Newsletter February 2011

January’s Event: This evening was, in many ways, a tremendously successful event, and also in a way a sad event. The sadness of the event was that there were comparatively few members there as compared to times past. However, this event was just very special. One of our own, Jay Evans, who is a professional singer, donated his time and talents to bring to us an evening of Western music that will long be remembered. Jay has a voice that is so clear, and easy to listen to. He brought some of his new equipment to help him, and as he began to sing, all present wondered where he had his back-up singers. It looked like he was singing solo, but sounded like he had at least three other people singing with him, and their voices blended in so well with his.

There was plenty of good food, and the company was pleasant. All who came found that their coming was not in vain. We had a hard time letting Jay go at the end. He sang many an old western, and several of his own songs. Thank you Jay for your talent, and for your generosity in blessing our lives with your talent.

February’s Event: Will be held at the American Legion Hall, Wednesday night the 16^th at 6:30 p.m. The event will be pot-luck, and after a great meal, we will be graced to hear from Mrs. Lynn Clark, who will give a pictorial view of the history of Hurricane. She has probably the largest collection of early pictures of this area, and is very conversant with what was happening at the time of each picture. She has put together some of her collection, and you can view them if you go to Hurricane City Hall. You will be amazed at what she has done. I heard her as she spoke to the Dixie Encampment Chapter several months ago, and found her presentation to be very stimulating. This is a must see event

Upcoming events: The events in January, February, April, May, July, and one date in August have been confirmed. All other dates are tentative at this point. All dinner meetings will be on the 3^rd Wednesday of the month. If there is to be a trek, it will be on a Saturday, probably the 3^rd Saturday.

February 16, 2011 Lynn Clark Pictorial History

March 16, 2011 V. Dallas Merrill

“Pioneering the Vatican”

April 20, 2011 Pioneer Essays

May 21, 2011 Trek to Peter’s Leap

                                               June 18, 2011 Trek to Colorado City

                                               July 20, 2011 Modern-day Pioneer Award

                                               August 17, 2011 To be determined

                                              August 25 – 27, 2011 Nat’l Convention in SLC

                                              September 2 – 3, 2011 Peach Days

                                             September 21, 2011 Clive Romney

                                             October 19, 2011 To be determined

                                            November 16, 2011 To be determined

                                            December 3^rd or 10^th Christmas Dinner

Windows From the Past:

BLESSINGS FOR THOSE WHO SERVE

Joseph Stewart Allen was born June 25, 1806 at White Town, Oneida (Cold Rain) New York. As a man, he was small in stature - about 5' 8" of blonde complexion, curly hair and unusually small feet and wearing boys size four shoes. He was a good mixer and as he grew older he went partly bald having only a rim of white hair left. He never would sit for a photograph! he said people could remember what he looked like.
He joined the church February 3, 1831, and moved with the Saints from New York to Kirtland, Ohio. There he met and married Lucy Diantha Morley.
He went with the brethren to Zion’s Camp in May 1834. They were organized into companies for the journey by Joseph Smith. Each company was divided as follows....a captain, two cooks, two firemen, two tent men, two water men, one runner, two wagon horsemen, one commissary - twelve men in all. At the sound of the bugle all bowed in prayer in their several tents and every morning about 4:00 at trumpets call, every man knelt again in prayer. They were followed by enemies and spies.
A delegation approached them from time to time to learn the meaning of their journey. The following questions were frequently asked them and they answered in this manner:
"Where are you going?"
"To the west."
"Where are you from?"
"From the east."
"What are you going for?"
"To see who can get the best land the cheapest."
"Who leads this camp?"
And so on. Sometimes one and then another.
It was about the first of June when the prophet had a revelation that a scourge would come upon the camp in consequence of some unruly spirits that appeared among them, and they would die like sheep with the rot. Still if they would repent and humble themselves before the Lord, the scourge might be turned away in a great measure. Yet some still murmured and they were stricken with cholera.
The following incident happened during this long tedious journey. Joseph's shoes wore out and he went on as long as he could. He didn't complain to the prophet about his shoes being gone and his feet sore and bleeding but one day he said to the companion he was traveling with, "I simply cannot go on any farther; my feet are too sore."
They sought out a fallen log (tree) and there sat down to rest. There, too, they knelt down to pray. They prayed for some shoes out there in that raw, bleak country away from stores or from any town where shoes could be bought if they had the money to buy them.
They must have had great faith for after sitting there awhile longer to rest they rose to go on and saw there beside the log a pair of shoes. "They were surely meant for you, Brother Allen," said his companion. "They would not do for me at all. They are too small." So Joseph put on the shoes which fit perfectly and they traveled on.
They always camped in a body even if they separated in the daytime. Someone in lead would select a camp site and they all came to it together at night sooner or later.
He was never one to complain to the prophet. For one so humble as he that prayed for shoes and had his prayers answered with a messenger from God bringing them to him, we who knew him best know how fine and true and dependable he was.
...During his mission in the South, Joseph and his companion had made an appointment for a meeting during the evening. It was in the spring of the year and on the day they were to fulfill their appointment they came to a stream which the day before they had crossed easily. However, it was now so swollen with a rushing torrent of water it was impossible to cross on foot. They knew about a ferry up stream some distance away but going to that crossing would make them late for their meeting. So they did what most Elders would do. They knelt down and prayed for help. On looking up they saw a big, fine man on an extra large horse coming across the stream towards them. They were simply floating, or so it seemed. The horse could not possibly reach the bottom of the stream bed.
"Do you gentlemen wish a crossing," he asked?
"We do."
"Then mount with me and I will take you over."
They got on the horse with the man and were soon safely over. After climbing off they turned to give their thanks to their kind and extraordinary beneficiary, but to their astonishment both horse and rider were no where to be seen. There was not a ripple in the water to indicate that he had gone back into the river. This event took place when Joseph was 29 years old on September 2, 1839.

Dear Members! Please, give me some of your short stories of ancestors and I will put them into this paper. Stories of our families can help to strengthen our resolve to continue, or to do better. Just send it to:

David Hinton

165 N. 100 E.

Hurricane, UT 84737

Or, e-mail it to me at dthinton@dreamwire.net