1 June 2017- Elder Kearon Visits

"We thought we would update you on some of our recent activities, in addition to what we have been sending you about family history and temple work.

Last week we received a call from the mission home informing us we would be getting a new car.  It surprised us a little, since the once we have only had 24,000 miles on it  (22,000 of which we put on it over the last 16 months.)  The mission home explained that the Bideford Elders' car was being retired, and we were to give them our car and drive theirs into the mission home for exchange.  We got the new car because President Gubler didn't like the idea of the young elders driving the new car with the narrow, winding roads through fields and farms.  It wouldn't look new very long.  We held our breaths as we drove the old one the 5 hours to the mission home, hoping it wouldn't break down on the way, but arrived without incident, for which we are grateful.  Elder Cannon, a former senior missionary who provided us with our first driving lesson in England, was fond of saying, 'Well, we cheated death again' upon his completion of any trip on the roads.  We know how he felt.

While we were in London we attended a senior missionary conference.  It was held in a congested area near the center of London.  We rode from the temple to the Peckham chapel with the visitor's center missionaries, and were glad we weren't driving.  The traffic was pretty awful, but made up for by the conference being so good.  We had Mexican food for dinner, but it is still not the same as Mexican food back home.  That is something we will look forward to on our return.  

During the conference we heard from the missionary couples who will be returning home in the next few months.  Some of them are missionaries who came out at the time we did.  It was a little strange to see them giving their farewell testimonies.  It has been a great blessing to get to know some of these couples.  Many of them have sacrificed greatly to come here and serve.  We look up to them with admiration and appreciation for all they have done.

President Gubler extended to all of us some marvelous blessings and promises when he spoke.  We hope we can live to be worthy of those blessings.

We stayed overnight at the accommodation center and spent the next morning in the temple doing work for our Stevens ancestors.  We have previously sent a description of that experience, and of our visit to the Enmore Parish in Somerset where they lived.

We returned home on Saturday night enjoying the new car smell, but afraid to spill crumbs on a brand new interior that is black and will show everything.  It also has a built in satnav, which we won't be using since Heather and Dustin educated us on the benefits of the Google maps app on our iPhone.  It is perfect for our needs.

On our return home we enjoyed stopping in Exeter for a farewell party for one of our YSA who is going to Germany on her mission.  The party included tastes of many different German foods.

On Sunday we went to hear her farewell talk, and also heard President Martin, our Stake president.  He is a man we admire very much, and always benefit from is counsel.  While there, we met a young lady who rarely can come to church because of her health.  She tries to faithfully study the gospel on her own at home.  There are many ways to 'endure to the end' that don't involve getting old.

Monday, of course, was Memorial Day.  We really appreciate Stand and Linda and Gloria's family putting flowers on Bethany's grave.  Bethany would be almost 22 now.  We look forward to that glorious day when we will see her again and get to know her.

Here they do not celebrate Memorial Day, but do have a Remembrance Day in November.  WWI is much more of a cultural memory here, much more so than WWII, or anything else since.  WWI cost England much of that generation of young men, and even their way of life.  In America, we hardly ever think of WWI, and seldom WWII.  Except for those who fought, the US was largely shielded from the effects of those wars by comparison, and those who fought rarely would speak of it.  It must have brought painful memories.  We should ever honor and never forget their sacrifice.

We returned yesterday from a multi-zone conference in Poole.  Elder Kearon, the Area president and newly called to the presidency of the Seventy, was there and spoke.  He was really outstanding in the way he taught the missionaries how to be natural and authentic when they contact those who are not yet members, and to meet them where they are, rather than where we are.  The missionaries prepared and sang a special rendition of a favorite hymn of his, Let Us All Press On.  He was visibly moved by the gesture.  We have gained such admiration for these young missionaries, and realize we have been here long enough to know a lot of them.  We also remember many who have gone home with fondness.  It was an inspiring conference.  

Summer Institute begins in a couple of hours.  We have worked hard to prepare and coordinate the ability to broadcast to Cornwall, which hasn't been done before.  Some of these young adults live two and a half hours away, and it's too much to expect them to travel for Institute class.  We hope it is successful."

29 May, 2017- Finding Elizabeth Allyn Stevens

Finding Elizabeth Allyn Stevens

"When we arrived in England people began asking us if we had English ancestors followed by the question, “where?"  In looking at some of the histories, to our surprise we discovered that one branch of our family tree came from Somerset, only an hours drive from our flat in Newton Abbot.  We told ourselves that we needed to go there sometime, which we finally did, visiting the Enmore Parish Church and location of the blacksmith forge and home of the Stevens family.

At the Paignton Ward celebration of being in their church building 10 years, held in Feb. 2017, we met Colin Tucker,  who was there to assist people with their family history.  We learned that he specialized in Somerset so we took his card to take him up on his offer of assistance.  Following an email to him providing a few details, Colin responded with more information than we would have imagined.  We noticed in Family Tree that Simon Stevens, born 1678, married Elizabeth  Bright in 1716 but all of the children had birth dates prior to their marriage.  We thought it unusual.  In discussing it with Colin, he provided us details of a previous marriage of Simon to Elizabeth Allyn 17 Oct. 1702 in Bridgwater which fit perfectly with what would be expected, but Elizabeth Allyn wasn't listed in any of the records that had been included in Family Tree.  Family Tree mentioned a marriage to Elizabeth Poole but the records he found indicated she actually married another person in 1703.  Someone had sealed all of the children to Elizabeth Bright, the second wife, and duplicated the sealings erroneously to Elizabeth Poole.  The fact that all three women were named Elizabeth is what caused the confusion but we felt certain given the evidence Colin found that the mother of all the children was Elizabeth Allyn, who died 14 August 1715.  Upon Elizabeth Allyn Steven’s death, Simon Stevens had several small children who needed a mother and he married Elizabeth Bright, but they had no children together.  We then set about correcting and documenting the information Colin had found for us into Family Search.  With the help of a good friend Dot Martin we were able to disconnect children from Elizabeth Bright and Elizabeth Poole in order to connect them with their real mother, Elizabeth Allyn.

This resulted in the opportunity for us to perform the temple ordinances for Elizabeth Allyn, her marriage to Simon and the sealing of her children to her and Simon.  While we were in London for a senior missionary conference May 26 and 27, 2017, we made an appointment to perform these ordinances. Pres. Otterson, the temple president met us at the baptistery and I (Helen Miller Warnick) had the privilege of being baptized for Elizabeth Allyn by my husband Alan Warnick and then completed the other ordinances on the same day.  It was a wonderful, spiritual experience for both of us and we rejoice in the opportunity to be a part in the fulfillment of Malachi’s prophecy of the hearts of the children turning to their fathers.  We have certainly had our hearts turn to our ancestors who sacrificed so much that we might enjoy the blessings of the gospel and the privilege of completing this temple work for them.  We have felt guided in this process and recognize that there have been many doors opened for us to walk through.  We are keenly aware that there is still much more work to be done and we invite us all to take a few more steps and relook at work we thought was already complete, and extending it further with records now available that were not before.  They use the word proper a lot in England.  We want the work done “properly”.

William and Emma Stevens

William and Emma Crowden Stevens

Parents of Emeline Augusta Stevens Bigelow, Wife of Daniel Bigelow:  A condensed history

Emma Crowden was born on June 17, 1823 in Bridgwater, Somerset, England, which is located in the southwestern part of the country, just across the Bristol Channel from Wales. Emma was the daughter of Isaac Crowden of Bridgwater and Charlotte Brewer of Goathurst, another village in Somerset. Emma’s father made his living as a tailor in Bridgwater. On October 23, 1842, when Emma was 19 years old, she married Joseph Stevens in Trinity Church in Bridgwater.  Joseph and Emma started their life together in a large home on Albert Street in Broomfield, also in Somerset, where their daughter, Emma Jane Stevens, was born in 1843. Joseph made a good living as a blacksmith. Unfortunately, less than three years after their marriage, he died of pneumonia on February 19, 1845, leaving Emma a widow at age 21, with a small daughter to raise.

A few months after Joseph’s death, Emma married William Stevens, thought to be a cousin of Joseph. William and Emma were married at Trinity Church in Bridgwater on June 17, 1845, Emma’s 22nd birthday. William was 25 years old and, like Joseph, was a blacksmith by trade. William also had a small farm. Following their marriage, William and Emma lived for a while in Durleigh, where their first two children were born, Sarah Ann on November 24, 1847 and William Henry on September 18, 1849. The family then moved to Enmore, where their next three children were born: Ellen Christiana  on December 29, 1851, Simon Percival on January 7, 1854, and Emeline Augusta.  While living in Enmore, a significant change came to the Stevens family  when William was baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 19, 1855.

In 1855 missionaries from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints went to Bridgwater, Somerset where William heard them teach.  What they said was of great interest to him and sounded truthful, reasonable and wonderful.  He said of his conversion: "As I was pruning my trees and pondering on all the teachings of those missionaries, I said to myself, "Is this renewed Gospel true?" The answer came and with such force --- "Yes, this renewed Gospel is true" - -- that my pruning knife fell from my hand and I stood there with this great knowledge vibrating and thrilling my heart and soul. Then I went into the house and told my wife: "Emma, this Gospel is true and I am going to America.”

Emma was baptized the following year on May 25, 1856, shortly after giving birth to Emeline Augusta on February 27, 1856.  The family had apparently made plans to gather to Zion even before Emma joined the Church, as only one week following her baptism, the family boarded the ship Wellfleet, which left Liverpool on June 1, 1856, and sailed with a company of 146 Saints to Boston, Massachusetts, arriving on July 13, 1856.  So, within a year they left their fine home, orchard, furniture, and packed to go to America.

Emma had some of their money changed into twenty dollar gold pieces, and sewed them in a clever way into her heavy silk underskirt to keep it safe during their journey.  After they had been on the ocean a week their little two year old son, Simon Percival, became very ill with whooping cough and was vomiting. The whales were thought to have smelled the sickness and were following the ship. Because the ships were small in those days, a whale could raise his huge tail and damage the ship or tip it over. Finally the captain had to come and tell them that the sick child would be thrown overboard. Emma begged the captain to give her one more day, the good captain agreed. Then she  prayed most of that night to God that if He would save her little boy from such a fate and make him well, she would be faithful in the restored gospel. The next morning her little boy was well, and there were no whales following the ship. The rest of her life Emma was faithful to her promise.

They arrived in New York in 1856, and it is thought they remained there about four years. Although it is uncertain where the Stevens family made their home for the first few years they were in America, they eventually made their way west to Florence, Nebraska, where they joined the Franklin Brown Independent Wagon Company which departed from Florence on June 9, 1860. Emma was expecting her sixth child by the time they started west and just before they crossed the Platte River in Nebraska, she gave birth to Theophilus Franklin Stevens on June 27, 1860. The group stopped for half a day, then loaded the mother and child in a wagon. As they crossed the river, the wagon they were in tipped over and the stove fell over on them. However, they were rescued unharmed, and proceeded on their way. Some time in late August or early September, they arrived in what is now Summit County, Utah, and some of their party decided to stay there, including the Stevens and Hortin families. (The Edmund Hortin family was also in the Franklin Brown Wagon Company)

William and Emma and their family settled in what is now known as Wanship, where William built a home for his family and started farming on the land he had homesteaded. William and Emma’s last two children were born in Wanship: Isaac Thomas on January 13, 1863 and Abigail Charlotte on November 9, 1865. As in most large families, by the time Emma’s youngest child was born, her oldest was leaving home. Two weeks after the birth of Abigail Charlotte, William and Emma’s oldest daughter, Sarah Ann, was married to Hyrum Moroni Mecham. On November 24, 1868, William and Emma were able to go to Salt Lake City to receive their own endowments and be sealed as husband and wife in the Endowment House. The family lived in Wanship for ten years. During these years, William also homesteaded land to the south, which is now Oakley.  In fact the Willam Stevens family were the first permanent residents of Oakley where they contributed in leadership and fulfilling the needs of the community.    Oakley was near water and wood and offered some protection from the cold wind but it had a harsh climate. There were many challenges to just eek out a living. In 1867 the grasshoppers took almost all the crops and in 1868 most of the wheat was too badly shrunken by frost to be usable.

During the last years of their lives, they lived with William H. and Eliza and their family. Emma passed away on December 9, 1900, at the age of 87. Her husband William followed on March 8, 1902. In their earlier years, they had set aside a piece of ground for a private Stevens Cemetery, and they were both buried there.

William and Emma’s daughter, Emeline Augusta, who was just 4 years old when they traveled west, is our ancestor.  She married Daniel Bigelow of Wallsburg and had 7 children with him.  We descend through their son Parley Percival, father of Afton who married Keith D Miller.  

Worthy of mention is a miracle that preserved Daniel’s life as a young boy while going west in 1850 with the William Snow Ox Team Company.  A scout rode back to the emigrant wagons and told the young folks where they could find ripe choke cherries up a deep ravine.  Little curly headed Daniel Bigelow, only eight years old, went running along after the group.  As he trudged up the steep incline he heard the terrifying warning of a rattlesnake.  Before he could jump to safety the snake struck him just below the knee.  An older brother, answering the frightened call, hastily carried the little one back to camp.  Already the poison had entered the blood stream, a drop of dark blood oozed out, the fangs had pierced the flesh.  Swelling and discoloration set in rapidly.  All that could be done seemed to be of no avail.  All present, including the injured lad, realized that this could mean certain death.  Daniel, seeing his grieving mother brush away the tears as she worked trying to relieve the pain in his weakening body, had a thought of comfort.  He asked that he might be baptized before death came to claim him.  The Elders were called and told of his request, which they complied with by carrying him to the river and baptizing him according to the law of the Church.  From that time forward the swelling and pain subsided and Daniel commenced to get better until he became well and strong again.  Daniel’s parents related this faith promoting experience to their grandchildren many times, always testifying that all in the camp knew that a miracle had been performed, right in their midst ; and in thankfulness acknowledged the answer to their prayers.

16 May 2017- Our Trip to Enmore

"Last week we took a trip to the village of Enmore, about an hour's drive northwest of Newton Abbot in Somerset.  What makes this place of particular interest to us is that some of our ancestors are from there.  William and Emma Stevens and their children left England for America after joining the Church.  They were a prominent family in the area, as William had a thriving blacksmith business and they were landowners.  We have attached a short history of them.  We first went to the Enmore Parish Church looking for family gravestones, but soon realized that markers of that age are not to be found, especially considering the climate, so we were unsuccessful.  We decided to stop for lunch at a pub and restaurant down the road, feeling a little disappointed at not finding anything at the church.  The food was good and as we thanked the owner for the fine meal we mentioned that we had ancestors from Enmore and that they were blacksmiths.  He stepped back outside with us and pointed directly across the street to what is now a small garage, and said that had once been the location of the blacksmith forge, and the house adjacent to it where the blacksmith's family lived.  The address is even 2 Forge Cottage.  We were amazed that we even stopped there in the perfect location to find a connection to our past.  This was more than just a pleasant coincidence.

The surrounding countryside is beautifully green- a sharp contrast to where they settled in Oakley, Utah.  Of course, if they were seeking pleasant surroundings they never would have left in the first place.  Their desire was to follow the call of a prophet of God to gather with the Saints.  We gained a greater feeling of closeness and appreciation for their sacrifices in order that we might have all the blessings we enjoy today." 

Home adjacent to forge

Blacksmith forge former chimney location

Location of former blacksmith forge

Enmore Parish Church gate

Enmore Parish Church (St. Michael's)

26 April 2017

"New Sister missionaries have arrived in Newton Abbot.  Elder Warnick realizes he is not as young as he used to be by lugging their very heavy suitcases into a car too small for them and then up three flights of stairs to their flat.

We took this companionship to see the moors, the sheep, the ponies, the Belted Galloways, and even stopped for a stone circle we just saw from the road.  We had a picnic lunch for them near the clapper bridge in Postbridge, and though it was cool, the sun came out.  Both sisters seemed to enjoy the day, and it gave them a chance to see some things on their preparation day.

The multi zone conference was great.  President Gubler spent significant time talking about repentance and the Savior's absolute willingness and desire to forgive us of our sins if we sincerely repent.  He counseled us to be passionate about repenting in our own lives, and teaching repentance.  He said the story of the prodigal son should hold meaning for all of us, with the father seeing and running to the son from a great way off.

We attended an 18th birthday party for a new YSA that was Harry Potter themed and cleverly done in decorations and food, including butterbeer (similar to cream soda) and aptly named snacks.  There will be another one we are invited to that is Star Wars themed.  People are invited to come in costume.  We may just skip the costumes.

We went to visit Knightshayes, a beautiful house with extensive gardens that included topiary and animals made of natural products.  Maxwell will like the foxes.  The source of the wealth came from the invention of lace-making machinery.  Actually the inventor and his sons' families lived very modestly, giving good wages to employees, but the grandson decided to spend the family fortune on the estate and be a "gentleman" rather than hands on with the business.  The company is still running, and over the years has produced many of the wedding veils for royalty.  One of the benefits of working there is to be gifted a wedding veil.

We attended two separate baptisms on the same day.  One of them for a young man from Bermuda going to school in Plymouth for the next 2 or 3 years in electrical engineering.  He has attended Institute a couple of times already.  The other baptism was in Paignton for a Chinese lady and her 9 year old son.  She wanted to be taught quickly so she could be baptized, having accepted everything with gratitude.  
We have been working for many months on developing a workable process to broadcast Institute to some of the remote locations in the stake.  For many of the YSA a two hour drive is just not feasible.  There are several who are fully active and would attend.  Last week the right man came forward to help test it with the equipment he knew was already available.  We ordered and received another camera for the building where it will be taught in the summer, and should be able to actually broadcast with a screen for the power points this week.

Some of you will know Van Johnson.  His funeral is this Friday.  It makes us grateful for the time we have been able to share being on this mission together.  The time we have on earth is uncertain.

Tuesday was Grandpa Keith Warnick's 101st birthday.  None of our children ever had the opportunity of knowing him in this life, as he died long before any of them were born, but we hope that reading about his life and remembering his birthday will help them appreciate what a marvelous heritage they have.  If each of you could end up being as kind to others and look out for the downtrodden like he did, you would do well.

Sister Warnick made labels for the quilts the ward is making for refugees, and the sisters asked for a tutorial.  Little did they know she had only done it once, and learned how from the internet.  For anyone interested, it is easy to print on fabric using a freezer paper backing and setting the ink with white vinegar.  It works great.

We greatly appreciate Daniel looking after our affairs while we are gone.  He recently took care of our taxes yet again, and keeps our house from flooding by controlling the secondary water.  The lawn is a big one to keep mown, and there are constant details to attend to.  Thanks, Dan."

5 April 2017 - Our Travels, Thoughts, and Conference

"Since we last wrote we have spent a wonderful and full week with Dustin, Heather, and Afton, followed by General Conference.  It was so good to see them and spend several days with them.  Afton has grown and retains her kind nature.  We visited many of the places that we had previously seen with Keith and Sarah and other senior couples.  While the weather was a little rainy, many flowers were in bloom.

One of the things that struck us as we toured these beautiful estates is that the people who built them and lived in them are long gone.  There were the privileged, and even those who served them fared better than many around them.  But even they were beset with trials and tragedies of their own.  Now they are all gone, and their luxurious dwelling places are empty.  We can't help but wonder what has become of them, and whether their feelings and knowledge now would have made any difference in the way they lived.  It is something to consider.  At least we think about it as we contemplate our own lives and situation.

We left the Petersens in Bath on Saturday and returned home to enjoy conference weekend.  Because of the 7 hour delay between time zones we were not able to watch any of the sessions in real time, but have enjoyed them all through technology.  How privileged we are to live in a time when any time we choose, we can hear the words of the apostles and prophets.  No other generation in the history of the world has been so privileged as ours in this regard.  So many of the talks spoke to us personally.  We have a hard time thinking of favorites, because each one touched us in some way.  We strongly encourage you to watch and ponder them for yourselves.  We express to you our testimony of the truthfulness of the restored gospel, and that Jesus Christ is leading us with love through all we face through His chosen servants.  It is our love for Him and His teachings that sustains us and bring us joy.

On Monday we had a couple over for dinner.  The wife has been a member almost a year now, and we were able to talk with them about the eternal blessings available for them in the temple.  It was a nice evening.  Yesterday we went to lunch with a fellow who rents lodgings from church members.  He is an amazing family history expert, and is helping us with some of our own family history on ancestors who lived in Somorset, not far from here.  It was his 70th birthday, and we had a wonderful time with him joking about growing older.  We feel it is a blessing that we have come to know him."

17 March 2017- Happy St. Patrick's Day

"It is hard to believe that it is spring again, although we are most glad for its arrival.  The daffodils are blooming everywhere, including random roadside corners.  Trees are in blossom and the sheep continue faithfully gracing green fields with their calming influence.  By the way, did you know that speed bumps are called 'calming measures' here?

We continue to participate in the teaching of Lee's mother, and see her again Saturday.  She expressed last time that she never thought she could pray for herself, only other people.  We read to her from Amulek's discourse in Alma 34:17-27 where we are instructed to pray for everything that concerns us.  This should open a new avenue for her as she realizes she can pray for her own needs as well as others'.

Mission presidents have been instructed to interview all the missionaries every 6 weeks.  In order to do that President Gubler has scheduled interview days where he travels to Plymouth.  We were asked to provide the lunch somewhat last minute.  We served BBQ chicken sandwiches with crisps (chips, for you Americans), vegetable spears, and dessert.  President Gubler requested banana splits for dessert as a reward for them, which was a bit of a challenge for us because the chapels here don't have freezers.  We ran to the store just before lunch and hoped it would not turn too soft.  It turned out OK, but here were some leftovers that became soup.  It is hard to know how much they will eat; some missionaries have reputations that they never get full.  We think he should promise them chocolate chip cookies next time, which have a better chance of surviving.

The Paignton Ward celebrated the tenth anniversary of being in their building.  We were asked to participate in a choir performance about the life of Christ on the Saturday, followed by food and mingling and displays of different church programs.  There was at least one woman that just came in, having heard about it.  She had gone to school there as a child and wanted to see what it looked like now.  At the table about family history we met a man, not a member of the church, who is quite an expert and very willingly offered to help us with our Somerset ancestors.  He himself is Roma, which entails its own challenges to research.  It brought back memories of being with Ben in Bulgaria, and he would point out Romani to us.  Since then this researcher provided us with additional documents we did not have on our Stevens ancestors, and continues to work with us on researching that line more accurately.  It will be nice to get rid of some of the "about"s that have been included on dates.

We received a call from Sister Gubler of the need to check on a sister who was having back problems, especially with the increased walking required in her new area.  She asked that we evaluate her mattress to see if that was part of the problem.  She needed a new mattress, which was provided, but it hasn't yet made the hoped-for change.  As Aunt Linda and Uncle Paul know, it can be a challenge to keep missionaries well.

The Newton Abbott Ward has a sewing group providing quilts for refugees, and we are attempting to help out in that area with a little handiwork that can be done in spare moments without a sewing machine.  We work with the local councils, who know ahead who is coming from the refugee camps.  So much needs to be done.

The Paignton Ward had a celebration for one of their YW turning 18 and invited us.  She then came to Institute for the first time, and we hope will continue.  Transition times are hard even under the best of circumstances, and this young lady will have to find the strength without family support.

Last night in Plymouth Elder Warnick instructed all the Ward YSA committees in the stake regarding their responsibilities.  The meeting was conducted by a member of the stake presidency, who is extremely supportive and committed to improvement.  One of our young leaders shared the YSA perspective of the challenges they face, including things such as transportation and money and feelings of isolation.  We are hopeful this will jumpstart some action.  Too much of the time this age group has been overlooked locally, with the thinking the stake is taking care of them.

Afterward we rejoined the YSA and had very green rice crispie treats for St. Patrick's Day, although most do not celebrate it in England.  We did it for our young people from Ireland.  Elder Warnick had to go to 3 different stores to find truly green food coloring.  It finally worked so well that it turned their teeth green when they ate it.  But if the Chicago Irish can dye the river green in honor of St. Patrick's Day, why not a few green teeth in Great Britain?  Happy St. Patrick's Day.  Hope you don't get pinched!"

A couple Irish sayings for you:

"As you slide down the banister of life, may the splinters never point in the wrong direction."

"People who wonder whether the glass is half full or half empty miss the point.  The glass is refillable."

"You don't scare me, I was raised by an Irish mother."