Pondering Our Treasures
by Jeanne Peugh, Director
We have heard the word “pondering” as we read and study scriptures, but I would like to suggest that we ponder about our family history. Over the last several months, my thoughts have been focused on my family history. My sister is six years older than I and has battled cancer for the last four years. I have asked her to go into our family history and put stories about some of our relatives because she knew them better.
Well, she passed away in July, and so those personal stories have been lost forever. My father was one of 16, and my mother was one of 10, so I have many first cousins. All of my parent’s siblings and spouses are deceased. When she passed, I decided to get a hold of some of them that we were fairly close to and let them know. I was sad to know that one of them passed in 2018, and when I did a little more research by contacting the cemetery, I found out that his wife passed away six months later. The spirit prompted me that I should go through each of my parent’s siblings to make sure that I had all their children. On one of my father’s sisters, I found she had two sons that I did not have recorded, and when I did their research, one passed away in 2019, and one passed away in April of 2020. In his obit, a stepson stated that a memorial would be held at a later date and gave his email address for contact. I contacted him and told him how I was related; he sent back and told me that he sent my information to the sister and niece, and she is my 1st cousin once removed. She wanted me to call her, and we chatted for about a half-hour.
She shared with me that my father carved an Indian out of a clothespin and give it to his sister when she was 14, and he was 13. His sister treasured this gift, and it was passed down to her granddaughter. This is that treasure:
This little treasure is 93 years old.
Pondering our family history can lead us to treasures beyond anything we can imagine.
I have made another contact with a second cousin; I had a couple pictures of her grandfather when he was an infant and in his Commission Uniform. Her mother is still living and was thrilled to get the picture of her father as an infant. She is a member, and her children have served missions and all sealed in temple. She asked me who was the first member of the church, and I told her it was my father, but they are all members now. Because of pondering on my father’s line for many years, I made contact with distant relatives, and they had pictures of my great-great-grandparents that they shared with me.
There are many treasures in pondering our family history.
Akron Ohio Stake News 