Dad leading the dance party!!!

Found this gem this week.  Now we know that dad can lead us in the dance party department at the reunion - looking forward to it.

Happy Birthday Stefanie

Happy Birthday Mel!!

Doris, Melvin and Rayola

Oh my dad.  Love to think about him and read his personal history.  He was born on June 22, 1924 at Vernal, Unitah County, Utah.  Here are a couple of paragraphs from his writings about his childhood.

"I came along as the eighth child (fifth son) of Lewis and Mina Hodgkinson.  Two more daughters, Rayola and Doris, were born after I arrived which evened out the count to ten children - five boys and five girls.  We knew we were loved at home and even though it must have been difficult to make ends meet during the Depression, we younger children felt no undue concern for the necessities of life.

Growing up in a rural community had its advantages.  There was always lots of work to be done such as herding and milking cows.  (The cat seldom missed a drop of milk squirted at him during the milking process.)  We fed the pigs, gathered the eggs (making sure we didn't bring in the door-nobs used for nesting), hauled water, mended fences, planted, irrigated, weeded and finally reaped the harvest.  Our garden contained peas, beets, corn, potatoes, carrots, tomatoes, cantalope, watermelon, etc.  Who can forget the marvelous aromatic fragrance of new mown alfalfa or the delicious taste of a tomato picked right off the vine, or the sweetness of new little potatoes cooked with fresh green peas?  We always had a dog or cat to keep us company.   Riding bare-back on "Old Beck" without halter or bridle was almost an ever day experience in the summer.  Cleaning the manure out of the barn can be recalled with equal vividness, but it was never an appealing job."

Beautiful writing, makes you actually picture those early days in Vernal.  Happy Birthday Mel - thanks for the amazing example you are to all of us.

The five youngest, Doris, Rayola, Melvin, Mary and Grant

The Boys in the family, from left to right Reed, Lewis, Melvin, Lowell, Grand and Ralph

Just the boys without their dad, Reed, Lowell, Melvin, Ralph and Grant

Melvin

Melvin as a child.  His hair looks so light.

Looks like a school picture and I love that he is wearing overalls.

Melvin and Doris

Mary, Melvin, Doris, Mina and Rayola

Melvin, Mary and Wilma

Hodgkinson Reunions in Vernal Utah

Since we have been talking about the Hodgkinson Reunion being around Mina Hodgkinson's birthday which was just a few days ago, I have a couple of pictures from that great annual event.   The reunions were held in Vernal Utah until Mina Hodgkinson died and then they alternated between Vernal and Murray every other year.  It was about a 182 mile trip from Bountiful to Vernal.  Of course we would need to stop and have a picnic (picture above).  The route to Vernal is out US 40 through Heber Utah.  My mom tells of one story that one time on the road to Vernal our car broke down in Heber.  My dad wasn't very mechanically minded.  He walked into the car dealership, turned in the broken car, bought a new one and off we went.  Yeah, I didn't marry someone like my dad in that department.

 We didn't ever stay with family, always a motel.  This was a fun one - Antler's Motel.  This was in 1960.  Barb had been born in April (19th) and this was probably June 24th and 25th.  My mom was pretty brave to take a new born on vacation.  We were probably all in one room.  Barb would have been just  the age Walter will be in Nauvoo.  Way to go Reesa and Bev.

I think my dad loved to have us stay at the motel because of the swimming pool.  It was probably nice to retreat there after reunion activities.Terri would have just turned eleven.  I was two.  It has always been pretty terrific to have an amazing big sister.

 In case you didn't know, Vernal is the home of the Dinosaur National Monument.  Because of that there are many dinosaur attractions.   Because I grew up with this image below, it seemed entirely normal to see a dinosaur in a swimming suit.  The internet thinks it is a bit unique.

We would, on occasion, go to see some of the dinosaur excavation sites and to the museum.  In those days you could also get a dinosaur hunting license.  I am not sure if I ever got one, but I remember seeing one or two of these around the house. 

Hot Time in the Old Town

 As dad and I were driving back from having In N Out with Stefanie we saw this large plume of smoke in the distance.  As we got closer and closer to Pasadena, and then to Monrovia we realized that it is right in our back yard.  This is the "Fish Fire" in the hills above Duarte.  With temperatures of 112, low humidity and some wind, it was perfect circumstances for fire.  We are in the mandatory evacuation area (East of Myrtle, North of Greystone) if the wind shifts and it heads our way.  It is usually North of Hillcrest.  Haven't done any packing though.  It is pretty smoky this morning.  We are praying for our great fire fighters and for the safety of all our friends and neighbors.

Happy Father's Day

Thank you for being an amazing example to me and also to my son (and daughter) of how to be a kind, loving, faithful, obedient and FUN father. Love you dad.

Happy Anniversary and Father's Day

 Today is a double celebration.  Thirty seven years ago dad and I were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple.  The greatest event in my earthly existence so far.  Can't think of anything that could surpass that decision and the path that it put me on.  So happy to have our amazing dads as our witnesses that day.  They both continue to inspire and motivate us.  Kent Neeley Cornwall is such an amazing dad.  I am thankful every day for the way he has presided and provided for us along with a million other things I could mention.  Thankful for Jason, Robb, Dallin, Jeff and Spencer and the WONDERFUL fathers that they are.  Happy Father's Day everyone.

Happy Birthday Mina

Sarah and Alonzo Haws started their family with a little girl - our birthday girl Mary Armina Haws - and ended their family with a girl.  Oh yeah, there were eight boys in between.  How would you like to have eight brothers????  The Haws family and the Stradling families (Sarah and Alonzo's parents) had been called by the prophet to colonize St. John's Apacha County, Arizona in the early 1880's.  While there, Sarah and Alonzo met, fell in love and married on November 13, 1885 in the St. George Temple.  Mina was born  June 21, 1887 in Arizona.  Alonzo went back to Provo to help his mother move to Vernal to be by two of his sisters because of his mother's ailing health.   While he was in Vernal he bought a farm and in December 1890 he moved Sarah, Mina and her newly born brother Louis out to Vernal. Here is a quote from Mina's History:

" Louis Haws was just three months old, but father prepared things to keep his wife and the two babies warm. He made a sand box in the back of the wagon and put a stove in it.  He had one sack of coal to make a fire.  He made a bed in the wagon so Mother and us children would be warm.  It was nice in the day time and at night there was usually some place along the road to sleep."  (Read that again if you are feeling a little weary and cramped on the road to Nauvoo.)

Can I chime in once again about the power of personal histories???  My dad helped his mom to write her life history, complete with pictures to punctuate each page.  Then he had her read her history and recorded it.  My cousin has broken that recording down to 2-3 minute clips and they are available in the memory section on Family Search.  I can actually hear my grandmother reading the above incident and everything else in her history.  YOU COULD TOO!!

I can always remember my grandmother's birthday.  There was a Hodgkinson Reunion held every year on the closest weekend to June 21st.  I think that was something that really helped the Hodgkinson family stay close.  Right from the beginning they rotated through the 10 children, each one taking a turn to be in charge of the reunion.   With that many children you only were in charge once a decade. I remember vividly the several times my dad was in charge of the reunion.  A few of you may remember that too.  Maybe that is why I feel so strongly about reunions.

I am always amazed at the pictures above and below.  Both of these pictures must have been taken in St. Johns.  I imagine it being a pretty primitive place, and yet these pictures look so sophisticated. 

She was a beautiful girl with an amazing story.  We will be hearing a lot more about Mary Armina Haws Hodgkinson Strong.  She is someone we can look to and admire.

Wendy Year Two

So thankful for Jarom's birth and that he has a great big sister!!

Happy Birthday Jarom

Happy Birthday Lenore

Lenore Elizabeth Neeley Cornwall was born on June 14, 1928.  She was the oldest of eight children born to Kenneth Roosevelt and Maude Groberg Neeley.  She had a love for life and family.  She did not write a history herself.  We are going to try to piece together a story from some of her writings.   I have told dad that he could take on that assignment.  I do think these pictures tell the story of being born right before the depression.  Quite a time to start a family. Happy Birthday Lenore

Universally a Good Time

Thought you would enjoy a look at the last time we went to Universal Studios.  It was for Jason's High School Graduation in 1998.  Lots has changed, but not Jurassic Park the ride.  My greatest memory from that day was my mom getting soaked on the ride. So happy she joined us.  My dad had just died in January, lots of adjustments for her and she was 71 when she hung out with us that day.  She is impressive - still is.