Many thanks for all who continue to support the efforts of the work we are presently doing in regards to genealogy for the Mower family. It is time for a report and an update.
I have been very busy this fall (just like everyone else I guess), working 3 jobs this year in order to be prepared to send missionaries into the field. Daniel is entering the MTC in Provo this week on his way to the Malaga, Spain Mission. Matthew will leave on his mission this summer, and Chris will leave on his mission next summer.... so we will have 3 out at once. Lots of blessings in store.... sometimes you wonder how you can afford all of these blessings. (Smile) We can't think of a place we would rather send our sons than into the Lord's service.
Trudy Schenk has stopped researching for us and I should explain that. Trudy has done a wonderful job for us and found so much information over the years. She has been working on the origins of the Brill family in the Hesse, Germany region. We have identified an area from where we are 95% sure the family came. The problem is complicated in that the church records from this area of Germany have not been microfilmed by the Church and are only available by going "on-site". It is just not feasible to fund $4000 research trips to Germany until we have the site identified from which the family came. We can't identify the site until we research the records and we can't research the records here in America until they are microfilmed. Feel frustrated? Welcome to the club.
The result is that we have placed the Brill work on hold. Anybody have any ideas? Hire a local German researcher living in Germany and have them work for us? Certainly would be cheaper. Let me know your feelings.
The Amelia Augusta Anderson research is proceeding very well. We are making giant strides on this line thanks to family members who are funding the research being done by Linda Larson, an accredited research genealogist who specializes in Swedish Research. Some family members are funding $100 per month, others are sending $25 to $300 periodically and this is keeping this work going.
Amelia Augusta Anderson married John Lisbon Mower. Her Swedish line is very researchable because Swedish records are available. I am entering the information from this line into the computer and keeping names flowing to temples.
I am also keeping names flowing to temples from the research already completed on the Michael Mower file..... our immigrant ancestor. I have several hundreds of names needing temple work and I send names to individuals who will accept responsibility to see that the work is completed and will return the completed cards to me.
I wish to mention the fine work of Nathan Mower in keeping our web site going. He has mentioned he has access to a free web site for our association and so our internet address will be changing. We will put a link on the web site to guide you to the new one for the next two months. After that, people will have to look us up on a search engine under the "Mower Family History Association". Either way will find us. Nathan's work has led me to several dozen genealogical contacts which have led to dozens of connections to relatives. Much information has been added to our Master File of Michael Mower.
I am sure I have the most complete and linked file on the ancestors, descendants and relatives of Henry Mower Senior in existence. It is by no means complete. Some of you have checked your particular lineage on the Ancestral File at local Family History Libraries and have noted errors that are submitted. Some of you have noticed children born who are not on the file, or deaths that have occurred. I thank you for sending me the updated family group sheets and I have entered the corrections and additions into our master file.
In summary, may I say that the 10 years I have been writing this newsletter and coordinating the genealogical work and submitting names for temple work has been a very rewarding experience. This bug has taken root into my blood and I am sure I will never get over it. I hope I can continue faithful in this work until I get a chance to meet these great ancestors once again.
Some of you may get to the other side before me......... please work on Martin Brill and tell him I am pretty slow following his clues. We could use some help on that line. I am sure it will come in time, but who knows how much time we have? May you all enjoy the new millenium! Jerry
... continuation of John Lisbon Mower history...... Part 2
berries, built corrals, sheds, two barns, and fences. He was also interested in raising and selling livestock. It wasn't long before he had a nice bunch of fine cattle.
In this log room seven more children were born: Emily A., April 30, 1884; Edna Bernhardina, April 28, 1886; Andrew H., October 24, 1888; William. L., March 23, 1890; Arthur Leroy, April 24, 1891; Maud Arabelle, February 5, 1894; and Albin Winston, September 30, 1896. Out of these seven children, three were taken in death shortly after birth: Emily A., Andrew H., and William L. Arthur Leroy lived until he was 27 years of age. He died on October 22, 1918, of Spanish influenza while serving his country in World War I at Fort Omaha, Nebraska.
John Lisbon and his wife had worked and saved, buying more stock and land until, when they had been married 19 years, they owned 190 acres of land and a hundred head of bred up cattle. They were also building a beautiful, new two- story brick home, which must have seemed grand. Their four older children could hardly wait to move in the new home, but baby Winston wasn't at all interested. He would say, "I don't want to move, the dogs and cats live up there." Edna, being a very energetic girl, went to the new home and cleaned and washed the windows. Then one day while their parents were at Fairview shopping, Johnnie and Edna carried furniture, dishes, and clothing from the old log house up to the new home, which was some distance away, and had the new house set in order when their parents returned home.
Five more children were born to this union in the new home: Lorna Ramona, the first child to arrive, was born August 11, 1900. Twins, a girl and a boy, came along 3 years and 4 months later on December 30, 1903. They were given the names of Audrey Christina Elizabeth and Odrey E. Their next born was a boy on July 3, 1906, and they named him Rollan Grant. Their last child, number 13, was a baby boy born June 12, 1909, and he was named Fred Webster.
John Lisbon may well be designated a self-made man, and a successful farmer, stock raiser, and financier. He imported numerous thoroughbred stock and was extensively interested in Durham cattle. He assisted in organizing and establishing local enterprises: the Fairview creamery, where he was a large stockholder and director for many years; the Oak Creek Cattle Association, where he was a board member and also president; he helped organize the Oak Creek Irrigation Company and he was still president of this organization at the time of his death.
He was a honest, upright man. Everyone could depend on his word; it was as good as a bond. He was a deep thinker; he always studied every situation out clearly, giving it much consideration. It seemed he could almost see the future. People came from all around for his wise counsel and advice. He had great faith in humanity. He could always see the good qualities in folks. His motto was "There is never anyone so bad but what there is something good in him." He never held a grudge or sought for revenge, but always had forgiveness for those who wronged him. One of his greatest pleasures in life was doing kind things for others. He was afraid of debt; he always paid cash for what he bought, or went without until he had the money to pay for it.
Everyone was his friend, the rich and the poor alike, and especially the young folks. He was a friend to all youth and always took time out to talk and josh with them, no matter how busy he was. They all called him "Uncle Johnnie." In his home he taught principles that must live on. His children were never allowed to gossip, backbite, or speak ill of anyone in his presence. He would say, "You never hear me do it, and you know it's not right."
He was always fair and honest in his dealings with everyone. His half brothers and sisters all loved him. He was always doing acts of kindness for them. His half sister Cynthia was left a widow early in life. He helped her a great deal; she always came to him for advice. He gave her hay for her cow, and when he went to the mill and took a lead of grain to be made into flour and pig chop, he always took her calf home and fed it with his own cattle until it was a two-year-old. Then he would sell it in the fall with his own cattle and give her the money, so she could pay her taxes and meet other bills. His half sister Lydia, along with her husband, John Bills, and their family, lived in Canada at the time of her mother Ruvina's death. The family didn't have the money to come down to Fairview for the funeral, so John Lisbon wired her the money, and the family all came to the funeral. (He never mentioned things like that to anyone. It was just part of him). Once, however, when I visited her home in Salt Lake in December of 1923, shortly after Father's death, she told me all about it. She said, "If it hadn't have been for your dear father I could not have gotten to my mother's funeral." And she just cried and told me how much she loved my father.
He was known for the big, early vegetable garden that he raised. He always pulled the big, luscious radishes and onions for the table, and I remember how he gathered cucumbers by the bushel from his wonderful garden. He always picked the corn, brought it down by the pigpen, shucked it, and brought the beautiful, tender ears to the house for Mother to cook. And his large pea patch was a sight to behold! It was garden all by itself with peas enough to supply all the neighbors. And I shall never forget the big, tender turnips and carrots. And the large kettles of black, wax string beans and new potatoes that Mother prepared from Father's garden. I just can't help but mention his garden, because the memory of it runs through my mind so often, and I think of the hard work that he often did there so that his big family may enjoy those luscious meals.
He raised hundreds of bushels of grain, until his grainery was overflowing, and he sold it by the wagon load the following spring to be planted for seed. We used to have the grain thrashers for several days to thrash all that grain. And Mother fed all those thrashers three big, hearty meals a day. Father would kill a beef to feed them, and before they were through thrashing, most of the beef had been eaten. Uncle Will Mower from Milburn was the manager of the thrasher, and they always planned to thrash our grain last, then they would all sit in Mother's parlor for a day or so just visiting and settling....
(to be continued)