943 Emerson Hand
was called as the new Bishop of the Granite Ward with Elmo Despain and Joseph
Despain as Counselors.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> He and his wife Margaret had
lived at the Wasatch Resort in Little Cottonwood Canyon just above Granite since
1930. Just six weeks prior to this new calling his wife Margaret died while
giving birth to their fourth daughter and left Bishop Hand with an overwhelming
responsibility both at home and in the ward. Many wondered how he could
possibly take on this responsibility as a Bishop but many came to his aid. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> One person especially who
helped him was Geneva Pingree, a neighbor up in Wasatch. She became a wonderful source of help to him
in the care of his children. A nurse, Genevieve (Geneva) Glen who had helped his wife Margaret in the
hospital before she died later began to date Emerson Hand and a year later in
1944 he married Genevieve and in the four years to follow she gave birth to
twin girls and a little later one more girl making seven daughters for the
Bishop. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"> During the summer of 1943
Ross had been told that they were hiring at Geneva Steel. In August 1943 Ross
bought a home from Cyril Gines and the family loaded all their belongings and
moved to American Fork. It was hard for us kids to leave Granite. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> to be continued:</o:p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-41476114081536827382020-11-02T17:15:00.006-07:002020-11-03T14:03:31.500-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <b><span style="font-size: medium;">The Ross Solon McGee Story. Installment 3</span></b></p><p style="text-align: center;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(in the words of Myrna McGee Smith)</i></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal">After the family left
Crescent they moved just a few miles south to Draper into the Fitzgerald home.
Russell milked cows at a dairy there and Leo would come and haul the milk to a
creamery in Murray. Gladys worked for Rasmussens
in Sandy and for Alma Smith in Draper doing housework. She stayed at Smiths
while she went to school at Jordan High School in Sandy and worked for them
after she got home.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gladys married Leo George
Bateman on Oct. 14, 1929 in the Salt Lake Temple. He was the son of George Leo
and Milrhea Cushing Bateman. Leo and Gladys lived on a farm in Sandy where they
had chickens and fruit trees. Leo was working for a dairy hauling milk at this
time.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Golda was working for the
Shaws doing housework. She lived in with the Shaw family while she went to
school and then worked for them after school. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>After Golda got out of school
she went down to Kirtland, New Mexico to live with Uncle Elwood and Aunt
Celia. She can remember how sad Ross was
when she left and he had tears in his eyes and Golda cried as she waved
good-bye to him as she looked out the back window of Uncle Elwoods truck and
waved to him until they were out of sight. </p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Russell followed Golda down
to New Mexico and stayed with Uncle Elwood and Aunt Celia for awhile and then
he returned back to Draper where he worked for Boyce's on their dairy. There was one time he almost lost his foot in
a farming accident hauling hay.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Golda met Lloyd Taylor in New
Mexico and since her church records were still in Utah Ross had to talk with
the Bishop to get a recommend for her to be married in the Temple. They were married in the Logan Temple Jul. 9,
1930. They made their home in Kirtland,
New Mexico. Lloyd and Golda are the parents of four children: Leo Bryce, who
died at birth, Con, Robert and Ravelle.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Lloyd and Golda were later
divorced. <o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>On October 19, 1962 Golda
married Ernest LaCell Brammal in Springville, Utah.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They have made their home in
Mapelton, Utah.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>It was about this time in
1930 Ross and his family moved across the railroad track and lived in the
Walbeck home which only had a frontroom and one bedroom. Ross and Elsie slept in the frontroom and all
the kids slept in the bedroom.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p>Colleen was born on July 20,
1930 at the home in Draper. Elsie had
been out picking dewberries that day and then Ross had to go get Dr. Sorenson,
who had to come from Riverton. Elise
hurried and got the baby things out of the trunk and then heard Colleen cry and
she seen that red hair. Aunt Sally came
down to help dress her and Ross had to bottle the dewberries. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Colleen was born Elsie
got real sick with what was called Brights disease which had to do with the
kidneys and she had blister like sores all over her legs and the Dr said she
probably<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>wouldn't live very long, but
she finally got better.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ross worked for Joe Mickelson
on his egg farm where he gathered and washed the eggs that were then sent to
the stores to sell. He also worked at the Draper Feed Mill, along with his two
teen age sons Lloyd and LaRaine.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Ross built a home in Draper
which looked the shape of a chicken coop.This home was across the street and
down the road from Jim and Sally Washburn.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p></div><div class="WordSection2">
<p class="MsoNormal">On June 3, 1933 Leola was
born in the home at Draper. Leo and Gladys picked out her name.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When she was about seven or eight months old
Elise would take her over to see Grandpa McGee.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>His health was failing at this time and he would motion for Leola to get
her attention and would touch her fingers with love and affection . Grandpa
Solon Huff McGee died at the age of 80 on Feb. 3, 1934 when Leola was eight
months old and was buried in Draper, Utah.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Elise can recall the many
skunks that Grandpa McGee had. He had a bunch of them that he kept in a pen.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They didn't have any scent and were treated
like their pets.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Sept. 30, 1935 Ross and
Elsie's sixth child Myrna was born at their home in Draper. A neighbor Mrs.
Maxfield asked LaRaine if his Mom had her baby yet and he said "well sure,
she's two years old.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This was Leola
since he didn't know his mother was going to have another baby. LaRaine walked
in and asked what was Rhoda Washburns baby doing here.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Gladys and Leo lived on a
farm in Sandy, Utah in a two room house when they had their first baby Randall
Leo on June 27, 1932 but he only lived a few hours and died that same day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>On Oct. 23, 1936 they were able to adopt a
baby boy they named Bruce Kent. They later moved to Salt Lake City in the Sugar
House area. Leo and Gladys were active in their Stratford Ward for many years
where Gladys served as Relief Socity President and later the Stake Relief
Society President.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In about 1934 Russell was at
a dance with Leo and Gladys where he met Alice Greenwood, a daughter of David
Ezra and Sarah Jennet Bishop Greenwood from Sandy Utah. They were married in
the Salt Lake Temple Oct. 15, 1937.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
have three children Russell Stamn Jr, Cheryl Ann and Boyd Russell.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Their first child died the day of his birth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Russell and Alice lived most
of their married life in Salt Lake City. They were active in their Kenwood
Ward where Russell served as Elders Quorum President and High Priest Group. He
and Alice served in many callings there.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Russell died on January 30,
1985 and was buried at Mt View Memorial Estates.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In February of 1938 Ross and
Elsie were getting ready to drive into Salt Lake City to go shopping. It was a
cold winter day so Ross had built a big fire in the stove to keep the children
warm while they were gone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Irene was
thirteen years old and was going to tend the other children. Ross was warming
something on the stove to be used to help his car to run when it burst into
flames and caught the whole house on fire.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>Ross tried very hard to get the fire out and to get what belongings they
had out of the house and in the process was burned badly himself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In a very short time the house was completely
destroyed along with most everything else they had.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Our family moved in with
Uncle Jim and Aunt Sally for a short time and then we moved into Uncle Jim's
brother Ross Washburn's other home. We all felt a close love for Uncle Jim and
Aunt Sally.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They had a chicken farm and
we loved the many times we were there, having a lot of fun with our
cousins.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We never went to see Uncle
Jim's and Aunt Sally's home without her making sure we had something to eat and
she always made us feel welcome.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1936 Elias and Etta (a
younger sister of Ross) left St George and moved to Draper, Utah where he
worked for two brothers called Sapp and Sapp running their farm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was while Elias worked for them that he
fell from a hay stack and broke his back and from then on he wasn’t able to do
very much. They lived for a time in Grandpa Solon McGee’s home and later lived
in Murray at about 4200 So. 9<sup>th</sup> East.</p></div>
<p class="MsoNormal">There was a time when Lloyd
and LaRaine worked for one of the men in Draper. (I think a Mr. Smith) and
they received an old bicycle for payment. This was a small two wheeled bike
which didn’t have a chain on it and only had one pedal, but it would go if they
pushed it, so they would push it up the hill and then ride down. At this time
Gladys and Leo were still living in Sandy, which was a few miles from Draper
and they decided to go visit them by riding the bike. Gladys remembers that
LaRaine had said to Lloyd, “Lets go see Gladys, she might have something good
to eat”. They left without telling our
parents where they were going but somehow Gladys let them know where they
were. We didn’t have a telephone, but
she must have called the neighbors who transmitted the information. Later that day Leo and Gladys took them home.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">They knew they were in
trouble so the instant they got home they ran out into the back yard and
started to gather wood. Mom heated water in a tub outside to do the laundry and
they thought this might alleviate the punishment that would be forthcoming. It
didn’t seem to do very much good, however.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Solon had been going to
school in St George and when he was in the 9<sup>th</sup> grade he came up to
Draper and lived with Ross and Elsie again and attended Draper Jr High and was
there until Grover and Martina left St George and moved to American Fork, then Solon
went back to live with them and attended school at American Fork High School in
about 1938. Solon would visit often with Leo and Gladys and with Russell and
Alice. He would knock at the door and then Alice would see his face pressed up
against the window with a big grin on his face.
Later Grover and Martina moved to Brigham City and operated a bakery for
Leo and Gladys for a short time and then they moved to Salt Lake City. They
lived at about 5<sup>th</sup> South and 4<sup>th</sup> East Salt Lake City and
then at Rose Park near North Salt Lake where they lived until they died.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p></p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></b><p></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-61237879523410363882020-11-02T17:08:00.002-07:002020-11-02T17:55:28.664-07:00<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="font-size: medium;"><b>The Ross Solon McGee story: Installment 2</b></span></p><p style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b style="font-size: medium;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><i>(in the words of Myrna McGee Smith)</i></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Ross McGee and Elsie Gifford
had been acquainted for a long time but Elsie had left Springdale and was
living with her brother Nathan and her mother in Delta, Utah. So they wrote
letters to each other and then on May 23, 1922 they were married in the St
George Temple. On this same day Russell was baptized at the St George Temple.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Henry and LaRetta and their
family lived by the D at the black hills in St. George. It was while they were living
there that Russell and their boys were playing and found an old bullet shell
when Arden picked it up and it exploded and blew off the fingers of one hand.
They had to rush him to the hospital, but he had to spend the rest of his life
with no fingers on one hand.</p><p class="MsoNormal">At one time when Ross and
Elsie were living at the Gregson home in Washington Fields in St George an
Eagle kept flying around near Elise and Gladys was real worried about her for
fear the Eagle would hurt her.</p><p class="MsoNormal">On Elise's birthday on Dec 4,
1923 Martina took her to the St George Temple to be baptized. After her baptism Martina took her back home
and Gladys told Elise to go get a comb so she could fix her hair. At this same time a bunch of kids were hiding
in another room and surprised her with a surprise birthday party.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In 1924 Ross and Elsie were
living out in the Washington Fields where Ross worked a farm for
Seegmillers. One day when he was coming home with the wagon and the team of
horses, he began crossing over a bridge at the canal when the horses were
spooked, they reared backwards breaking the spring tooth. Ross was on the round seat when the horses
came backwards on to him, and he knew he had to squeeze out before they started
struggling. He was certain his back was broken because his legs were numb but
he knew he had to get out from under those horses. He crawled on his stomach up
and out of the canal and was crawling on his stomach when Mr. Seegmiller came
along and seen him there. Mr. Seegmiller
got the horses and wagon and then lifted Ross into the wagon and took him to
the house. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Golda ran a mile to a drug
store to get medicine for the pain he was having. There was a Dr. Nelson, who was a
Chiropractor. He came to the house to help Ross get better and hopefully be
able to walk again. Dr. Nelson was a
very large heavy set man, and also blind
When he would come to the house to help Ross, He would feel his way
along the hedges until he could find the door to the house.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Ross learned to walk again by
pushing a chair in front of him. It took him a year of doing this to learn to
walk again. </p><p class="MsoNormal">Elsie was expecting her first
child before this accident happened and on Feb. 20, 1925 Irene was born. Then
the following year on Oct. 18, 1926 their second child Lloyd was born, but at a
different house because they had moved again.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When Golda was sixteen years
old in 1927 she was given a job at the Hotel in Cedar City so Ross drove her
there. He was very worried leaving her there and kept telling her to make sure
the door to her room was securely locked.</p><p class="MsoNormal">On Jan. 24, 1928 LaRaine was
the third child born to Ross and Elsie. They had moved again so he also was
born in a different home.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Jim and Sally and their
children left St George in 1924 and moved to Draper along with Grandpa Solon
Huff McGee. Beverly and Bruce were born in Draper. They first lived in a house that looked like
a chicken coop and later built their home where each one helped and they moved
in during the year of 1934.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Henry and LaRetta left St
George and it is thought that they settled near Bluff or Riverton and lived
there for awhile and later moved into Salt Lake City.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In September 1928 Ross and
Elsie and their family loaded their Model T Ford with as much of their
belongings that they could and had someone move the rest of their furniture in
a big cattle truck when they moved up north. They moved into a home in Crescent
which was between Sandy and Draper on State Street in a house that was behind a store and service
station. </p><p class="MsoNormal">In about Dec of 1928 when the
family was living in Crescent Russell and Elise with some friends were playing
Cops and Robbers in the barn where there was a granary and Elise had ran onto a
cellar when Russell was chasing her and it caved in with her.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Another time Elise and
Russell and another neighbor girl were playing in a building they played by
when Elise went up a ladder and fell through the door out into the driveway and
scraped up her face rather badly. Gladys was in bed after having surgery for
mastitis and had her tonsils out and Leo had just come over to see her. They were going together at this time and he
got there just as Elise fell and got hurt.</p><p style="text-align: center;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">While they were living in
Crescent Elise needed to go and get the milk down the road at Atwoods and Irene
wanted to go with her but Elise told her she couldn't go because she wasn't
cleaned up and it’s a good thing because when she and Lloyd were out playing he
wandered out by a sheep or a goat that was tied up by the irrigation ditch and
he fell in, so Irene ran and told Russell that Lloyd had fallen into the ditch
and he ran as fast as he could go and pulled him out just before he went through
the culvert. Elise said when they got
him back to the house and was getting him dry they asked him how he was and he
said just "shine". He was only
a little past two years old. They were
very lucky that he didn't drown.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal"><br /></p><p class="MsoNormal">to be contniued:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><b><br /></b></span></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-27744784535158249852020-11-02T16:50:00.001-07:002020-11-02T16:51:24.079-07:00Ross S McGee: The rest of the story...<p> <i>In clearing my Dad's office, I found an unlabeled disk with a Word perfect document on it. I had already uploaded an excerpt from this to his Memory on Family Search. But I feel like now is a good time to share the rest of the story. It does overlap with living individuals but I think it is so long ago, that it will be ok with them and will bless their kids to know more about how they lived. I think this document was created by <b>Myrna McGee Smith</b>.</i></p><div class="WordSection1">
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;"><b><u>THE ROSS SOLON MCGEE STORY</u></b><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span> The continuation of Ross Solon McGee's
story after 1900. The McGee family had been living in Fruitland, New Mexico and
at last had bought a farm at the head of the valley. It was a beautiful farm to
them, with plenty of fruit trees and other good crops and they felt that nature
was smiling down on them.<span style="font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span>William James and Elese
Schmutz Hunt began their life together on March 22, 1878 and were married in
the Salt Lake Temple. Their children are Annie Elizabeth born Jan 2,1879 and
William Albert born Sept.15, 1880 while they lived in St George, Utah. They
then moved to Pine, Arizona where on Apr. 10,
1882 their third child Martha Louise was born. Then between 1883 and
1888 Ida, Cecelia and on May 6,1888 Irene was born. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"> </span>In the spring of 1883 the people
of Pine, Arizona built a fort and lived in it with all their livestock for
several weeks to protect themselves from the</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Apache Indians who had
threatened all the country until the troops from Fort Defiance defeated the
Indians and took them back to the reservation.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Then the Hunts had to give up
the home they had worked so hard for because they were asked to go to Tuba,
Arizona. On Oct 10, 1892 another son was born to them and was named Elroy.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Mar.3,1902 they left Tuba
and let the horses lead the way and they traveled toward San Juan County New
Mexico and finally arrived at Olio (now Kirtland). They finally bought a place
in Jewett Valley with the $2,200.00 they had received from the sale of their
property in Tuba, Arizona.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was at this time in 1902
that the McGee family became acquainted with the Hunt family. Elwood and Ross began dating their daughters
Cecelia and Irene, and Ulysses was dating Matilda Palmer. During the next six
years there would be a wedding every year for the older children.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Oct.11,1904 Elwood and
Celia Hunt were married in the Salt Lake Temple. They are the parents of
Harvey, Stella, Ruth, William Elwood, Charles Ellis, Richard, Clifton, Lawrence
and Celia.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">The following year on
September 8, 1905 Ulysses and Matilda Palmer were married in Kirtland, New
Mexico. Their marriage was later solemnized in the Salt Lake Temple on April
10,1912. They are the parents of Iona, Ethel Ruby, Ray, Newell, Bertha, Erma,
Glen, Wayne, LeRoy, and a child Amelia. The correct order for her is not known.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Mar. 22, 1907 Ross McGee
married Irene Hunt in Kirtland, New Mexico. They are the parents of Gladys,
Golda, Russell, Elise and Solon. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">It was during the year of
1901 that Sally met Jim Washburn in Kirtland, New Mexico when they were eleven
years old. Jim's family had moved from Huntington Utah. A son of James Fredrick and Lydia
Spencer Washburn. They went to school together, rode horses, danced etc., and
as all young folks do. . . they fell in love!</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">There had been so many storms
and flooding that it ruined a lot of the farm ground and it became hard to make
a go of the farming so the Solon and Emily McGee family moved to LeGrand,
Oregon in 1907 looking for better farming. It seemed that if one member of the
family moved most of the others soon followed.</p></div><div class="WordSection2">
<p class="MsoNormal">Jim Washburn soon followed
Sally to LeGrand, Oregon, there he worked in the apple orchards and stayed
close to the McGee family. In October 1908 at the age of eighteen Jim and Sally
traveled by train to Salt Lake City, Utah and were married in the Salt Lake
Temple October 8, 1908.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">At this same time Henry was
dating Laretta Wilson whose family had previously moved from Salem, Idaho. A
daughter of James Henry and Phoebe Coleman Wilson. They also traveled to Salt Lake City and were
married in the Salt Lake Temple on Oct. 8, 1908. They are the parents of
Thelma, Ivan, Arden, Carl, Cleome and
Kenneth.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Feb. 10,1909 Carr married
Pearl Vilate Stolworthy in the Salt Lake Temple. They made their home in New Mexico. They are
the parents of Melvin Carr, Roscoe Henry, Jewel Solon, Fern and Kenneth Lamar
(called Kelly).</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jim and Sally Washburn made
their first home in Nampa, Idaho. Solon and Emily and the rest of the family
left Oregon and followed them to Nampa, Idaho still looking for work and farm
ground. They contracted with some farmers to clear their ground for farming.
They would take large log poles and wrap heavy
chains around the poles and would pull the poles with the team of horses
to clear the sage brush from the ground to cultivate it for planting.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Here in Nampa, Idaho Ross and
Irene had their first child Gladys on July 23, 1909 and Jim and Sally's first
child Nita was born on Aug. 27,1909.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">In 1911 the McGee family
along with Jim and Sally Washburn moved to Oakley, Idaho. On July 7, 1911 Ross
and Irene's second child Golda was born. </p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On Dec. 18, 1911 Jim and
Sally's first child Nita died and was
buried in Oakley, Idaho. They grieved greatly over the loss of their baby.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">During this same year in New
Mexico the great flood of 1911 washed away much of the best farming land. All
the Hunt family could do was to save their cattle by going on higher ground and
there they planted fruit trees.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">Jim's family had moved from
New Mexico to Blanding, Utah so Jim and Sally decided to go there, too. They
traveled in a covered wagon. Here in Blanding their three children Emily, Myrl
and James LaVar was born. Then three
years later they moved to Springdale and here two boys Guy Mack and Clem was
born. In 1920 they moved to St George
where Jim worked at farming. He peddled farm produce to Cedar City. One child was allowed to go with him. Jim
taught good things to do and say. He gave 13 eggs to the dozen, an extra ear of
corn and heaped his cups of fruit. He
said this was his "...and then some".
It made him happy. The days ended with the children kissing their
parents. They always said " Good night, I love you". Jim and Sally often said, "Don't let the
bugs bite". There was no
electricity and no inside water. The
water had to be carried in the house and boiled on the wood burning stove.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">After Jim and Sally left
Idaho with much struggle in finding work the McGee family moved back to Utah
and settled near Richfield. They worked on a ranch in Siguard, Utah and Ross
and his brothers ran a show house in Richfield.</p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On July 4, 1913 Ross and
Irene's third child Russell was born in Richfield, Utah.<o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal">On July 22,1914 James Grover
McGee married Martina Nelson Grevsen in Richfield Utah. Their marriage was solemnized in the St
George Temple Mar. 26, 1918.They are the parents of Garth, EuGene, Dorothy and
Louella. They also had Solon, son of
Ross and Irene McGee in their home for many years after the death of his
mother.</p></div><p class="MsoNormal">On September 2, 1914 Louella
married Herbert Norman who is the son of Mons and Julia Johansen Norman from Mt
Pleasant, Utah. They are the parents of Rex, Miriam, Clarence, Rowland and Bonnie.
After their children were grown they went to the Salt Lake Temple on Aug. 10,
1973. Through their life they were very involved in Lodge and Club
Organizations. Herb worked as a farmer,
railroad worker and later in his life construction in building bridges.
He was very proud of the many bridges he built.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The McGee family left
Richfield and moved to Springdale, Utah during the year of 1915. Ross and Henry
still made their molasses. Henry would
usually boil his until it was real dark but Ross made his into a caramel color
and his would always sell first. They would haul it on wagons to Cedar City to
sell it.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Irene was expecting Elise and
shortly before her birth she was resting under a tree at their home laying on a
hammock when a snake came down the tree onto Irene's shoulder and scared her so
bad she went into labor. It wasn't quite
time for her birth since she wasn't due until Dec. 22nd so Ross and Henry had
traveled to Las Vegas in their wagons with the team of horses to sell their
molasses so he was not at home when Elise was born on Dec. 4, 1915. Elise only
weighed three pounds and could fit in a shoe box.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For a number of years William
Hunt had encouraged Ross to take his family to the Temple. Eleven years after
their marriage they went to the St George Temple and were sealed together on
March 22, 1918. On this same day Gladys
was baptized at the St George Temple and then she and Golda, Russell and Elise
were sealed to their parents.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Early in 1919 Grandma (Emily)
McGee became ill and on May 2, 1919 at the age of almost 64 she died. The many
years of packing up and moving across the country must have been very hard on
her. She was buried in Springdale, Utah</p><p class="MsoNormal">The family later moved to St
George. Ross and Irene lived in a home in St George in Berry Springs, here they
raised water melons. Ross, Grover and
Henry ran a bakery and a candy store.</p><p class="MsoNormal">On Sept. 16, 1919 Golda was
baptized at the St George Temple. Two days later on Sept. 18, 1919 Solon was
born to Ross and Irene. Four months
after Solon’s birth Irene became very ill with the flu. From the memory of Golda, second child of
Ross and Irene: In early 1920 much flu was going around, but at the church the
Primary was having a dance and party and she wanted to go so bad.</p><p>
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Her mother said she didn't
want her to go and get around the other children because there was so much flu.
Golda stomped her feet and cried until her mother finally let her go. Soon both
Gladys and Golda were sick and then Irene caught the flu and it was soon an
epidemic. Irene was to sick to care for
herself and go to bed because of her young family and a small baby. When she got worse she had to stay with Aunt Orpha, she was the wife of one
of Elese Hunts brothers. She lived under
the D at the black hill in St George. Irene just couldn't get better and it was
here that she died February 12, 1920. She was buried at St George, Utah.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">After Irene died Ross's
brother Grover and his wife Martina took Elise and Solon. Golda stayed with
them quite awhile to help with Solon and Elise.</p><p class="MsoNormal">It was a very hard time for
Ross and his young family to be without Irene.
Elwood and Celia were living in St George at this time so Gladys and
Golda stayed quite often with them after their mother died. Gladys was staying
at Julia Foster's home where she worked for her doing housework after she got
out of school. </p><p class="MsoNormal">
</p><p class="MsoNormal">Ross would travel in the
wagon with the team of horses to Grover and Martina's to see Solon and
Elise. Elise would hide out in the wagon
so she could go home because she didn't like staying with Grover and Martina,
so Ross took her back home with him.<o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal">to be continued:</p><p><br /></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-57308622722522016312020-10-15T11:55:00.006-06:002020-10-16T16:47:53.496-06:00Marna Ruth Maynes McGee 1931-2020<p> </p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOdD5hJoSc8/X4iMxQoc6GI/AAAAAAAAS18/E2wvmreBWcw9epLsFLhNy0PpaiaZebGCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1294/mom%2Bobit%2B1.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1294" data-original-width="854" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-oOdD5hJoSc8/X4iMxQoc6GI/AAAAAAAAS18/E2wvmreBWcw9epLsFLhNy0PpaiaZebGCgCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/mom%2Bobit%2B1.jpg" /></a></div><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Za6oZpo4TgA/X4iMxZkyAgI/AAAAAAAAS14/TnWSmXPAnc0pj7QcwrkLJ4DorPz0_LnKACLcBGAsYHQ/s1221/mom%2Bobit%2Bcrop.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1221" data-original-width="1078" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Za6oZpo4TgA/X4iMxZkyAgI/AAAAAAAAS14/TnWSmXPAnc0pj7QcwrkLJ4DorPz0_LnKACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/mom%2Bobit%2Bcrop.jpg" /></a></div><br /><br /><p></p><p class="ydpee13c7e2msonormal"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif" style="color: white;">Marna </span></p><h2 style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "libre baskerville", "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif !important; font-size: 22px !important; line-height: 1.1; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-top: 20px;">Obituary</h2><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">BRIGHAM CITY - Marna Maynes McGee, 89, passed away on October 14, 2020 at the home of her daughter Heidi in Ogden Utah. Marna (nee Marna Ruth Maynes) was born in Butlerville, UT on September 1, 1931 to John Alexander Maynes III and Sarah Louretta Despain. She was the 9th of 10 children and the first daughter which was excitedly announced by the Doctor.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">She married Lloyd Ross McGee on January 17, 1952 in the Salt Lake LDS Temple. They shared almost 65 years together. Lloyd and Marna moved their young family to Wilmington, Delaware for three years, then returned to Utah in 1959.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Marna was an active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, and faithfully served in many callings. She served a temple mission at the St. Louis temple, a Senior Couple mission to Brattleboro Vermont in the Boston, Massachusetts Mission. She served in Primary, Young Women and Relief Society, and served for 20 years as an ordinance worker in the Ogden and Brigham City Temple.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Her interests were her family. She was active in PTA, 4-H and cub scouting having served in many leadership positions. Her children are widely scattered and she and Lloyd traveled often to visit the grandkids on their special occasions including a baby blessing at a Coast Guard Light House in Washington State and baptisms in Delaware, Florida, North Dakota, California and Alaska.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Marna loved to travel with her sister Mary and their husbands to visit many Temple dedications and attending a session.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Surviving are her children: Larry (Michele) McGee, Pacifica, CA; James (Carla) McGee, Neola, UT; Linda (Dave) Anderton, Palmer, AK; John (Julie) McGee, Riverside, CA; Robert (Rachel) McGee, West Jordan, UT; Patti (Frank) Kasten, Phoenix, AZ; Heidi (Monty) Pickrell, Ogden, UT; 28 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren; brother Fred (Colleen) Maynes and brother-in-law Leroy (Mary) Jones, sister-in-law Myrna (Kale) Smith.</p>
<p class="ydpee13c7e2msonormal"><span face=""Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #444444; font-size: 15.4px;">Preceded in death by her loving spouse, her parents, brothers: Darrel, John, William, Lawrence, Alden, Robert, Gaylen Maynes and her sister Mary Jones, daughter Karen (John) Atwood, and two grandsons Clarence Atwood and Derek McGee and one great-grandson Nathan McGee.</span></p>
<p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Funeral services will be Wednesday, October 21, 2020 at 11:00 am at Myers Mortuary Chapel, 205 S. 100 E., Brigham City, UT. A live stream of the service can be viewed on Marna’s online obituary page at <a href="http://www.myers-mortuary.com">www.myers-mortuary.com</a>. see also this<a href="https://www.myers-mortuary.com/obituary/Marna-McGee?fbclid=IwAR0xcV1SHQtdTxIaV1oLgEzrTUfEWKuk5niwBRhjH2V5foFToSZdyW2jm-c" target="_blank"> link:</a></p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Viewings will be Tuesday from 6:00 to 8:00 pm and Wednesday from 9:30 to 10:30 am at Myers Mortuary. The family requests that those attending follow social distancing guidelines and masks, as recommended by the CDC.</p><p style="background-color: white; box-sizing: border-box; color: #444444; font-family: "Helvetica Neue", Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15.4px; margin: 0px 0px 10px;">Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery.</p>
<p class="ydpee13c7e2msonormal"><span face=""Helvetica",sans-serif"><span style="color: white;">Condolences may be sent to the family at <a href="http://www.myers-mortuary.com">www.myers-mortuary.com</a></span><span style="color: #26282a; font-size: 10pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></p>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-14694725029704717202020-07-09T10:31:00.003-06:002020-07-09T10:31:42.038-06:00Land Records in Missouri for Solon H McGeeThe <a href="https://glorecords.blm.gov/" target="_blank">Bureau of Land Management </a>(the original BLM) maintains records of land grants and purchases. These can be used to piece together family history. Here is a <a href="https://glorecords.blm.gov/details/patent/default.aspx?accession=MO5760__.085&docClass=STA&sid=vlnhn5fb.e2q#patentDetailsTabIndex=0" target="_blank">document </a>I found today. A land patent from 1882 with William Micager McGee and his brother Solon H McGee (our Great Grand father). William was 14 years older than Solon so its interesting they went in together on this land. I think they moved to Oklahoma and then to New Mexico also.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyPMHL9yjKs/XwdFcewIJ2I/AAAAAAAASj0/vhX10kLPHzEgzDVH74eL-W7WpFiuW_PMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/MissouriLandPatent1882_McGee.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="540" height="640" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AyPMHL9yjKs/XwdFcewIJ2I/AAAAAAAASj0/vhX10kLPHzEgzDVH74eL-W7WpFiuW_PMgCLcBGAsYHQ/s640/MissouriLandPatent1882_McGee.JPG" width="425" /></a></div>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-69854771012681905382020-07-05T20:55:00.001-06:002020-07-05T20:55:58.709-06:00Virtual Reunion 2020John asked everyone to fill out this questionnaire to help arrange an activity for the 2020 reunion... being held online spread over several afternoons.<br />
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<span style="background-color: white;">Questions for 2020 Family Reunion. Return by Aug 1st 2020.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">In order to better understand family, we decided to ask the following questions and have a trivia</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">contest.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Name ______________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Where and when were you born? ________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Anything unusual about the circumstances surrounding your birth: _____________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">First memory/story of your childhood: ____________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite memory from childhood: ________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Education, Schools attended, degree(s): ___________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">How/where did you meet your spouse: ____________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">When / Where were you married/sealed: __________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Where have you lived: _________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">How many states have you visited: _______________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">How many countries have you visited: _____________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite color: ________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite food: ________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Dream Job: __________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Dream Vacation: ______________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">What are your plans for retirement: ______________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Most memorable story about Dad: _______________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Most memorable story about Mom: ______________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Broken bones/stitches: _________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Collections: __________________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite Movie/book/author: ____________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite Holiday: ______________________________________________________________________</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white;">Favorite Music Genre/Song/Singer/Composer: ______________________________________________</span>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-21986417591759212612020-02-05T09:41:00.000-07:002020-02-05T09:41:03.231-07:00StoryworthFor Christmas 2018, Anna and Chris Casey, arranged for me a gift called "<a href="https://www.storyworth.com/about" target="_blank">Storyworth</a>".. Each week for one year, I received an email prompt to respond to. The responses were saved and then available to be compiled into a book of the memories that had been recorded. <br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCTqD2uIi7o/Xjrt1R1wYXI/AAAAAAAAQmw/5A4vfb70g-Ai98E9S242NZZTVIwi0L63QCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Stories%2Bfrom%2Bmy%2Blife_Color.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-BCTqD2uIi7o/Xjrt1R1wYXI/AAAAAAAAQmw/5A4vfb70g-Ai98E9S242NZZTVIwi0L63QCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Stories%2Bfrom%2Bmy%2Blife_Color.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Thanks to Anna and Chris!</div>
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For me, this was very stressful...like having a major assignment from school due each and every week during the year. At Thanksgiving, I had completed about 15 or so of 48 till then. I began a marathon push to finish before the year expired. I padded some of the stories with lots of pictures.<br />
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Then I hit on the idea of including my church talks given over the course of several years. Many of these talks have snippets of personal experiences woven into the theme. Even now they are interesting for me and I hope will be read by some of you.<br />
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Then finally to finish my project, I added family group sheet information for Anna and Katie covering five generations going back and then also a chapter listing all descendants of Mom and Dad, Marna Maynes and Lloyd McGee. (three generations) along with my Priesthood lines of authority and pictures from family reunions.<br />
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The initial copy included with Anna and Chris's gift has black and white photos inside to be used as a proof copy. After correction and multiple revisions, the 'final' version was submitted. I obtained 7 copies for myself and my kids with color pictures. For anyone else who might be interested, there is a color PDF version that I will share.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lxV_TmmT40/XjruI1eD-EI/AAAAAAAAQm4/rUoct0TE0CcNdazkSXrD58waqBIXi_DMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Stories%2Bfrom%2Bmy%2Blife_Both_right.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8lxV_TmmT40/XjruI1eD-EI/AAAAAAAAQm4/rUoct0TE0CcNdazkSXrD58waqBIXi_DMwCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Stories%2Bfrom%2Bmy%2Blife_Both_right.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Proof and Final editions</div>
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<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-61495932968585962892019-10-17T17:18:00.000-06:002019-10-17T17:18:22.972-06:00Small world<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6WJkhifJak/Xaj0eE0ywsI/AAAAAAAAPxE/U5b01ixGq7QQndlCoLl7bP6c2Z6MSF8-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191016_144039Pequot.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-u6WJkhifJak/Xaj0eE0ywsI/AAAAAAAAPxE/U5b01ixGq7QQndlCoLl7bP6c2Z6MSF8-ACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191016_144039Pequot.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Michele and Larry traveled 3000 miles from Pacifica to find a small historical plaque that tells the story of Larry's 10th Great Grandfather being aided by Michele's 10th great grandfather in 1637.<br />
Lion Gardiner and Mohegan Chief Uncas.<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTOOsZaEiz4/Xaj2Wn-1EnI/AAAAAAAAPxQ/qJiUeSTMyq4K6nnE7PE6RcWJYK0PdnzQACLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/20191016_143130LionGardiner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1200" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-fTOOsZaEiz4/Xaj2Wn-1EnI/AAAAAAAAPxQ/qJiUeSTMyq4K6nnE7PE6RcWJYK0PdnzQACLcBGAsYHQ/s320/20191016_143130LionGardiner.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-26830916531023193612019-09-17T17:48:00.000-06:002019-09-17T17:48:46.962-06:00Studio Pictures from 1954<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4waQmPYe9hc/XYFwRBIIOjI/AAAAAAAAPlI/sn-LGQjaFiEgGNSFrdkqaA6Ga6rIK96vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/img085_Larry1954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1288" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4waQmPYe9hc/XYFwRBIIOjI/AAAAAAAAPlI/sn-LGQjaFiEgGNSFrdkqaA6Ga6rIK96vQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/img085_Larry1954.jpg" width="257" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YENtemlxD_k/XYFwVUYRo2I/AAAAAAAAPlM/jxsiqNogZ3UafXO1VKPnJHu8oUz2ES4CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s1600/Kar122_Karen1954.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1600" data-original-width="1322" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-YENtemlxD_k/XYFwVUYRo2I/AAAAAAAAPlM/jxsiqNogZ3UafXO1VKPnJHu8oUz2ES4CQCLcBGAsYHQ/s320/Kar122_Karen1954.jpg" width="264" /></a></div>
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Mom has lots of photo albums at home. I'm starting to make digital copies of them. here are two of the best pictures ca 1954. </div>
<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-44594518327810914372019-07-02T23:57:00.000-06:002019-07-03T08:09:27.414-06:00Another Family Reunion PictureHere is an interesting Picture I found on my hard drive. I don't remember where this came from.<br />
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIR1F1Up9Rs/XRw98JUUiPI/AAAAAAAAPBQ/PGqGx5i4dsgNtVreQjqj6Jz3PzJAeTbpACLcBGAs/s1600/RossMcGee_1953_with%2Blabels.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1222" data-original-width="1600" height="488" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-AIR1F1Up9Rs/XRw98JUUiPI/AAAAAAAAPBQ/PGqGx5i4dsgNtVreQjqj6Jz3PzJAeTbpACLcBGAs/s640/RossMcGee_1953_with%2Blabels.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">RossMcGeeReunion_1953</td></tr>
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Although the label says 1954, the picture seems to be from 1953. David McGee was born in Jan 1953 and seems on his mother's lap to be a lot younger than 1 year old. (He passed away in 1970). The baby in Russell's arms is not labeled but is likely to be LaRaine and Dolly's son Gary born 8 days before me. Both he and I look like we're still under 1 year old. With no sign of Karen, I doubt this is 1954. Colleen married Fred in 1954, but he is not in the picture here, while Leola and Roger Ball were married in 1953 and he is here. My best guess is July of 1953. There were some older kids for Russell and for Solon and Louise that are not showing. also the oldest two sisters and their families were not here. and Russell's wife Alice was missing. Those grandkids would have been from 22 to 13 and perhaps too busy to come to a reunion. Also Irene McGee Despain and her family is missing.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-58228674592041788192019-06-26T22:32:00.000-06:002019-06-26T22:44:47.812-06:00Family Reunion TimeWe held the annual reunion for the Lloyd R and Marna McGee family at the home of Heidi Pickrell in West Ogden Utah on Saturday June 22, 2019. Separately, I took Mom on Monday 25 June to visit her brother as the last two children of their family. Here are the pictures. All Mom's living kids and about half of the grandkids and <b>great</b> grandkids were able to come.<br />
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fX79Ou2yoaI/XRQ9g7dDVhI/AAAAAAAAO-k/BWhhZ3lWZIsMiAsjxMRUZQ5_J0J3QHM6QCLcBGAs/s1600/20190624_151729_FredColleeen_Marna.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fX79Ou2yoaI/XRQ9g7dDVhI/AAAAAAAAO-k/BWhhZ3lWZIsMiAsjxMRUZQ5_J0J3QHM6QCLcBGAs/s400/20190624_151729_FredColleeen_Marna.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Generation 0: Fred and Colleen Maynes with Marna McGee</div>
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Mom's family:</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IiYtNqtkl6I/XRQ_Se_JbOI/AAAAAAAAO-w/-c42xJYDC_0VcK1cPc9dahYVEalLRMyxACLcBGAs/s1600/Mom_and_her_KidsJune2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="300" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IiYtNqtkl6I/XRQ_Se_JbOI/AAAAAAAAO-w/-c42xJYDC_0VcK1cPc9dahYVEalLRMyxACLcBGAs/s400/Mom_and_her_KidsJune2019.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Generation 1</div>
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left to right: Back row: Heidi Pickrell, Patti Kasten, Bob McGee, John McGee, Linda Anderton</div>
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Front row: Jim McGee, Marna Maynes McGee, Larry McGee</div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itRzJ-R0a5I/XRRBXaq1zxI/AAAAAAAAO-8/_cVzJr-7LFIquujvllXkMnse6YO0QSSwACLcBGAs/s1600/Mom%2Bwith%2BGrand%2Band%2BGreat%2BGrandkids%2BJune2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-itRzJ-R0a5I/XRRBXaq1zxI/AAAAAAAAO-8/_cVzJr-7LFIquujvllXkMnse6YO0QSSwACLcBGAs/s640/Mom%2Bwith%2BGrand%2Band%2BGreat%2BGrandkids%2BJune2019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Generation 2 and 3</div>
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15 (of 30) grandchildren and 5 (of 16) <b>great</b> grandchildren</div>
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back row: Rach Atwood, Trishel, <b>Ben</b>, Catie, Katie, David, Isaac, Cherry Wolf, Andy Chow, Brittany</div>
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middle row: Carson, Josh, Grandma, Emree, Noelle, Ariah, <b>Cade</b> </div>
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front row: <b>Jaya</b>, <b>Brianna</b>, Jasmine, <b>Elise</b>, Sam Anderton</div>
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Thanks to Linda Anderton and Cherry Wolf for coordinating everything and to Heidi and Monty Pickrell for hosting at their home. </div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9mQLLpzJus/XRRGVGxVrLI/AAAAAAAAO_M/zh3bMFMvk_IFoE0wLk6s5YzaDHMgdAs7wCLcBGAs/s1600/Andwith%2BspousesJune2019.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="480" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Z9mQLLpzJus/XRRGVGxVrLI/AAAAAAAAO_M/zh3bMFMvk_IFoE0wLk6s5YzaDHMgdAs7wCLcBGAs/s640/Andwith%2BspousesJune2019.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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and with spouses. Rachel McGee, Carla McGee, Catie McGee, Monty Pickrell, Michele McGee, Frank Kasten, Dave Anderton and Julie McGee. Thanks for coming.</div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-73501978101839760592019-05-29T20:47:00.001-06:002019-05-29T21:14:46.237-06:00Alpheus Gifford in MissouriI recently came across a document from 1839 that was written or dictated by Alpheus Gifford in 1839. Alpheus is my 3rd Great Grandfather. It appears to be signed by him as well so that would be the earliest primary document that I have for an ancestor, followed by the Bible of Sarah Jane Holder of which I have the original book.
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f40tLsOZOzI/XO8_tY-LALI/AAAAAAAAOqU/y99rlVhh4vIxxAkO5_YoMpUOebpyyNpIwCLcBGAs/s1600/GiffordSignature1839.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-f40tLsOZOzI/XO8_tY-LALI/AAAAAAAAOqU/y99rlVhh4vIxxAkO5_YoMpUOebpyyNpIwCLcBGAs/s1600/GiffordSignature1839.JPG" data-original-width="1280" data-original-height="532" /></a></div>
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The LDS church requested affidavits from families who had lived in Jackson, Clay and Caldwell Counties and had been driven from the state by Mobs. These are saved as the <a href="https://catalog.lds.org/record?id=007c0850-c8ad-44aa-9a7d-38729de17661&compId=4deb74ab-45b3-46c5-8371-693a2f54f58f&view=browse&subView=arrangement">'Mormon Redress Petitions'</a> at the Church History Library.
Pages 17 and 18 at that link are from Alpheus Gifford. ---
additional record indicators: Call Number:
MS 2703
Language:
eng
Containers:
MS 2703/b0001/f0012
---
Caldwell County was specifically set up for Mormons so they could evacuate the other parts of the State. But they were driven from Caldwell in 1839 over to Quincy Illinois and from there to Nauvoo.
---
I have stories from another ancestor who moved into Caldwell County <b>IN</b> 1839 and lived there for 10 years.
---
Here is my transcription of the Redress Petition with punctuation added for clarity. [Feel free to suggest improvements and corrections]
----
<i>May I take this opportunity to relate [a much] of my
Sufferings in Missouri. I moved into jackson
County march 1833. After laboring through
the summer [I] was driven from the county
into Clay to suffer with my sick family
without a house, after living there three
years and a half and laboring under many disadvantages
and suffering much through sickness
and other fatigues on the account of being driven.
Then we was driven from there into Caldwell.
After remaining there one year and a half
we was driven from the State into the state of
Illinois where we now dwell and are now destitute
of bedding Clothing and provision and all most
every comfort of life. All this on the
account of being driven.
A charge for actual losses by being driven
from Jackson County two hundred dollars;
from Clay two hundred and fifty dollars;
for losses in Caldwell three hundred
dollars; for the act of driving from the state
I charge ten thousand dollars; for being
deprived of liberty of living in the state of
Missouri nothing will satisfy but being
and protected
Alpeus gifford
I certify the with in to be just and true
according to the best of my Knowledge
Alpheus Gifford
The within Sworn to, before me
this 14th day of May AD. 1839
C. M. Wovels clerk
(circuit court) State of Illinois</i>
Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-53758118638091053172019-03-04T08:37:00.000-07:002019-03-04T21:30:59.876-07:00Are Prayers Answered?Yesterday in Sunday School in the Half Moon Bay ward we were discussing answers to prayers and the fact that a key to getting answers to prayers is to Ask and Seek.
In discussing examples of answered prayers, I shared one from our family that is a perfect example of an incident that can be viewed by a believer (like myself) as an answered prayer but by a non-believer as an unanswered prayer.
_
This morning, exploring a new Family History feature at MyHeritage.com, I came across some results that made me realize we have another such example. <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10569-381191367/lloyd-mcgee-in-us-yearbooks-name-index?s=294601781">High School Yearbooks</a> are now indexed by name and crosslinked to pictures.
Here are 3. <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C7wRWBc_nMM/XH08TQOqQ6I/AAAAAAAAON0/rd--6kuOWHYWJXlxV1KRfCnmIcqh1YSVgCLcBGAs/s1600/1943_JordanHighSchool_Lloyd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://4.bp.blogspot.com/-C7wRWBc_nMM/XH08TQOqQ6I/AAAAAAAAON0/rd--6kuOWHYWJXlxV1KRfCnmIcqh1YSVgCLcBGAs/s320/1943_JordanHighSchool_Lloyd.JPG" width="273" height="320" data-original-width="307" data-original-height="360" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1iVFZBTyYzE/XH08TezXlYI/AAAAAAAAON4/sdC00WQS_RMzsyqFBkIcSgwFy2pG0z7qACLcBGAs/s1600/1944_AmericanFork_Lloyd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-1iVFZBTyYzE/XH08TezXlYI/AAAAAAAAON4/sdC00WQS_RMzsyqFBkIcSgwFy2pG0z7qACLcBGAs/s320/1944_AmericanFork_Lloyd.JPG" width="260" height="320" data-original-width="306" data-original-height="376" /></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kJSYMMIgcc0/XH08TWk4qoI/AAAAAAAAONw/OT9kA_QId70EG-xWj0TSjpI4z3auClrMgCLcBGAs/s1600/1945_AmericanFork_Lloyd.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kJSYMMIgcc0/XH08TWk4qoI/AAAAAAAAONw/OT9kA_QId70EG-xWj0TSjpI4z3auClrMgCLcBGAs/s320/1945_AmericanFork_Lloyd.JPG" width="210" height="320" data-original-width="456" data-original-height="696" /></a></div>
Cool Pictures of my Dad Lloyd Ross McGee from 10th grade at Jordan High School in 1943; Junior Year in 1944 in American Fork Utah and Senior year in 1945 at American Fork.
MyHertitage, in addition to indexing, also estimates the birth year and gave this:
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSRjbCjkEs8/XH09J69WoRI/AAAAAAAAOOE/MI8eV8wMPj4T1u9yJpjtwS5BLJNRaypwwCLcBGAs/s1600/INdexing.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-nSRjbCjkEs8/XH09J69WoRI/AAAAAAAAOOE/MI8eV8wMPj4T1u9yJpjtwS5BLJNRaypwwCLcBGAs/s320/INdexing.JPG" width="320" height="163" data-original-width="603" data-original-height="307" /></a></div>
which jumped out at me since Dad's birth year is 1926 instead of 1928. His natural graduation class would have been 1944. As soon as he graduated in May of 1945, he joined the Army and was in basic training by the time World War II ended in Europe in May and in the Pacific in August. He ended up being sent to Europe as part of the after-war occupation. While that was still a dangerous time, it was far less dangerous than 1944 had been. So what was the Miracle that kept my father safe during the war?
For that, you need to jump back a few years, before the war. Somewhere between 5th and 9th grade, the Ross McGee family was living in Granite Utah. They were a large and religious family, their family prayers often included requests for protection from harm and danger. But one cold winter day during that time, their home caught fire. It had something to do with warming engine oil on the stove that then caught fire. The home was destroyed and the family moved in with Aunt and Uncle Washburn a block or so down the road but in the course of the disruption, my Dad missed a year of school and got delayed one year from his peers that he had started with.
So were their prayers NOT answered because they lost their home? ...or was my father's delayed schooling the REAL answer to all those prayers? Believers and non-believers can view the same events and have their own desires confirmed.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-30326937852616320572019-02-27T11:20:00.000-07:002019-02-27T11:30:29.428-07:00Omer Martin McGee 1910-1998<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_96aNvVynbk/XHbRI5AymUI/AAAAAAAAOM8/eWR1H0zE6jYTJQWbzR_-e9UVnGCFN1RdgCLcBGAs/s1600/McGeeTreeFarm.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="749" data-original-width="1600" height="299" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_96aNvVynbk/XHbRI5AymUI/AAAAAAAAOM8/eWR1H0zE6jYTJQWbzR_-e9UVnGCFN1RdgCLcBGAs/s640/McGeeTreeFarm.JPG" width="640" /></a><span style="text-align: start;">Omer Martin McGee 1910-1998. He is a second cousin of my Dad. Omer and his wife Elinor, ran the </span><a href="https://mcgeechristmastreefarm.net/" style="text-align: start;" target="_blank">McGee Christmas Tree farm</a><span style="text-align: start;"> in Placerville CA. It seems like the Tree farm is still in operation by their kids. My dad met him once and I remember stopping at the tree farm in Placerville CA, but before I knew what our relationship was.</span></div>
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<a href="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_2NWZwOC8I/XHbPTYoclPI/AAAAAAAAOMw/QHn9ofnGTtA3rpSPBj66VqhDIJuFEyvnQCLcBGAs/s1600/FrontCover.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="829" data-original-width="566" height="400" src="https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-S_2NWZwOC8I/XHbPTYoclPI/AAAAAAAAOMw/QHn9ofnGTtA3rpSPBj66VqhDIJuFEyvnQCLcBGAs/s400/FrontCover.JPG" width="272" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
In 1991, Omer McGee helped compile a book on the descendants of <a href="https://openlibrary.org/books/OL1762242M/Amos_Kilburn-Henry_McGee_and_their_descendants" target="_blank">Amos Kilburn and Henry McGee</a>. This book is no longer in print. It does include the court documents when the McGee clan tried to gain membership in the Cherokee nation.<br />
<br />
Omer's <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/61177486/omer-martin-mcgee" target="_blank">Find-a-Grave</a> entry discusses his experiences during World War II. His wife's [Elinor Cole McGee] <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/67599260/elinor-mabel-mcgee" target="_blank">obituary</a> has more details about their life together including pioneering the McGee Christmas Tree farm. She has her individual accomplishments, including graduating from UC Berkley at age 17, <span style="background-color: #fafafa; color: #36322d; font-family: "source sans pro" , "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 15px;">at that time [1930], the youngest person ever to receive a degree from Cal Berkeley. </span><br />
<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-27744404705035511762019-02-18T09:35:00.001-07:002019-02-27T12:22:17.259-07:00Family History picture<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SN0vT3M_IRk/XGregEz5sbI/AAAAAAAAOJc/-Us16Ez3yRAyWZ2bKLaAImndFdex5bk4wCLcBGAs/s1600/100_0244.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1200" data-original-width="1600" height="240" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-SN0vT3M_IRk/XGregEz5sbI/AAAAAAAAOJc/-Us16Ez3yRAyWZ2bKLaAImndFdex5bk4wCLcBGAs/s320/100_0244.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
Shadow of Lloyd Ross McGee photographing the headstone for his father, Ross Solon McGee in St. George Utah.<br />
<br />
Even from the shadow, I can see who it is.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-81935716455592947912019-02-18T06:31:00.003-07:002019-02-18T06:37:45.405-07:00Graduation announcementI just connected to the website MyHeritage via the free access available through Family Search. Lots of nice original material. Here is one, the Graduates at the University of Utah printed <a href="https://www.myheritage.com/research/record-10636-598918/the-deseret-news?s=294601781&indId=individual-294601781-2000002#fullscreen" target="_blank">31 Aug 1957</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VA3fteSbcL8/XGqxnc10t1I/AAAAAAAAOJQ/udzNk9w4PHE3ESbGwxhwHjgbTeuj_2s0ACLcBGAs/s1600/DesNews_31Aug1957_Graduates.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="721" data-original-width="375" height="320" src="https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-VA3fteSbcL8/XGqxnc10t1I/AAAAAAAAOJQ/udzNk9w4PHE3ESbGwxhwHjgbTeuj_2s0ACLcBGAs/s320/DesNews_31Aug1957_Graduates.JPG" width="166" /></a></div>
I'm pretty sure we weren't still in Utah for this date even though the address is listed as Midvale. We lived in a basement room at Grandma Maynes for about three months while Dad finished his PhD before moving to Delaware. We moved onto his new job at DuPont as soon as possible, He probably just asked them to mail his diploma to Grandma's home in Midvale. By the time.of the graduation ceremony, Jimmy was on the way in time to be born in Jan 1958 in Delaware.<br />
<br />
From the announcement, co-graduates of Dad's, Bruce Barton was also at DuPont and maybe even moved to Thiokol at the same time. David Grant became a professor at the University of Utah and was there when I was an undergraduate.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-41859635737684180782017-11-05T01:46:00.001-07:002017-11-05T01:46:26.982-07:00Appreciation from President Spencer W KimballRelated to Alpheus Gifford, This letter from Spencer W Kimball in 1975 comments on the missionary work of Alpheus Gifford who shared the Gospel with Heber C Kimball.<br />
<br />
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<a href="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRaMbH3MEIU/Wf7MFW8TR1I/AAAAAAAAJvg/8lgEzJJ4fM8pRIYyxHZGkWASRZgdNXUWgCLcBGAs/s1600/SpencerKimballLetter_Sept1975.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1440" data-original-width="1072" height="320" src="https://1.bp.blogspot.com/-MRaMbH3MEIU/Wf7MFW8TR1I/AAAAAAAAJvg/8lgEzJJ4fM8pRIYyxHZGkWASRZgdNXUWgCLcBGAs/s320/SpencerKimballLetter_Sept1975.jpg" width="238" /></a></div>
This letter was read at the family reunion held September 6, 1975 in Zion Canyon.<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
47 East South Temple Street</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Salt Lake City Utah 84111</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
Spencer W. Kimball, PRESIDENT<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
September 3, 1975</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
TO THE MEMBERS OF THE GIFFORD FAMILY<br />
<br />
Dear Friends:<br />
<br />
As one who is very grateful, may I express the gratitude<br />
of the Kimball family that your ancestor, Alpheus Gifford,<br />
was so responsible for bringing our ancestor into the Church.<br />
<br />
I believe in family reunions and believe that much good<br />
can be accomplished by the association of family members to<br />
recount stories of the family and keep them fresh in the<br />
memory of the people of the family.<br />
<br />
I hope also that the members of your family will keep rec-<br />
ords of their own lives and the lives of their family members.<br />
Such biographies and autobiographies become very precious as<br />
time goes on and generations succeed each other.<br />
<br />
Please accept my best wishes, and may I express apprecia-<br />
tion for the other members of the Kimball family and also for<br />
the Church for your faithfulness and devotion and loyalty.<br />
<br />
With kindest wishes,<br />
Faithfully yours,<br />
<br />
<u> Spencer W Kimbasll</u><br />
President<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-35502561958304702992017-06-25T08:24:00.000-06:002017-06-25T08:24:14.827-06:00Stories from the Early churchLinks to another blog with a common Ancestor and several stories from their early lives.<br />
<a href="http://firstconvertsinmyancestry.blogspot.com/2010/08/alpheus-and-anna-nash-gifford.html" target="_blank">Alpheus Gifford and Anna Nash</a><br />
<br />
FTA: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Alpheus married Anna Nash on 27 Feb 1817. They had “seven sons and three daughters. In the spring of 1831, hearing of the doctrines taught by Joseph Smith, he made diligent inquiry and found they were scriptural and was baptized and ordained a priest; he brought home five books of Mormon which he distributed among his friends; he was then living in Tioga County, Pennsylvania. Soon after he went to Kirtland, Ohio, to see the Prophet Joseph Smith and the brethren, when he was ordained an elder; he was accompanied by his brother Levi, Elial Strong, Eleazer Miller, Enos Curtis, and Abraham Brown, who were baptized. On returning to Pennsylvania he preached and baptized many, among whom was Heber C. Kimball.</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
and close friends;<br />
<a href="http://firstconvertsinmyancestry.blogspot.com/2010/08/enos-and-ruth-franklin-curtis.html" target="_blank">Enos and Ruth Curtis</a><br />
<br />
FTA: <span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;">Evidently, some of the near neighbors of Enos and Ruth, in Sullivan, were Levi (1798-1860) and Deborah Wing (1794-1877) Gifford. Apparently, Levi’s older brother, Alpheus Gifford (1793-1841), who was an independent preacher, had at one time lived in Sullivan, then in Hector, Schuyler County, New York, then had come back to live in Rutland, Tioga County.</span><br />
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Tahoma, Helvetica, FreeSans, sans-serif; font-size: 13.2px;"><br /></span>Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-53926317085909179822017-03-07T02:03:00.000-07:002017-03-07T02:03:34.960-07:00 Lightening strikes man while in his home.This is an old newspaper clipping found in Dad's collection of important papers. This is a story about Dad's first cousin... No date given but also published in <a href="https://books.google.com/books?id=4e0DAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA32&lpg=PA32&dq=Harvey+McGee+lightning&source=bl&ots=XnxgvaaiYN&sig=RmxYMCIWEJwUgauveAgufJjQ2dg&hl=en&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiHmaWBgsTSAhVL9WMKHUbuDqcQ6AEIHzAA#v=onepage&q=Harvey%20McGee%20lightning&f=false" target="_blank">Weekly World News</a> under the date 9 Aug 1988.<br />
<img alt="Image may contain: 2 people, phone" src="https://scontent.fsnc1-2.fna.fbcdn.net/v/t1.0-9/16832056_748064440736_4286846031806809253_n.jpg?oh=71d8ed0f51e27c8468eec01de54f9475&oe=59279444" /><br />
<br />
Harvey Leo McGee b 1905 in Kirtland New Mexico was Dad's first cousin. Harvey's mother was the sister of Grandpa McGee's first wife so Harvey was a double cousin with Dad's older half brothers and sisters. This incident with the lightening strike occurred in 1987 or 1988 when Harvey was 82 years old. He passed away in 1993. Here is a link to the <a href="https://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=13332773" target="_blank">Find-a-Grave </a>information.Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7978846644085052495.post-84709506032049163422017-02-17T23:49:00.002-07:002017-02-17T23:49:21.199-07:00On the murder of Henry McGee 1810<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">F<a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=737160023276&set=a.509844714976.2013136.3501824&type=3&theater" target="_blank">rom my Facebook pag</a>e</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"> Cherokee Nation March 17th 1810<br />Sir</span><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;"><br /><br />after the Obedience Due to your Excelleancey [Excellency] I will inform you [added: of] the Moust [Most] [unclear: Barous] Murder Latly [Lately] Commited [Committed] in this Cuntry [Country] by Mr. William Reedon a Certen [Certain] Mr McGeeat the High Tower Townwithout any previous Quarral [Quarrel] Took his Gun the Said Reedand five more armed men and went to the house whare [where] the said McGeewas at his work in Comapnny [Company] with a Mr Wheaton[deleted: &] there & then put his gun through a Crack of the house & shot the Sd [Said] McGeether [there] is Nothing Don [Done] by the National Governmen[added: t] Concerning Busieness [Business] the Excelling Tyrent Bost [Tyrant Boast] of the Action & Insults The Destressed Widdow [Distressed Widow] and helpless Orphans I Think that justes [justice] Crys [Cries] aloud To the Government of GeorgiaI hope that your Excellance [Excellence] will Duily [Duly] Consider the Matter & Bring the offender to justes [justice] and your very Huml. Sevt [Humble Servant] is in Duty Bound Shall Ever<br /><br />[Signed] David Welch<br />To His Excellancey [Excellency]<br />Governor Mitchal</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">Henry McGee was the father of 10 kids, including my own great great grandfather who was 10months old at the time of his father's death.</span><br />
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On the murder of Henry McGee 1810. William Reed's defense.</div>
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January 16th 1810 Hightower<br />Honorable Sir,<br />I am sorry to inform you of an accident that took place last night which is the killing of a certain Henry McGahee which I may say in my own defense. The greater part of the Pasages I shall refer to the Bearer Mr. Wm. Bright who happened to be present accidently and who I wish you to examine on oath as it will be clearer to you as also of my conduct from a child up of what he has heard and seen also the victims. Sorry I am that ever such an accident should ever fall out in my hands but so it has and I wish all good men was truly acquainted with the circumstances – the papers I have enclosed I wish you to examine the purport of great part of John Griffeys (Guffeys?) and Elezibeth his wifes. Affidavits can be confirmed by many persons of his threats etc of Carorton[?] wheelers[?] who was in company with said McGahee last night who has conducted himself in a disagreeable manner for some time past. His not being drove off is caused by his being in debt to some people who wishes to get pay and see no chance of getting it without he can make it . But should he not clearout from the cave, I expect the Indians will interfere hereafter. I will give you a hint of facts and what I write if requested will positively prove but the greater and more lengthy part you can have from Bairir (bearer) whose character from as far as I have ever heard is correct--- About ten days ago I went with my hands to furnace which is one mile from the cave with my hands in order to fill my hoppers with dirt when I found three of my large dirt hoppers all cleaned ready for filling and also the ash hoppers and great preparations at the mouth of the Cave where I had a windlass fixed which was altered and a pulley fixed in a disagreeable manner and McGhee[?] there. I made some alterations, took possession of my place and not a cross word between us—he seemed to give up which caused a hope in me that there would be no dispute.</div>
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I intended to apply to the first council to know his authority and what I be to do. Some nights after Wheeler and McGee passed my mills with two kettles and leaves word for me to come down in the morning, that’s Mcgee did. And bring a gun, pistols or any weapon, that he would be damned if he would not answer me with either—that they would tear down my furnace and take out the kettles. I waited said day to see what they would do when news came that it was done—I then applied to Dance [Danes or Dawes?] in Hightower to know what I should do when I received the lines signed by Bark in behalf of the Council John Beamen(r?) Lincaster. I then sent in the paper by a man, a hireling to them and followed them with a small party to see what they had done and know their conclusion.<br />The papers McGee read and said as the man said my kettles was there and he would be damned if I should have them till I paid him—which debt I had never heard of before and all that was present say that it was under the pretense of the claim of wheeler they was first took and on receiving the line I suppose changed.</div>
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when I went it was in order to make them take my kettles and troughs back. I found them in a small house of mine at four hundred yards distance from the furnace. I rode up when the door was shut on me and there was a large light in the house. Two men present in the house of my hirelings say on his reading the letter went out of doors and brought in an axe—I demanded the door opened. It was refused. McGee picked up a gun and tried to shoot me, then handed the gun to Wheeler and picked up the ax and swore killing the first man that came in. I told him I would shoot him if he would not surrender when his answer was shoot and be damned which was no sooner said than done—<br />as I considered it the worst kind of robbery thought myself clear—your advice I wish candid and it shall be candidly attended to. I wish as little expense and trouble as possible and with all attention shall remain your able servant.<br />W Reed.</div>
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To Col R.J. Meigs.</div>
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<span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">From a transcribed letter which tried to keep all spelling original. My transcription corrected many errors in the original but it is still a bit hard to follow. The published reference is: </span><a class="" dir="ltr" href="https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.caves.org%2Fsection%2Fasha%2Fissues%2F061.pdf&h=ATM-ohWwcy4NijX9PK__snpzWz73VslPpyyWUTGa-jezQ4xTVDI2k7oy7WzAeXxICNKdNhJkFZMKZl64lwZ8g6lGx-0MaA4lcKTGQx3ci1ezIgqulMNyr1CWMbZOXvIF8w" rel="nofollow noopener" style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #365899; cursor: pointer; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">http://www.caves.org/section/asha/issues/061.pdf</a><span style="background-color: #f6f7f9; color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px;">(page 74) with some helpful background on the cave and furnace and people mentioned.</span><span style="color: #1d2129; font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><br /></span></span><div>
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Larryhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08935799105853656445noreply@blogger.com0