Kristina Jonsson photobook

 My mother always told heard that her great grandfather Johannes Jonsson was a sailor, but another source I read actually said that Johannes Jonsson was a baker. I'm interested to know what is true. He was a good man but had an alcohol problem and Petronella finally asked him to leave. 

Inexpensive Photobook with PicMonkey

 Lately I've started on a project to put make my family history photos and stories more accessible to my kids.  I started making shutterfly book a few years ago, but kept putting off finishing it because I hoped to collect more pictures and had a hard time deciding the layout.  I decided for now to make a smaller, editable version using 4x6 prints and $1 store photo books.  That way I can rearrange and add photos and stories as I collect them, but keep them organized by family lines.  Here are the potential cover pages of my project that I designed for free on picmonkey. Which style do you prefer? 

Mathis Family Highlights

James Mathis and wife Elizabeth Keenan

Elizabeth Keenan Mathis, John Fonville Mathis, William Raymon Mathis, Jack Mathis

Raymon, Myrtle, Beulah, Era Lee, Mittie Belle & John Fonville Mathis

Robert Newton Mathis

Letters of Franz(Francis) Reuter (Rider)

Stanley Family Documents

Letter from Francis Rider to his mother no date (about April 1, 1846)

Dearest Mother:

You wrote in your last letter I received from you, my brother, Lorenz, is three months away from home, and you don't know where he is. I would like to let you know what I found out. I received your letter April 1, 1846. After I received your letter telling me about Lorenz, I met a salesman from New York, who told me Lorenz was was in New York. He told me Lorenz sent me a letter to Claeburn, Alabama, but I have since moved. Lorenz visited me in Alabama the first time. That is all I know about Lorenz. Maybe the next time you write you'll have heard from him. I hope so with all my heart. Maybe he went back to his homeland, anyway, I hope you hear from him soon.

Your loving son,

Franz

(Note: The present-day Reuter family still living in Germany confirms that indeed, Lorenz returned to Germany, never married and died in 1877.)

A Life History of Mary Ann Neal Atkins

Edward Atkins and Mary Ann Neal Family

Mary Ann Neal Atkins

A brief history of the life of Mary Ann Neal Atkins.

Written by her daughter, Martha A. Tuddenham.  May 25, 1931

My mother Mary Ann Neal Atkins, was born in Burmingham, Warwickshire, England, July 5, 1812.  The daughter of Harriet Smith and Job Neal, she was the seventh child of a family of thirteen.  She was the last one of her Mother’s children to be christened in the Church of England.  Her parents having joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints, had the rest of their children blessed in the Latter Day Saint Church.  My Mother’s Mother became a devout church worker and a staunch defender of the truth.  She would often accompany the Elders to their meetings and assist them with the singing and preaching.

The feeling toward the Latter Day Saints was very bitter in England at that time.  The mobs would gather, break up their meetings, destroy their books, insult and sometimes injure the Saints. At one time my Mother attempted to pick up some of the books and was immediately attacked by the mob.  She was glad to leave the books and get out of the way.

A Life History of Emily Judd

An attempt to write a brief sketch of the life of Emily Judd who became the wife of Francis Henrie, and the mother of eleven children of this union. (Written by , said, Francis Henrie, January, 30, 1960).

Emily Judd as an infant (far right)

                Emily Judd, was the third child of Richard Judd and Phoebe Melinda Sevy, and was born in Panguitch, Utah, June 23, 1888.  She was dark complected with very dark hair and large black clear shining eyes, which later, became the envy of her older sister Alice.  While I was courting Emily (or Emmer as she was called after one of her Grandmother’s names) Alice told us of many of the times when she (Alice) would get very jealous of Emmer, when women who visited their mother would make remarks about Emmer’s big beautiful black poppy eyes, but would very seldom say anything about Alice’s beautiful eyes.  Of the events of Emmer’s childhood days while she was growing up and before she reached the age of 16 years (when I first met her at a party) I never learned very much as she herself was very reticent about commenting much about the early life.  But one or two things she told me have remained in my memory throughout the years.

                She said when she was a small girl, somewhere around six to eight years of age, she had a sickness which left her with Saint Vitris Dance, and her nervous system was all shaken up so that she suffered severely both physically and spiritually.