Pension Worth Mention

Remembering the prophets 

Utah State Capitol 

On Memorial Day we worked all day at the Library, scrambling to help an unexpected number of guests with a reduced number of staff.  In the evening, Lindsey, Brent, Luke and Noelle joined us for a “hike” in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.  I say “hike” because the cemetery is on a hillside above the Avenues with views of the city, particularly beautiful in the last rays of the sun.   We set out to visit the gravesites of the twelve Presidents of the Church who are buried there and almost made it before it became too dark and chilly.  It was nice to think of all, especially those we have known: David O McKay, Joseph Fielding Smith, Harold B. Lee, Spencer W. Kimball, Howard W. Hunter, Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson.

            Family time continued on Thursday evening, when Christopher, Melissa, Hank, Mary and June joined us.  On our walk to City Creek, we were all delighted with a family of eight baby ducks swimming on the pond. They weren’t shy about coming close. After the duck-watching, we climbed the stairs to the Capitol, intending to take a quick look inside, but were distracted by a master bubble-blower on the front lawn.  Happy chasing of huge bubbles!   

            Elder Challis and I returned to the Capitol on Friday after work to see the Golden Spike exhibit.  This year celebrates the 150^th anniversary of the completion of the transcontinental railroad.  Interesting history and fun to see something we’d heard about all our lives.

            Saturday, we took to the Murdock Canal Trail in Utah Valley on our bikes.  (We’ve walked some sections a number of times.)  We rode just over twelve miles, so twenty-five miles round trip.  The great thing about the trail is that it is wide, smooth, and mostly flat.  We took a mile “spur” that dumped us down a steep grade, which means we had to ride back up!

            An exciting discovery at the Library was the “pension worth mention.”   Some Mitchell cousins had come to the Library the previous week seeking help on their father’s line.   We found some information but were mostly “stumped.”  I told them I would keep searching. Finally, I came across a “Find-a-Grave” which led me to search Civil War records on Fold3.  That search turned up a 170-page widow’s pension application that solved many mysteries and even included some pictures and letters.  Fold3 is named for the three folds of a ceremonial flag, but quite the drama “unfolded” in those pages!