Family History

One of the goals our Area Presidency gave to us at the first of the year was to help members and friends to record 15 family names of direct ancestors in 2015.  We had already done our four generation (15 direct ancestors) work several years ago, but felt that we could still find other family names.  We were told by the Area Presidency that can we increase our faith in Jesus Christ and love for our family through submitting and performing temple ordinances for family members who have passed on.   Not only will we have the eternal gratitude of our loved ones, we will be bound together as families for the eternities to come.  This past year we have been able to find and submit several family names and then go to the temple and perform the temple work for them.

Two weeks ago we left the office early and drove to the town of Hamilton.  Upon arriving there we went to the home of Vic and Rangi Parker.  We had previously been invited to spend the night at their home which is minutes away from the Hamilton Temple.  We dropped off our bags and went to the temple to participate in family temple work there.  After the session we stopped to take some pictures of the Christmas seasonal lights which are already on at the temple grounds.  While in the parking lot Gary offered to take a picture of a couple.   Coincidentally,  the couple (the Shurtz) had just returned from Tonga where they had been volunteering in the humanitarian dental clinic with Elder and Sister Johns, who just went to Tonga to direct the dental clinic in September.

We then returned to the Parker's home for the evening.  Elder and Sister Parker have undertaken the task of writing the history of the Church in New Zealand.  We had a delightful visit with them.  She showed a fascinating movie about the life of Matthew Cowley an early missionary in New Zealand and later member of the Quorum of the 12.  We had a great nights sleep and in the morning went back over to the temple to participate in another session.

After our session, we drove home, stopping several times on the way at stores and shops that we are usually too busy to visit.  We figured we better check some of these places out sooner than later, as we will be going home before we know it.

Dr. and Sister Shurtz

View of temple from Parker's home

Vic and Rangi Parker

"The first thing that everyone should do is to gather all possible information about himself that might be found in the home and from close relatives.  The purpose of this is to identify yourself as an individual and to know from whom you have descended."  Howard W. Hunter, Primer in Genealogy, Ensign, February 1971

Post Script - This post was finished and ready to be published, but as we typed the thought above, we had the impression to share a bit of family history that we discovered recently.  Last week our daughter went to a Remembrance Day Program at the local elementary school in Raymond, Canada.  During the program they showed pictures of veterans.  One of the pictures was of a young man who looked like her brother.  The name on the picture was George William Winters.  She inquired if Gary's father had been in the service (his name was George).  We said no, but thought we could check with a cousin who had relatives from Raymond and see if there was any connection.  We sent out an email and heard back the very next day that yes, George William Winters was the son of Gary's grandfather's brother.  But now, the story gets even better.  The person who gave his cousin all this information about George Winters was a man named Ray Court.  Ray Court was a cousin to our son-in-law's grandfather.   It is indeed a small world.