A Walk Down Memory Lane - Back To My Roots~

Here is pictures of my cousin Mary and her husband Floyd~

My dear Cousin Mary's family~

My cousin Mary Evlyn Hummel passed away on July 6th. I loved her very much. She was actually more like an Aunt than a cousin. She had been raised in the same home as my father and he always considered her his little sister. In the passed few months I have lost some very dear loved ones. I grieve frequently over them. Memories come a long with the tears. 

I decided to drive back to my hometown for the funeral. My husband had a business trip so he wasn't able to come with me. I normally don't take off on my own very much; due to not liking to drive. However, I did want to see her family. Her two older daughters Becky and Jacky were such choice cousins. I spent many hours playing with them in their grandparent's home in Sigurd, Utah. There are also two brother, John and Mac that were born later after we had moved from Richfield. 

As I traveled down to Richfield where I was born; I decided to stop at the Sigurd cemetery and visit my parents graves. I wasn't able to go down on Memorial Day so I wanted to put some flowers on their graves. 

                          

My Dad and Mom's Headstone~

As I thought about my dear parents and my two brothers that I have lost in recent years and  months, along with my dear Aunt Della and now my Cousin Mary; I had a difficult time. 

                          

 I started to think about my Dad's parents whom lost my Dad's older brother Max when he was just a little over two years old. On his little headstone it says; "A little bud of love to bloom with God above."

Here is my Dad's Mother's Headstone. She died when my Dad was just 5 months old. She was only 23 years old at that time. Her headstone reads; "Thy life was beauty, truth, goodness and love."

Here is my Dad's Father's Headstone who was killed in the 1st world war when my Dad was just 22 months old. My dear Dad was raised by his Grandmother McMillan.  Five years later my Dad's Grandfather died in a farming accident. That story is so sad. My Grandmother McMillan died when I was very young so I didn't get to know her. I do know she was a faithful member of our church and was a wonderful woman and my Dad loved her so much. She took very good care of him. 

Here is the memorial for the Hardy Pioneers that settled this beautiful valley. My ancestors are the Gledhill's names on this memorial. I love that this was constructed out of the original Rock from a little church in the Sigurd community. 

As I drove down the rode towards the home where my father was raised; I found the door was opened. The home hasn't been lived in for a while and the outside has deteriorated some. I found some ladies cleaning the kitchen. Later my cousin told me that one of her daughters was going to move into it for a while. I felt I had found a treasure. I  became so excited to be able to go in the home again after so many years. I went through the home and took a lot of pictures. Here are a few of them. Wow, this was such a blessing for me at this time. 

I spent many hours playing in this home and on this farm~

These next two pictures are the living room and dinning room. My Aunt Lucille was a fantastic cook. There used to be a long table in the dinning room. She would spend long hours in the kitchen cooking for the ranch hands. There were quite a few who ate at that table at noon each day. She made a chocolate cake that you could die for. She made me one every year for my birthday until we moved away. 

Here is a picture of the dinning room~

Here is the play room upstairs. That little entrance goes into a fairly large play area.
 It was so fun to see this room again. 

This room was the bedroom of my cousins. It was a favorite place of mine because I loved it in the summer. My Aunt would open up the windows and the white curtains would blow gently into the room. I was very amazed at how all the wood floors were in such good condition. 

I was excited to find horses, cows, sheep and dogs on the property.

 I really am a cowgirl at heart. 

I am positive I climbed this fence more than once. 

This is the little house that my Dad was born in. I felt so blessed to get a picture of this one. 

I traveled on to Richfield where I was born.  Here is a picture of the home I lived in as a baby~

I spent a lot of summer time hours swimming at this pool. In my day it was an outdoor pool.

 I pictured myself as an Esther Williams; that will date me for sure. 

I did become LeAnn Williams that should count.

I loved to swim and I thought I could swim across Fish Lake, Utah someday.

 I tried but it was too cold to even swim at all. 

Here is the door into my Kindergarten class room. 

This is a favorite home of my youth. We lived here only a short time and then my parents lost the home and we rented homes until we moved to Salt Lake City, Utah when I was 13 years old. 

This is a cabin built by my great grandfather Eskild Peterson when they first settled in Utah. It is now owned by the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers. It was closed so I didn't get to go inside. I know there are some items that were donated by his family in there. I hope to see them someday.

The next day I attended the funeral, dedication of the grave and family luncheon. It was nice to see family that I hadn't seen for a very long time. It is kind of sad when we don't see our loved ones very often and then we get to see them at a funeral. I loved the chance to talk with my cousins. I also enjoyed a few moments with my dear cousin's husband Floyd. He was such a favorite of my parents. They visited with each other often through the years. My sweet cousin was 91 years old and I will treasure the memories that I have of her, her family and her parents. 

After the funeral I visited with my Aunt Alene and Uncle Keith. They are both 93 years old. I enjoy a lovely visit with them.  My dear Aunt took me back to the Richfield Cemetery and I took several pictures of graves stones of ancestors that I didn't know were buried there.  

I found that this short trip was a very healing one for me. I do know that I will see all of my dear loved one that have departed this earth again. I have a testimony of life after death and that we will all be resurrected some day. 
Here is a great message on " The Plan of Salvation". 
Here is another wonderful pamphlet on this same subject of what I believe to be true about life and death.