Paying Tribute to My Ancestors

My paternal Utah ancestors are Nelsons and Thompsons, originally from Richmond and Lewiston.  My maternal ancestors are Petersons and Merrills mainly from Smithfield in Cache County, Utah.

I was born 12 years after my brother, K. LeRoi Nelson, and 8 years after my sister, Louise Nelson Hyer.  They were both born in Utah, but I was born in South Dakota.  

For my sister's 75th birthday, she flew to Utah from her home in Shafter, California; and I flew from South Dakota to join her and my brother to celebrate her birthday.  The birthday dinner was held at the Bluebird Cafe in Logan, Utah, which had been a favorite restaurant of Louise's when she attended Utah State University in Logan.  I was sure Louise would like my birthday present, a Black Hills Gold necklace.

 Narene, K. LeRoi, and Louise

May 2005 - Utah

A special activity during our time together was on Memorial Day when we filled the cars with potted chrysanthemums and traveled together to several cemeteries in Cache County to decorate the graves of our parents and other family ancestors.  K. had brought supplies to clean the gravestones and then we placed the colorful potted chrysanthemums at each of the graves as we thought about these family ancestors.  We visited graves in Richmond, Smithfield, Lewiston, and Logan.

 K. getting help from Lon and Lori's boys

cleaning the headstones and area.

The grave of our parents, LeRoi and Margaret Nelson

in the Logan cemetery.

(Louise, K. LeRoi, and Narene) 

 The grave of our ancestor, Ira Merrill,
in the Smithfield cemetery.
He was killed by Indians 
and was the first one to be buried in the cemetery.

This is the farm in Richmond where my father grew up.
At the time of this photo, my Uncle Owen's son, 
Ted and Sharon Nelson were living there.
The house is hidden behind the trees at the right in the photo.

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As part of our Ireland Family Reunion in 2007 in Idaho,
one day was spent in northern Utah in Cache County
remembering my ancestors.
We visited cemeteries and places of interest.

I was very pleased to find the grave of Hannah Daniels
in Mink Creek, Idaho, near Preston.
She is my maternal great-great grandmother (1812-1892) whose
first husband and my ancestor was Thomas Job Davies.
Because of the stories my mother has shared,

Hannah has been an ancestor of special interest for me.

The former home of my maternal grandparents
in Smithfield, Utah, where my mother was raised.
I remember the nice fruit orchard in their backyard, 
but the garage addition at the right has been added since.

Photos taken by my parent's grave in Logan, Utah.
(Sarah, Haley, Maggie, Maren, and Trevor Smith) 

Brent, Jeff, Marla, Beth, Scott and Kristine,
and Austin and Jamon

 Visiting graves of Peterson relatives in the
cemetery in Smithfield, Utah.

I took this picture following a very special time remembering ancestors
while being in the Logan temple.
(Grampa Sam, Trevor, Brent, Beth, Curtis, Sarah,
Maggie, Marla, Doug, Jeff, Seth, and Brady)


 The following are ancestral photos:
 

 Headstone at the grave of my paternal grandfather,
Parley Nels Nelson (1874 - 1922),
who died suddenly from serious complications
following an operation for stomach ulcers.

My paternal grandparents,
Parley Nels Nelson and Mary Florence (Thompson) Nelson

 My dad with his siblings.
(back row) Irene Stoddard, LeRoi (my father), Adaline, Phyllis Oliverson;
(front row) Lathan, Owen, Vella Eliason, and Raymond.
Adaline and Lathan died before I was born.

 My maternal grandparents,
Mary Etna (Merrill) Peterson and John H. Peterson
with my mother's brother, Alton, the artist. 

My maternal Grandpa John Henry Peterson
January 4, 1875 - January 30, 1950

This is how I remember my Grandpa Peterson.

My mother is the little girl in this four-generation photo
with Metta Marie (Neti) Hansen or *Olsen (my maternal great-grandmother 
and wife of John August Peterson), 
John Henry Peterson (my grandfather),
Marie Hansen Nielsen (Metta's mother), Margaret Peterson, Ole Hansen (Metta's father).
*Note:  In Denmark the mother and children were all recorded on
Danish records according to patronymics; they all used their father's
surname here in the United States.

Freeborn Shepherd Merrill and Mary Esther (Davis Job) Merrill

with children:

Freeborn Austin Merrill, Mary Etna Merrill (my grandmother),

and Frank Ledyard Merrill (the baby).
Not yet born at the time of this photo was their youngest:
Laura Cordelia Merrill, whom I remember as "Aunt Dee"
and who died in 1976.

My Grandmother went by her middle name of "Etna."
As she died in 1940, I don't remember her.
Mary Etna Merrill's mother is the daughter of
Hannah Daniels (my great-grandmother)
(and who is the mother in the "Frozen Linsey-Woolsey dress" story).

 My Grandfather John H. Peterson as a child
with two of his brothers, Parley and Joseph.

 John (Johan) August Peterson,
my maternal great-grandfather,
husband of Metta Maria (Neti) Hansen. 


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 Such good memories from my visit for Louise's 75th birthday in 2005.
(Narene and Louise)
Louise left this life December 25, 2011,
having been diagnosed two weeks earlier with pancreatic cancer.
I am grateful for the good visit we had together
in her home in Shafter the prior week before she died.


 

Louise, K. LeRoi, and Narene

with our Mother and Dad.
Now only my brother and I are left.

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I am also grateful for my Ireland family
and for the over 35 years Sam and I lived
in South Dakota at the farm and attended Ireland family reunions.
 

(Sam, Rachel, and Weston)
 They have all grown up now, 
and Weston graduated from high school this year.

I am grateful "Families Can Be Together Forever."

Spring Scenes for Mother's Day

This will be a different Mother's Day for many mothers around the world who are away from loved ones due to the Covid-19 pandemic.  In spite of this unusual time, I am appreciating good memories and fondly thinking about my mother, my mother-in-law, my sister, my sisters-in-law, my daughters, those who became my daughters when they married our sons, and other mothers in my life whom I love as sisters and who hold a special place in my heart.  Happy Mother's Day!

Sam's mother and mine

at our wedding reception June 5, 1959.

My mother and dad, sweethearts forever;
Grandmother and Granddad Nelson.

Sam's wonderful and loving parents,
Gramma Mabel and Grampa Harold.

Our "Prairie Fire Crabapple" trees on the island in our front yard.

Early spring blossoms but not yet on our day lilies.

The Japanese Mable has leafed out in color.

Waking up to our new lakeside property
with our house to the left and our playground in the background.
(Recent landscape changes by Sam and our next-door neighbor
to the shared irrigation ditch plus some other circumstances
resulted in flooding our parking area on our property.
It has since been drained.)


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More Family Memories
With loving appreciation for those who have joined our family.

Grateful for our two daughters and five sons.
Our posterity began to increase on April 21, 1984,
when Marla and Curtis were married; 
and since then our family has grown to currently include  74!
We are very blessed. 

So many fun memories through the years.
Here we are at the farm ice skating at Bad Hare
when my parents were visiting.
(Granddad Nelson, Marlowe, K. LeRoi, Harold, Sam, Ina,
Louise holding Lon, Ronald, Grandmother Nelson, Narene, and Roy.)

Picture taken in Ann Arbor by our apartment on North Campus
at the University of Michigan where Sam was working on his doctorate.
We were pleased to have a visit from Sam's sister Phyllis 
with her husband Neal Daniels and Randy and Diane.
Also in this picture is our fun German neighbor Dietrich VonLoh 
along with our children at the time (Ryan, Brent, Marla, and Scott).

Sam with his parents and siblings,
Roy, Phyllis, and Karen. 

And always fun Christmas Eves at Gramma Mabel's.
(Marla, Scott, Brad, Todd, Brent, Ryan, Traci, Craig, Steve, 
Gramma Mabel and Grampa Harold,
Doug, Jeff, Beth, and Chad) 

A perfect photo of love and devotion.
My parents were visiting us at the farm,
and I was taking dictation as they shared happy memories
sitting in the bedroom that had been decorated for our football-loving sons.  


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