family history – Stephanie Richey Art

First off, I apologize, I didn’t get a blog post written on Friday. I thought about it a couple times during my busy day, but ultimately spaced it out by the time I got home. We have had a very busy week and weekend. But it’s been good.

Today is the 24th of July. For most people it is another day, but growing up in Utah, today is Pioneer Day! It is a celebration of the pioneers who crossed the plains and settled in Utah. When I was growing up, Pioneer Day started off with a ward breakfast in the Church parking lot. We had pancakes, some sort of meat like bacon or sausage or ham, if I remember correctly it was usually bacon, but I can’t remember. Then there were strawberries, fresh strawberries in a sauce, to put on the pancakes, and orange juice or milk to drink. That was a fun way to start the day. When we finished breakfast, we would go to the parade. The 24th of July parade when I was a kid was mainly done by the wards from our Church although anyone was welcome to participate. I remember having the opportunity to ride on a float as well as walk in this parade on a couple of occasions. Then we spent the rest of the day as a family. We would often go to the park for a picnic or have a backyard barbeque etc. It was a fun day. But growing up I didn’t really think about what we were celebrating, it was mostly about the breakfast, the parade and the family time.

As I have gotten older and learned more about not only the history of the pioneers, but what a pioneer truly is, I have grown to love this day even more, even if I’m not in Utah to celebrate it, it no longer is just a day about parties, but a day to reflect and remember all the pioneers that I have not only read about but gotten to know in my lifetime. I have a number of people in my family history that crossed the plains and came to Utah, and then were asked to settle other previously unsettled parts of Utah. I have read stories of family leaving England and coming to America to be free, being the first of their family to arrive, or bringing the whole family and all traveling West. Some people had wealth when they left, some had nothing, but not so many arrived with as much. Many came by handcart, some by wagon and ox team, but they came, looking for a better life. I am grateful that they came, and especially grateful that some of their histories have been written so that we can read about them, be inspired by them, and so that we never forget them.

But a pioneer is not just someone who crossed the plains looking for a better life sometime in the 1800’s. There are pioneers in all ages. I am always in awe of my in-laws. They came to Alaska before it was a state. They homesteaded here in Willow, Alaska before the highway was even built this far north. They could travel over Hatcher’s Pass in the summer for a short time, or fly into the airport, but the highway that now runs past our property ended 13 miles south in Houston Alaska, so they had to hike or snowmachine in the winter to get out here. They, along with a number of other hearty families came and settled, built and created the community that we enjoy here in Willow today. I am truly grateful for their perseverance, especially through the winter, for the life they created here, and the opportunities that we have now because of what they accomplished over many years.

We live in an age of change, not that every era didn’t have its own changes, there’s nothing more constant than change, but we live in a time that seems to be exploding with change. Being a pioneer now doesn’t necessarily require us to travel long distance and move to different continents, carrying all our personal belongings by handcart or snowmachine. We can be pioneers in so many ways. Some of us may invent new technology or a new way of doing something that revolutionizes a particular career field. Some may be pioneers in their families alone by making better choices, changing bad habits and affecting generations of family to come. Some may reach out in their communities and affect changes that make the world around them a better place, not just for them, but for their whole community. There are so many ways to be a pioneer, but I have learned one thing about pioneers that sets them apart from others. Pioneers change things for the better. The way they affect the world around them makes it a better place, not only for themselves, but for everyone in the future. Pioneers see a better future and they work toward that future rather than seeing only themselves and how it benefits them, they want improvement for everyone.

So, today on this 24th of July, whether you are a member of my Church or not, I would encourage you to remember a pioneer. Whether it was someone in your family, or someone you admire because of their great contributions to society today. Remembering where we came from, remembering the sacrifices people offered to get us where we are today will help us remember to be grateful, and can inspire us to be pioneers in our own lives and communities in the future.

This is a word that I grew up hearing a lot in my Church, the search for family, and the connection of the family tree. The new, or new to me as I got older term is Family History. There’s a show on PBS that does research into people’s family trees, and it’s pretty interesting to find out what they learn. But what’s more fun, is to find out more about my own family.

I have to admit, I don’t love trying to find names and add them to my family tree. But what I do love is to read the stories, the journals, and the information about the individuals. Some have very little information, maybe a birth date, maybe a death date, sometimes just a baptism or christening date or marriage date. But any information is fun to see and read about. Some however have journals and stories passed down through generations, either written or kept alive through storytelling, although if your history is verbal, you should write it down, so it’s not lost.

This past week as part of the Light the World challenge I took the opportunity to read some stories from my dad’s side of the family. We spent a lot of time with family on my mom’s side, and I was blessed with grandparents who understood the importance of genealogy, so I heard many stories, and there are many journal entries. I have binders of stories and histories from my mom’s side. But I hadn’t really heard many stories from my dad’s side, so that’s where I went first. Wow, there are so many stories, family coming from Europe seeking a better life, becoming pioneers, traveling across and all over the United States. People building, using talents (it’s fun to see what talents some of them had), helping others, and making this country a better place.

I use a program called Family Search that my Church maintains, but I believe anyone can acquire an account. It is very similar to Ancestry, which is also a great place to begin if you don’t want to try Family Search. The two actually work hand in hand however, as members of my Church have spent several years digitizing image files from all over the world to make them searchable for anyone interested in their family history. But the thing I like the most about it, is the memories tab in any individual’s record. If you have memories, you can add them, and if you’re like me, you can then go in and read information about your own family members that you may never have known.

Reading these histories has given me a glimpse into what life was like, how people raised their kids, traveled great distances, what was important to them, where my roots are (mostly Europe), and what they did day to day in some instances. I have learned more about family traits, not particularly genetic disease, but through pictures I see my children, through stories I hear their voices and see them as they really are, people trying just like me to live the best way they know how. I see perseverance, I see faith, I see trust and love. I am grateful for the people who have taken time to add these histories and journals to the site, and the opportunity I have to learn more about my family.

If you have never researched your family tree, now is a great time to start! There are so many resources out there to help you, and so much more information than there used to be, literally at your fingertips. Family is so important to me, and ultimately, we are all family. It is so fun to see how we’re all connected, and that really, most of us are connected within 9-10 generations. I would love to hear where you’re from, some interesting people you’re related to, or maybe a story that you love from generations past!