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Happy Birthday Grandma

Mom,

Thank you for teaching me what a Mother should be.  Everyday of my life I have had your example to follow.  I know that some days of motherhood may seem of no significant importance but you have taught me that each day is important.  That has been your attitude towards motherhood.  You have given and continue to give everything you have to offer to your children.  Your love for motherhood has not only blessed your children but countless others.  You have touched your friends, your children’s friends, neighbors, extended family, over a hundred seminary students, and your grandchildren.  They have been enlightened by the light you radiate.  Your life is of great significance to your Father in Heaven and to many of his children.  Thank you Mom, for making each year of your life of value to you and to all those around you.

Love,

Katie

Happy happy day.

So happy in fact, that Spencer and I will probably go eat a Dirty Frank's hot dog in your honor.

Love you mom.

James and Sophia Humphries Bush

Bush/Stradling/Haws/Hodgkinson

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Sophia Ann Bush Stradling

James Bush, (sorry no picture) was born on August 7, 1809 in Bitton, Gloucestershire, England. When the missionaries of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints came preaching in the vicinity of James and his wife Sophia Humphries home, the Bushes were converted. Their daughter, Sophia Ann was baptized a member of the Church  in 1850 along with her parents. She was 12 years old and was baptized by Elder Cyrus H. Wheelcock and confirmed by Bishop Wooley. As was usual with the converts, as soon as they were baptized they desired to emigrate to America-- to the Church headquarters in Utah. Accordingly early in the spring of 1855 the family of four, James, Sophia, Sophia Ann (age 16) and baby Joseph. set sail for America on Feb. 27, 1855, from Liverpool, England, for Philadelphia, arriving there on 21 April 1855. There were 430 LDS passengers on the Ship "Siddons"**.

A ship similar to the Siddons

Many of the ships crossing the Atlantic in the 1850s were driven by steam engines rather than by sails. But sailing ships were still used in the 1850s because they were cheaper.  The Siddons was a three masted, square rigged wooden sailing ship built 1837.  On this voyage it struggled against westerly “contrary” winds that slowed it down taking nearly two months to arrive in Philadelphia***.  From Philadelphia the group took a railway ride across the state of Pennsylvania to Pittsburgh.  Then, "The Saints from the ship Siddons took a steamboat from Pittsburgh to St. Louis, arriving there May 7.... [ This was a  very winding1200 mile river trip, westerly on the Ohio River, across the states of Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, to the Mississippi River] The next day ... the emigrants continued on [up the Missouri River, 400 miles across the state of Missouri, through Kansas City and on] to Atchison, Kansas, on a side-wheeler [steamboat]...“  The emigrants from the Siddons gathered early in the summer with many other Mormons in the outfitting point known as Mormon Grove, Kansas where they where organized into several wagon train companies, Supplies were purchased to get them started on their way to the Salt Lake Valley.

Typical river steamboat of the 1850s

During the eleven week Atlantic voyage. The Bushes suffered great hardships. The baby Joseph, then eighteen months old, became very sick on the ship. They prayed earnestly that he might live to get across the sea, which he did.  The baby never fully recovered. On account of not having proper food and nourishment he died while crossing the plains. He was buried in a place called the "Garden of Eden." James and Sophia Humphries Bush settled in Pleasant Grove where they remained the rest of their lives.  It was a very hard life.

James and Sophia Ann Stradling

The Bushes met or became reacquainted with William Stradling (the subject of last week's post who had arrived in Provo about the same time in 1855).  William married their daughter Sophia Ann on 1 Oct. 1856 in Provo.   William was 32 and Sophia Ann was 17 years old.   William and Sophia Ann settled in Provo and had 11 children.

Sophia Bush Stradling center front with Sarah Ann Stradling (Haws) behind her.   Sarah Ann is Melvin Hodgkinson's maternal grandmother.  

** Extra Resource - Siddons.  (Click on link.  Scroll down list of passengers and find 4 Bushes listed.  Click on the name and see the actual registry.) 
** General Voyage Documents 
*** Compare the Bushes 11 week voyage Feb.- April, 1855 to the Stradlings (see last week) who sailed  from Liverpool April 1855 to NewYork in 31 days.

Fall Sports

Last week I went to a water polo game of one of my seminary students. Walking across MHS campus brought back a lot of memories of fall sports. Enjoy these great fall sports pictures from years gone by.

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FYI:  I send Sarah photos each week in my snail-mail letter.  The photos I send are farmed from the Blog. She loves when I include pictures of her nephews and nieces.  For now, the blog is my only practical source for said photos.

Three Months

The highlight of Wendy's third month was certainly her first laugh! It escaped from her little mouth right before bath time. Jeff brought her into the bathroom and I asked if she was excited for her bath. A big grin spread across her face and a little squeaky laugh came out! Jeff and I just looked at each other in excitement. There must be something about being in the buff that makes Wendy so happy. We knew she had been getting close to laughing and it was so exciting to hear one finally sneak out! It was great that both Jeff and I were there to hear it. 

One of Wendy's favorite things to do lately is watch our ceiling fans. She keeps herself entertained just laying down watching it go around and around. We know she loves it because she kicks like crazy and is all smiles. She is loving her swing and will stay in it long enough for Jeff and I to share a meal together, most of the time. And boy is that nice!

She is getting to be so talkative and can hold her end of a conversation quite well. Her coo's and ahh's are the cutest, we love the little voice that she is starting to discover! She is also a big fan of having us roll our lips at her, and is starting to become a little ticklish! 

Wendy is able to hold her head up pretty well, although she is still bit of a bobble head at times. She seems so grown up when we perch her up in the corner of the couch or sit her up in our arms. 

She has continued to discover her hands and now likes to bring them to her mouth to suck on. Smacking and sucking on her upper lip has also started to fascinate her, which is pretty entertaining to watch. Her yawns keep getting more animated and are accompanied by big, long sighs. Jeff and I think it's the cutest thing.

This little girl has made our home a very happy place. We love her big grins and bright personality. What a blessing she is. 

William Stradling

Stradling/Haws/Hodgkinson

William and Sophia Bush Stradling

Life started for William on September 10, 1824 in Wellington Somerset, England.  He was the fourth child and third son of Obadiah Stradling and Martha Sheldrick.  As a teenager in England, William had been apprenticed out to a Quaker man who taught him to work hard and make wagons, carriages, etc.  He became a wheel wright and carpenter and had a lot of training in farming and horticulture.
 
William worked in Wales after his apprenticeship was over and became converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ.  He was baptized in 1850 at age 26. He was married for the first time three years later, but Mary Ann, his wife and his infant son died in August 1854.  The grieving man visited his family in England one last time then sailed from Liverpool on the ship “William Stetson.”*  The ship, carrying 293 Saints, arrived in New York 26 May 1855.

William Stradling came to Utah in 1855 driving two yoke of oxen pulling a wagon.   He was 31 years old, strong and healthy and with many talents useful to the new pioneering community. After arriving in Utah with the Isaac Allred company, William gave all the money he had saved to the Church.  He wanted to assist the poor Saints who wanted to come to Utah but had no means.

William settled in Provo.  He became acquainted with, or perhaps renewed acquaintance with the James Bush family. They may have known each other in England; they came to America the same year.  William married Sophia, only daughter of James and Sophia Humphries Bush. She was seventeen years old, William was 32. Sophia's parents lived in Pleasant Grove, a 12-mile drive from Provo.  William and Sophia had 11 children.  (Their 6th child, Sarah Ann, is Melvin J. Hodgkinson's maternal grandmother.).  He taught his children there was plenty of work to do, “for himself and kindred too, ere the sun went down.”

In Provo, William put his talents to good use.  He helped build a sawmill at Spanish Fork, helped build the first harrow used in the valley and helped bring the first threshing machine to Provo.  Besides working at his trade of wheel wright he had 74 acres of land and a 40 acre parcel of pasture by the Utah Lake.

William and Sophia were very comfortably situated in Provo and expected to stay there permanently. They owned their own home, orchards, farms, and pasture land. They were happy in their church and community life.  They would give it all up in 1881, following the call from a prophet to settle the remote northeastern corner of Arizona. (The rest of the story will come in a future post.)

Other Resources:
* S.S. William Stetson

HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD/GRANDPA/GREAT GRANDPA

It is fun to remember that grandpa/great grandpa was not always old with silver hair (or no hair) but that he was a baby and a young adult and a young professional.  On this birthday anniversary we celebrate the life We hope to ponder on the meaning and impact of that life on each member of this family of which he was and is the patriarch.

We have become the stewards of all the boxes of "family history" photos, writings and artifacts.  They will be scanned and shared.  This seemed like a good day to share some random ' Shirl' treasures we came across the other day.  

Getting a bath from his mom at Mirror  Lake 1928.

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This year we want to joy in the above.  But we can't help recalling a year ago and the love we all gave to our dear ol' dad.

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626 Date Night

A month ago Mom and Dad were cruising down Huntington Dr. and noticed a big event going on at Santa Anita Race Track.  Googling around revealed it was a summer monthly event.  A fun thing to check out when it came around again in Sept.  It is billed as the original and largest Asian-themed street market in the U.S.  Mom and Dad considered that maybe they wouldn't fit-right-in (age-wise or ethnic-wise), but it might be fun. 

There were over 200 vendors with a lot of all kinds of exotic, Asian food and treats.

For dinner we enjoyed "rainbow tacos" (below), chicken skewers & fresh strawberry lemonade.  (Eh... not too exotic, but we were not in the mood for squid or dragon whiskers.)