Grandma(s) & Grandpa(s)

An Adams Family History - Part 2

Elvira Annie was born in 1813 in New York State. She was the first child born to her parents. Most of the family converted to Mormonism and Elvira Annie was baptized at age 21, just 5.5 years after the official date of Mormonism’s founding. She first arrived in Kirtland at age 22.

Elvira and her family followed the church through tough times in Kirtland, the exodus to Zion (Missouri) and the extermination order which sent them north to Nauvoo, IL where she arrived in 1839 at age 26.

According to her obituary she resided in the home of Joseph and Emma Smith in the spring of 1840. In late 1840 Joseph welcomed an old friend into his household, Jonathan Holmes. He worked as a handyman and served as one of Smith’s bodyguards. This was the second time he made his home with the prophet, the first time in Kirtland. According to his obituary, “he was much beloved by the Prophet and all others who knew him.”

Jonathan’s wife had recently passed away in August of 1840 as well as one of his two daughters. The other daughter, Sarah, was now Elvira’s responsibility to care for in the Smith house.

Recalling her memories of Elvira, Sarah recorded, “when Emma Smith and Eliza Snow would be out caring for the sick, the colored cook always had extra lunches and Elvira would tell stories and we would all play games.” Elvira’s residence with the Smith’s extended from 1840 to 1842 as shown by the Nauvoo ward listing.

Elvira married Jonathan Holmes on December 1^st, 1842 with Joseph Smith performing the ceremony.

Six months later, on June 1, 1843, Elvira was also married to Joseph Smith in the home of Heber C. Kimball.

Elvira was now married to two living men at the same time, one of several polyandrous relationships that Joseph Smith entered into.

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Elvira Annie Cowles was Austin Cowles' (see part 1) first daughter.

On July 16^th, 1843, Joseph Smith preached, denouncing internal traitors. (Six weeks after Joseph married Austin's daughter)

On June 27, 1844, Joseph was killed and Elvira was (partly) widowed. Jonathan served as a pallbearer at Joseph’s funeral. So, Elvira’s husband honored Smith, while her father had helped precipitate his death.

On February 3^rd, 1846 Jonathan stood in as proxy for Smith when Elvira was sealed to Joseph for eternity in the Nauvoo temple. At this time, Elvira stood in as proxy for Jonathan’s late wife, Marietta.

Jonathan joined the Mormon Battalion, leaving Elvira and their belongings to a mismatched ox and cow team. Elvira lost her two year-old daughter Lucy Elvira during the winter in her trek to Utah where she arrived on October 2, 1847. She would be reunited with Jonathan 1 year later.

Apart from Sarah, Elvira and Jonathan would have three more surviving daughters: Marietta, Phebe, and Emma.

On May 12^th 1866, at age 16 Marietta married Job Welling.

On December 21^st, 1868 Phebe married Job Welling.

And finally, on April 28^th 1875, Emma married Job Welling.

Sister wives. Literally.

When their father Jonathan passed away on August 18, 1880, Apostle Wilford Woodruff spoke at his funeral.

Phebe would give birth to eight children, one of which was named Wilford Woodruff Welling.

Wilford would give birth to 14 children. The last (but not least) 14^th child was Grandma Donna Welling Adams.

Austin Cowles died on January 15^th, 1872. His daughter Elvira wrote of him, “After spending a long life in making the world better, an example to all who knew him, with charity for all and malice toward none. His tall form was laid to rest in the old homestead. He chose virtue as his sweetest guide; lived as a Christian and as a Christian died.”

(press ctrl + to enlarge)
Sources:
Welling Family Facebook Group
Grandma Adams
Todd Compton, Ph.D. University of California – Los Angeles. 1998

Grandpa

An Adams Family History - Part 1

Austin Cowles was a prominent leader in the early LDS church of Nauvoo, IL. On February 29, 1841 he was named 1^st counselor of the Nauvoo stake, likely the equivalent of a general authority in today’s church organization. He did missionary work for the church in New Hampshire and Massachusetts and returned to Nauvoo in early 1843.

In July of 1843 Joseph Smith preached, denouncing internal traitors. In a letter to Brigham Young, Willard Richards guessed that the prophet was talking primarily about three people, William Marks, Parley P. Pratt, and Austin Cowles.

According to the minutes of the church high council, Austin Cowles resigned from his position as first counselor on September 12, 1843. On May 18^th, 1844 Austin Cowles was “cut” off from the church for apostasy. He then helped write the fateful first and only issue of the Nauvoo Expositor which was published on June 7^th 1844, the paper which "so infuriated Joseph Smith with its criticisms of him." The destruction of the Expositor press, engineered by Joseph, set off a chain of events that led to his martyrdom.

So what did Austin Cowles write?

To all whom it may Concern:
Forasmuch as the public mind hath been much agitated by a course of procedure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, by a number of persons declaring against certain doctrines and practices therein, (among whom I am one,) it is but meet that I should give my reasons, at least in part, as a cause that hath led me to declare myself. In the latter part of the summer, 1843, the Patriarch, Hyrum Smith, did in the High Council, of which I was a member, introduce what he said was a revelation given through the Prophet; that the said Hyrum Smith did essay to read the said revelation in the said Council, that according to his reading there was contained the following doctrines; 1st, the sealing up of persons to eternal life, against all sins, save that of shedding innocent blood or of consenting thereto; 2nd, the doctrine of a plurality of wives, or marrying virgins; that "David and Solomon had many wives, yet in this they sinned not save in the matter of Uriah. This revelation with other evidence, that the aforesaid heresies were taught and practiced in the Church; determined me to leave the office of first counsellor to the president of the Church at Nauvoo, inasmuch as I dared not to teach or administer such laws. And further deponent saith not. -AUSTIN COWLES.

Austin Cowles is my great-great-great-great Grandpa.

Tune in tomorrow, it gets better.

Sources: Nauvoo Expositor

Todd Compton, Ph.D. University of California – Los Angeles. 1998

This Post Is Title-less

Well, I guess not anymore.

Let's talk about the economy.

Wait - did you just zone out or start to skim? STOP! This is important. Why don't Americans understand the economy? Why did we all just get caught with our pants pulled down when the rug was pulled out from underneath our magically appreciating homes? Will it happen again? What's next?

Let's face it - you don't understand the economy. And neither do I. We are part of it. In it - like a whirlwind and grasping on to (and trying to hold) anything we can.

Let's start here, together. We can do this.

I finished this book and give it 100 stars. Peter Schiff is a genius. He speaks plain and simple truths. He got laughed at by everyone who's anyone for the years preceding the housing crisis. Now he looks like the only guy (to me) who has any kind of common sense. Next book on my list: End the Fed - Ron Paul.

Bottom-line of the book: Our centrally planned economy has slowly become almost totally controlled by Washington (duh), and this is bad. What does this mean for you and me? Well, I don't want to spoil the end!






Next topic: 2 fun workouts

Pilates with Jenn, and racquetball with Jenn's boss. Muscles. Aching.

Next topic:

Stonyfield is my new favorite company. While I am teetering on the edge of wanting to abandon dairy products all together - they have helped me keep my sanity in this great time of transition. Apart from my years of drinking this instead of milk:


I have now switched to organic yogurt and ice cream. It tastes 100000% better. This is true most definitely for the yogurt. Especially SOY yogurt. It still has dairy. But less - and it's organic. Yum. Double the price - but double the satisfaction - easily.







Next topic: Jenn just made some peanut butter oatmeal cookies.

End of Post.

Today You, Tomorrow Me

A fun little story from the blogosphere:

"Just about every time I see someone, I stop. I kind of got out of the habit in the last couple of years, moved to a big city and all that, my girlfriend wasn't too stoked on the practice. Then some shit happened to me that changed me and I am back to offering rides habitually. If you would indulge me, it is long story and has almost nothing to do with hitch hiking other than happening on a road.

This past year I have had 3 instances of car trouble. A blow out on a freeway, a bunch of blown fuses and an out of gas situation. All of them were while driving other people's cars which, for some reason, makes it worse on an emotional level. It makes it worse on a practical level as well, what with the fact that I carry things like a jack and extra fuses in my car, and know enough not to park, facing downhill, on a steep incline with less than a gallon of fuel.

Anyway, each of these times this shit happened I was disgusted with how people would not bother to help me. I spent hours on the side of the freeway waiting, watching roadside assistance vehicles blow past me, for AAA to show. The 4 gas stations I asked for a gas can at told me that they couldn't loan them out "for my safety" but I could buy a 1-gallon one with no cap for $15. It was enough, each time, to make you say stuff like "this country is going to hell in a handbasket."

But you know who came to my rescue all three times? Immigrants. Mexican immigrants. None of them spoke a lick of the language. But one of those dudes had a profound affect on me.

He was the guy that stopped to help me with a blow out with his whole family of 6 in tow. I was on the side of the road for close to 4 hours. Big jeep, blown rear tire, had a spare but no jack. I had signs in the windows of the car, big signs that said NEED A JACK and offered money. No dice. Right as I am about to give up and just hitch out there a van pulls over and dude bounds out. He sizes the situation up and calls for his youngest daughter who speaks english. He conveys through her that he has a jack but it is too small for the Jeep so we will need to brace it. He produces a saw from the van and cuts a log out of a downed tree on the side of the road. We rolled it over, put his jack on top, and bam, in business. I start taking the wheel off and, if you can believe it, I broke his tire iron. It was one of those collapsible ones and I wasn't careful and I snapped the head I needed clean off.

No worries, he runs to the van, gives it to his wife and she is gone in a flash, down the road to buy a tire iron. She is back in 15 minutes, we finish the job with a little sweat and cussing (stupid log was starting to give), and I am a very happy man. We are both filthy and sweaty. The wife produces a large water jug for us to wash our hands in. I tried to put a 20 in the man's hand but he wouldn't take it so I instead gave it to his wife as quietly as I could. I thanked them up one side and down the other. I asked the little girl where they lived, thinking maybe I could send them a gift for being so awesome. She says they live in Mexico. They are here so mommy and daddy can pick peaches for the next few weeks. After that they are going to pick cherries then go back home. She asks if I have had lunch and when I told her no she gave me a tamale from their cooler, the best fucking tamale I have ever had.

So, to clarify, a family that is undoubtedly poorer than you, me, and just about everyone else on that stretch of road, working on a seasonal basis where time is money, took an hour or two out of their day to help some strange dude on the side of the road when people in tow trucks were just passing me by. Wow...

But we aren't done yet. I thank them again and walk back to my car and open the foil on the tamale cause I am starving at this point and what do I find inside? My fucking $20 bill! I whirl around and run up to the van and the guy rolls his window down. He sees the $20 in my hand and just shaking his head no like he won't take it. All I can think to say is "Por Favor, Por Favor, Por Favor" with my hands out. Dude just smiles, shakes his head and, with what looked like great concentration, tried his hardest to speak to me in English:

"Today you.... tomorrow me."

Rolled up his window, drove away, his daughter waving to me in the rear view. I sat in my car eating the best fucking tamale of all time and I just cried. Like a little girl. It has been a rough year and nothing has broke my way. This was so out of left field I just couldn't deal.

In the 5 months since I have changed a couple of tires, given a few rides to gas stations and, once, went 50 miles out of my way to get a girl to an airport. I won't accept money. Every time I tell them the same thing when we are through:

"Today you.... tomorrow me."