Friday, December 14, 2012

Axel Laures Fikstad Sr. (1865-1940): Gravesite


This is the gravesite of my 2nd great grandfather Axel Laures Fikstad Sr.  This photo comes from the Find A Grave website.

He is buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery in Salt Lake City, Utah.



Wednesday, December 12, 2012

William Henry Stevens: Store



The picture above is of the sporting goods store run by my 2nd great grandfather William Henry Stevens.  He is standing in the doorway of the store with his 4 children to his left (the youngest is my great grandfather George Earl Stevens).  The store was located on 25th Street in Ogden, Utah.

Guessing at the ages of the children from the picture, I would guess this photo was taken around 1885.

I'm not sure how prevalent photography was at this time but all the bystanders seem fascinated by the camera.

Sunday, December 9, 2012

Wills

We are going way back for this post.  I discovered the wills for 2 ancestors online.

The first is for my 5th great grandfather Rudolph Larash from Macungie Twp, Lehigh County, Pennsylvania.

http://files.usgwarchives.org/pa/northampton/wills/laras0001.txt

Basically he gives all his land to his sons and has his sons pay each of his daughters 100 pounds.  His daughter Mary Magdalene is my 4th great grandmother.  He appears to call her Sally in the will.  (Mary Magdaline is the mother of Lucinda Romig (my 3rd great grandmonther.)

This next will is for his father (my 6th great grandfather) Ludwig Laross.

http://files.usgwarchives.org/pa/northampton/wills/laros0001.txt

From what I have gathered, Ludwig was actually from France and his name was Jean Louis la Rose.  He appears to have started using a German version of his name when he married into this group of German immigrants in Pennsylvania.  He calls his wife Cunnigunda.  Another source shows her name as Ann Kunigunda Schadin.

Tuesday, December 4, 2012

Caroline Penn: Newspaper Article on her Death


The article above appeared in the Deseret News on October 19th, 1864.  Caroline Penn Maiben (my third great grandmother) had died on the 15th, just 4 days earlier.  This article has many beautiful things written about her.  Below is the text of the article:

DEATH OF MRS. CAROLINE MAIBEN

On Friday evening last Caroline Penn, the wife of Mr. Henry Maiben, of this city, departed this life, after a  severe illness of 13 days, aged 47 years and 7 months.

A virtuous, loving wife,
She spent a most industrious life.
Of mothers too, one of the best.
So neat, so clean, so kind, so blest:
On earth, her mission, well she fill'd
And when, to call her hence, God will'd
In perfect happiness she sped,
To mingle with the righteous dead;
And now, her trials being o'er,
She'll live in bliss for evermore.
We miss the dear departed one,
Yet feel to say, "God's will be done." -COM.

President Brigham Young was present at the funeral ceremonies, and delivered a very impressive and consoling address to the numerous friends of the deceased.

Mr. John T. Caine has furnished us the following for publication, which shows the high esteem Sister Maiben was held in by those who knew her:

At an informal meeting of the Deseret Dramatic Association, held on the Stage of the Theatre after the performance on Saturday evening, Oct. 15th, inst., Mr Clawson being called to the Chair and Mr. Clayton appointed Secretary, Mr. Caine presented the following expressive resolutions, which were unanimously adopted:

WHEREAS, It has pleased the Supreme Ruler in His infinite wisdom, to remove from our midst, by death, our beloved sister, Mrs. Caroline Maiben:
The Deseret Dramatic Association, whilst humbly bowing to this visitation of an all-wise Providence, deeply regret the loss of one of its most worthy and useful members, a lady whose virtue, modesty and amiability won for her the affection and esteem of all who had the pleasure of her acquaintance, Therefore
RESOLVED, That the Members of the Association, sincerely sympathising with the bereaved husband and family, tender them their heartfelt condolence in the loss of so excellent a wife and mother.
RESOLVED, That as a mark of respect to the deceased, the Members of the Association attend her funeral to-morrow. Further,
RESOLVED, That a copy of these Resolutions be transmitted to the bereaved family, and that the Editors of the DESERET NEWS and Daily Telegraph be requested to publish the same.
H.B. CLAWSON, Chairman
WM. CLAYTON, Secretary.

Monday, December 3, 2012

Herman F. F. Thorup: Mission Travels



In 1881, Herman Fredrick Ferdinand Thorup was returning from one of his missions to Denmark (his second I believe.)

On June 20, 1881, he sailed from Copenhagen, Denmark to Hull, England on the ship Hero.  The passengers from the ship then took the train to Liverpool.

Then from Liverpool, England, he sailed to New York City on the ship Wyoming.  This ship sailed June 25th from Liverpool and arrived in New York on July 7th, 1881.  The picture above is from the ship's passenger list an shows his name listed.

This letter from the leader of the group that was emigrating to America says the Herman was one of the councilors to the president of the Scandinavian saints.

All the information above come form the Mormon Migration Database.