Tom and Sarah's Special Day

Tom and Sarah's Special Day!

Photos courtesty of L.A. Photography, LLC's photos:

Prayers for Ed

Please keep Ed and Becki Ward (daughter of Bill and Nelda (Miller) Gust, in your prayers. Ed has suffered a heart attack. He has had one surgery and has been moved to another facility that specializes in heart procedures to see what can be done. Our love and prayers to the Ward family.

Congratulations to Mr. & Mrs.Tom Stewart (son of Aloa and Tom Stewart who were married this weekend) Best Wishes for a long and happy life together!

Auntie Aloa, Auntie Nola and Aunt Pauline & Others You are an inspiration! Please leave a message of hope and encouragement for DeeAnn. Thanks!

"An Inspiration to All" or "Don't Mess with Seniors!"

As we get older, we sometimes begin to doubt our abilities to "make a difference" in the world. It is at these times that our hopes are boosted by the remarkable achievements of other "seniors" who have found the courage to take on challenges that would make many of us wither. Harold Schlumberg is one such individual:

Quote from Harold:

"I've often been asked........ "What do you old folks do, now that you're retired?"

I generally always respond with:

"Well, I was fortunate to have a chemical engineering background and one of the things I enjoy most is converting beer, wine and vodka into urine. I do it every day and I really enjoy it!"

I thought we needed a little humor on the blog!

A Family Connection

I received an email today from someone who discovered our blog in a search for common ancestors. Here's that email:

Hello,
I ran across your blog when I was looking for genealogical information on Sarah Allsop Thompson. My Great-Great Grandfather is John Ira Allsop Jr. Your web page is wonderful. I hope you don't mind but I added a picture from your page to Sarah's findagrave memorial?Here are links to her and other Allsop family members:

Sarah:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=37917260
Johanna Maria Eskelsen Allsop:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=164518&GRid=37917503&
Emanuel Edwin Thompson:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=164518&GRid=40294996&
John Ira Allsop Sr.
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GSvcid=164518&GRid=57660524&

Just though I would share since your page helped me.
Best Regards,
Sean DeYoung

Alaska Sundgren's

Here's a photo that Auntie Nola sent me of her Alaska Sundgren bunch! This is Donald Jr. & his wife, Diane with their children, spouses and grandchildren. Thanks for the photo! I believe they live in Fairbanks, Alaska.

Welcome John Edwin Thompson Family Members who are New To Our Blog!

I was happy to find this email and be able to connect with some Thompson cousins in Texas!

Tiffany: I found your blog today while doing a random google search for "EE Thompson Family Reunions". I had to laugh when I saw a picture on your blog that came from my Grandma's scrapbook-the one of Jessie, Ralph & Ed on a blue background with a floral like flame with their names written in gold pen ink. My mother and I finished up the scrapbooks after Grandma had passed away.My grandfather is Rulen Thompson-son of John Edwin Thompson & Nancy Elvira Christensen Thompson.Thank you for sharing your blog-it was a real treat!

Julee: Hi Tiffany! I am so glad you found us! That was one of our hopes in establishing the blog---being able to connect with more family members. Please pass this along to family members. We welcome all stories and any photos you may have. Can I post your email about finding the blog and your comment on the photo? Cute story! Where do you live? We are in Rupert Idaho. Julee

Tiffany: Yes, you may share my email...
I am in Austin, Texas....My mom, Merlene lives here as well. Of course Grandpa is still in Jerome. I also have been working on my trees on both geni.com & ancestry. I also have a Thompson Family Ties FB group.

Julee: Sam and Goldie Miller Bloggers, I would like to encourage all of you FB Users to look up "Thompson Family Ties" and join. You can't miss the photos there!

The Old Barn

Dearest Friends and Family,

Thanks for your patience while Blogger has been experiencing some technical problems. I've reloaded much of our information and things seem to appear okay now. I ran across this story and thought it was a treasure. I hope you enjoy it! Hope everyone is having a wonderful summer! Be sure to take lots of summer fun photos that we can post!

Keep in touch and Enjoy the Journey! Julee

A stranger came by the other day with an offer that set me to thinking. He wanted to buy the old barn that sits out by the highway. I told him right off he was crazy. He was a city type, you could tell by his clothes, his car, His hands, and the way he talked. He said he was driving by and saw that beautiful barn sitting out in the tall grass and wanted to know if it was for sale. I told him he had a funny idea of beauty.

Sure, it was a handsome building in its day. But then, there's been a lot of winters pass with their snow and ice and howling wind.The summer sun's beat down on that old barn till all the paint's gone, and the wood has turned silver gray. Now the old building leans a good deal, looking kind of tired. Yet, that fellow called it beautiful..
That set me to thinking. I walked out to the field and just stood there, gazing at that old barn..The stranger said he planned to use the lumber to line the walls of his den in a new country home he's building down the road. He said you couldn't get paint that beautiful. Only years of standing in the weather, bearing the storms andScorching sun, only that can produce beautiful barn wood.
It came to me then. We're a lot like that, you and I. Only it's on the inside that the beauty grows with us. Sure we turn silver gray too... And lean a bit more than we did when we were young and full of sap. But the Good Lord knows what He's doing. And as the years pass He's busy using the hard weather of our lives, the dry spells and the stormy seasons to do a job of beautifying our souls that nothing else can produce. And to think how often folks holler because they want life easy!
They took the old barn down today and hauled it away to beautify a rich man's house. And I reckon someday you and I'll be hauled off to Heaven to take on whatever chores the Good Lord has for us on the Great Sky Ranch.
And I suspect we'll be more beautiful then for the seasons we've been through here... And just maybe even add a bit of beauty to our Father's house.
May there be peace within you today. May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.
And I do sincerely Thank God for my wonderful friends and family who care about me even though I show signs of weathering!

HAVE A GREAT DAY!

The 4th of July!

A Good Reminder of what we need to Remember
Have you ever wondered what happened to the 56 men who signed the The Declaration of Independence ?

Five signers were captured by the British as traitors,and tortured before they died.
Twelve had their homes ransacked and burned.
Two lost their sons serving in the Revolutionary Army; another had two sons captured.
Nine of the 56 fought and died from wounds or hardships of the Revolutionary War.

They signed and they pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor.
What kind of men were they?

Twenty-four were lawyers and jurists.
Eleven were merchants, nine were farmers and large plantation owners; men of means, well educated, but they signed the Declaration of Independence knowing full well that the penalty would be death if they were captured.

Carter Braxton of Virginia, a wealthy planter and trader, saw his ships swept from the seas by theBritish Navy. He sold his home and properties to pay his debts, and died in rags.

Thomas McKeam was so hounded by the British that he was forced to move his family almost constantly. He served in the Congress without pay, and his family was kept in hiding. His possessions were taken from him, and poverty was his reward.

Vandals or soldiers looted the properties of Dillery, Hall, Clymer, Walton, Gwinnett, Heyward, Ruttledge, and Middleton.

At the battle of Yorktown , Thomas Nelson, Jr., noted that the British General Cornwallis had taken over the Nelson home for his headquarters. He quietly urged General George Washington to open fire. The home was destroyed, and Nelson died bankrupt.

Francis Lewis had his home and properties destroyed.

The enemy jailed his wife, and she died within a few months.

John Hart was driven from his wife's bedside as she was dying.

Their 13 children fled for their lives. His fields and his gristmill
were laid to waste.

For more than a year he lived in forests and caves, returning home to find his wife dead and his children vanished.

So, take a few minutes while enjoying your 4th of July holiday and silently thank these patriots. It's not much to ask for the price they paid. Remember: freedom is never free!

Samuel James Miller

In Memory of a loving husband, father, brother, uncle and son, Samuel James Miller "Returned with Honor" to his Heavenly Father at the young age of 43. He was not privileged to see his children grow to adulthood, have families of their own, or enjoy grandchildren. I am quite certain he is very proud of each of them for their faithful testimonies of the gospel. I'm sure he has experienced a sweet reunion with his "Goldie" and loved ones who are at the family reunion on the other side. Those of you who have memories of Grandpa Sam Miller, would you please share them with us? Email me and I'll post them to the blog. Thanks! Julee amanda@pmt.org

Sorry for the small print on this obituary:

"Samuel James Miller, 43, died Monday evening in the local hospital following a long illness. He is a son of John Miller and Clara Kunz Miller of Cedron. He was born February 9, 1899, at Salem, Idaho, and moved to Teton Valley with his parents when about two years of age, locating at Cedron where he has continued to live.

Mr. Miller filled an LDS mission to the northern states from 1919 to 1921. He married Golda Thompson of Victor in the Salt Lake Temple, June 28, 1922.

He has been active in civic and religious affairs. He has served as state Aaronic priesthood supervisor and was a member of the high council at the time of his death.

He is survived by his wife and six children, Gail J., Jack L., Nelda Lee, Garth and Garl, twins, and Nola Rae; his parents, Mr. and Mrs. John Miller, all of Cedron, and the following brothers and sisters, Maud Smith, Polly Zohner, both of Driggs; Ruth Foster of Cedron, Dick Miller of St. Anthony, LeRoy Miller of Cedron, Hattie Spencer, Fred K. Miller, both of Driggs; Amanda Dewey of Boise, Ruby Schiess and Chester Miller of Cedron.

Funeral services will be held in the stake house Thursday at 2:00 P.M."

Geneology Sheet

Riah,
I am guessing you are doing something like this with the photos. Here's a copy of Shirley's family group sheet she sent to me. Be sure to click and click again to enlarge in a new window. Notice Samuel Kunz in her paternal line as well. Caroline was one of his younger wives (polygamy days). Grosmutti would be the wife in our line. Great Grandma Miller (spinning wheel) was their daughter, mother of Samuel James Miller (Bam's Dad). The Thompson line would follow the same, only where Great Aunt Jessie is Bam's mother, Goldie would be. Let me know if you find any "missing link" photos and I'll share these here too. Do send me a copy of yours when you get it done, and I'll post it! Good luck and don't forget your Dear Old Auntie Jewel---glad someone is working on family geneology. Have you heard of http://www.findagrave.com/ ? You can find lots of photos, headstones, dates, etc. there.

A Hodge Podge of Family Portraits

Sarah Young Thompson Corrington

Sarah Thompson

Aloa, age 11

Aunt Jessie December 1982

Hannah Allsop Adams

Goldie and Children

Becki and Bill Gust

Garth Miller, principal

The painting behind him is one he painted!

Edwin Emanuel Thompson

Johanna, Josie and Sarah

Edwin Thompson

4 Generation Photo

Goldie Thompson Miller, Johanna, (Hannah) and Sarah Allsop Thompson, with Gail Miller on Great Grandma Hannah's lap.

Siblings Ralph, Jessie and Ed Thompson

Johanna, Sara, Josie and brother Edwin

Jessie and Goldie Thompson 1907

Edwin and Sarah

She is holding Theda, but does anyone know who he has on his lap?