Mormon Bloggers

Edith with her mother and brothers My guest writer is Jill Willoughby, oldest grandchild of Edith Andersen Holst. This is first of three parts of the history of my grandmother, written by her on 21 May 1960. I have included Edith’s handwritten history in this post. Edith Andersen Holst, born 25 March 1908, died 10 August 1966, age 58. Edith Andersen Holst I was born 25 March 1908, in Brigham City, Utah, a second child of Louis and Zina Jensen Andersen. I was raised and lived in Brigham City, Utah all my life. My first home was in the first ward on 2nd East and 1st South, then we moved to 1st North & Main in a large red brick home. I remember cleaning the long stair case with a nail, brush and rag and taking all day to do it. I attended the Lincoln School for 6 years and it is located on the corner of 1st West and 3rd North. I went to Box Elder Jr. High 2 years and High School three years. I quit school and went to work at Andy Pathakis Bakery. Spending most of my money on... Read the rest of this entry »

I recently discovered a great genealogy magazine based in England. Individual issues are available in both electronic and hard copy formats and are a generous read. The title is Your Family History and more information can be found at www.your-familyhistory.com. To quote from the front page of the current issue: Your Family History magazine is different from other genealogy magazines you might have seen in two important respects. Firstly, we’ve assembled a team of leading experts, researchers and historians to show you not only how to discover who your ancestors were, but also guide you into the rich local and social history that brings context to their lives. Nick Barratt, a lead researcher from the BBC’s “Who do you think you are” series, is the Editor-in-chief and is joined by a number of genealogy experts on the editorial team. Your Family History magazine features a range of topics each issue, linking your personal research with local and national... Read the rest of this entry »

Are you interested in family history or genealogy, but aren’t quite sure where or how to start? There are new — and free — family history training videos available online. The Church’s FamilySearch program has partnered with other experts in the field to provide excellent training. There are dozens of courses available, including research courses as well as accreditation, certification, and professional presentations. See a complete list of the online family history courses available and/or access the courses. (What courses sound interesting to you?) We’d love to hear feedback from anyone who has used these courses. Here is more information on what kinds of classes are available (or that will soon be available): Currently, there are classes on family history research in England, Ireland, Germany, Mexico, Australia, Italy, New Zealand, Poland and Russia. Most of the classes are available only in English, but there are three classes available in Spanish.... Read the rest of this entry »

One of the projects I’m working on is compiling the autobiography of my grandma, Leola Jex Freshwater Curtis, who died when I was 13. She’s a hero of mine, and I’m touched by her writings. She wrote enough stories and letters about her life to fill a book, but never compiled it into one work. I’ve already hit 50,000 words, and there’s a lot more to compile. Anyhow, here’s a sample she shares about the night Charles Lindbergh made his historic flight in a one-man plane. She was a young girl at the time, and was staying with her Grandma, Louisa Watling Jex.   I was at Grandma’s house the night Lindbergh flew across the ocean. I still remember her prayer that night. As she asked a blessing on the food, she also talked to the Lord about watching over this brave boy, alone over the great ocean. “Please help the young flier Lindbergh to get across the ocean in his plane,” she said, “and help him to return safely.” I can still see the tears... Read the rest of this entry »

In 2009, one of my Christmas gifts to my children was my personal history. Mine was modeled after my mother’s which she gave us as gifts, too. Both my mother and I wrote our histories when we were each about 50, though mine took a couple of years for editing before I finally gave it away. When I was much younger, I assumed personal history writing was for the “old” folks. (Of course when I was much younger, I thought 30-year olds were old!) But I’m glad that I wrote my first volume at 50. I was old enough to have made significant choices in my life and seen the impact of those choices, and young enough to remember them! I’m thinking about this, because I recently re-read my history. As I began, I was struck with a horrible thought, that the whole project had been a little presumptuous in the first place. After all, who was I to think that someone would actually want to read it? And yet I did (and do) enjoy reading my mother’s history. And my... Read the rest of this entry »

The St. George Family History Expo is approaching fast. Today, I’m posting some extracts (together with the complete agenda below) from the website at Familyhistoryexpos.com. “Learn about researching your family history from our expert speakers.  Try out the latest genealogical tools in our Exhibit Hall. Whether you are a beginner or a professional come learn the tech to trace your roots!” Friday Night Event Registration is $33.00 Featuring M. Bridget Cook, National Bestselling Author   “Handling and Healing the Skeletons in Your Genealogical Closet”   Registration for the Expo as follows: Pre-registration is $65.00. At the Door Registration is $75.00. One Day Registration is $40.00. Attend just a few classes for $12.00 a class (At the door only)                      Each registered attendee will receive a complimentary copy of the CD Syllabus with their... Read the rest of this entry »

The RootsTech conference begins today. This is a family history and technology conference to define the future of genealogy. It is for technology creators and users. Learn more about the purpose of the RootsTech Conference. Share on Facebook  Read More →

The information below comes from Family History Expos, Inc. My thanks to Holly Hansen for inviting me to take part in this event at St. George (click HERE  for more details). I’m looking forward to meeting old and new friends, and learning from others.  My presentations are as follows:   Friday: Even if You Think You Can’t, You Can. How to Write Your Family History When Writing Is Not Your Thing ~  There’s more than one way to skin a kangaroo. This class will help you make a start, and give you the confidence to continue writing. Discover how to include plot and characterization; settings and smells; dialogue and historic events. See the importance of holding the reader through conflict and emotion. Make your family legacy something your children will remember. Saturday: How “True Miracles with Genealogy: Help from Beyond the Veil” Became a Book ~ The story behind the... Read the rest of this entry »

Here’s a little snippet from my Grandma Curtis’s writings. Remember how I mentioned before that her motivation in writing was to make people happy? Well, I thought this was a fun little example. This morning, as I noticed the morning glories wrapped around the other plants in my flower garden, I straightened them out a little, so they would fill the empty places with their pretty dark pink flowers, and not choke out more tender plants. I always liked Morning Glories. They grew so easily, and once you got a start, they’d come back every year from dropped seeds. One day I had been helping my Mom weed her garden. The ground was still wet from the rain the night before. It was soft and easy to walk on, or even to kneel on, and the weeds came out of it with just a gentle tug. Besides, it smelled good, all full of green things growing, and flowers blooming. It was like everthing had been washed new and green. Mom told me to pull up the stray Morning Glories, but I left a few... Read the rest of this entry »

Most of you have probably heard of writer’s block: it’s the point where a writer suddenly doesn’t want to write, and would rather use a pen to initiate the gag reflex than write. Well, family historians sometimes get genealogist’s block. So what do you do if this is you? Jenni and I (and Lunch Bucket, Tootles, and Squeaker) attended a family history fair this last week. I also just finished the 12 week family history course in church. I am therefore… an expert. Yeah, whatever. But there was one thing that stuck out to me from both that I think is a good lesson, especially to those who want to do family history work but get terribly confused, frustrated, or just keep hitting brick walls. It’s simply this: find a niche. Find one aspect of doing family history that really excites you. If you love writing the names on pedigree charts, do that, and do it well. If you love researching the places, focus on that. If you love doing the temple work, focus on that.... Read the rest of this entry »

Editor’s note: Today’s Forward with Faith story is about Carol, an 82-year-old Mormon woman who has macular degeneration. Macular degeneration is a condition where small blood vessels develop behind the macula, a small black spot in the center of the retina that is essential to seeing fine detail for reading, writing, recognize faces, using the phone, etc. Over time, the blood vessels burst, bleed, and form blood clots that cause vision loss. Many people who suffer from macular degeneration experience depression and give up hope. Carol has instead chosen to move “Forward with Faith.” She lives a productive and fulfilling life, and has continued pursuing her passion for family history in spite of being legally blind. ~by Michelle I had the singular honor to visit with a Mormon woman named Carol. I’m impressed in general with people who are dedicated to genealogy, but Carol is even more an inspiration to me because she is legally blind. She can’t read... Read the rest of this entry »

More about this excellent Family History Expo next week. You can also check it out at www.truemiracleswithgenealogy.com.  For now, can’t resist posting this delightful poster.  Enjoy!  Oh, and hope to see you in St. George. It’s warmer down there in February. Right?   Read More →