So, was surfing online during a conference call and stumbled upon this article in the CV Bugle about mom.
Enjoy!
Category: Family
Family news, announcements, etc.
More of Mom’s Expanding Influence
Here are the pictures Justin was asking for:
More Mother’s Day
Here’s a couple of pictures of the kids while on FaceTime with Grandma and Grandpa in CV.
And also the song Ashlee played for Becky for Mother’s Day and later on FaceTime for Grandma. She’s only been playing the violin for a couple months. She didn’t have the sheet music for this, she just figured it out on her own.
Mom’s expanding influence over the years
Mom,
Here’s a little timeline for Mother’s Day. Sorry, I didn’t have one of just Jere, or one with Stephen as a baby. (If anyone has pictures of Mom with all her kids to that point that aren’t shown here, PLEASE add them!)
Thank you for your never-ending work, sacrificing your time, talents, energy, health, sleep, sanity, money, and everything else you had for us over the years. During the process we all gave you MUCH TOO LITTLE of the appreciation, respect, and love that you deserved. And though it seemed like an almost constant battle with at least one of us at any given time, ALL of us can say that we are who we are because of your efforts, we’re the better for it. Hopefully we honor you now by who we’ve become, and that you have been able to find joy and rejoicing in your posterity. Thank you for continuing to bless our lives however you can.
Happy Mother’s Day, Mom!
We love you!
The Freeman 10
Why does Will feel a need to hide behind his sisters?
Teaching the kids some Dodger history
OK, here’s another totally different family/baseball history note that some of you young’uns might not know. The Diamondbacks have only been around since 1998, so there is a “generation” of older kids in our family that actually DIDN’T grow up rooting for them. With Dad being raised in LA, we grew up as Dodgers fans. I don’t know if Jere and Melissa feel the same way, but one of the coolest things I remember from my school days is when our CVHS band marched on to the field at Dodger Stadium. And while, according to our pedigree, all of us kids are half Phoenix and half LA, when the Dodgers play the D-Backs I’m always pulling for the boys in blue.
25 years ago (1988) the Dodgers won their last World Series. The iconic moment from that series was when Kirk Gibson (yes, the current D-Backs manager) hobbled up to the plate on two bad legs with two outs in the bottom of the 9th and hit a walk-off two run homer off A’s Hall of Fame closer Dennis Eckersley (who by the way was baptized LDS, but was only active a few years in his youth) to win Game 1. I called that home run, by the way. We had just gotten back to the Smith’s house from a Scout hike at the Grand Canyon and with my 13 year old fan faith I just KNEW Gibson would come up and save the day. I didn’t know he hadn’t played the whole game because of his injuries and that at-bat would be his only appearance in the Series.
With that being such a dramatic moment, people tend to use it to symbolize the ’88 championship season. HOWEVER, the Dodgers had to get through the NY Mets in the National League Championship Series to even get to the World Series. That NLCS series was one for the ages. (Games 3, 4, and 5 were played at Shea Stadium in Queens, NY. The field is now part of the Citi Field parking lot.)
Game 4 of that NLCS turned out to be pivotal in the history of both franchises. The Mets (who were heavily favored, having won 10 of the 11 regular season meetings, most of them by decent margins) were up two games to one with their ace Dwight Gooden taking a commanding 4-2 lead into the 9th inning. Then, from this spot 
Mike Scoscia hits a two run homer to tie the game. But the heroics weren’t over yet. In the top of the 12th inning, from this same spot, Kirk Gibson hit a two out solo shot to go up one.
But the heroics STILL weren’t over. In the bottom of the 12th, with two outs and the bases loaded, Orel Hershiser (having started the day before on three days rest from his Game 1 start) came to this spot
to get Kevin McReynolds to fly out, earning the save, and tying the series at two games each. Hershiser would later pitch a complete game shutout in Game 7 and earn NLCS MVP honors.
After that Game 4, the Dodgers would win game five, heading home with a lead in the series, eventually winning both this NLCS and the World Series. The Mets, on the other hand, would see the end of an era.
Of course, the Mets and the Diamondbacks have both been to the Word Series since the last time the Dodgers were there. I guess that’s why as Dodgers fans events/memories from Dodger lore are all we have to hold on to. That, and the annual hope of not blowing yet another NL West lead heading into the All-Star break, just to be fighting for a wild card spot in the fall.
So, this one time I met President Uchtdorf
So this last Saturday, the Native section was asked to perform at the banquet that American Indian Services was having, and we were like “sure, anything for the people who give us scholarship money”, plus we were excited because we had heard some rumors as to some big wigs who would be there. Anyways, there we were, chilling in our dressing room (which was just a random meeting room in the hotel), when who should poke his head in but President Uchtdorf! He had seen us getting all our props ready and he just wanted to say hello and tell us how excited he was to see us perform that night. So, he talked to us all, told us we were cute, and then he left. While we were all slightly still in shock at having just been called cute and shaken hands with President Uchtdorf, he came back with his wife to introduce her to us. So yeah, that was cool.
Then, while we were mingling among the people as they were eating dinner (which was kinda awkward), someone decided it was picture taking time. They rounded up President Uchtdorf, Elder Ballard, and the governor and took a few pictures (at first we thought they were going to bring Elder Andersen over, but then it was the governor instead). Then they found Dale Tingey (you know, dad’s mission president, the mind behind Lamanite Generation, and the head of American Indian Services for forever), and he joined our picture as well.
The best part was that after about five minutes of all the people taking pictures of us, President Uchtdorf was just like “okaaaay” which I interpreted as “enough with the pictures already”. Of course, President Uchtdorf would never say that, but I was picking up what he was putting down, and it was exactly how I felt.
Family History Questions – Part 5
This is the final installment…
JRF’s maternal grandparents were John Jay Stocking and Catherine Emaline Ensign. Catherine’s ordinances were all done in October 1891 in the Manti Temple. It looks like she died after five kids and 10 years of marriage, but three more kids are listed after her death. It looks like John Jay married Catherine’s younger sister Harriet eight months after Catherine’s death in 1841, so those last kids may be theirs. He was baptized about a year after Catherine’s death, and was sealed to Catherine in the Endowment House in 1869.
James Homer Stocking was born in Massachusetts, six months after John Jay was baptized (FEB 1842) and 18 months after Catherine’s death. James Homer died in Nauvoo shortly after his third birthday (1845), so they moved to Nauvoo at some point between 1842 and 1845. John Jay received his initiatory and endowment in the Nauvoo temple FEB 1846, right before the Saints traveled west. He would have been about 40 years old at the time.
So John Jay Stocking, DEFINITELY lived in Nauvoo. When did he move there? Where did he live? Can we find that spot when we’re there? Angeline Amaret Stocking, JRF’s mother, was six years old when her mother died in Massachusetts, and would have been 11 when they left Nauvoo.
Interesting stuff! Who wants to find what? Ready…….GO!
Family History Questions – Part 4
Mysteries abound on Jeremiah Reuben Freeman’s side as well. All four of his grandparents were born “back east” and died in Utah, except his maternal grandmother (Catherine Emaline Ensign) who died in 1841 in Massachusetts, so it’s safe to say that was the first generation to be baptized. But the dates are what make things interesting.
JRF’s paternal grandparents, John Freeman and Nancy Smoot, were born in Kentucky and married there as well (1826). John and Nancy’s ordinance records have their initiatory, endowment, and sealing all happening 2 APR 1857 in the Endowment House. John’s baptism is listed as 16 MAR 1857, with his confirmation 1 JUN 1844. Nancy’s baptism is also listed as 16 MAR 1857, but her confirmation was back on 1 JUL 1835. Did they re-baptize people in the Endowment House before performing the other ordinances (two weeks, in this case)?
They appear to still be in KY in 1838 when their 8th child (Columbus Reed) is born. However, their next three children were born in southern Illinios (the tip between Missouri and Kentucky) between 1840-1845. So, with the dates above, it would appear that Nancy joined in KY and John joined later in IL. Two of those last three children who were born in IL (four year old Levi and 21 month old Rosaline) died at Winter Quarters in 1847. William Hamblin Freeman, JRF’s father, was born in KY and would have been 14 years old at Winter Quarters.
There’s another child listed (Martha) who was born in 1849 in northwest Missouri (AndrewCounty–near the Nebraska-Kansas border), and died in Provo. Did the Freemans not leave with the Saints from Winter Quarters, staying back and drifting southward, but eventually moving out to Utah later? Did they move on with the Saints, and Martha perhaps was an adopted orphan (or something like that) who they took in later?
Looking at the dates, when did the Freemans meet up with the Saints? They were still hundreds of miles from Nauvoo a year after Joseph Smith died. Did they move to Nauvoo BEFORE the Saints left, or meet up with them somewhere between Nauvoo and Winter Quarters? IF they DID move to Nauvoo at some point, where did they live, and could we find the spot when we’re there?
We’ll finish with the Stockings…
Family History Questions – Part 3
Continuing on the Bodell side…
Emma Jane Farmer crosses the plains in 1856 with her family at 13 years old. In May 1862 she marries a young widower named Joseph Bodell. Joseph was born in England to Henry Bodell and Jane Elsie (Elsey?). Jane was baptized when Joseph was seven, with Henry being baptized two years later. Joseph was baptized 4 FEB 1852 at age 12. It is unknown when Joseph came over, but before his 20th birthday he is already in SLC and getting married to his first wife (May 1860). They have a baby a little over 18 months later, and his wife dies two weeks after that (14 APR 1862). He marries Emma Jane Farmer about a month later (17 MAY), and the baby dies 2 SEP 1862, about six months old.
The following year (1863), his father Henry dies and is buried “on the plains.” When did Joseph Bodell come over? Is it possible that he came over with his father’s family, and Henry died on a later trip bringing another group of Saints across? When did Henry’s family leave England? Anybody want to tackle these questions?
Jeremiah Reuben Freeman’s side is next….
Family History Questions – Part 2
*** Initial Disclaimer*** I’m getting a lot of this info from Church websites (e.g. new.familysearch.org, FamilySearch Family Tree, etc.) which doesn’t necessarily make it accurate. If anyone has access to records that dispute this info PLEASE let me know!
OK, so with all this reunion talk, it got me thinking about our family history, and when each particular root first joined the church. This is Part 2 of
Dad’s side is a little more tricky. Grandma Freeman’s side we know, with all four of her grandparents being baptized in Denmark and emigrating to Utah and California.
Grandpa Freeman’s parents were Jeremiah Reuben Freeman and Emma Jane Bodell. All four of EJB’s grandparents were born in England, with most emigrating to/toward Utah, with her maternal grandstepmother (Elisabeth Morris) being buried on the plains in July 1856, and her paternal grandfather (Henry Bodell) being buried on the plains in 1863. Anyone have any info on their respective pioneer companies, or how to find that out? It would be interesting to find any details about those two deaths.
EJB was the daughter of Joseph Bodell and Emma Jane Farmer, both of whom were born in England. Emma Jane Farmer was the second of seven kids born to James Morris Farmer and Sarah Trussler. Her mother seems to have died either in labor or due to complications of childbirth, as her death date is 26 AUG 1851 and “Baby Farmer” was born and died AUG 1851. Emma Jane was 8 yrs old when her mom and baby sibling died. Two years later (1853), her father married Elisabeth Morris. James has a confirmation date of 1 JUL 1848 (when he was 32), and Elisabeth’s baptism/confirmation are dated 6 OCT 1837, so it’s possible they met at church.
!!!WEIRD ALERT!!! It’s possible they met LONG before that. I’m guessing that there’s been a data entry/merge error somewhere along the line, because it seems this Elisabeth Morris is actually his widowed mother! Was that allowed? At first you’d think, maybe she’s just helping out with the kids and is just listed as living there. BUT there is another kid listed between their marriage date and Elisabeth’s death date. Anyone want to figure out what’s up with that one?
That kid was Willard Biddle Farmer, born 26 OCT 1855 in Nottingham, and died 26 JUL 1856 “on the plains.” He was nine months old. Elisabeth Morris also died “on the plains” JUL 1856. It couldn’t have been easy to have a baby, get on a ship, then start crossing the plains. Emma Jane would have been 12 during the sea voyage, and was baptized 10 MAY 1856, turning 13 on 26 JUN. Would her baptism have had to been in the U.S., or would there have been time to leave England in May and still get to Nebraska (or wherever) by July? So at 13 years old, she’s already seen two mother figures and two baby siblings die, has crossed the Atlantic, and crossed the plains. No doubt being the second oldest she’s got a lot to do to help with the younger kids as well.
To be continued…