A wonderful wonderful day!

 We had a very special baptism today.  Chris asked Robbie to baptize him in the Plymouth Bay.  Chris is a very sweet, humble fisherman and boat captain.  It was one of the most spiritually uplifting baptisms I have ever attended.  Robbie is no longer the branch mission leader as of last week but he did some amazing things while he was serving there.  He worked closely with the missionaries, investigators and new members.  Another special thing about today was that it was Chris' 40th birthday.  What a special special day.  We were so blessed to be part of it.  Plus it was pretty unique to baptize someone in the ocean.  And we think Chris was the first plymouth branch member to be baptized in the plymouth branch boundaries.  Very very special!! 

With the two witnesses- in their shorts after the baptism!

Lets Go Cougars!

It had been way to long since we had seen a BYU game! It was so fun!! I loved seeing the look on Robbies face the entire time!! He was in his element. The night before- we got to go to the fireside at our old stake center. It was very fun! My favorite parts were the musical number by the runningbacks and coming right out of the bathroom with Bennett and Emary right as the entire team was walking down the hall. Each player game Bennett and Emary a high 5. It was really fun! Bennett got a picture with Mitch Matthews and a signature from Taysom Hill. It was great!

We enjoyed lots of high fives during the game!  There were so many BYU fans there it was crazy.  People came from all over!  We truly had a blast!

Oh Farmington

We will always enjoy visits to Farmington. I can't imagine us ever being in the state of Connecticut and not visiting Farmington. Those two years of our lives were very special and there will always be things we miss about it!  It was fun to take Bennett and Emary down memory lane- again!  Our first stop was to look at the progress on the temple again.  Its hard to see the progress at this stage since a lot of it is inside but they have since started on the steeple. Our next stop was the beautiful Farmington River Trail.  It was amazing as always.  What a beautiful trail!

Seeing these two cuties in this memorable place pulled at my heartstrings.  I love these two!  I enjoyed many many walks here with a brand new baby Bennett.  I even won a photo contest from a photo I took on this very trail.

Our next stop was the Farmington Library. I did some trainings there but mostly would use it for the internet or to rent fun movies and even to bring Bennett for lots of playing!

Bennett and Emary wanted to build a temple out of blocks.  They did a great job!!

Bennett said, "I really like this bear, Did I love this bear when I was a baby?"  It was so cute.

We of course had to go to truffles for lunch.  It was delicious as usual.  We love love love truffles! The kids enjoyed it as well.

It was a very fun Farmington Day!

Fun time at BYU fireside

We had a fun time at the BYU fireside tonight. It was fun to be able to see the players so close (we were in 2nd row) without helmets on. 

Marybeth was awesome she took this picture with Wide Reciever Mitch Matthews and she got this signature from #4 on the team. Anyone know who that is. I told Bennett I guess we will keep the helmet up on the shelf from now on. He said no dad it is a toy! #ineedanewtoyhelmet.  

We may ask for help to locate the byu box for this familiar with Connecticut or have computer abscess

John Peter Andersson Groberg

Groberg/Neeley/Cornwall
We go to the Groberg line of our family history and examine our Swedish roots. Dad's grandma Neeley's maiden name is Groberg.  It was John Groberg of the 70 (Grandma Cornwall's cousin) who married dad and I in the Salt Lake Temple in 1979.

This completes the great, great, grandparent arc.

John (or Jan) Peter Andersson Groberg, born in Sungnathors Ägor, Västerfårnebo, Västmanlands, Sweden on 13 Feb 1840 was the first to join the Church.  He became a member  in 1869 when he was 29 years old. He shared the gospel with his parents Anders Persson Groberg and Catharina Andersdotter and they were baptized in 1870. John and his family (he was not married yet) left for America and Zion in 1872 which we will document next week.

John was a seeker as you can tell from his history which was written in Swedish and translated by his daughter Ellen Groberg Crowther and his son Chester Groberg. "I was brought up in the Lutheran Church and confirmed in the same when I was 15 years old.  From then on I lived as a helper to different farmers and didn’t think much of life’s more serious side but fastened my attentions on the empty pleasures which are the habits of youngsters around the same age.  When I was 22 years old I began to think a little more seriously about religion and the possibility of whether it could be true or not but came to no conclusion that it was necessary to be so true to a religion, because I almost decided that the Priests used it to hold people under their will, so I began to take in the Free Thinkers principles, but I couldn’t however have peace with that, because my conscience told me there was a God, that commanded nature’s forces, which means that one is duty bound to worship.  I began thereafter to follow a sect called the Readers, which I thought to be the most upright of the Lutheran Church and I was happy in their congregation for a time of three years.  

Then came the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints and declared to me that the Lord God had again talked to the earth and sent his angels which revealed to Joseph Smith where the American Indian’s ancient history was - which on the plates were hidden in the earth since 400 years A.D. and was taken there by commandments of the Angel September 22, 1827 By Joseph Smith.  The contents of the plates can be read in the Book of Mormon.  I began to examine this book and came to a complete satisfaction that it was true.  I accepted this teaching and was baptized September 1, 1869 by Elder C. J. Oberg and confirmed by the laying on of hands by Erick Petterson.  I have since traveled this path and found it good."
IT IS GOOD!!!

GOING TO BYU

I had a different leaving-for-college-experience than dad did.  It was a family affair, Bev, Mel, Sue, Barb and Fred.  I know Fred our dog must have gone because Barb is holding his dish and food in the picture above.  I think my dad was astonished at all the stuff I took and lined it up for this great picture.  I am glad he did, although it is a little bit embarrassing.

It all fit in our snazzy station wagon which we called "The President's Car" for years because we bought it from President Mabey when we moved from Bountiful.  I think I am responsible for the lovely dents in the back of the car - Sorry Mom!!!

I moved right into Fugal Hall of Heritage Halls - right on campus.  It was all decked out to welcome us.  This last trip I saw that it had been torn down to make way for New Heritage. 

My mom and dad were so good to me to buy this stunningly beautiful butter-yellow Samsonite luggage.  I still have it.  Currently it is filled with Rachel's shoes underneath the girl's bed.  I just can't seem to part with it - although I just tossed the makeup piece.  I look pretty happy in this picture.  You would never know I cried most of the first night I was so homesick.

Typewriter (my graduation gift from my parents.  It was my dad's old one.  He gave it to me when he got a brand spanking new one), poster, Peanuts pillowcase (to match the Peanuts garbage can shown in the first picture) and hot rollers.  How else do you think I could get that cute hairdo???

My first semester report card - not too bad.  A- in Karate.  I think it is the grade I am most pleased with.  I'll match your wrestling dad and raise you one.

A FEW VIEWS OF the UTAH TRIP

Dad had a few photos to share of the recent trip to Utah/cabin with the RobbCorn, Andersons and JeffCorns .

 Interesting that the last two photos are of eating ice cream.  The photo above of a popular local ice cream place that is kitty-corner from the Ogden Temple.

This very last photo is of mom and dad at the Mad Greek in Baker, CA to get one of their famous fresh strawberry shakes.  It was one year ago that Great Grandpa stopped, as he traditionally did, here on his drive back from the cabin in August.  We have never stopped before, but wanted to on this trip to remember the beginning of Great Grandpa Cornwall's health challenges and the love and care and happenings that ensued.

 

Note from Sarah about yesterday's earthquake in No. Calif.:  I didn't feel one thing from the earthquake.  I just had a safety check from President Alba, so thank you all so much for your love and concern!  Hermana Cornwall

Click on the above image to go to A Voice from the Vineyard.

We Thank Thee Oh God for a Prophet

Post by Deseret Book.

I love the music and the pictures.  Great thing to view for Family Home Evening tonight.  

#sharegoodness

Shake, Rattle and Roll

A few of you have been concerned about Sarah and the recent earthquake in Northern California.  We received an email from Sister Alba, the mission president's wife, yesterday that all the missionaries are safe.

The earthquake was in Napa and Sarah is serving in Willits - still a distance, but we will see today if she felt anything.    The following article appeared in the Deseret News this morning.
NAPA, CALIFORNIA
Both missionaries and members serving and residing in California’s Napa Valley region are reportedly safe following an early Sunday morning earthquake.
The magnitude-6.0 quake struck at 3:20 a.m., local time, and could be felt in areas across Northern California and as far east as Sacramento. The temblor, which is being called the South Napa earthquake, is the largest such seismic event in the Bay Area since the magnitude-6.9 Loma Prieta quake almost a quarter-century ago, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
There were no initial reports of death, but the Santa Rosa Press Democrat reported that 90 people were injured, with most suffering cuts and bruises from broken glass and falling objects.
Television and online video reports also captured dramatic damage to historic buildings and well-traveled roads in the city of Napa and other quake-impacted communities. Dozens of homes, businesses and structures were significantly damaged or destroyed. Meanwhile, emergency crews from across the Bay Area responded to gas leaks, water line ruptures, power outages and fires.
The California Santa Rosa Mission is assigned to the affected region.
“All of our missionaries are safe and accounted for,” President Rene Alba told the Church News a few hours after the quake. “We are ready for our missionaries to serve in their communities.”
The disaster prompted Church leaders to cancel Sabbath services at the Napa California Stake Center. Napa Third Ward Bishop Michael Wagner said he and other local priesthood and Relief Society leaders planned to spend the day making welfare checks to affected members and their families.
“Everyone is pretty much okay,” said Bishop Wagner, adding that he had not heard of any significant injuries to members.
The bishop was sleeping at his Napa home early Sunday when the quake struck.
“The shaking was pretty violent and lasted maybe 10 or 15 seconds,” he said. “Our daughters and grandchildren were downstairs and they were crying.”
The rumblings at Bishop Wagner’s home were strong enough to overturn file cabinets and break the glass from picture frames.
There did not appear to be any notable structural damage to the stake center in Napa, although several plates and other types of dishware were shattered in the kitchen. The organ pipes in the chapel were also left askew.
The earthquake struck four miles northwest of American Canyon, six miles southwest of Napa and nine miles southeast of Sonoma, according to the USGS. At least five aftershocks had been felt in the hours following the quake.

William Warner Player

Player/Smith/Hodgkinson
Today's Flashback adds a genealogy fan chart for the Kent and Sue Cornwall family tree.  This will  show viewers where subject ancestors fit in the family lineage.

• Bright-yellow highlighted ancestors are the first converts of that family line.  Their stories have been the subject of previous blog posts.
• The Orange highlighted ancestor is the subject of this THIS post.
• Pale-yellow highlighted ancestors are a continuation of Church membership .
• The other pale colors delineate the main branches of the family tree - Cornwall (blue) - Neeley (green) - Hodgkinson (red) - Smith (creme).

Our highlighted ancestor today is William Warner Player.  He is the father of the ancestor that is highlighted in orange -  Charles Warner Player.  William Warner Player is one generation past the beautiful fan chart that dad created, but we will talk about both men.
William Warner Player (1793-1873) was the  youngest child of Charles and Ann Warner Player.  He was born on March 3, 1793 in Chelsea Middlesex England.  We don't have any information on his early years but we know that in 1821 William married Zilah Sanders Brown. They moved shortly after that to the Potteries (the home of the pottery industry) where William was a stone mason. In 1840 the Player family joined the LDS Church. In 1842 William, Zillah and their four children sailed to America. They sailed on the ship Hanover.  It sailed from Liverpool March 12th, 1842, with about two hundred Saints on board bound for Nauvoo, via New Orleans.  Amos Fielding was in charge and they arrived in Nauvoo with about one hundred and fifty of his company, May 14th, 1842. William being a skilled stone mason began to work on the temple, he was 49.  Charles who was 15 at the time also worked on the temple. 

The Players joined the Horton D. Haight company that left for the Salt Lake Valley on August 10th 1862 and arrived October 19, 1862.  There were 650 individuals in the company when it began its journey from the outfitting post at Florence, Nebraska (now Omaha).  By googling his name  I found a book written in 1993 by  Madelyn Player.  It is called the "Legacy of William Warner Player".  It is archived at several libraries including BYU and BYU-I, but the title gives us a clue of what his priority was.  The legacy -  "My heart was to build another temple of the Lord."  When William arrived in Salt Lake it appears that he was anxious to work on the Salt Lake Temple, but now he was 69 years old and Charles was 35. They both worked on the temple for many years.  William Warner Player died 11 years after they arrived and twenty years before the Salt Lake Temple was dedicated.  I am looking forward to getting access to that book so that I can learn more about this great Player family and our heritage.  

GOING TO BYU

Since this will be the first time in many, many years that we aren't dropping someone off at BYU, I thought we would flashback to when dad and mom headed off  to the "Y" for next couple of Throwback Thursdays.  We had different ways of getting there.  Dad headed off in his newly restored Jeep (no, Jon, David and Chris didn't go with him).  He left with his good friend Jim Owen.  At registration in the Smith Fieldhouse, unaccompanied by parents, he pulled his IBM punch cards from a table set up for each class and then claimed his scholarship. ("My dad says I have a scholarship!")  The scholarship issue was eventually resolved (indeed, with a full tuition scholarship) after several trips to the Smoot Admin Building over the next few days.   Where did he live you may ask - the dorms??  No he roomed off-campus in Reams Apartments.  He and Jim Owen were the only frosh (and non-RMs) in the ward.

Did dad have a beard card???  Sensitive to shaving???  Oh I think things were different back then.  Sweet Mustache, sideburns and hair!!

How did he do in school his first semester?  Looked outstanding to me.  "A" in wrestling - impressive.  It seems sure that he deserved that scholarship!