I am the daughter of women and men who worked as farmers, coal miners, post masters, school teachers, a pony express rider and more. I come from England, Ireland, Scotland, Denmark, and have cousins from Germany, Switzerland and more. I have discovered that the family I come from is hard working, faithful and persistent through their trials, talented, happy and that they love their families. I am discovering my own identity as I discover theirs.
Here are some of their stories:
Tamma Durfee
Tamma's husband Albert, died in January of 1847 when their youngest child was not yet two years old and the oldest not yet 16. Tamma later married Enos Curtis and later John White Curtis. Tamma's father, Edmond, was murdered by a mob at Nauvoo, Illinois when Tamma was 32 and expecting her ninth child. Her father had been called on a mission in 1836 in Kirtland. Tamma's husband, Albert, helped build the Kirtland Temple, the dedication of which they both attended. Their daughter Melissa died during persecution era at 7 months. Their son Orson died of a fever at seventeen. Sylvia died at 2 years of age. Husband Albert died of exposure. Tamma with her 5 remaining boys and two girls started across the plains June 10, 1850. Tamma wrote: "I have passed through all the hardships and drivings and burnings and mobbings and threatenings and have been with the Saints in all their persecutions from Huron County to Kirtland and from Kirtland to Missouri back to Illinois and then across the desert. I write this that my children may have a little idea of what their parents passed through. I hope my children will appreciate these lives for I do feel highly honored to be numbered with the Latter-day Saints..."
Lindsay Anderson Brady - Part of an account written by his son:
Pa was born February 8,
1868 at Fairview, the son of Warren P. Brady and Rachel Ann Cox who were the
parents of fifteen children. The three
oldest were born at Union Fort, the rest in Sanpete. That was Pioneer days. I know they were rather poor but Grandma
never said they were. They took up a
homestead, farmed, raised cows, horses, chickens, pigs and always a good
garden. The children always went barefooted in the summer and soon they were
big enough to help make their own. Pa
herded sheep over in Castle Valley the winter he was ten years old. He went to school during the winters before
he herded sheep but he didn't have very much schooling. He was a real rowdy head but he had a desire
to learn so he read many books while he watched the sheep. He especially liked to read about history and
politics. He also enjoyed music. He played the fiddle, the banjo, the guitar,
the drums,the harmonica and the fife and most anything else he could get his
hands on. He didn't like just
sitting around. He was always wanting to do something. He loved his fiddle. It sure helped him over many rough
spots.
Anna Elizabeth (Libbie) Acord, my grandmother, wrote the following about her childhood:
Mother was an ambitious woman and was able to do many things. She always sang as she worked. I used to watch her wash wool. When the wool was dry, it was placed on a sheet in the middle of the kitchen floor. We would sit around the pile of wool and pick it clean from sticks, burrs, etc. Then I saw her cord the wool into batting or make it into rolls. From the rolls of wool she would spin yarn on her spinning wheel and make it into skeins, then we would wind the skeins into balls. From these balls of yarn, I watched her knit our long stockings for winter. This yarn was dyed black before the stockings were made.
I spent days watching Mother wind carpet warp on the large warping machine. She would put this warp into the big loom which she kept in the south room upstairs. I sat for hours playing house while she wove carpets, blankets, rugs, and cloth. Every room in our large frame home had a carpet. Always before the carpet was laid, the floor was covered with fresh new straw. We loved to sit on the new carpet and play games with our friends who came in to spend the evening with us. I watched Mother make quilts. The quilts were filled with the new batting she made from the wool.
Father and Mother opened what was known as the Acord House when I was about seven or eight years old. Here I had many experiences meeting new people. At that time we had only coal oil lamps for light. It was my job to keep all the lamps trimmed and cleaned. I washed many lamp chimneys each day, and in the years ahead I washed lots of dishes and helped keep bedrooms clean. I also learned to cook a little.
We used to have lots of snow. Everybody had a bob sleigh or cutter and a team of horses. The boys would fill the sleigh with warm quilts and hot bricks and take the girls for a ride down the long country roads. Reid, my boyfriend, had a nice new cutter and a good horse. Often on a nice sunny Sunday afternoon he would call for me, and we would ride to Mt. Pleasant, Moroni, Wales, Chester and back home. If there wasn't any snow, we would use his Father's new buggy and Old Sal. We also went horse-back riding and a few times took such a long trip that I thought I could never stand the ride back home, but it was fun.
We (Reid and I) belonged to the "Home Dramatic Company" and had lots of fun taking part in the different plays. We had lots of fun in the 'Old Hall'. We went to many dances and shows there. During the Christmas Holidays we attended dances or shows every night for two weeks. I used to sing in the picture shows held there. We had lots of nice home parties with our friends, played games, etc. and had good eats.
Later, as I walked to the waiting area to meet Bill, I noticed several more full-length mirrors around other corners and down hallways. It was as though I was looking through a portal and seeing myself as others see me. I asked myself, "If I feel self-conscience looking at my own reflection now, what will I feel standing in the presence of the Lord, where my whole soul will be visible and my deeds will be known? Will I even be able to look at Him, or will I want to hide my face?" I realized there is no hiding from the Lord. He sees all and knows all.
