Monday Memory- Honoring my great great grandparents Thomas X Smith and Annie Masters Howe

There is a link in my family chain that has left me with an emptiness and a wanting for more understanding.  It is the link that brings both of my great grandmothers Jennie Smith (biological mother of Ruth Mabel, my paternal grandmother) and her sister Marie Smith (adoptive mother of Ruth Mabel- and her aunt) together.. That link is Thomas X. Smith.  One day I found it- the Smith Family organization and David Barkdull.  Both of these connections I made while doing research on the internet on Thomas X. Smith

I put mine and my father's thumbprints between Jennie and Marie's branches.  Jennie died of the flu epidemic in 1918 and left behind my 9 month old grandmother, Jennie Smith, and her 21/2 year old brother, Edwin Cleveland Stoddard.  Jennie's Sister Marie and husband Leo Kimball adopted and raised Ruth and Cleve.  I claim  both the Kimball and The Stoddard line and I am ever so grateful for the strong lineage which is mine.

Questions answered- I found David while doing research on the family search.  He left his email  and I contacted him.  What I found was the mother lode of family history.  David descended from Marie and Jennie's older brother Eugene.  He had in his possession letters from Eugene while he served a mission mentioning Jennie as well as photographs that our family had never before seen.  Finally, we were getting to know our grandmother and gaining insight into her very short life- she was just 26 when she died.

 It was very cool to see the very LONG descendancy chart- unfortunately, not a lot of Marie and Jennie's descendancy is listed.  The Thomas X. Smith and George Smith Family organization is most impressive.  This organization honors these two brothers who joined the church in England and joined the Saints in Utah.  This year the reunion was held in Farmington, Utah where both brothers lived for a short period of time after arriving in SLC. Thomas X. Smith arrived in SLC on Ocotober 16, 1853 with his wife Margaret Guerney Smith.  They were plaiters of Straw. Both brothers were friends of Willard Richards.  Willard Richards was assigned by the prophet to settle Farmington.  While here, Thomas joined a brass band, took part in the Mormon Reformation movement, built a 16x20 foot home with a board roof and a dirt floor, was sealed to Margaret Guerney in the Endowment house in 1855, took part in the Utah War, went to Camp Floyd and then onto Cache County.  At Camp Floyd the brothers parted ways and George W. answered the call to settle Muddy Valley Arizona (present day Moapa, Nevada).

My Aunt Katherine Gennee Weaver Walker- great granddaughter of Annie Masters

 My great great Grandmother Annie Masters Howe worked in the lace factory at age 14.  She walked 3 miles to and from work.  This Lace dress is an example of perhaps some of the work she did there.

 I loved spending the day with my dad and his sister Katherine.  They are both such treasures to me.  They are holding the picture of Thomas X Smith.  Thanks so much to David Barkdull for locating the original in the Logan DUP. I can't wait to visit it in person!

This is why I came and this is who I found- the great grandchildren of Annie and Thomas X Smith- the two on the left descend from David Smith, my aunt and dad descend from Jennie/marie and the cousin on the right descends from Patience (not pictured David Barkdull descendant of Eugene) .

I would love to find more great grandchildren before they pass.  Perhaps, they can provide more answers  to my questions about Jennie?

It was in Farmington in 1878 that the beginnings of Primary began. 

This mural which hangs in the old rock church in Farmington  depicts the first meeting of the primary on Augusut 25, 1878; 215 children ages 6 to 14 attended.

This is an example of the 16x20 home that Thomas X. Smith and his wife Margaret would have lived in while in Farmington.

Thanks so much to my Smith Family (Quinton Harris, Gary Hansen, Keith Poleman, David Barkdull, Francene Medrano, Sara Jordan, Cherri Wallace, Kim Smith and Brent Smith for making the event possible!  I am so proud of this family- May we continue to celebrate our family heritage through courage, faith, obedience, adventure, love, family, humility, holy, service, and inspiration!  #Noemptychairs!