StoriesFromthePast.com

Category: Plain City, Utah

  • 2019 Meeting of the Board

    2019 Meeting of the Board

    Looking back at Stories from the Past in 2018, I have learned that monthly newsletters are my greatest success. Although I am still writing them more for my own benefit than that of others, they truly are a guideline for what to expect for the month. More importantly, my newsletters give me the opportunity to identify what went well and illuminate my trouble areas. Making them public invites my readers to cheer me on and/or provide helpful suggestions and constructive criticisms.

    Photo by rawpixel.com on Pexels.com

    My newsletters have become my boardroom. Welcome to the board!

    The Race is not Necessarily Won by the Swiftest

    2019 certainly has not begun as I envisioned for Stories From the Past. I have encountered a few obstacles, and rather than let them keep me down, I am choosing to accept the stumble, and even the fall. As long as I am willing to pick myself up, dust myself off, and apply band-aids where necessary, I can make it to the finish line.

    The transition between 2018 and 2019 reminds me of Aesop’s fable, The Tortoise and the Hare. The tortoise won the race by continually moving forward while the hare napped. I moved much slower than I wanted to last year. Sometimes I was more like the hare, and I am not at all happy about that. What I am happy about is that I finally started moving again as the year came to its close and that I am still moving.

    Facing Obstacles

    An unexpected, but very welcome, obstacle means that I’ll be postponing my official launch for a few months. I am planning a trip to Austria where I can meet my story-telling face-to-face. I have been invited to the opening ceremony of a museum exhibit featuring the people that once thrived in the Bucklige Welt-Wechselland Region of Austria before Hitler’s reign of terror and the Shoah. Not only will I be able to learn more about my own family’s stories, but I will hopefully gather the stories of their friends and neighbors as well.

    I have a lot to do to prepare for the trip. This week alone, I’ll be applying for a new passport (I haven’t been out of the country for more than 17 years!), beginning a new course in German from Rosetta Stone, and creating a Go-Fund-Me account to help with basic expenses for the trip. Of course, I’ll also need to forward my acceptance to the invitation, arrange for lodging and travel while I am there, etc. The only other time I’ve been to Europe was when I was doing study abroad, and most of the arrangements were done for me. There’s much more to trip planning than I remembered.

    I also need to go back through my records in an attempt to trace the funds donated through Facebook last year. At this point, I am not recommending that anyone donate to Facebook’s charitable causes. I’ll be happy to let you know if my opinion changes.

    What Happened to the Second Wife’s Story?

    December was a huge struggle for me. With barely a nod to Hanukkah, I found myself mired in four stories originally intended to be just one. Although I am glad that I decided to tell the stories separately, the final story came after Christmas when I was supposed to be wrapping up the second Chapter of Mary Davis Skeen’s biography.

    As December drew to a close, I found myself mired in research for Mary Eynon Davies, mother of Mary Davis Skeen. I was supposed to have had Mary Eynon’s profile page up by the end of the month, along with a first and second chapter of the story. Instead, nothing was posted in regards to The Second Wife’s Story.

    I am behind on my writing, but that doesn’t mean I am behind on my goal to publish the Second Wife’s Story by the end of 2019. It just means that I need to find a better way to accomplish that goal. I CAN STILL do this.

    I need a better way to accomplish that goal. Like most of my profile pages, Mary Eynon’s will be incomplete when I post it tomorrow. A new post will appear when new profiles appear and when changes are made to existing profiles. I may also have to post chapters in parts (Why not? I did it with my Christmas Tree stories.), and they may even appear out of order, but at least my progress will be evident on Chapter One, and maybe even Chapter 2 by the end of January. Everything will be linked in order on The Second Wife Story’s book page.

    My new focus is to be on The Second Wife’s Story first, ancestral stories second, and stories found along the way third. Each month will have a social-historical focus, and for each monthly focus, I will provide a short summary or review along with link/s to the original story/ies.

    Since January’s focus is black history month, I’ll be looking at a story from North American Slave Narratives: a collection of books, articles, and journals telling the stories of Black America’s quest for freedom and equality, beginning with my home state: Kentucky.

    Reassessment

    Once again, I am reminded of James Clear’s prescription, “if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life — not 21 days.”

    I have learned that the early morning writing routine does not work for me because I am usually picking my daughter up from work at midnight. By the time I wake up around eight or nine, everyone else is getting up too. My best time to focus without interruptions is during the middle of the day when my granddaughter is at school and my husband is at work. This is not my morning job; it is my day job.

     “It’s failure that gives you the proper perspective on success.”

    – Ellen DeGeneres

    I’ll be making a few minor changes as well:

    • Monthly Headers (a cosmetic change–you’ll know it when you see it)
    • Story Teasers (I’m already using these, but I need to update past posts)
    • Newsletters will be posted on the last Monday of the previous month when the first day of the month falls on a Tuesday or Wednesday.

    December Review

    Objectives met are crossed out.

    • Navajo Greetings and exploration of the name (Navajo vs. Diné)
    • Hanukkah for non-Jews (with a nod to rembembering the Shoah)
    • A Slovenian Christmas Eve (Recipe and Tradition)
    • (n)O Christimas Tree (Stories from Olean, New York, and Lark, Utah)
    • Mary Eynon ancestor profile page (not a post)
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 1, Wales
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 2, Aboard the Clara Wheeler: from Liverpool to New Orleans

    January Preview

    • Mary Eynon ancestor profile page (not a post)
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 1, Wales
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 2, Aboard the Clara Wheeler: from Liverpool to New Orleans
    • North American Slave Narrative: the story of Thomas W. Burton
    • Tante Rosa and Tante Rosa’s stories
    • February’s Newsletter

    Tentative stories for the upcoming months:

  • Ready to Launch–No Excuses

    Ready to Launch–No Excuses

    December Newsletter

    Like my previous newsletter, this is more for my benefit than anyone else (I’m still practicing). 

    Before I get this party started, I need to point out that today is the second day of Hanukkah! For Jews, this party is already well underway. Happy Hanukkah everyone!

    menorrah candles-897776_640

    November did not go as I planned. I started off gung-ho, but by the end of the month I was off track, and missed my most important post: Chapter One of The Second Wife’s Story. All I can say is hooray for a new month!

    Maybe the holiday season was not the best time to be reviving and preparing for a relaunch of Stories From the Past. Maybe I should have started off slower. I could probably blame my missing first chapter of The Second Wife’s Story on the flu that I caught immediately after Thanksgiving. Or just maybe I could say, Well, I’m not quite there yet; take a closer look at where I went wrong, and start fresh.

    I think I’ll do that.

    No Excuses

    I was inspired by a simple post from one of my favorite bloggers. Christian Mihai, titled The Five Habits of Extremely Prolific Bloggers.  The first habit on his list? Yeah. “They never make excuses.”

    So without any more excuses, and remembering that every day is a clean slate, I can take a look at the past, see where I went wrong, and try again.

    Habit Building

    As I think about the month of December, and my plans for the New Year, I am reminded that I am building new habits for the rest of my life. Habits don’t change overnight, and I have to be patient and not take on more than I can handle. I am building a blog, writing a book, and building a habit, so I need to take on one task a time.

    In his article, How Long Does it Actually Take to Form a New Habit? (Backed by Science), James Clear debunks the 21-day habit myth and explains, “if you want to set your expectations appropriately, the truth is that it will probably take you anywhere from two months to eight months to build a new behavior into your life — not 21 days.” This is encouraging, and a bit daunting, as I was hoping to have my new daily routine set before the New Year begins.

    There I go again, expecting perfection overnight. Well, that ain’t happening.

    But eight months? I’m not expecting it to take that long, but at least I can be assured that with dedication and determination, my goals of regular, on-time posting and having Mary Davis Skeen’s biography, The Second Wife’s Story, ready for publishing will be accomplished  within the new year. I CAN do this.

    Re-launch

    I have to remember that December is the busiest month of the year in the United States, and that my readers are probably just as overwhelmed with holiday preparations as I am. I still have a lot of planning and organizing to do in order to prepare for a professional New Year launch.

    I intend to follow my own inner clock which tells me that December is a time for reflection while January is a time for renewal. This month I’ll be looking over what I have completed so far, and tweaking and preparing for a clean new start in January.

    My posts will be simple, as my focus will be on completing two chapters of The Second Wife’s Story (appearing after Christmas), and cleaning up and preparing Stories From the Past for its new start in January.

    What to Expect this December

    photo of a fire lamp
    Photo by Vlad Bagacian on Pexels.com

    • Navajo Greetings and exploration of the name (Navajo vs. Diné)
    • Hanukkah for non-Jews (with a nod to rembembering the Shoah)
    • A Slovenian Christmas Eve (Recipe and Tradition)
    • (n)O Christimas Tree (Stories from Olean, New York, and Lark, Utah)
    • Mary Eynon ancestor profile page (not a post)
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 1, Wales
    • The Second Wife’s Story, Chapter 2, Aboard the Clara Wheeler: from Liverpool to New Orleans

    To accommodate for the holidays, posts will not necessarily appear on their regularly scheduled days and times.

    Fundraising for Austria:

    dachau-arbeit-59.4
    New generations are already forgetting, and denying,

    I’ve been invited to Austria for the inauguration of a museum housing exhibitions on the Jews in Bucklige Welt and Wechselland regions titled “With – Without Jews.” The museum will tell the stories of the many families who disappeared during the Holocaust–including mine.

    I will be able to gather so many more stories of people who can’t tell them.

    Fundraising for this trip begins in January.

    Tentative stories for the upcoming months:

  • Let’s get this Story Started

    Let’s get this Story Started

    Can I ask for your help?

    I’ve been researching and gathering information about the life of Mary Davis Skeen off and on for several years. Thanks to great record-keeping by Davis and Skeen family genealogists and local historians, I have plenty of information to tell a complete story from beginning to end.

    But Mary Davis Skeen is not my family, and I want to honor her memory as best I can. I have been told by one of her great-grandchildren that Mary could not read or write, so she could not have written her own memoirs. Therefore, your knowledgeable input is the most valuable resource I have, especially if you are related to any of the players in Mary’s story.

    What you will see of Mary’s life is my rough draft of her complete biography. There will be gaps and inaccuracies that you can help me fix. I would love to hear from you especially if you belong to any one of the following categories:

    Descendant/s of

    • Thomas Davies (1816-1899  or Thomas Davis/Davies/David 1790-1865)
    • Mary Davis Skeen (The second wife)
    • Caroline Smart Smith Skeen (The first wife)
    • Abraham O Smoot

    Have family from

    • Carmarthen, Wales
    • Llanelly, Wales
    • Burry Port, Wales
    • Plain City, Utah

    Have family stories (especially written memoirs) of descendants regarding

    • Eisteddfod and the early Mormon Tabernacle Choir
    • Welsh customs, traditions, and recipes
    • LDS church history in Southern Wales
    • Welsh maritime history before 1860
    • 1855 Voyage from Liverpool to New Orleans on HMS Clara Wheeler
    • Mormon Grove, Kansas
    • Abraham O Smoot  missionary experiences in Wales 1850-1855
    • Abraham O Smoot 1856 pioneer company
    • Dry Creek, Deseret Territory (Lehi Utah)
    • Dry Creek water disputes
    • Plain City, Utah founders
    • Measles
    • Small Pox
    • Midwifery in Deseret Territory

    Please remember that I have access to libraries and online resources. What I don’t have is insider knowledge–something that may have come through your ancestors to you. I am especially looking for primary sources but secondary sources can be very helpful too.

    Finally, I want your corrections, suggestions, perspective, praise, and constructive criticism. You can comment below,  send me a private message, or join our Facebook group for extended conversation on the subject.

    Right now, I am putting together Mary’s family and early childhood in Wales for the first chapter to come in February 2020.  Next week I am posting an ancestor landing page for Thomas Davies (b. 1816 Llanelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales – d .1899 Plain City, Utah.)

    Thanks in advance for your interest and input! I hope we can make this a successful community effort.

  • . . . and I’m back.

    . . . and I’m back.

    Over the summer, Stories From the Past was never far from my mind. In fact, I felt a lot of anxiety over no posts, but between two grandkids and a broken PC (I have six grandkids but two were staying with me), my ability to blog was reduced to bits and snatches of time with a tablet or a phone. Have you ever tried to blog from your tablet or phone? Well, I’m a perfectionist, so I wasn’t even going to attempt it. In fact, I suffer from perfection paralysis. It’s a real thing, which means that if I can’t do something right, I’m not going to do it at all. Thankfully, knowing you have a problem is the first step in solving it, and I am now working hard to get over my fear of doing a less-than-perfect job. Now that both grandkids are back at home and in school, and I have a new PC,  Stories From the Past is ready to roll, and I’m gearing up to launch a professional, remodeled, website for 2019.

    back at work
    back at work  ( I hope it’s true that a messy desk is a sign of a genius mind.)

    Many of you are waiting for stories about your own ancestors, and if I told you I’d be writing about them, I WILL. In fact, I hope to be turning several of them into books. I’m getting started right away on at least one of them, but I consider this just the beginning, knowing it can only get better from here.

    I don’t have a set priority list, with the exception of the story that started it all, and that will be The Second Wife’s Story. Mary Davis Skeen is the subject of my first book, so all of you Davis/Davies/Skeen progeny can look forward to getting the first read. I plan to publish the unedited book one chapter at a time. I’ve been planning to author a book for more than three decades now, so all I can say about that is it’s ABOUT time!

    So here is my list of proposed subjects for the next few months and well into 2019:

    • Mary Davis Skeen (The Second Wife’s Story)
    • The Jews of Pitten, Austria (Specifically the ones who lived next door to my great-great-grandfather, Rudolf Abeles.)
    • Rosa Rebecca Abeles
    • Mary Rogers Damron
    • Sgt. Bernard Kwiatkowski and the WWII 5th Airforce 90th Bomb Group
    • new cemeteries
    • Kentucky slavery and the U.S. Civil War

    Blog posts are scheduled Wednesday at 10 AM of each week.

    Next Week: A special thanks to Ruth Contreras

    Ancestor Landing pages for specific blog subjects will appear on the first of each month. October’s Landing page is Thomas Davies (1816 Llannelly, Carmarthenshire, Wales – 1899 Plain City, Weber, Utah, USA)

  • What Happened to the Skeen Family?

    What Happened to the Skeen Family?

    I wrote the original Untold Stories more than ten years ago.  At that time, there was little information to be found on the internet, and since I no longer lived in the area, I had to wait to get my questions about the Skeen family answered. I’ve been doing my research on my own free time, knowing that there was a story there. I haven’t been disappointed.  Thanks to a few phone calls, Family Search, Ancestry.com, Plain City Utah.org, and one more trip to the Plain City Cemetery, I was able to find all the information that I needed to complete the Skeen’s story.  The story coincides with the history of  town itself, so it must be told as part of the town’s history.

    William Skeen
    William Skeen. Courtesy of Ancestry.com

    William Dolby Skeen was born in 1839 in Steelville Pennsylvania, son to Joseph Skeen, and brother to Lyman Skeen, all of whom were primary settlers in the Plain City , Utah area. The three men were among a larger group of Mormon pioneers who had originally settled in Lehi, but left to scout out an area in Weber County for a place with rich land for farming and a good water source.  The area now known as Plain City lies at the edge of a delta where the Weber River fans out upon entering the Great Salt Lake. These early pioneers found that they could use water from the river for irrigation, and culinary water could easily be found by sinking wells. It was a good spot with plenty of water for their small party of pioneers. This group of men staked claim to the land, and are therefore among the founders of Plain City. (more…)