Even Old New York was Once New Amsterdam

I've been enjoying learning about some of my earliest ancestors to immigrate to this country.....back when it wasn't this country.  Andries Rees and his family were some of the earliest settlers in New Amsterdam, which is present day New York City.  I loved using an interactive version of the Castello Plan to see the site of the tavern which Andries purchased sometime before 1660.  Since I know my mom is about the only person to ever look at this blog, I'll give you directions to find his tavern, mom - see the most northeastern block, up near Wall Street?  His tavern is highlighted in purple, not on the waterfront but up closer to Wall St. on Smee St. (also known as William St.).  Pretty interesting to read about some of the colorful characters who might have visited his tavern over the years.  I hope to delve even further into some of this early history in the next few months, but for now, this was pretty cool to discover!

Ruchti Aunts and Uncles

I found some notes today that I had taken when we were at my grandma's house in Arizona and at my uncle's house in Utah the summer after I graduated from high school.

Since I'm not the world's most organized person, I thought I would record some of the things from those conversations here as well as some things I remember my grandma telling me about her life growing up.

My grandma, Iva Norma Ruchti Wheatley, was the 8th of 10 children. Her father left his wife and she raised the children on her own with many struggles and hardship. My Uncle Art told me that his mom "invented" single parenthood. He said that she kept her children very disciplined - she gave them a spanking immediately when they sassed her. I can imagine she did so out of necessity - probably if one got out of line, they would entice all the others to do so as well and then she'd have a rebellion on her hands and be very outnumbered!

Uncle Art said that his little sister, Jean, used to get him in trouble and my grandma would do her best to lie him out of it. That sounds like my grandma - she was always good at elaborating her stories with colorful details. In fact, when my parents were first married my dad didn't believe much of what my mom told him because he was so used to having to filter out the truth of his mom's stories.

I remember my grandma telling me that she and her siblings had an invented language and they loved to "fool" their mom at the dinner table by speaking in code. That worked well until one evening where she asked a complete sentence in their "secret" language and they realized she had known what they were saying all along. Once my grandma and Aunt Jean spoke a little bit of it for me - they still remembered it after all those years.

The Ruchtis are known for their height - or rather, lack of it. My grandma was 4 feet 10 inches tall and most of her siblings hovered right at the 5 feet or under range. I remember when I finally got taller than my grandma I was SOOOO excited and she looked at me and said, "Honey, that doesn't mean much." At least I made it over 5 feet!

I am so grateful my great-grandma, Beryl Cardon, persevered in raising her large family despite personal hardships. She is an example of dedication, love, and faith.

A Wave of Love

When my mom was growing up, her dad worked for the railroad and she had a free pass to ride the trains in Idaho. She often traveled between her home in Nampa, ID and her Aunt Vea & Uncle Lewis' home in Montpelier, ID. Her train trip would always take her past this cute little house nestled near the train tracks in Bancroft, ID.

This is where my great-grandpa, George Taylor Higginson, lived with his sweet wife, Charlotte May Tolman Mecham, who he married after my great-grandma died. Knowing that my mom would be on the train, they would stand at the gate in the white picket fence in their yard and wave as it passed.

It must have made my mom smile each time she saw that wave of love from two of the sweetest people on the planet. I hope I take the time to do the small things each day that let the people I love know how much I care about them. Even if it's just a wave of love.

Chesterfield, Idaho

In the summer of 2009, Taylor and I were able to go with my mom to visit Chesterfield, Idaho - a unique place that is being restored to what it would have looked like pre-1920.

I have a lot of relatives who once lived in this small community nestled in the southeast corner of Idaho.

The Chesterfield Foundation has a great website with a lot of amazing pictures - many of the names listed on the restored homes are relatives of mine - Loveland, Call, and Higginson.

We found this treasure hanging up in one of the buildings- Alzina Loveland is my great-grandmother and Hattie Jane Taylor Higginson is my great-great grandmother.

My great-grandparents and my great-great-grandparents are buried in the Chesterfield Cemetery.

William Thomas Higginson left England and traveled across the country in 1858 to arrive in Utah. Hattie Jane Taylor, his wife, was just 6 years old when her family left England in 1862 and she walked the entire way to Utah. My pampered feet have no reason to complain when I ask them to walk a few miles.



My great-grandmother Alzina died during the influenza epidemic of 1918 - leaving behind her husband and six children. Her husband, George Taylor Higginson, lived to be 100 years old - can you even imagine all the changes he would have seen between 1879 and 1979? Incredible!
My grandma was 13 when her mother died and she had to leave school to care for her younger siblings. This is where she attended school until that time. As we stood in the field near the school, I imagined my grandma and her siblings trudging through the deep snow on their way to school. Do you think she had any idea that one of her daughters would be able to earn a college degree and that all 4 of her children would also earn college degrees? Times have certainly changed and we have much to be grateful for when it comes to our opportunities to receive an education.

If you ever find yourself in southeast Idaho, take the time to stop in at Chesterfield and remember the sacrifices that people made to eke out a living in that beautiful but demanding area. I continue to be overwhelmed by all that my ancestors were able to accomplish. I have much to learn from their examples - I better stop my whining and get to work!

What's the next line?

I'm not sure how many people my age (almost 33) can state that their grandfather was born two centuries ago!! But in my case, it's true!

My mother's dad, Milton Rawlins, was born in 1898. So he barely squeezed in there before the turn of the century.

My mom was a surprise child born 12 years after her next closest sibling. That is one reason I am unwilling to tell people that we are done having children - you just never know what God has in store for you, and I'm sure grateful my mom was born!!

I never met my grandfather because he died when my mom was just 15. However, I do know that I have a trait in common with him thanks to recorded family history - my aunt wrote a short history of my grandfather in 1992 that is available on the Rawlins Family website, rawlins.org.

Apparently, the reason I can never get the words right in a song is inherited from my grandfather! I am notorious for at best knowing the chorus to a song and making up my own version of the lyrics if I can't remember how they go (and I usually can't remember). This used to drive my college roommate crazy and I remember she made me memorize the words to one of her favorite songs so I would stop messing it up when I sang. I wonder if I could still sing it right or if I've forgotten??

So sing out loud and strong and wrong, Grandpa Rawlins, I'm with you all the way!!

A stronger mother

I know I am a wimp when it comes to pain/challenges. I stand in awe of pioneer women who left behind comforts of home and family to travel to new places and start building lives from basically nothing. No home ready for them to move into - they often had to sleep in or under their covered wagon for months after arriving in their new area. Only food to eat was what you grew yourself - or if you were lucky, traded for. No multiple changes of clothing, running water into your home, nice stove to cook on, or medical help readily available. It is absolutely amazing to think of what pioneer women were able to accomplish.

I am blessed to have many amazing pioneer women as my ancestors. One I was thinking about recently is my great-great-great-grandmother, Henrietta Carolina Williams Call. She was born in 1826 in New York. She and her husband were married in Nauvoo, Illinois in 1846 when she was 19 years old. They left Nauvoo in July 1849 and traveled with the Allen Taylor company on their way to the Salt Lake Valley in Utah Territory. A great website I used to learn more about her and her journey across the country is the Mormon Pioneer Overland Travel 1847-1868 database, which lists information about many of the Mormon emigrants who traveled to Utah during those years.

One thing I noticed as I researched more about my grandmother, is that she gave birth to a boy on July 4, 1849. The company they traveled with left the NEXT DAY - July 5, 1849. I just recently had a baby, and there is no way I would have felt like traveling in a hot, dusty, bumpy wagon the day after giving birth. I have driven across the country more than once - in a nice, air-conditioned, comfortable car and made the journey relatively quickly. She gave birth and then spent the next 3 months riding or walking over 1000 miles - all while caring for a brand-new infant. Family records show that she had a 3 year old daughter to care for as well, although she isn't listed on the database. I can't even imagine trying to manage all of that. I can definitely learn to be a stronger mother from her example.

How grateful I am for the men and women who worked so hard and sacrificed their blood, sweat, and tears to help make this great nation what it is today. How grateful I am on this national day of remembrance for all those who sacrifice to keep our country safe and free. Thank you.

Turn Your Hearts

In the 1985 edition of The Hymns of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, there is a wonderful hymn with the following verses, written by Paul. L. Anderson.

Turn your hearts toward your parents -

Generations gone before.

May you seek until you find them;

In the temple seal and bind them

To your hearts forevermore.

Turn in love to all your children -

Generations yet to be.

May your deeds of gospel giving,

Temple service, righteous living,

Bless them all eternally.

My heart lately has been turned towards those beautiful people on my own family tree. I feel a strong desire to read their stories and ponder their lives in an effort to better understand who I am and my noble heritage.

My goal in starting this blog is simple - to have a place to record and share meaningful family stories. Some of you might link in to my family tree on one of the many branches, some of you might not. Either way, we can all learn from those who have lived before us - their struggles, triumphs, tragedies, and blessings.

I hope my children will someday realize the great legacy their ancestors have left behind and want to be a strong link in their family chain.