The Ross Solon McGee Story.  Installment 3

(in the words of Myrna McGee Smith)

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.

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.

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.

 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. 

 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.

 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.

Lloyd and Golda were later divorced.

 On October 19, 1962 Golda married Ernest LaCell Brammal in Springville, Utah.

They have made their home in Mapelton, Utah.

 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.

 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. 

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  wouldn't live very long, but she finally got better.

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.

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. 

On June 3, 1933 Leola was born in the home at Draper. Leo and Gladys picked out her name.  When she was about seven or eight months old Elise would take her over to see Grandpa McGee.  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.

Elise can recall the many skunks that Grandpa McGee had. He had a bunch of them that he kept in a pen.  They didn't have any scent and were treated like their pets.

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.  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.

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.  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. 

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.  They have three children Russell Stamn Jr, Cheryl Ann and Boyd Russell.  Their first child died the day of his birth.

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.

Russell died on January 30, 1985 and was buried at Mt View Memorial Estates.

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.  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.  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.  In a very short time the house was completely destroyed along with most everything else they had. 

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.  They had a chicken farm and we loved the many times we were there, having a lot of fun with our cousins.  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.

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.  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^th East.

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.

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.

Solon had been going to school in St George and when he was in the 9^th 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^th South and 4^th East Salt Lake City and then at Rose Park near North Salt Lake where they lived until they died.

 

 The Ross Solon McGee story: Installment 2

(in the words of Myrna McGee Smith)

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

to be contniued:

Ross S McGee: The rest of the story...

 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 Myrna McGee Smith.

THE ROSS SOLON MCGEE STORY

 

     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.

 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.  

 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

Apache Indians who had threatened all the country until the troops from Fort Defiance defeated the Indians and took them back to the reservation.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

On Mar. 22, 1907 Ross McGee married Irene Hunt in Kirtland, New Mexico. They are the parents of Gladys, Golda, Russell, Elise and Solon. 

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!

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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. 

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.

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.

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.

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.

On July 4, 1913 Ross and Irene's third child Russell was born in Richfield, Utah.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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

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.

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.

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.

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.

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. 

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.

to be continued:

Marna Ruth Maynes McGee 1931-2020

 

Marna 

Obituary

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.

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.

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.

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.

Marna loved to travel with her sister Mary and their husbands to visit many Temple dedications and attending a session.

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.

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.

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 www.myers-mortuary.com. see also this link:

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.

Interment will be in the Brigham City Cemetery.

Condolences may be sent to the family at www.myers-mortuary.com

Land Records in Missouri for Solon H McGee

The Bureau of Land Management (the original BLM) maintains records of land grants and purchases.  These can be used to piece together family history.  Here is a document 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.

Virtual Reunion 2020

John asked everyone to fill out this questionnaire to help arrange an activity for the 2020 reunion... being held online spread over several afternoons.

Questions for 2020 Family Reunion. Return  by Aug 1st 2020.
In order to better understand family, we decided to ask the following questions and have a trivia
contest.
Name ______________________________________________________________________________
Where and when were you born? ________________________________________________________
Anything unusual about the circumstances surrounding your birth: _____________________________
First memory/story of your childhood: ____________________________________________________
Favorite memory from childhood: ________________________________________________________
Education, Schools attended, degree(s): ___________________________________________________
How/where did you meet your spouse: ____________________________________________________
When / Where were you married/sealed: __________________________________________________
Where have you lived: _________________________________________________________________
How many states have you visited: _______________________________________________________
How many countries have you visited: _____________________________________________________
Favorite color: ________________________________________________________________________
Favorite food: ________________________________________________________________________
Dream Job: __________________________________________________________________________
Dream Vacation: ______________________________________________________________________
What are your plans for retirement: ______________________________________________________
Most memorable story about Dad: _______________________________________________________
Most memorable story about Mom: ______________________________________________________
Broken bones/stitches: _________________________________________________________________
Collections: __________________________________________________________________________
Favorite Movie/book/author: ____________________________________________________________
Favorite Holiday: ______________________________________________________________________
Favorite Music Genre/Song/Singer/Composer: ______________________________________________

Storyworth

For Christmas 2018, Anna and Chris Casey, arranged for me a gift called "Storyworth".. 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. 

Thanks to Anna and Chris!

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.

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.

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.

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.

Proof and Final editions